Kroencke Scarlett DPM

Patient, kind and understanding are NOT the words I would use to describe Dr. Kroencke.
Here’s the whole story…
My fiancé went to a doctor who wasn’t sure exactly what was going on with his toe joint. Because he was in terrible pain that was severely affecting his life and mine, he decided to get a second opinion.
Dr. Kroencke was the second referral from the primary care provider. At that appointment, she seemed very rushed. She walked in, went over very little and seemed to mainly make her diagnosis on the MRI previously taken. The whole appointment took less than twenty minutes.
She stated that he had hallux rigidus; that nothing could be done to fix it and it will only get worse from here on out. He did however have the option of custom orthotics or a steroid injection, which may or may not work to sooth the pain temporarily. We were obviously a bit taken aback by that information, considering this all came about from a stubbed toe.
We barely got any clarification as to how she came to that conclusion. She even at one point gave only a blank stare when a question was asked. We left feeling confused and unheard.
As we made our way out of the parking lot we understood why she was so rushed. It was because she wanted to take her dog out for a walk. Not a big deal normally, but when the needs of your patients take a back seat to that of your dog; you may want to reconsider your career choice.
Unfortunately we were still in the same boat as before. I took it upon myself to write down everything he was experiencing and gave it to the doctor to see if maybe she missed something in her diagnosis. She called back to say that she would not asses the new information and that her «mind was made up.» The only thing she would do was give him a steroid injection.
May I add that at this time he told me he feels as though every step he is walking with a nail in his foot. He couldn’t sleep, and all physical activity had pretty much halted because it would cause him pain.
So, I went again to see if I could give some more information to the doctor and at least see if there was a more conclusive way to make sure that hallux rigidus was what he had before going as far as an injection.
This did not go well. She stopped me before I could even talk, saying, «We don’t work well together.» She then recommended that he go to a different doctor, then promptly showed me the door.
My fiancé called the office after hearing about this, that also did not go well. They above all seemed to emphasize a problem with me coming to talk with them, instead of him making an appointment. If they were really reading what I wrote, they would have seen that he can’t drive without incredible pain. Therefore, it is easier to have me go over there while he’s working.
Dr. Kroencke did say before I left her office for the last time, that she «couldn’t talk to me because I was not the patient.» However, she did call me back after my first attempt at outreach. So why didn’t she notify me at that time?
In conclusion, I would say that out of any doctor I’ve seen in the past she is the most impatient and rude. If she thinks you will challenge with her diagnosis or waste her precious dog walking time, she’s quick to cut you loose. She is unwilling to listen to her patients concerns, that is unless you make an appointment. All we wanted from her was just a bit more conclusive testing and explanation, it is sad that things turned out this way.

Dr. Kroenke performed bunion surgery on me several years ago and I had excellent care from beginning to end. Her diagnosis of my foot problem, surgical skills to remedy the issue, and patient care following surgery was nothing but professional. I was, and continue to be, extremely pleased with the outcome.

what a waste of time. «doctor» doesn’t listen to patients, is arrogant, and uncaring. standard of care is awful… she’s an unprofessional doc-​in-​a-​box. avoid at all costs!

Was very pleased with the professionalism and outcome of the services received. Competent, straight-​forward, and efficient. Very nice staff.

I first saw Dr. Kroencke because of hammer toes and bunions. She immediately reassured me that something could be done to correct both issues. She then, in detail, described the process and procedure of the surgery if she were to perform it. She struck me as extremely confident and competent and I felt in very good hands, so proceeded to schedule the surgery. I had spoken to the nurses at the Davis Surgery Center where I had previously been for cataract surgery and when they found out that I would be having foot surgery and that Dr. Kroencke was my Dr., everyone raved about her and said what a wonderful Dr. and surgeon she was. I soon found out that they were all absolutely right! After my surgery, Dr. Kroencke gave me her cell, home, and work numbers for me to call if I encountered difficulties of any kind. I remember being impressed and feeling totally secure that I could reach her if I needed to. My surgery had been on a Friday and she had wanted to make sure that I would be alright over the week-​end.
After my surgery, Dr. Kroencke and her kind, capable staff followed my progress every step of the way. Whenever I had questions or concerns I never hesitated to call Dr. Kroencke’s office and was always helped immediately. One time when I needed a bandage change, Dr. Kroencke had pneumonia, and arranged for a nurse to come to my home to change my bandages because I wasn’t able to get to the alternate Dr’s. office. I have felt so cared for from Day 1 and would not hesitate for one moment to recommend Dr. Kroencke. She is thorough and does everything possible to make sure her patients heal effectively in the most timely manner possible. She takes no chances and always makes sure every step of the healing process is going as it should.
Today it is six weeks since my surgery and I had my first physical therapy appointment. The physical therapist was blown away with how well my feet are healing, how pliable the scar tissue is, and how much flexibility I have at this point in my recovery. She said these were the best results she had ever seen for this kind of surgery in this amount of time. I attribute all of these positive outcomes to the skilled hands, knowledge, and recommendations for after surgery that my surgeon, Dr. Kroencke demonstrated. Foot surgery is a long, slow, and difficult healing process. Dr. Kroencke and her staff have continued to give me support, understanding, and reassurances throughout this process and I can’t thank them enough. I have been so very fortunate to have been under such consistently, excellent care.

In a word, incompetent… In three words, no bedside manner… in four words, get a second opinion

I saw Dr. Kroencke four times in total. I had injured my left foot and got it checked out. She misdiagnosed it as posterior tibial tendonitis and the only thing she recommended was custom orthotics (no physical therapy, which another podiatrist said she should have recommended). So I ordered them through her and they helped out to an extent.
The reason for the poor review is in part her misdiagnosis of my condition. However, it’s a rare condition of the ankle so a sports medicine MD misdiagnosed it as well. The only thing is that my surgeon said it was apparent on palpation that there was nothing wrong with the posterior tibial tendon.
A large part of her poor review was her demeanor and attitude. The second time I saw her she was in a bad mood. Later on, I asked her to submit a form to UC Davis to explain my condition of the foot and she got a little upset (legitimately upset). She said my condition did not warrant the form and that she wouldn’t submit it.
Overall, I had a very poor experience with Dr. Kroencke. I feel the only time she was attentive was when she explained the process of getting the orthotics. I would suggest that if you are interested in seeing a podiatrist then there are quite a few options in Sacramento if you can make it out there.

Definitely one of the best doctors I have ever come across! Dr. Kroencke is confident and super sweet. I didn’t feel like she was trying to hide anything from me AND she definitely knew what she was talking about.
I definitely had fears before foot surgery, and she was so reassuring that it helped me feel relaxed for pre-​op and post-​op. The staff is also welcoming and helps you out a lot. Crystal (the receptionist) is also really sweet and helps find a day/​time that is suitable for you. The nurses/​assistants are also really sweet and take their time to answer your questions. I would DEFINITELY recommend this office to anyone!