Neighborcare Health at Columbia City

My review is strictly based on my experience with the receptionists and administrative staff.
I recently moved to the area. I called ahead of time to schedule my first appointment. They informed me that the first appointment is more like an informative meeting. On the day of my appointment, I arrived at Columbia Public Health Center and walked straight to the WIC reception desk. I had no idea that there were different programs running in the same building, the website didn’t indicate that. The whole building seemed busy and chaotic. The staff at WIC were impatient toward me. During our conversation, she was very loud and shouted out some of my personal information in the presence of other staffs and patients making me feel very uncomfortable. She later sent me out because I didn’t qualify for low income benefits. That’s when I realized I was at the wrong reception desk.
The receptionist at Neighborcare wasn’t particularly friendly either. She sent me to the patient lobby on the other side of the building to wait for my name to get called. When the staff came, she said I was on the wrong side of the lobby. Her mannerism was similar to the receptionist: impatient and unfriendly. It seems like none of them know how to smile. This staff was strictly in charge of finances. She told us that they don’t receive patients with private insurance unless they also have a secondary insurance. I never heard that before. She asked if I have started the process for Medicaid. I told her I don’t quality and if it’s ok to just let me get to the next step of the process.
She made some phone calls, and finally led me to the nurse. At this point, I was ready to walk out the door. The nurse was the only person that had a smile on her face. We sat with her and talked about my medical history and showed me a list of providers. She asked me a few times to pick a provider and schedule the next appointment. I told her I need to think about it. The nurse was great, but I have already decided to look elsewhere for care. I don’t want to come to a stressful place every time I meet with my doctor, since I’ll be back at least once a month.

The staff is really friendly.
However, everything else about this place is disorganized and TERRIBLE.
My pharmacy faxed over a document they needed my doctor to sign for a prescription over a week ago. I asked if they needed me to come in and was told no. After waiting that long, I went in and they took care of it the same day but «forgot» about it until then.
They needed a stool sample and gave me tubes to scoop up myself and bring back. When I did, I was told they «forgot» the labeling so I had to label vials of my own poo in the lobby in front of everyone.
When I went in for dental care they «forgot» to fax my referral into my oral surgeon three times. Each time I had to come back in and get reevaluated. On the day of my surgery, as I was about to go under, they still hasn’t received it and I had to have the doctor call in herself. They almost had to do two separate surgeries and almost made me go a full month instead of the usual two weeks without solid food.
This place is the WORST medical care I’ve ever received in America. And I have private health insurance.
I’ve never written a bad Unilocal review before this but it was well deserved.

I hate that I love my doctor so much. The front desk is so unorganized, the staff if kind of rude to patients and if you have never been here before, you would totally be lost. This place is totally not new patient friendly.
3÷18÷15 Update
I was 5 mins late to my appointment and they would not see me just to fill out paperwork. There has been countless appointments where I am early to my appointment, get called into the exam room 45 minutes later. Then on top of that I have to wait 30 minutes to see the doctor.
Now they are telling me I cant be seen after being 5 minutes late? Something is wrong here, maybe I should find a new doctor and clinic.

I come here for midwifery care and I LOVE it! If you want to have your baby at Group Health Capitol Hill (the best place in the area to have a midwife assisted birth and lowest c-​section rate) but do not have GH insurance, you can go through a Neighborcare, formerly Puget Sound Neighborhood Health Centers — PSNHC. Most private insurance will work.
My primary midwife for prenatal care is Mary Mittell. She is young and is a compassionate & competent OB care provider. The other Neighborcare midwives are Judy Lowe, Judy Lazarus, Ann Darlington, Lesley Kennedy, and Yvonne Griffin. They are all caring, warm, and experienced. I would trust my life with any of them!
My daughter was stillborn last year due to congenital health issues. I was given the option to transfer my care to a group of specialists at Swedish… but when I actually got to meet them, their bedside manners are nothing compared to the midwives at Neighborcare. I then requested to be cared for by my midwives and our family had a beautiful experience. We are so thankful for this team!
The only reason the clinic is receiving 4 stars instead of 5 is that the support staff (mainly receptionists) are not always very professional. But, it’s the Valley! What do you expect? :)