Patient
I would not recommend this doctor's office. The medical assistant, Susan Cuedete, was rude, disrespectful, and unprofessional, and I believe my family was racially profiled during our visit. My husband and I recently moved to the Douglasville area and chose Dr. Kulangara's office for our children, ages 2 years and 2 months. I arrived at 7:40 a.m. for an 8:00 a.m. appointment. Although I had already completed the required paperwork for my 2 year old, the staff could not locate it. I was not informed until 8:15 a.m. that I needed to complete an entirely new packet. After finishing the paperwork, the receptionist instructed us to go to Room 2. No one came to escort us or acknowledge us, which raised immediate concerns about organization and professionalism. While in the exam room, Susan entered and told me to remove my 2 year old's shoes and "get her undressed." I had to correct her and state that my child is a boy. It was concerning that she did not review the patient's chart to verify age or gender. Susan then stated that if my child did not receive vaccinations immediately, the doctor would not see us. While I understand a practice may have policies regarding vaccinations, my concern is that I was not given the opportunity to speak directly with the doctor. As a parent, I have the right to ask questions and receive education about vaccines before they are administered especially to a 2-month-old infant. When I attempted to calmly discuss what had occurred with the receptionist, Susan approached and began speaking aggressively, using hand and neck gestures, and raising her voice. When I continued asking clarifying questions, she became increasingly loud and told me I "should be glad she didn't call the police." At no point did I threaten her or behave inappropriately. This statement was alarming, unnecessary, and deeply offensive. It made me feel criminalized and targeted, and I believe this was racial profiling. Despite spending nearly two hours in the office, my children were not seen by the doctor, and I was denied a doctor's excuse for school. My children were late because of delays within the office, yet we were penalized for asking reasonable questions about our child's medical care. The lack of professionalism, poor communication, and failure of the doctor to personally address a concerned parent speaks volumes. After reading other reviews, I am relieved that we will be finding a different provider. Unfortunately, this appears to be a pattern rather than an isolated incident. I will be escalating this matter to the appropriate boards and filing a formal complaint regarding Susan's conduct. Threatening a parent with police involvement for asking medical questions is unacceptable in any healthcare setting. This experience was extremely disappointing. Families deserve respectful, transparent, and compassionate care especially when it involves children.