McKinleyville Community Health Center

Kellie Fike

Impossible to contact anyone here, phone has been busy since 10am it is now 3pm!!! This happened yesterday when I tried to call and had to give up and now again today!! Hard to believe they don't have a phone system set up where multiple calls can come in at the same time, and maybe one is sent to a message box if they are on the line! But a busy signal for two days straight...really!?! Also referrals are a joke here. I have a large lump inside my cheek, my doctor was nervous about it... a referral was sent over for it to get looked at 2 months ago, which she did say it could take that long, I followed up and it had NEVER BEEN MADE!

Whitney Petrey

Actual providers are great. HOWEVER, like many others have noted, the front desk staff is medically negligent. In multiple ways. If they tell you they'll send a message to your care team, make sure you have them read it to you and ask if anyone specific on the care team will be asked to respond (otherwise no one will). Front desk staff also often gives you conflicting information that could result in harm to you and your family's health. ALSO, the referrals department at this location is a joke. Anticipate waiting 2-3 years for your referral to actually make it to the referred specialist (has happened on three different referrals-the only three we had-for my family since 2019). They won't send the referral for weeks. Insert excuse about queue of referrals. Then they will give you the run around about insurance or not accepting new patients, even when you've been in contact with the referred specialist and none of these are accurate. Then the will say that your referral is too old and you need a new one. And the whole cycle begins again. Things that work: conference call the referred specialist and the referrals department (make sure you are actually talking to referrals not the front desk that will "send a message to your care team"). And report these incidents to Open Door. They have a new Ethics Point website for making reports. Go to main website, drop down menu for "Contact Us", scroll to blue box for Ethics Point reporting.

Patti Stammer

I wish I wasn’t so angry…I went to clinic to see about swelling in my elbow. The assistant trainee noticed a couple of scabs on the same arm and asked about them. Cat bites from a frisky kitten. The “Doctor” looked at my medical records and asked if I remembered having a rash from a drug prescribed years ago. I said no. Other that the fact that I’m sneaking up on 80 and was in pain, my penicillin allergy is LISTED in my chart! This doctor then prescribed the same medication where the previous rash was documented, ignored the allergic notations in my chart, prescribed the same medication, and three days later I developed a rash from head to toe. Not just a rash, but huge red welts everywhere. When I called, another assistant called back and told me it was MY responsibility to notify the doctor of that issue and basically it was my fault because the doctor didn’t connect getting a rash from a penicillin based antibiotic. It was a new trainee who noticed the cat bites and the diagnosis of gout was ditched. I grew up with a mother who was a surgical nurse in Palo Alto and then at Stanford Medical Center. Since early childhood, I’ve had only one kidney. I’ve had great lifelong medical care until Dr. Carrol retired from this clinic. I know my body and know when to ask for help. The people who cared for me in Mck should be ashamed but deflecting the blame to me was the final straw in an overwhelmed system, impossible communication, and very very short appointments. Be careful going there and trust your instincts and ask questions…but don’t expect the truth. Lots of dodging and weaving. Be ready or go someplace else!

J Hensley

I was LUCKY enough to get in with Open Door 3 years ago when my family n I moved to Humboldt County. I have had nothing but ABSOLUTELY AMAZING CARE from EVERY PROVIDER, EVERY NURSE and EVERY CLERK!!! Are they perfect? Nope!! Nobody is, we all have bad days but I come from a Town of Horrible Scary Doctors (small town like here 2-3 Dr.s lost licenses due to over prescribing!!) And what a great feeling to finally have Doctors that care!!