South Coast Medical Weight Control, Santa Ana

Loved it they were so helpful,informative understanding of my goal

I feel so rushed every time to the point where it feels like my presence annoys them so much that they are trying to get me out of their sight as quickly as humanly possible. They are careless in preparing medication packages. I purchased my medication one time just to get it home and see that the zip-lock containing the appetite suppressant was not included, and of course they looked at me like I was crazy when I came in the next day to tell them. One time, in a separate incident, they gave me twice the amount of phentermine than what I'd paid for or was legally permitted to have. You'd think they would be more careful with all of the regulations surrounding controlled substances. With one of the side effects of phentermine being elevated blood pressure, this place should be diligent about getting accurate BP readings. Aside from the two visits when my BP was not taken (yes, I found fake readings in my chart), my BP readings have been on the higher side at this clinic. I've always been a person who needs to sit back and go to my happy place before getting a normal second BP reading. I went in for my BP check, and my first reading was very high. The staff member said "wow! That is very high," and immediately repeated the reading on the same arm. Not made to feel any calmer from her statement or having my arm squeezed again immediately after, my blood pressure read very high again. The staff member asked if I'd had coffee. I told her that I had. She told me I was putting myself at risk and that was how people go into cardiac arrest. She said she was going to give me a few minutes to relax then take my blood pressure again. During the 2 minutes, I sat there wondering if I was getting close to "stroke zone" and trying to breathe deeply and not cry. When she returned, my BP was obviously still high, and I was told that I would need to return the next day or the next week with lower BP for them to dispense medication. My first visit, the PA said that if I tolerate the medication without side effects, a cup of coffee per day would be fine. After my visit, I immediately made an appointment with my primary doctor out of concern for my health. At my appointment with a medical staff that behaved patiently and professionally, my BP read 123/79. I was so relieved. Since my work day had been disrupted and coming back the next day was not possible, I headed back to the clinic. I told them about my visit with my doctor. The girl who had taken my BP 3 times in a row in the morning told me that I needed to come back tomorrow. I told her that I was not going to be in the area tomorrow, so she informed the PA who reluctantly agreed to take my BP manually. The PA asked me suspiciously, "I wonder why your BP is fine at your doctor’s office but high here?" I said it was because I feel rushed here. Rushed, she replied, "I wonder why that is? We are always about at this pace." I didn't know how to respond. She took me back with her BP cuff. As she wrapped it around my arm, I told her I could feel that it was going to be high because I hadn't had a chance to relax, and she responded with something irrelevant like, "we have to check to make sure it's safe for you to take the medication," and proceeded to take it manually. No surprise to me, my BP was high. I asked if I could relax and take it again. She told me that they had already taken it 4 times, and that if it was high for all of those, another time would not make a difference. I told her that there was no way she was going to get an accurate reading when you sit me down and immediately take my BP, and she cut me off to say "I will not be dispensing meds today," and dramatically closing my chart and leading me out as though I were some junkie at a methadone clinic. Ten minutes after leaving, I took my BP, and it was 128/86. Since leaving this place, I've found a local clinic that actually treats patients kindly, and I'm so grateful that the staff here upset me enough to try going elsewhere.

She staff was very friendly. They answered all my questions.

I had a good experience overall, the staff was very knowledgeable about the weight loss process. Facility has a clean a modern upkeep.ask for Karina as she has an awesome personality and made me feel comfortable during the process