Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute's Online Review Report Card

Hires people who mock and cheer for assassinations. The financial team has no morals.

Forgetful In my experience with them that’s the one word I would use to describe Florida Cancer Specialists’ Gladiolus location. It’s not the overworked nursing and care staff, they’re coping the best they can, keeping a happy face on it and tending to the needs of their patients. It started May 6, 2024, with a visit with the oncologist. We discussed my cancer and decisions about treatment were made up front. Signed paperwork committing to a course of action along with all the generic waivers and disclaimers. On Sept. 17, 2024, after surgery at Lee Health, I started chemotherapy. After a brief pause, I started immunotherapy. The first bit of forgetful was that no one at Florida Cancer, Gladiolus campus or corporate, bothered over 8 months to contact me regarding the bills I was racking up - not a single letter, email, text or phone call. The day before my first immunotherapy infusion I received something from my insurance company that caught my eye and I called Florida Cancer to talk to someone in finance. I was told that they were all busy but would call me back. I guess they forgot. Next day, Jan. 9, 2025, while waiting in the lobby for a visit with the oncologist, someone from ‘financial guidance’ came out and took me in their offices and presented me with a statement for $1500. While waving around her cell phone she proclaimed that she had tried to call a number of times. She also claimed that I had no voicemail, which isn’t true. Plenty of others manage to get through, like all the other doctor offices I’ve been dealing with. Guess she just forgot to wait on the line. Feb. 11, 2025 I started immuno, thought I'd see the doctor again but no. Didn’t happen on my second infusion date three weeks later, either. I had wanted to talk to him before starting because I found that the infusions I was being given would likely have little effect on my cancer. In a lab report I had only recently managed to find in their patient portal, I found that I was PDL-1 negative. Now that’s the very specific target for Keytruda, the drug I was being given, and without it being present we really had little idea what the drug would do. Guess he forgot to mention that. It did a lot. I’ve dropped out of the program after the two infusions, six weeks of bloody diarrhea, over 20 pounds lost (and I was just 138 pounds to start), constant tachycardia and am currently working with a number of specialists to make sure there’s no permanent damage. Going back to my original visit with ‘financial guidance’, she had mentioned a program that would help with my costs for the immunotherapy and made an application for me. Was there a similar program for the chemo I just went through? I guess they forgot. In a later visit she said I was approved and the costs would cover my total out of pocket expense with my insurance. After receiving a bill (yes, they actually mail things to me now) I find that the second infusion wasn’t paid for, apparently you have to make a second request. I guess she forgot. After receiving that bill for another $1500, I called the corporate finance department that I had already worked with to set up a payment plan to add the new amount to it rather than take a chance at them sending it out for collection while I try to straighten things out. In the process I expressed my misgivings about the way things had gone and the really nice young lady who had to deal with me put in a request for the head of finance at Gladiolus location to contact me. A few days later, I received a call from the head of finance at Gladiolus and had a long chat. I understand that she was on the defensive, and she stayed there. I heard how the ‘finance guidance’ would be re-educated, how she would look into how this happened, etc. She did manage to say that she would look into getting that re-authorization for the second immunotherapy infusion. As we left it, she said that she would take a couple of days to work things out and get back to me. That was over two weeks ago and I haven’t heard a thing. I guess she forgot.

I was a patient for many years. I had been complaining of a shoulder pain on my visits, I was told by a PA, that I had cancer and some pain you need to learn to live with. Wrong answer for me so I chose a second opinion and it was a met from my breast cancer so I changed my care. I am now in the hospital with a growth on my spine and they will not see me because they state I "fired them" I never received a call wanting to know what had been the cause for my switch. I find it pretty ridiculous that they will not let you see another doctor for a problem that has newly developed. Poor patient care.

Absolutely ridiculous trying to get a hold of somebody. Ordered a CT scan for my dad just to never review it in a timely manner. The man is in the process of transitioning and I can’t even get the results of his ct scan to the other parts of his medical team because 1) I can’t even get a hold of anyone to say hey it’s urgent. Have to call the call center then have to hold then have to wait for call back just to do it over again. It’s a game of telephone every time. And then the office manager Elisa in the north fort Myers location doesn’t even bother to call you back!!!! Absolutely shameful! Accurate information does not get shared to the right people. It is an absolute shame what This medical practice has become. As a former patient I used to have confidence in this medical office but now they can’t even chew gum and walk without some kind of issue and no one takes responsibility!!! I will never recommend this place ever again. No wonder a good chunk of employees are jumping ship!