Dale Mortenson

"What was your first impression of him/her? rnrnI had read other reviews of him, and he was described as serious (read: humorless) and dedicated. While I primarily agree with that description, I would say his seriousness is more about taking serious care of his patients. In addition, he is tall and his personal appearance is sharp! Very crisp and tailored.rnrnHow did your impression change over time?rnrnI joked with him now and then, and he did crack a smile or two. While I was in the hospital, I had a small pity-party, and he, in a stern fatherly way, reminded me of the reasons that I had had the surgery. Later, I realized that my mood had crumbled a bit because of the pain I was in. I was off the pain pump, and hadn't asked for pain meds in a timely manner. But I appreciated that he knew my case well enough to cite specific examples of my health deficits off the top of his head. rnrnHow would you describe his/her office staff?rnrnI really only had anything to do with two members of the staff: Karen (someone in bookkeeping) and Phyllis (his office nurse). Phyllis is great. She is available to answer questions, and she always calls back if you have to leave a message. She's very positive and accessible - a very nice person. Karen, on the other hand, was plain awful. She had advised me that I needed to find out from my insurance how much my out-of-pocket expense was, and to pay it in full in advance of the surgery. I did that, paying the $2,500 on 5/12/09. My surgery was scheduled for 5/18/09. On 5/15/09, at 3:30pm, she called me, demanding that I pay an additional $3,712, and advised that, otherwise, the surgery would have to be postponed. I told her that I had done as she'd asked, and paid the $2500. She had never told me that she wanted documentation from the insurance company about the out-of-pocket amount. She had my check and full access to my insurance policies online, because Dr. Mortenson is a preferred provider, but, as far as I could tell, she never bothered considering those things. I had to leave a very important meeting, and get on the phone with my insurance company. It's pretty bad when the insurance folks are a million times nicer to you than the Dr.'s office. Thankfully, the insurance people straightened it out by calling Karen and getting it in order. But I was nearly hysterical - totally sobbing, fearing that my hopes for surgery was undone. It seemed impossible that she could, arbitrarily, decide that my surgery was off. It was as if she thought I was having a hangnail fixed - but the emotional connections to RNY are enormous, and I had made all sorts of work and social arrangements to allow for my recovery. When this was settled, I called the office back for confirmation, and she said, very flippantly, \"It's all good.\" I thought, in the very least, she should have apologized to me. She was extremely unprofessional, in my opinion. Others may have different experiences.rnrnWhat did you like least about him/her?rnrnWhen I was being prepped for surgery, the OR nurse patted my arm, and said, \"You know you have a very skilled surgeon.\" I don't think she had any agenda but the truth. It was reassuring. In addition, Dr. Mortenson advised me that his complication rate was far below what is generally considered acceptable, which was great.rnrnWhat should future patients know about him/her? rnrnHe is a skilled surgeon, but he's not going to visit with you for an hour about the niceties. He's very focused; very efficient.rnrnHow much does he/she emphasize aftercare?rnDoes he/she have a structured aftercare program? rnrnrnHis fee includes three months of medical aftercare. But the Bariatric Clinic that he's associated with doesn't really do much for support groups in outlying areas. So Obesity Help is my primary source of knowledge and support. I can, however, call his office or the Bariatric Clinic anytime I have a question.rnrnHow did he/she address the risks of surgery? rnrnHe really spelled it out for me on my initial visit. I had done a lot of research and asked very informed questions. It seemed as if he was somewhat unaccustomed to patients who are pretty well-informed.rnrnHow would you rate him/her overall? rnrnVery highly. rnrnWhich is better, surgical competence, bedside manner, or are both great?rnrnI'd say his surgical competence, but I am not in need of a lot of hand-holding, so his somewhat brisk manner might be off-putting to someone who needs more of that.rnrnrn"
About Me
Helena, MT
Location
31.6
BMI
RNY
Surgery
05/18/2009
Surgery Date
Nov 07, 2007
Member Since

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