Philip J O’Donnell, MD

Dr. O’Donnell is excellent. Very knowledgeable, takes the time to talk and explain everything. I had not seen him for 6 years and he clearly took the time to read my file before coming in as he asked questions about things there was no chance he would remember. I had no problems making appointment or with front office. Even had the the lab folks on-​site (I think the lab has some hours they are there — if you think you will need it — ask ahead to make sure) while I was there so blood draw was easy.

Shopping for a new GP as of right now. You could say the final straw was partially my fault, but patients shouldn’t have to struggle to have their personal doctor’s office provide good service.
Dr. O is my GP. I like him, I enjoy his service for a bit, despite the front office not having their shit together. About 4 – 5 years ago, I start getting pushed off on to the physician’s assistant. Now she’s a nice person and asked all the right questions, but she’s not my doctor. They kept pushing me to the PA until I finally stopped asking, because he was «too busy».
Last straw came when I’m told I have an 8:45am appt but they book it for 8:30am and I’m told I have to wait 2 more hours to see my doctor.
No thanks. I’m getting a new doctor that isn’t too busy for me with a competent front office. To add further insult, when I asked for a referral in DC, she gave me a list of doctors in Virginia.

I care about whether the physician is a good diagnostician, whether he takes care of me, and not so much about the front office. Dr O’Donnell has cared for me for 25 years. He is an excellent diagnostician, cares for his patients, and is a smart doc.

The front office is the worst part of the experience with this doctor. They are friendly enough in person, but the last two times I’ve called (once to get a prescription filled and once to get a needed vaccination), I was unable to get what I needed. In the case of the prescription, I wasn’t even given the opportunity to talk to a nurse. With the vaccination, they simply would not listen to me. Here was the conversation I just had:
ME: Hi, I am a patient of Dr. O’Donnell, and I was instructed by my wife’s OB/​GYN that I need to get a Tdap vaccination before my baby is born this week.
RECEPTIONIST: When was the last time you were vaccinated?
ME: Well, my records show I was vaccinated for Tetanus and Diptheria in 2006, but it makes no mention of Pertussis, and that is the concern.
RECEPTIONIST: Hold on.
NURSE: How can I help you?
ME: I need to get a Tdap vaccination before my baby is born this week.
NURSE: When was the last time you were vaccinated?
ME: My records show I was vaccinated for Tetanus and Diptheria in 2006, but it makes no mention of Pertussis, and that is the concern.
NURSE: Who gave you the vaccination.
ME: Dr. Valenti
NURSE: We don’t have your records, so we don’t know if it was Tdap in 2006.
ME: I’m looking at my records right now. It says Tetanus and Diptheria
NURSE: We have no way of knowing, you’ll need to call your previous provider.
For the love of god! How hard will they work to not take my money? It doesn’t matter if I had Tdap last year… from the CDC website: «Adults get Tdap in place of one of their regular tetanus boosters – the Td shot that is recommended for adults every 10 years. However, the dose of Tdap can be given no matter when the last Td shot was received. It’s a good idea for adults to talk to a health care provider about what’s best for their specific situation.»
Regarding Dr. O’Donnell himself. He was OK. Not the best or worst doctor I’ve had, though after only seeing him twice, I’m shopping for a new primary care physician. My biggest concern with him was he seems to have a very poor memory. He forgot things several times during my exams. Despite that, I did feel he was a competent doctor.
Oh, and when I got my flu shot last fall, the nurse who administered it was great. I’ve never had any injection that I couldn’t even feel. I have no idea if that nurse is still there or not.