Primary Care Doctors - Astoria, OR

"I have been a patient of Dr. Baxter’s for over 10 years. He treats my children and my parents. We all love him! He has a very calming bedside manner, and is down to earth and easy to talk to. His clinical skills are outstanding. He takes the time to educate patients regarding their diagnosis. He successfully diagnosed my bad back situation (where others had failed) and was able to steer me to a surgeon in Portland. Surgery was life changing. While I still have occasional pain and discomfort, it has really improved my life. I had been to several other doctors in town before I finally found Dr Baxter. After I had a few appointments, all my family switch to him. I have found him to be very honest and open. I would give Dr Baxter my highest rating. "

"Once I finally got in to see him, I loved this doctor. Very sorry I believed the positive reviews, though, and hoping to save others from them. (1) Apparently, in order to see this doctor who is supposedly accepting new patients, you first have to be "approved". That's what they did to me when I chose him and had my records transferred to his office. They made me wait to make an appointment even though I had an issue which greatly concerned me. (2) I sent the office manager an email explaining how #1 affected me, hoping for at least a perfunctory apology or explanation. No reply. Ever. They really, *seriously* do not care. (3) Once you are approved, make sure you verify your appointment time and date at least twice, because the receptionist has a noticeable problem with numbers. I verified my appt date while on the phone, only to be told once I arrived that she'd put me down for another date. She later read me my phone number wrong. I wouldn't trust her as far as I could throw her. (4) When I tried to schedule my next annual visit and told them I'd lost my insurance and was now cash-pay, they dumped me! I have a health savings account I use now, but that doesn't matter, and apparently neither does anything that used to matter in medicine, like a doctor-patient relationship. I have never, ever experienced anything like this level of suspicion and callousness in a medical practice before, so it was a genuine shock. I hope this is an isolated experience and not the wave of the future, but, please, look elsewhere on the Oregon coast for healthcare."