AZ Endocrine Institute

Hate to write a negative review… but… I was referred here by my primary care doctor. I’m being treated for cancer at MD Anderson, but they do not currently have an endocrinologist on staff (unfortunately). Both times I’ve come here as requested before my appointment time, and have waited for over an hour in the lobby past the alleged appointment. they didn’t do much but send me to a lab to have my blood tested. The doctor here has other staff come in and do all the talking and work. She seems nice, but being nice is not helping my health. I has an issue with a prescription, Walgreens said they had called here to have them fix it, over a week later and still no meds I called and they said they didn’t have any record of it.

I have been a patient at this office since February 2015. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto Thyroiditis with an enlarged thyroid and nodules in 2005. In 2012 my Primary Care Physician who diagnosed me and who had been treating me moved out of state… In twelve years I had never felt better than I had from 2012 – 2014. My new PCP wanted to «start over» to get a «baseline» and lowered my thyroid medication, as well as, dropped one medication (Thank you Dr. Kennaley for using me as your guinea pig whilst you screwed up my health!) I gradually felt my health deteriorate and requested a referral for an Endocrinologist. Four months later my referral was accepted… by then I had gained 45 pounds, and sleeping three to four days out of the week. I thought FINALLY seeing a Specialist would get me back on track, and I was so excited. For the last seven months I have had five office visits (five labs drawn), one ultrasound, and I am still miserable!
Dr. Ahluwalia apparently does not look at my records prior to my visit of a whole three minutes. She never remembers or even researches her treatment plan for me. My nodules that you can clearly feel and sometimes see have miraculously disappeared according to my ultrasound. I spend more time sitting in the waiting room than I do in the exam room. I speak more to the PA and/​or MA than I do the doctor (who I am scheduled to see.) Each visit my labs are worse, yet my medication dose stays the same; I am being treated via «text book» and not by my symptoms. I asked her to also treat me for menopause, and she told me to speak to my GYN regarding that health concern. Are you kidding me?!? It clearly states on the office window that she treats Thyroid, Diabetes, Menopause, etc! HELP! I need a physician who will help me regain my health! I can not go on like this! And if you care about your health, you will not waste your precious time by establishing yourself as a patient at Arizona Endocrine Institute!
Meds prescribed: Armour Thyroid and Vitamin D

tried to post with 0 stars would not let me. over an hour and a half wait the 2x’s i went. terrible customer service. incompetent went in to have my blood work done. they forgot to fax the order over. screwed up my RX 3 times. do not go here

If you think you may have a Thyroid problem, DON’T go here!
Over ten years ago, my sister was advised by a doctor out of state that she was on her way to hypothyroidism, and that she would need to be tested for it regularly. There wasn’t a need for medication at that time. In the past five years, she has been showing significant signs of a thyroid problem. Every doctor she went to would order standard blood tests, then tell her she was fine. Nevermind that she has basically EVERY symptom except for one.
In frustration, she went to this office, looking for help. Dr. Ahluwalia saw her, wrote down all her concerns, all her symptoms, and seemed to really care. My sister explained that no matter what she does, she can’t lose weight (which, of all her symptoms, is the most frustrating one). She works out an hour a day, goes down to 500 – 800 calories a day, and still nothing. She’s built like WonderWoman, but you can’t tell because she can’t lose the weight on top. Dr. Ahluwalia reassured her that they would find out what was wrong, and not to worry. They would find answers.
After her blood tests were done, she came back in. This time, no Dr. A, only an assistant. The assistant didn’t look at any of my sisters file, just pulled up her test results on a computer screen and told her she was fine. My sister nearly burst out into tears. Really? Fine? The assistant turned the screen to her and indicated to a bar graph. «See this? Its all green, so there’s nothing wrong,» she told her, «If it was red, something would be wrong.» My sister looked at her, baffled by this, and just barely managed to ask, «Is that it, then? Nothing else to do?»
The assistant told her, «Yep, that’s it. Maybe you should just try eating less and working out more??? Or you could try a holistic doctor???»
Gee, thanks. They told her she was fat and turned her away.
I was furious. HOW could they not see she clearly has a problem? A blind chimp could see she has a problem! Fine, I decided to do my own research on the numbers. If no one else would help her, I would somehow figure it out. My sister asked them for a copy of her lab results, for her own records (and so I could research her numbers to see if the office really was correct or not) — the office refused to give her a copy. Yep, that’s right. If she wanted them, on top of the copay, she would need to pay $ 45. Oh, I don’t think so.
Now, as to why I say not to go here:
First, the office is so unprofessional. The way my sister was treated was beyond ridiculous, as previous stated. Dr. A couldn’t be bothered to follow up with her in person, and despite a promise to find answers, they gave up and turned her away. Not professional. Aside from this treatment, though, while in the office, my sister overheard them discussing another doctor here. She apparently shows up whenever she wants and doesn’t pay attention to appointments. In her two visits, she watched multiple patients come in for their appointment time only to be told that the doctor wasn’t in. No, not out sick, just… not in. They didn’t know where she was. They were told they could always reschedule, but most walked away. A few verbally complained that they have already rescheduled for this doc several times, and it was pointless. No one here is professional.
Secondly, and more to the point, in terms of my sister, this is what happened:
I did the research, we found a better Doctor (who treats thyroid by symptoms and how the patient feels, not by the numbers), and who took one look at her and noticed, without any blood tests, that her thyroid was enlarged. Blood tests confirmed it — yes, yes, she does have a thyroid issue.
The new office gave her a copy of her test results (for free, I might add). In my own research, I read how the national standard range for «normal» on Thyroid TSH levels is 0.3 — 3.0. This crap office plugged my sisters numbers in a computer and because the bar graph auto-​colored green, they said she was fine. But you know what? Her TSH levels were a 3.95. She was NOT in the normal range currently accepted by the Endocrinology community. So not only was this office rude and unprofessional, they’re using an outdated standard that is potentially misdiagnosing patients and turning their backs on people who need help.
So here’s the recap. Rude office, unprofessional doctors, refusal to share your own records, incorrect medical information, misdiagnosis of serious health issues. Don’t go here. Don’t.

I went here twice and I will never go back. Both times I was waiting in the lobby for an hour over my original appointment time. But that isn’t what really upset me, because I understand that sometimes you are running behind. When I had my first appointment the doctor never even asked me about any medical history, which was a first for me. I was in and out in a few minutes with barely any conversation. I was told to go get an ultrasound and come back. I came back for my second appointment and a Nurse Practitioner saw me first. She mentioned that some abnormal things came up on the ultrasound and the doctor would discuss it with me. The doctor came in and never even brought the ultrasound up. I decided that I would rather give my money to a doctor that is actually concerned for their patients and wants to have good communication with them. Communication with your doctor is extremely important.

Called to speak with billing about a June bill I received, for $ 30 copay, from a february appointment.
Among other things, was told in a very irritated tone, by the billing person, that I «should have known» I owed the co-​pay at time of service. I didn’t know since I was coming in for test results only and had already paid the co-​pay for the initial appointment. I ended up seeing the doctor for 5 minutes. Didn’t occur to me that a co-​pay was necessary and no one at the front desk asked for payment.
Regardless, billing didn’t seem eager to help or answer my questions. I hope they don’t behave this way with their elderly patient base.

Got in my first nap in just waiting to get called in to see the Dr. I have never felt compelled to write any negative review until now! This is my 3^rd and final time coming here. Like the person reviewing before me waiting to see this dr. Is an insult. I am always on time and feel that my time is as important as this Dr. I no longer see the students. Last time the dr had been in a meeting and I waited for close to an hour just to see her! So far I have waited for 15 minutes. Appointment was at noon and it’s only 12:40. Hoping to be out of here by1:00. Off for another nap!

First impressions are really important. I try not to make a judgement too quickly, but in this case…
My appointment time was 10am. They said to check in at 9:30am since I’m a new patient. I arrived and checked in at 9:30am. There were 2 other people in the waiting room.
At 10:30am, I’m called back for vitals and put in an exam room.
Said exam room was in desperate need of vacuuming. What appeared to be cracker crumbs were all over the floor. There was a good layer of dust on the desk and the white walls were really dingy.
at 10:45am, someone comes in and introduces himself as a medical student who is helping the dr. Med student takes my history and looks at my chart, then basically tells me that there is no problem and I’ll just need to come back to keep an eye on what brought me there in the first place. Mind you, this is a specialist and I’ve already been referred to them from a primary care because we’ve been watching and now things are concerning.
So med student leaves and says dr will be in shortly.
11:15am dr comes in. does the history and chart business. orders tests and affirms that things are concerning. Sends me on my way.
So i check out, and i ask the front desk girl if the imaging center that the dr has written a referral to is on my insurance. She is seriously bothered by my question. I explained that I don’t want to leave there with the referral, call to set things up only to find that they aren’t covered, then have to go back to this office for a new referral. Then I set up my follow up appoinment. I honestly ask if being an hour late is normal for them, and if so, I’d like an earlier appointment time so that I don’t interfere with my other scheduled things. Front desk girl again is bothered and says «fine, how’s 9am?»
I don’t think it’s too much to ask to have an appointment be on time, especially when they insist you show up early. I also think a dr’s office should be clean. And I also think that a dr’s office should employ people that have good people skills.
I’ll be finding a new specialist very soon.