Foot and Ankle Surgeons - Everett, WA

"Dr. Berghout does not seem to care about his patients; it's pretty evident he's just in it for the paycheck--not a characteristic you want in a healthcare provider! He spends as little time with his patients as possible and I mean in under two minutes he is trying to end the appointment. He is not thorough in his work and he is not concerned. Both my husband and I saw him multiple times, both of us for different reasons, and we are both very regretful that we ever went to see him. Dr. Berghout has wasted our time and our money. Dealing with Dr. Berghout and his office manager, Lisa, following complaints regarding the "care" Dr. Berghout provided has been an ongoing nuisance, for which I currently see no end in sight (details below). I first went to see Dr. Berghout in December 2014 for bilateral bunions. He diagnosed me with bilateral bunions during the first appointment and performed x-rays and a foot scan. At the end of the visit I paid $55 for custom orthotics (my insurance paid a little more than $200 for the remainder). A few weeks later I got my orthotics and began wearing them. I wore them as directed by Dr. Berghout but experienced discomfort in both feet and began noticing calluses/red sores on the bottoms of my feet. When I returned for a follow up with Dr. Berghout in May, I complained about the sores. Dr. Berghout responded by telling me that what I was experiencing was normal and had his assistant apply mole skin to the areas causing the most discomfort. At first I thought that would help but I realized within a couple of hours of leaving the office that the mole skin would not help. I sought a second opinion from Dr. Lawrence Huppin in Seattle (who I very much recommend, by the way) who gave me a much more thorough exam than Dr. Berghout. He stated that the orthotics I purchased from Dr. Berghout were causing me pain because there were a number of reasons that they did not fit my foot properly, including that they were far too narrow for my wide foot. On May 21st, I began the process of requesting a refund from Dr. Berghout for the full cost of the orthortics--money to be refunded to both my insurance company and to myself. (I have to get a refund for my insurance to partially cover a new set of orthotics otherwise I have to pay more than $400 out of pocket.) I spoke with Lisa, the office manager, on multiple occasions before getting them to agree to refund the cost of the orthotics. On June 8th, I met with Lisa in person, returned the orthotics as she requested, and was assured by her that she would process my refund immediately. Lisa explained to me that once the insurance company received the refund and she knew the exact amount I she owed me for the orthotics she would send me a check. As of July 17th, I had received no refund, heard nothing. I called my insurance company and was told they had not been contacted about a refund. I called Dr. Berghout's office and was told Lisa was on vacation for one week. I left her a detailed voicemail asking her to return my call. As of July 28th, I have received no call from Lisa. I called my insurance company again to double check on the refund and was again told there is no refund showing on my account. I called Dr. Berghout's office again asking for Lisa and was told she is back from vacation but out of the office and will be back Thursday. I left another detailed voicemail asking her to return my call. "