Kaiser Permanente Northwest D.C. Medical Office Building

My experience with Mia in the phlebotomy department was completely unacceptable. This was my first time visiting this facility. I needed a last-minute appointment, which I confirmed over the phone and also received text confirmation for. Upon arrival, several people were waiting because the check-in machine had an “Out of Order” sign posted. I went downstairs to check in manually, only to find out that my appointment had already been checked in by the phone representative. When I returned to the 5th floor, the machine was suddenly working and the sign had been removed — only to learn that Mia had placed the sign because she was on her lunch break. I completely respect that everyone deserves time to eat. That is not the issue. The issue began when my number was called. I walked in and was greeted by Mia’s back, not even basic eye contact. She said, “What time is your appointment?” without turning around. Because there was no face-to-face acknowledgment, I genuinely didn’t realize she was speaking to me. She repeated herself, and when I asked if she was speaking to me, her response was, “You’re the only one here.” That tone set the stage. I gave her my appointment time and name. She responded with visible irritation and said, “You don’t have an appointment,” in a way that felt dismissive and accusatory. I explained that I had just spoken to member services. She then demanded my member number. From that point on, everything felt rushed and careless. She haphazardly positioned my arm, inserted the needle quickly and aggressively, and removed it just as abruptly. There was no sense of care, no communication, and absolutely no professionalism. I even asked whether she was working alone — trying to understand if maybe someone had called out and she was overwhelmed — because I was searching for some explanation for her terrible attitude. Unfortunately, even as I was leaving and asked a simple clarifying question, the hostility continued. Experiences like this are exactly what deter people from seeking healthcare. Patients are already vulnerable when getting labs done. The last thing anyone needs is to be treated as an inconvenience. It felt very clear that this was someone who did not want to be there and was simply collecting a paycheck. That is deeply concerning in a healthcare setting. I don’t see many responses from Kaiser here, but if this review helps even one person avoid this experience, I would strongly suggest trying another location. Completely unacceptable.

I received OB-GYN care at this Kaiser DC medical office with Dr. Kimberly Colden-Massey for about five years. At each annual exam, I raised concerns about my irregular cycle and asked about hormone testing, but was told my symptoms were normal and was offered birth control instead. Years later, another doctor outside of Kaiser diagnosed me with severe endometriosis, and I later discovered that my symptoms were not documented in my records by Dr. Colden-Massey. Based on this experience, I would not choose this Kaiser OB-GYN department for patients with subtle or complex symptoms they want fully investigated. However, I know others have had good experiences here for straightforward pregnancy care.

I had an efficient and painless visit to the KP medical center today. The technology worked well to get me where I needed to be. I had blood taken and a shot given, and both of the medical professionals made them painless experiences. I appreciated that I was seen early for my second appointment, so I was able to get out earlier than expected.

I come away after each session ready to build others and myself up. It also helps to build my confidence.

Update on Aug 25: after 3.5 days, my left arm is still like this （photo added). I also have experienced occasional chest pain probably due to the early suffering. —— —— With thin veins, I'm not an ideal patient for blood test, but nurses always managed to do it and at the elbow. Yet, Mia could not. She had to choose do it at the arm, which made me VERY painful and couldn't stand up for minutes. What's worse, perhaps because I was so painful and ouched several times, she became very defensive and aggressive. While I was still recovering from the pain, she immediately accused me of being oversensitive, said repetitively that I was a strange case in her 16 years of practice (while this is THE strange case in the probably 100+ bloodworks in my lifetime), asked me if I ate or drunk in the morning (of course I did), and basically refusing to give me proper treatment. I walked out and realized that my body was full of cold sweat, and I had to take a Uber home for 20 min walk. The rest of my first Kaiser visit was great——particular thanks to Rebeka——but I would experience such unnecessary pain and unethical treatment for every blood test in my most convenient Kaiser facility, I may have to think about alternatives.