James Roberts's Online Review Report Card

My good friends mom went to Dr. Roberts and they just loved him. So with my cardiac issues I tried to see him. I had a normal EKG and Echocardiogram so the "office manager" told me there was nothing that he could do for me, that my primary would have to figure out why I am having frequent heart palpitations. So my primary got me another cardiologist and put me on a 21 day heart monitor. After 14 days I had an episode of ventricular tachycardia. My primary called me and started me on a med to control and told me it could become a deadly rhythm. Thank God for my primary. I will see another cardiologist soon. For what Dr. Roberts office considers a non cardiac issue.

Dr. Roberts has reviewed your records and lab results prior to your appointment . He is thorough and cutting edge. He moves fast but takes time to answer all your questions. I drive two hours each way to see him but would drive much further. He treats the whole person.

I was fired as a patient after 10 years for seeing another cardiologist. I had complained of shortness of breath for years. Dr. Roberts did a few tests that were 'normal'. Finally, my Internist suggested hospitalizing me and running other tests including a heart catheterization which showed partial blockage of 3 coronary arteries. When I took the results of these tests to Dr. Roberts office I received a voice mail that he would no longer see me because I had "removed myself from his practice by seeing another cardiologist." He should have done a heart cath. He should have found this issue. And he 'fired' me. They will not even speak to me on the phone when I call. When I needed him most, he kicked me out of his practice and would not even let his staff talk to me about what happened.

I was fired as a patient after 10 years for seeing another cardiologist. I complained of shortness of breath for years. Dr. Roberts did a few tests that were 'normal'. Finally, my internist suggested hospitalizing me and running other tests including a heart catheterization which showed partial blockage of 3 coronary arteries. When I took the results of this to Dr. Roberts office I received a voice mail that he would no longer see me because I had "removed myself from his practice by seeing another cardiologist." He should have done a heart cath. He should have found this issue. And he 'fired' me. They will not even speak to me on the phone when I call.

Dr. Roberts is brilliant and his staff are very efficient. They see a lot of patients and still do things the old fashion way which makes things slow and tricky at times. Things are much better now that Verna is gone.

Dr. Roberts has been my cardiologist since 1992. He and his staff have always been professional and courteous. I have always been totally satisfied with my treatment.

I first went to Dr Roberts after being diagnosed with a totally blocked right coronary artery. He said his goal was keeping his patients off the operating table and he has done that for me for about 27 years. He is earnestly interested and caring with his patients. I volunteered at his office for a TACT study (Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy) and sat for 3 hours a week with an IV drip among a group of fellow volunteers. We all had our stories of what Dr Roberts had done for us. He is well loved by his patients. I am thankful to be one of them.

This rating is based on the staff as I had been rudely and wrongfully denied an appointment based on Melody's (front desk) opinion. After having my first referral apparently not make it there (even though my doctor's office had a confirmation fax) and a second one ignored until I contacted them about it, I still was very rudely denied an appointment based on the decision of Melody. Even after my doctor's office personally called and spoke with her, then had me call back to make an appointment she still arrogantly denied me an appointment. She also hung up on me twice and if someone else happened to answer the phone during this whole fiasco, they nervously claimed that I had to speak to Melody and immediately transferred me. It's difficult to blame the others so much though for my poor treatment as I would also fear the repercussions of disobeying Melody's commands. I also work in Healthcare and if I or another coworker had treated a patient or potential patient in that same manner, we would have been forced on a leave of absence or fired if we continued that behavior. With that said, I am very disappointed in the whole situation, especially after hearing good things about the doctor from word of mouth and reading reviews. I just don't understand why a front desk worker feels that her opinion overrules a doctor's even after having the patient's doctor's office personally call to confirm "Yes, I do want my patient to see this doctor." It really is a shame and it makes me wonder if Dr. Roberts even knows about his staff's maltreatment of patients/potential patients. Melody's behavior in particular is very disturbing and with staff like that, you're more than likely not even granted access into the facility to even notify the doctor of what is going on behind his back.

I personally fought with my Healthcare.gov insurance for four months to get the CT Dr. Roberts wanted for me. The insurance finally, after two denials, decided to allow an MRI. When I called Dr. Roberts office to let them know we had FINALLY gotten somewhere, his extremely rude staff member told me I'd have to come in for another appointment. I was a little surprised and simply, calmly asked if he couldn't just write a scrip for the MRI instead of the CT? It was just a simple question. Melanie/Melody proceeded to tell me that "they don't make any money off changing orders. What would happen if all our customers call and ask for changes? We'd go out of business." Yes. She said that. So I (in the middle of COVID) asked if it could be a zoom appointment like we'd had the month before. She went nuts! She said she'd have to see if there were any Zoom appointments later and hung up on me. I called back six days later and asked if they'd found a zoom appointment. Melanie/Melody informed me that they had sent me a letter. "What kind of a letter?" I asked. "You'll just have to read it and find out" and she hung up on me again. I called back and Shelly answered. I asked her about my appointment and she reiterated the letter was in the mail. I got it today. He writes: "I wrote an order for the CT angiogram, and then, upon request, we provided Office Records, either to the hospital or to your insurance company. Then we were told that I had to call your insurance and speak to their doctor. I spent 20 minutes on the phone, was directed from one office to another, and finally got through to a nice woman, who told me that all the documentation had been received, that my call was not necessary, and they are still considering this request, but, of course, we have not heard from them since then. There is nothing more that I can do here." He stated he was "no longer comfortable participating in my care and, thus, am going to sever our doctor-patient relationship." I totally agree the insurance (Care-Source) has been awful with all their red tape! But how was that my fault? I spent HOURS with the insurance trying and finally got it resolved but he was upset about his 20 minutes and the office was worried they weren't making money. This is the state of healthcare my friends and Dr. Roberts office is an active participant in the problem instead of working with competent, willing patients for a cure.

He is such a nice Doctor and has really helped with my eye condition. I consider myself very lucky to have him as my Doctor!