MercyOne Ankeny Family Medicine

"This feedback is based on my first experience at this clinic with Dr. Gura. Upon entering the clinic, the front staff were unprofessional, chatting with one another about make up. The front desk receptionist, who was helping me, didn’t make iContact with me for at least two minutes she was finishing up something she did not greet me either. However, when I went back into the Exam room, my experience changed. Dr. Gura was inquisitive, curious and knowledgeable. He asked me questions and actually listen to me. I had been seeing someone at a different organization who did not even act like she wanted to treat my symptoms. Dr. Gura identified the issue and wrote me a prescription, gave me a referral to an endocrinologist and basically rescued me and gave me hope. Its. BIG deal to feel heard and seen- to be treated! This doctor and his kind, personable, knowledgeable treatment, makes my first experience a four star."

"I briefly went to Mercy East Village because I had just moved to the neighborhood and after one introductory visit with Dr. Abels, she informed me that she's relocating to the Ankeny location. I ended up following her there because I had already started the process with her. She was constantly on vacation, I had to track her and her nurse down for WEEKS to get prescriptions refilled (serious prescriptions that should not be stopped and started over and over again) and could never get an appt. because she was literally always on vacation. After being off my medications for serious issues for 3 weeks, the nurse called and said I needed to schedule a follow up appointment. I scheduled it for a day where I could take the day off to work around her schedule. I go to my appointment that was scheduled and they informed me that Dr. Abels was out of the country for a few weeks and that they forgot to let me know. I told them I took the day off work to make this appointment time work and that I needed these prescriptions refilled because I was having very serious side effects from being off of them for so long. The people at the front desk were very kind and got me in with another doctor who refilled my prescriptions, but I decided to switch doctor's altogether because I need consistency. I was transferred to Dr. Shika who was AMAZING, but I only got to meet with her a few times before I went in for a torn rotator cuff and she informed me she was moving and that I needed to find a new doctor. I was not notified that my doctor was moving so I thought that was unprofessional. She was very short with me and set me up with testing that did not need to occur. I told her I didn't want to do some of the testing because I'd have to do it all over again with a new doctor, while paying for it twice. She sent me to x-ray's anyways where the technician was rude and unprofessional. The manager ended up coming out to talk to me and was just as rude and unprofessional. I couldn't believe this was now the 2nd dr. at the Ankeny location who was not working out. I've never, ever had issues with doctor's before when I've lived elsewhere. Fast forward to getting assigned to my THIRD dr. at the Ankeny location, Dr. Eslinger. I met with her once and she was nice enough. Come to find out, she is just as bad as Dr. Abels at renewing prescriptions. Her nurse is the worst nurse I have ever experienced and this is coming from someone who was chronically ill as a child and has met with countless nurses. Every time I need a prescription refill, I have to track down her nurse, who then has to track down Dr. Eslinger. I was off my meds for 10 days and experiencing very serious side effects. Her nurse told me that Dr. Eslinger only approves prescriptions once/month because she works in Urbandale? Weird. The nurse always tells me she'll call me back and never follows through. She's put other nurses on the phone numerous times where they were all rude and didn't seem to know what they were doing. The manager reached out to me again where she did not apologize and said "that's just the way it is". I'm now on day 5 of trying to renew my prescriptions again and they denied the request from Walgreens and didn't put any notes as to why or call me back. Ankeny is the most unorganized, unprofessional and rude doctor's office I have ever been a part of. I wish I had read the reviews before blindly following Dr. Abels here."

"Hitting a wall with this place unfortunately. I have been suffering through an illness for the past few days. Two weeks ago I had severe abdominal pain which ended in a CT scan at the ER by their recommendation. (Everything showed normal). Fast forward to today - When sick and worried about your health, you should seek a medical professional. Extremely high heart rate while at rest, sharp abdominal jabs, short of breath, and a positive Covid test. Made an appointment (not my regular doctor) but was able to get in with Teresa Ward. Had my mask on. Her nurse would not even take my vitals and did not ask about ANY of my symptoms. Yes, READ THAT AGAIN, she would not even take my vitals. Teresa came in and the first words out of her mouth was her telling me I could not be there, scolding me for seeking medical attention. It left me with some questions - What if it was Influenza? Where should sick people go? How do I receive medicine to help me through my symptoms? How do you treat Covid patients who make an appointment? She then reminded me that my CT scan from two weeks ago was normal (hinting that I am fine? Severe abdominal pain is normal? If you think Covid could cause that but not present itself for two weeks, just tell me...) I told her that her and her nurse were very rude and were doing their best to NOT help me. (Remember, they didn't even check heart rate, BP, feel my abdomen etc). I left. I can't believe it, I LEFT! I wonder how my normal doctor would have handled this. Choose a different clinic, there are plenty of options in Ankeny."

"I'm a huge hypochondriac and pretty much only hame experience with urgent care and family practice but in my experience the best part of this clinic is its pharmacy. The doctors are unprofessional and mean. They'll give wrong diagnosis has and hardly do their job. In addition and hardly have seen the same doctor twice. In short, go to unity point Update: called again and y'all hung up on me, outdated recorded for the last 3 years, rude staff"

"Should have read reviews before going. Went in for annual wellness exam, was charged for UTI. Absolute debacle. No symptoms, diagnosis, testing, or prescriptions, just a recent urgent care visit for a real UTI. After several phone calls, unable to resolve the bill or even reach the provider. The level of carelessness, lack of communication, and disrespect is unacceptable."