Northwest Institute for Digestive Surgery 750 North Syringa Street, Post Falls, ID 83854

"This review is an exception that may arise from insufficient pre-op communication in my case. I was referred to Dr. Richardson for a minor surgical procedure. When I went to my pre-op appointment, Dr. Richardson had to send an assistant to take the appointment because he got called into a more important meeting. The assistant apologized for the situation, was well informed, provided all the information I thought I needed at the time, and made sure that I got to meet Dr. Richardson - who is friendly, supportive, listens, and a very good doctor. However, in retrospect, we did not have a sufficient discussion of my GI health history and how that could impact my recovery from this procedure. We didn’t create a recovery plan that sufficiently covered the contingencies. I ended up having an unexpectedly difficult, painful , and overly long recovery. I had to solve problems via phone with the nursing staff as intermediaries, while I’m at home alone, in heavy pain, on narcotic painkillers. Not an ideal situation. The nurses I spoke with over the phone were very helpful and supportive. The problems are slowly getting solved. However, my post-op interactions with the overall medical staff leave me feeling as if I’m “a problem patient”, rather than a patient with an important problem that they need to help solve. The little things that support the patient and communicate patient-centric care have been absent."

"I came in to see Dr. Olga Lebedevskiy for a suspected hernia. She was very personable and diagnosed my inguinal hernia. I was very impressed with the time she was willing to spend with me explaining my problem and the surgery to correct it. She performed the surgery and all went well. Afterwards she did two followup calls to see how I was doing. Dr. Lebedevskiy actually cares about you as a person and I would highly recommend her as a surgeon."

"Best "butt appointment" I've ever had. I called in to see if they could get me in within the next two weeks and they were able to get me in the next day. I was nervous because I didn't have the greatest experience with a doctor years earlier (different clinic for a different issue). The paperwork and sign-in process were a breeze. I saw Dr. Pennings and he was INCREDIBLE: personable, thorough and direct, knowledgeable, and talked me through the entire examination. The staff were all so kind, and I really appreciated that they were all attuned and empathetic to my anxiety for this appointment. If you're looking for a place specific to digestion and the like, go see Dr. Pennings at NW Institute for Digestive Surgery!"

"Dr. Dierks and the whole crew at NW digestive did an amazing job. 2 weeks post inguinal hernia surgery and I feel better then ever. Thank you for answering all my questions and addressing risks associated with the surgery. Highly recommend NW digestive to anyone suffering from a hernia."

"I received amazing care from Dr. Richardson and his office. Everyone in his office is friendly and professional. They always made me feel that I am important and they were always respectful of my time. I rarely had to wait to be seen. Dr. Richardson is professional and provides compassionate care. As a nurse I can say that those of us in the medical field can be difficult patients. He never made me feel that I was an imposition even with all my questions. I recommend him and his office highly. Truly can't say enough positive things about the care I received."