Dr. Michael Coats, MD 750 North Syringa Street, Post Falls, ID 83854

"I see Dr.Coats for narcolepsy, and he is very caring, kind, and listens to my input. I came from a different sleep dr and the difference is night and day. I see a lot of reviews here that suggest the office is hard to get ahold of. It is true that I get the voicemail each time I call, however, I almost always get a call back within 24 hours. I appreciate the hard work of all the staff at this practice!"

"The absolute best practice. After dealing with unhelpful medical professionals for quite a while, it’s such a relief to have a doctor who listens to me, who isn’t condescending, and who goes fully out of his way to help me reach the highest quality of life possible. Beyond grateful to Dr. Coates- and to his whole team, who remember my name and ask about my health whenever I call!"

"I like Dr. Coates, but you can't get to him because of that assistant of his. She doesn't respond to calls. She never actually answers the phone. She doesn't return calls. I had to have my primary care physician call after my repeated efforts to get through to her so I could get my records failed. My bipap machine went on the blink. I needed my records to get a new one. Now I need to see Dr. Coates so Medicare will continue to pay for my supplies. I can't get that woman to respond. I don't know how she has managed to keep her job all these years."

"Saw Dr. Coats because I've been suffering from several sleep problems--night terrors, insomnia, and not being able to fall into a proper deep sleep--for a few years now due to a recently diagnosed autonomic disease. My first major problem with him was that he did not listen to me. I have an "off" schedule which has never been a problem for me, so I obviously never once stated that it was, but he kept insisting that I need to change to a "normal" schedule to solve a lot of my issues. But the only real schedule problem happens when said "off" schedule gets thrown off even more because I don't get enough proper sleep from my symptoms, so I sleep in even later, then later, etc. etc. until I do a full circle and am back to my "normal" which happens once a month. It's exhausting and irritating, but I have to do it because I literally get sick with a cold or flu if I don't get enough sleep. That was the only schedule related problem I have that I ever brought up during the appointment, because it'll stop once my symptoms are fixed. I suffered from (different) night terrors as a child as well so between being up all night with me having a night terror every half hour and getting up at 6AM for the first seven years of my life then dealing with my autism during the day, my mom just let me sleep in once I started to so we could both finally get some sleep. He literally responded to that with, "See, you have to keep that schedule." As if my exhausted body and mom finally being able to get vital sleep was to blame. He was completely unsympathetic to the situation, which was my other major issue with him. But there he brings it up again! The schedule's not to blame nor do I even consider it a problem anyways because it's such a non-issue for me that I don't even need or wish to change it so there's no point to keep bringing it up! And this new rotating schedule is just a side affect and nothing more. It's the POTS causing sleep troubles, as it does. And as for actually diagnosing me, he was going to have me do a sleep study. I didn't go through with it because I don't want someone who can't listen or be sympathetic in charge of my health when I know my body best."

"Dr. Coats doesn’t listen. I was impressed to see Dr. Coats because he has some serious degrees. When I saw him I had a 13-year history of shutdowns - sleep attacks - which had been diagnosed as narcolepsy. So a sleep doctor with neurology? Perfect, or so I thought! But Dr. Coats wasn't one who listened. I sleep more than anyone I know and my sleep attacks just happen; I go from mentally alert to asleep in five minutes several times a day. When my symptoms began changing, getting more complex and scary, I went to see Dr. Coats. He insisted on telling me how to adjust my sleep needs from “insomnia” by “don’t take ‘naps’”. I exclaimed, “these are NOT optional, they are NOT naps”. After I received a copy of my medical record, I filed a written request for him to change my medical records to reflect the facts. Even after reading my detailed request he remains unable to hear me - I sleep a LOT and they are ‘attacks’. He defended his diagnosis of insomnia, explaining he was referring to "psycho-physiological insomnia" which is defined as the inability to fall asleep due to over concerns about sleep. How can he hear that I can’t sleep when I am actually stating I fall asleep constantly and instantly? I went somewhere else, fast! I located a neurologist who listens (amazing!) and I was properly diagnosed with migraines plus an additional headache called Hemicrania Continuum (1/2 head persistent headache) and this neurologist knew within 5 minutes of listening to my history of my symptoms and concerns. Don't trust a doctor who doesn’t listen to YOUR list of symptoms YOU experience. I won't see Dr. Coats ever again."