Dr. Cornelia M. Pessoa, MD

Reviews 6

A

A Private User

Yesterday, I came to this clinic to get a wart removed from my finger. Its been sitting there for about a year. I finally figured that I should stop neglecting it. I handed in my paperwork to the receptionist about 1 minute before my appointment began. I waited in the lobby for about 10 to 15 minutes. I waited in the treatment room for about 2 to 3 minutes. I think the wait time was OK. I was taken care of by a physician assistant, Helen, and her assistant, Niki. Helen looks at my finger with goggle-arranged magnifying glasses. She says, "Yes, that is a wart." I asked her, "How do you know?" She replies, "Can you tell a cat from a dog?" I wasnt too happy with that answer. I thought that for her being in a science based discipline, her answer was very... unscientific. The reason why we can tell that a cat is different from a dog is because we can discern sensible differences (e.g. barking vs. meowing, style of walking, shape of ears, feet, etc.). I desired a similar explanation for my wart because there are several different kinds of.... epidermal imperfections (e.g. zits, pimples, warts, etc.). I wanted to know what she was looking at to figure out that I had a wart on my finger. Was there a certain shape, size, texture, symmetry, material, or what? But, the way she answered, I dont think she knew either. Her answer was basically, "Youll know it when you see it." That kind of answer seems very presumptuous and unenlightening to me. After I seemed skeptical that she knew what she was talking about, she repeatedly offered me a biopsies. She offered it to me 4 times in a row. Every time I said no. I felt like she was getting into sales mode by trying to push the biopsies on me. Also, I didnt even know what the hell a biopsies was and she never explained what it was to me. Sales tip #1: Before you offer your customer something, tell them what it does. They will be incapable of appreciating what you have to offer if they dont know what it is. On the bright side, Helen was able to notice that I was about to faint while she was treating my finger. It would have been terrible if she continued with the treatment while I was fainting, so Im glad that she caught that. Niki and Helen were attentive in offering me water and a Nutrigrain bar after the treatment. Neither Niki nor Helen told me how long I should keep the band-aid on my finger for. When I asked Niki, she basically just gave me a short brochure. In other words, she wasnt really sure. All in all, I wasnt happy with my experience at this clinic. My dissatisfaction of this clinic derived from Helens unscientific way of answering my question, pushing her service numerous times even after I said no, and not telling me what exactly that service would do for me. Im not damning this clinic as a whole, but I would stay away from Helen if you decide to go to this clinic.

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Elizabeth Jarvis

Dear Pessoa has been a miracle worker for me. I see her when my skin disease gets out of control. Her office staff is always very kind to me - even though I may not have called for a year and I need to see the doctor right away. I have a rare skin disease that can become emergent with very little warning. When it is emergent, it is an ordeal... there is no simple fix. Dr. Pessoa has always been able to accommodate my emergent need. Not one person in that office has ever said it was inconvenient. They have been so gracious towards me. Since I am allergic or resistant to all antibiotics, it is very important that I get my situation under control before it turns into a nasty infection - so she is my lifesaver. When Dr. Pessoa is working on me, we frequently talk about my general health. She often has excellent insight into these other problems. If she can handle my skin disease, she can handle anything. She really has saved me from a lot of suffering by seeing me. She is an excellent doctor and I love the people who work for her.

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A

A Private User

I am not familiar with Helen (as blasted in the preceding review), but I was very displeased to see it entered under the name of Dr. Pesoa. Dr. Pesoa caught a melanoma on my chest so early that it displayed no characteristics of melanoma, so early that the cancer cells had not even progressed beyond the small skin sample in the biopsy. To give the preceding review its due, I would not have liked her reported treatment from Helen either, and the review at the end does have a disclaimer--does not slam the clinic as a whole. But the rating does, and it appears at first to relate to Pesoa. I would have liked to see the disclaimer at the front of the review rather than the end.

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Jeremy

The office front desk clerk, I believe her name is Catherine was very inhospitable.The earliest appointment was at the end of the month. Catherine suggested I call the office every morning to see if someone cancelled so that I could get an earlier appointment. Catherine also instructed me to call my insurance company whether if they take my insurance - i thought it was their job to check not mines. Catherine also answered another call while I called for the first time. This is not how to get a new patient.

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Peter Gunn

The staff here is ill informed to address questions about medical billing and out of pocket costs. What is worse, they give miss-information. I walked out of a 15 minute doctors visitation thinking that I my complete cost was covered (told to me by the staff). Later, I receive a bill for $105.

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Sabine Hathaway

Best dermatology office ever, and I know quite a few. I had something strange on my wrist and Helen and Dr. Pessoa both figured it out and then hounded my insurance on my behalf! I am sending my entire family there, and we all love this office.

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