Orthopedists - Bakersfield, CA

"My first visit was on 10/25/23, I got a cortisone shot in my hip and was told that I would be able to start running again. The Doctor told me that if the shot didn’t work, I could get an MRI, so I scheduled a follow up appointment. After 3 days I tried to run but my hip still hurt and started clicking. I called the office and asked if I could get the MRI during my follow-up so I wouldn’t have to make two trips to the office because it is very out of the way for me. Two days before my follow-up I was told that the MRI needed to be approved by my insurance which would take 2-4 business days. I canceled my follow-up appointment because I did not think that the MRI would be approved by then. It has now been almost a month since my first visit and I still have not had an MRI. I have called this office over 20 times in the past month trying to advocate for myself because I am in pain. It is extremely difficult trying to get a hold of anyone in the office because they almost always send you to an answering service. Every time I have followed up on this MRI, I have been told it is still pending through my insurance. Last week I was told that I would be getting a call to schedule the MRI that day and no one ever called me. When I followed up this past Monday, I was told that the Doctor never put in an order for the MRI because I needed to do a follow up visit. I was never told by the staff that I wouldn’t get the MRI if I didn’t do the follow up visit. I also don’t understand why they would tell me that someone is going to call me and schedule the MRI if there was never an order to begin with. This experience has made me feel like this office does not care about me as a patient. The staff seems incompetent and overall, it has been extremely disappointing and frustrating. "