Washington Primary Care Physicians

I have been a patient at Washington Primary Care Physicians (WPCP) for at least 25 years. The medical care and customer service have both declined a great deal over the years. As far as I can see, these changes are based mostly on a shift to a more corporate culture that has diminished the focus on health care. Most, recently, the corporation reduced the number of physicians at this location from seven to three. Formerly, I had a dr who was familiar with my file and health issues, even when there was turnover within the practice. With the way that the drs now have to rush people through, this is no longer the case. This really affects my satisfaction a great deal – it is more like an assembly line. I was extremely disappointed with my experience this week.
I had an appt for 11÷17÷15. My primary care physician, Dr. Anna Zamskya, was on extended leave, so I WPCP sent me to Dr. Geloo. She sent me for an x-​ray. I went to a walk-​in x-​ray clinic that day and left with a disc with the results. Before leaving her office, I asked for an appt to discuss the results with Dr. Geloo. I was told that she could not meet with me for more than 3 weeks (Dec 11). I called after the x-​ray and asked if I could meet with another dr to discuss my situation, letting the front desk staff know that I was in pain & had the disc with me. The person who answered the phone said that WPCP did not have the software to read to the report on the disc, which I found strange, since I went to the place that they recommended. After asking for an appt with any dr. in the practice, she said that she had a cancellation today, but that I had to get a written report from the x-​ray center, since they had not received the report. When I called the x-​ray center, they informed me that they had sent the written report the day after my appt (¹¹⁄₁₈). They agreed to send it again. When I called to see if Washington Primary Care had received the report, the front desk staff said that Dr. Geloo had examined the report within the previous 30 mins, and that the dr advised that I not come back until after I go to physical therapy. The front desk staffer said that I would receive a letter (at some point) with this advice. She then said that I should cancel the appt today since the other dr «would just tell me the same thing anyway.» The staff was rude and arrogant. I asked to discuss my x-​ray with a physician and was told that I should accept a phone-answerer’s reading of a message instead. This was not acceptable at all. I do not want to change practice groups after all these years, but I will certainly consider moving if WPCP continues this way.

I have been going to this practice since 2009. Somehow, it just keeps getting worse. The front office staff is absolutely horrible. The doctors should be ashamed that they employ such useless people. You call to try to make an appointment and they are rude to you and then put you on an endless hold until you just give up. I wish zero stars was an option.

There is NOTHING more disturbing than to find a GOOD Doctor then they leave the practice with no forwarding information. I hate that Dr. Jasmine is gone and nobody seems to know where she is or if she’s still practicing and I’m not familiar with any of the other physicians in this office except for one of the male doctors. I had to see him one other time because Dr. Jasmine was not in and I was not at all pleased with it. I just wish I could find a good Primary Care Physician. #Frustrated

I’ve been going to this practice for years and have seen many of the doctors. The doctors have been okay to good, but the office staff is ridiculous. Impossible to get a straight answer out of any of them, and don’t bother trying to talk to someone on the phone– you will get bounced from hold to hold. Ready to give up on this practice…

I started coming to see Dr. Edge in 1991 and loved her. When she retired, I was transferred (without being asked) to Dr. Jasmin, who I grew to love as well. In May, I got a letter announcing that Dr. Jasmin was leaving that listed other doctors in the office who were accepting new patients. Dr. Jasmin recommended Dr. Robin Davis. Dr, Davis was just okay, but I had an appointment with her for my annual exam in September. A couple of weeks ago I called to make an appointment with her for a separate issue and was told she was going to be at the 19^th street office and given a number to that office. I called them and they said she didn’t start there until November. Then I got a letter saying that she left and to make my September appointment with someone else.
Today, I called and after being told there was one patient ahead of me, I was placed on hold and then the phone picked up and rang for 5 minutes before I hung up. I called back and the phone rang and rang, so I hung up. I called back and was placed on hold and then the phone picked up and rang and rang. Finally I got someone and was told that they didn’t have any appointments until September. I explained that I had been to urgent care for an issue and needed to follow up and reschedule my September appointment. I was placed on hold and then she came back and told me to call at 8AM of the morning I wanted to be seen to schedule a same-​day appointment or go to Med Star’s urgent care. I explained that I didn’t want to go back to urgent care as the problem still persisted. Finally after being put on hold again, I was asked to verify my name and address and telephone number. *le sigh*
The staff here has slowly gone down hill and as soon as I find a doctor I like, I am out.

I’ve been coming here for ?5 years. This is a nice hospital group, I’ve seen different doctors over the years and really like working with Dr. Jasmin she was always spot-​on with diagnosis. The office did hit a rough patch for about a year but the past two years they have been doing really well. Also, no matter where my health coverage or specialists office is located, I always come here to get my blood drawn; they do a really good swift job, very professional, very little sting.

THE OFFICE STAFF: I have been going to this practice for years. In the past couple of years, the office staff has improved dramatically. All the criticisms I read were spot-​on. However, in recent years, there has been a great improvement. Staff is far more courteous and respectful. So, if you have been discouraged by the staff ratings, please give them another try.
MY DOCTOR: My doctor is Anna Zamskaya. Contrary to some of the ratings I’ve read on this site, she is kind and respectful. However, be forewarned, she will treat you like an adult. She expects you to follow her advice and she isn’t shy about describing the consequences if you fail to follow-​through. She may suggest that you do some independent research — it is your body after all. She will listen patiently to your complaints and she will explain things in as much detail as you want. She will not, however, patronize you and she isn’t terribly sympathetic about self-​inflicted ailments. So, pick Dr. Zamskaya if you are able to take constructive criticism.
PS. I generally schedule my appointments so that I am fist, or nearly first, in the morning. I have NEVER waited more than 15 minutes, even back in the days when the staff was less professional.

Better to bleed out in the street then to visit this office or Dr. Zamskaya. The staff are rude and irresponsible (e.g., never sent in referral paperwork, walk around openly eating Popeyes). Dr. Zamskaya had me wait and hour and a half and was completely belittling. She surprised me by telling me I was pregnant and that I should «google what I can and cannot do now.» They’ve been a total nightmare to work with.

First of all, the place is hard to find because it’s actually on 7^th St, not Pennsylvania. The carpet in the lobby is dirty, and the medical equipment seems out of date. The staff (at least the exit staff) is not at all friendly, and scoffed that I did not understand their «exit» procedure (I have always paid for the copay at the beginning of the visit, I’ve never had to «check out» before). I felt pretty good about the feedback I got from Dr. Zamaskaya on my health issues.

I had Dr. Waterman for many years and really loved him. He had the nerve to retire (!!!) so I’ve chosen a new physician. Haven’t been yet, but at one time or another I’ve seen a number of these doctors. The front desk is definitely so-​so but I really like the people that MATTER… the nurses, doctors, phlebotomists, and billing.

One visit was enough to ensure I’ll never return. The place is a HOT MESS. I scheduled an appointment to address some stomach pains I was having. Dr. Geloo checked my blood pressure, which turned out to be the only test she would conduct during my visit. She explained she wanted blood work done, but for some unknown reason, the staff on hand was not able to draw blood at the time of my visit. I was told I’d need to reschedule a followup. Unfortunately, their computer system was down when I was checking out, so I was instructed to ‘call back tomorrow’ to schedule a an additional visit. Furthermore, Dr. Geloo felt I needed an ultrasound procedure done. She informed me I would need to locate a facility who offers ultrasound services on my own — offered no assistance or guidance. For a visit that was more trouble than help, I was charged $ 200.00.

I haven’t had any major issues with the practice. I’m being seen by Dr. Geloo and she’s ok. She sometimes forgets things like sending prescriptions to the pharmacy which is very inconvenient. Then you have to call back to remind her. I even went back to the office and was told that she will be sending it and the nurse sent it to the wrong pharmacy. She also prescribes a lot of meds some of them are very similar to one another. My hubby had allergies in his eyes as well as asthma and he was given lots of meds that weren’t necessary (ex. Nasal spray which we had no concerns about). I prefer internal medicine doctors as my PC doctors and this practice definitely isn’t on my A+ rating list.

I have been going to this practice for 15 years. The front office staff might be the worst I have ever seen anywhere. Rude, arrogant, and not helpful at all. It’s like they are protecting their Doctor’s precious time and not helping their patients.
I used to go to Dr Basch who I really liked but he was always canceling for some conference or another. Have been to several others who are no longer there for one reason or another. Now I have Doctor Brooks who is OK, but always seems hurried.
Recently went to Dr. Anna Zamskaya (because Brooks was out on vacation) and she seemed baffled by my symptoms and unwilling to have tests performed. When she finally did, I started to feel better so I never went back.
This is really a 1 or 2 star operation. There has to be better in Washington, DC. There really does. Front Desk Staff– We are YOUR CUSTOMERS. Treat us as such!

I see Dr. Zamskaya and I generally like her. She is patient and has good bedside manners. I don’t feel rushed when I talk to her and she addresses my concerns. I am giving this office two stars for the staff at the front desk. They are obviously just there to make it through another day and go home as quickly as possible. There is no personality even a «hello» greeting when you arrive — just robots asking for your insurance card, confirming your address, and taking your payment. They seem miserable. And why do they need to read your address and phone number in front of the entire waiting room? Can’t they give you a form to review and update? This is personal info. This office needs to «clear the decks» and replace all of these admin people. This is the service industry, and people are paying a lot for these appointments. I mean, look at the reviews below. It’s not just me.
I will say that the Assistants — the ones who lead you to your waiting room — are really nice– they are not to be grouped with the front desk staff.

I totally agree with all those who said they were unsure about Dr. Davis! I think the reception is not fabulous, but they have always been good at getting me in when I need to be seen. However, when my (now) husband said Dr. Davis told him it was fine to smoke a few cigarettes a day, I couldn’t believe it! He was trying to quit!
It just doesn’t seem to me that she’s ever given me any medical advice that I didn’t or couldn’t figure out for myself.

I’ve been going to this facility for 11 years. Original doctor left a few years ago. I’ve been seeing Dr. Brooks. I have found him to be rude, cold, and incompetent. I won’t be going back there. I have no problem with the front desk staff or the check-​out staff. Brooks is arrogant.

My doctor for 10 plus years was dr. Panahy and because she was so great … I put up the the great incompente of the front desk and administration I saw Dr. Zamskaya and neither my husband or I liked her. The administrator however, rescheduled us with Dr. Sener who is great, takes the time to listen and seems to care.
The front desk is so so… hit or miss.
The company that handles the billing Medatlantic Healtcare Group in Baltimore ignorant and rude.

Not sure if I can give no stars, would if I could. I saw Dr. Osborn here, and she was good, but she left, and so did I due to the next physician that I saw, Dr. Farah Martine Jasmin. I’ve never been treated with such little respect or consideration by a health professional, I burst into tears during the appointment and afterwards. I don’t want to go to into detail, but I have reported her for misconduct.
Additionally, the staff loudly critiqued me and shut the glass barrier in order to do so. It’s not sound-​proof. The entire waiting room was able to hear personal details about me. It’s beyond unprofessional, it was downright shaming and hurtful. I never write these reviews, but I had to in this case. Please stay away from these people.

I’ve been going here for three years, mainly because finding a new GP is a pain in the butt. I see Dr. Davis, who is nice and whom I like, but I agree with an earlier poster who said she’s not sure she trusts her. The medical assistants are usually pretty pleasant.
What’s really inspiring the one-​star review and my soon-​to-​be departure from the practice is the coding/​billing department. They’ve messed up SO many claims. I’ve confirmed with Dr. Davis that a visit should be billed one way, and gotten into fights with the coding folks who refuse to admit they’ve made mistakes. Between this office and my truly terrible insurance company (Aetna, you are the worst), I’ve probably wasted a couple hundred dollars on their messed-​up charges.

2.5 stars.
This place is good if you’re pretty healthy, and just need preventative check ups/​physicals every year. Sometimes I’ve had issues getting them to refill my prescriptions, but other times they have been very responsive when I tried to refill a prescription. I’ve been seeing Dr. Davis since 2007. She is friendly but I’m not sure I totally *trust* her, but then again I haven’t had to go to the doctor for anything other than physicals, so I haven’t had a ton of experience with her. I’ve waited two months to get an appointment, which doesn’t bother me, but if you don’t like waiting then this might not be the place.