Catherine Street Clinic LLC

First of all this is not a complaint about Dr. Vu. While the acupuncture did not help my father's medical condition, he has nothing but positive comments about Dr. Vu. This is regarding the receptionist in the office, Donna. My father received a bill for services rendered 14 months ago. He has paid bills to this provider including a larger bill that he paid on that day. The receptionist claimed that he has gotten many bills for the amount but never responded to it by mail or phone. He requested an itemized bill because it had been so long ago (14 months) and he wanted to make sure he had not already paid the amount. She denied his request but asked him to give her his credit card number on the phone and she would eliminate the late charges. She then threatened to send him to collections to which he responded you go ahead and do whatever you need to then "It doesn't matter to me, I am dying from terminal cancer anyway. She then very rudely told him "I hope you get to see Jesus then.." My father, as a result of surgeries and the cancer has lost a great portion of his voice and she has an overwhelming need to talk over people if she does not like what they are saying. I am speaking from experience. I called to discuss her less than professional conversation with my dad. She is under the assumption that she can to talk to, hang up on, and treat poorly anyone she chooses to. She very easily could have handled the situation more professionally by sending and itemized tally of the charges and payments made starting 14 months ago. When I called her about this incident she was defensive from the get go, rude, unprofessional, discourteous, unethical and unprofessional throughout our phone call. Multiple times she interrupted me and raised her voice to talk over me. She explained she had a daughter who has cancer as well. While I am sorry for her, I know how difficult it is to have a very sick child, however, it does not make it okay to be unprofessional in your job, especially in her line of work. Most health care professionals understand that your patients are not always easy to deal with for many reasons, including they don't feel well. All he requested was an itemized statement...something so simple, instead she chose to be unethical and hurtful. In her defense after she got done talking over me and being rude she did say she called my dad and apologized because she felt bad for what she said. While I commend her for doing that, unfortunately she obviously did not learn anything because she continued to be unprofessional in our conversation basically threatening to hang up on me and then did. Again, I am sorry she is dealing with a sick child, but it does not make it okay to respond to a patient in the matter she did, even if the patient was perhaps not themselves. She is the professional and if she is unable to behave in the manor her job may require, maybe she needs to have some time off and return when she is able to do her job in a non-judgmental, ethical, courteous and professional manor. I am sure that if someone had treated her ill child in the manner she treatment my father, she would be extremely upset. She may not have to talk to patients, if she does not like what they are saying or how they are saying it. That is her prerogative but all it did for the practice she works for was lose them many patients. Because first impressions are so important and can make the difference in whether a patient chooses to continue with the practice I only gave one star...she drags everyone's good intentions down with her..