The Polyclinic Ballard

"Dr. Maria Gutierrez-Rivas was very nice, but the positive experience ends there. I specifically went in for a long-term swollen tonsil and soft lumps in my back, which have been growing for a year and causing extreme pain. First she wasted my time on an xray "to rule out bone fragments" despite the palpable lumps being soft and growing in nature (clearly not bone!) Next I had to take time off work for an ultrasound appt, which ended up costing me $125 between lost wages and co-pay. The ultra sound tech told me it wouldn't be able to see my tonsil (the problem) nor can they detect most lipomas (likely the back lumps) I left that appt crying because the tech smashed the wand over my lumps repeatedly while saying "i see nothing!" I had to message Gutierrez-Rivas again for an actual appt with the proper specialist for my tonsil and back. More than 2 weeks later, i finally get to see Dr. CHU, who laughed and also didn't understand why she ordered those scans!? She also referred me to a spine doctor, calling my lumps "muscle spasms" since the ultrasound didn't see anything?? The back specialist ALSO felt these lumps but said that isn't what she does!! It's now been multiple appts costing me hundreds in lost wages and co-pays, and I'm STILL walking around with lumps the size of jelly beans pressing into my nerves and muscles, and no word from Gutierrez-Rivas on a PROPER specialist! It took weeks to get the throat appt, and now I will be waiting another 2 weeks to see if the first step even works! The polyclinc is inefficient, and I have not been listened to AT ALL, which was the ONLY thing I asked for when prompted on my form! L-I-S-T-E-N to your patients! You may be doctors, but you don't experience our pain, and your arrogance costs us time, money, and prolonged suffering. A quick Google search is all it takes to find endless stories of people blown off by doctor's arrogance, now in the final days of their lives bc no one listened. Check yourselves and DO BETTER. I'll be looking for a new GP"

"I went to the PolyClinic to establish care with a Primary Care Doctor, and to get a referral. They charged me for 2 visits because the doctor wrote me a referral. So, I was charged an addition $300. Then, I was charged an another $300 for a vaccine, that’s covered under my insurance. I have never seen anything like this. They should’ve told made it clear- it’s one concern per visit. The billing department stated that they can charge you for a new visit, for every new concern that you bring up during your appointment."

"Could not have had a better experience. I am baffled by these poor reviews. The main office was welcoming and my visit was like any other at a professional medical establishment. The online MyChart is a wonderful tool and billing has been straightforward and easy to pay. I'm glad I went."

"I tried to make an allergy test appointment at the allergen clinic for a month and got no results and no feedback. I was first told that I needed a referral and that once I got that, I could get an appointment within 2 weeks. I got the referral, submitted it and then called three days later. They then told me “the doctor will review it shortly, call back in a few days”. I then called back every week for the next month and was told the exact same thing. Incredibly unprofessional and disrespectful of other people’s time. No one should ever go here."

"Was sent to collections for a service provided in 2022 because of a billing error they committed. Insurance even confirmed that they improperly filed the claim yet still getting calls from collections and no help from Polyclinic. Submitted my own claim request and have a stain in collections on my credit score. They are not accountable, do not go here. Go to Swedish, UW, any place but here."