Doctors

[xostarrynights.livejournal.com]

Hi all! I've been watching this for a little while but just joined today.

I just moved up here and changed insurances (Network Health) so I get to have the luxury of finding new doctors. I am hard of hearing and so I am trying to find a good doctor around here that would be helpful for my needs. Any one have recommendations?

Comments

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

I don't know if they're Network Health providers, but I highly recommend Ball Square Family Medicine. They have an online portal you can use to email them questions (and get answers) securely and make appointments.

Also: blah, what a horrible attitude from Somerville Family Practice!

[stormsdotter.livejournal.com]

I've had nothing but good experiences with Fenway Health, but they are not quite as local.

[secretlyironic.livejournal.com]

Harvard Vanguard has a secure messaging system that lets you log in, store/access test results, and send messages to your doctor. I've been pretty pleased with them so far.

[enveri.livejournal.com]

I see Julie Mallon, a nurse practitioner in Dr. Alan Barron's office. It's bussable, she is -fantastic- and they've always bent over backwards to communicate with me.

[tikva.livejournal.com]

The folks at Davis Square Family Practice are great and have an online portal they like to use.

[xostarrynights.livejournal.com]

Thanks all for the recs- I am going to look into which one takes my health insurance and such!

[sd210.livejournal.com]

I second Harvard Vanguard. You can also request prescription refills via their secured site. The doctors / nurses have always been quick to respond to my questions. I also like the fact that you can access and see all of your test results in one place.

Unfortunately, their website says that they are "out of network" for Network Health. But it doesn't hurt to call to double check, as coverage changes all the time.

[smacaski.livejournal.com]

Thirded Harvard Vanguard. I've been particularly pleased with their pharmacy's prescription refill/renewal service.

[ron_newman]

I tagged your post health care. If you click on the tag, you may find earlier posts helpful.

(Also, could you please edit your post to include a Subject? That will make your post easier to find.)

[secretlyironic.livejournal.com]

Seriously, that's ... awful. I mean, I get that setting up an online health communications system is not as easy as just "we read email" - because it has to be more secure. But still.

[beinneighe.livejournal.com]

Ditto that. I also had good experiences at Fenway Health before them, but I switched because 3 min >> 50 min when it comes to getting to a dr when I'm sick.

[irilyth]

I've liked Family Practice Group in Arlington; they're not Davis Square, but are a twenty-minute bus ride on the 77 from Davis. They've got an online portal (MACIPA); their web site says they take Network Health, but with an asterisk "For existing patients and their relatives only". Might be worth checking if that's up to date.

[brouhaha.livejournal.com]

Yikes. I have been with Somerville Family Practice for a few years, but this is making me reconsider -- that seems really out of touch.

[siderea]

No disagreement that it's awful (also, is it not a violation of the ADA?) That said, speaking as a medical professional and programmer who is presently looking into secure online health communications systems... it is an unutterable nightmare for the small practice.

[freetobeme18.livejournal.com]

Are you LGBTQ by any chance? Fenway Health has a long history working with people with various disabilities/needs. (Myself, I'm autistic, LD/ADD, bipolar, and...assorted totally random physical stuff).

[irilyth]

On the secure online health communications systems front, do you know anything about MACIPA? My doctor and my kids' pediatrician both seem to use it.

[blunderblunder.livejournal.com]

Cambridge Health Alliance has a pretty good "email your doctor" system.

[aedifica]

Agreed, and I've had good experiences contacting them via the portal.

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

Harvard Vanguard (office right above au bon pain) also has really good web interface so I never have to talk to anyone again. I'm not overly fond of their doctors, (or parking garage) but the network is pretty extensive and they are really good about electronic records so I don't have to keep explaining things every time I go to a new HV location.