Dr. Ashesh D Patel, MD

The Dr has poor communication skills and is not thorough. The staff is slow and not friendly at all. Additionally, the Dr has misconstrued statements I’ve told him about my habits and lifestyle and made incorrect medical decisions. Very poor experience in this practice.

I am not usually one to write reviews like this, but I feel compelled to make sure the next person knows what they are in for. Before anything else - Dr. Patel is an excellent doctor. He approached my case with logic and compassion in both word and deed. His bedside manner and sense of humor put me at ease, and I have no complaints about his competency at all. I just wish I could say the same for his staff. The front office was staffed by a single person, who clearly should have retired long ago. During both my visits, she would sit in the side office with her back to the front door, slowly processing paperwork while the phone rang incessantly and confused patients looked around sheepishly, unsure what to do given the unmanned front desk. Some would sit for 10 minutes or more before realizing they needed to fill in the sign-in sheet, often after seeing more savvy patients enter the office and put their names down straight away. Others simply went back into and examination rooms… by themselves, seeming to know that any expectation of order was one expectation too many. I watched more than one patient storm out in frustration, one woman uttering "F*cking useless!" as she gathered her belongings and pushed out the door. The facilities are almost equally as concerning. The office is located in an old house with creaky floors and musty carpets which had to be older than me. I should have known what I was in for when I first walked in and saw the yellowed, cathode-ray computers with green text-only screens and dot-matrix printers. Every surface below knee level was covered in a thin layer of grime and years of scuff marks. The lab was horrendous - a dingy basement where the nurse kept fresh urine samples(!) scattered across the counter, sitting on top of equally disorganized lab paperwork. More grime and yellowed post-it notes coated the walls, their reminders long irrelevant and prayers slowly fading. The newest-looking item in the room was a text by Joel Osteen, his perfect, evangelical megachurch smile contrasting with the dubious looks of those who trickled down the creaky steps. After I told her of my experience upstairs with the frustrated patients, she assured me I would be "in and out." Then the printer broke. She wrestled with the old printer as she complained about funding, and I sat there, resigned, as she PRAYED TO JESUS that the printer would work again. After some fiddling, it did. Thanks, Jesus. The nurse would process people, urine samples (!) and paperwork in hand, WHILE she held a blood draw needle in my arm. It must be mentioned that she didn’t sanitize my arm with an alcohol pad before sticking me - I had to ask her. She spoke at length about how peoples' unsatisfactory experiences were solely a result of their own bad attitude. She did this while showing me each sample label with my name on it, as if I would be impressed by this most basic of competency. "Great Job." I said. With perfect comic timing, she realized she had mislabeled my samples. I had to watch in horror as she struggled to find the samples she had just placed in the rack with the others and re-label them correctly. She continued to show me my name on each sample until I asked her if I could leave. She drew a smiley face on my bandage, a reward "for my great attitude," attempting three times before realizing she needed to click the pen. Nice. After more confusion upstairs about where to get my prescription, I knocked on the side office door and asked the woman if I could pay and leave. She slowly shuffled around to the counter and produced a frayed double-entry receipt book, an object I have never seen in my adult life. I produced a $20 bill, and she kindly waved me away, explaining they didn’t have any change. In an age with app-based telemedicine and high-tech facilities, marvel at how this practice still attracts patients. I myself will not be returning.

The office is badly equipped with very old computers without internet access to reach my insurance. Had to pay to see him because they did not have the ability to process my insurance details. Office looks like a third-world doctor’s office. Needs to improve the office.

Dr. Patel is the best general practitioner doctor I ever had. He really really listens to you. smart and knowledgeable. His staff is not that good.

Excellent doc and wonderful staff

Dr. Patel provides great quality care. I have my health issues which are chronic and don't have to visit him as much as I do my specialists. But it is because of him I have gotten great ones. That doesn't mean he will not begin any treatment, he'll give you something more than a name. A probability, start you on a medication or with treatment, and give you honest advice. His practice used to be owned by Dr. Leslie Fenton who was an amazing doctor. He retired in 2008 after practicing since the early fifties at the same location. I've never met a doctor like him; I've come close but the years of experience he had leaves much far behind. Dr. Fenton could spot strep doing the culture; if he gave me a culture and no antibiotics more than likely it wasn't. Also Dr. Fenton was the easiest doctor to go to, especially with something that's hard be open about. No lectures only support. Much of the same can be said of Dr. Patel. Dr. Fenton groomed him for years before giving him his… practice. He also kept on his staff. Some have retired since. But all of them are great people. If you can get Dr. Patel as your primary care doctor do so... I was with two other doctors before and it was a nightmare. Same insurance but horrible office and I actually never saw the doctor but for five minutes. Dr. Patel is not like that (specifically primary care doctors) and you have the added bonus of a reference to excellent specialists often top five care in DC.

I must say that this was a good experience from start to finish. The front desk staff consisted of two wonderful women who where very pleasant and friendly as if they had known me forever. Dr Patel is excellent as well as the women who drew my blood. I can't remember the names of the women I just know that both start with and R and the blood lady is Toni but I want to. Say thanks again for a warm welcome to the family

Been going to Dr. Patel for years now and in the past two or three I barely ever seen him anymore. When his staff talk to me over the phone and tell me not to worry about coming in but that Dr. Patel will call me back he rarely does. I have to call back the following day and complain...and then he ends up calling me back later OR they have me come in (and then I never see him). The very few times I have actually seen Dr. Patel it is after one of his med students have examined me and he just comes in like a wham-bam and is out again...so "seeing" him is actually stretching it.It's too bad because when he used to be a doctor and actually examined and saw people he was very a very kind and thorough Dr to see...now I can't say I've experienced the Dr. enough in the past few years for all the rest of the crap to be worth it.Bottom line - when you become a patient of Dr. Patel you become a patient of med students and the receptionist. Not the Dr.

My husband and I have been going to see Dr. Patel since he started his practice 10+ years. Dr. Patel worked with our previous doctor, Dr. Leslie Fenton, for several years, before Dr. Fenton retired and left all his patients under Dr. Patel's care. That should say volumes about Dr. Patel. Dr. Leslie Fenton has been practising medicine for well over 40 years. Dr. Patel is an excellent doctor and has as great bedside manner. He is intelligent, quiet, listens well, and is honest and caring. He keeps track of his patients. If you go to the hospital, Dr. Patel does not leave you in the care of shift nurses or doctors when it comes to medications or decision making. He will mark on your chart that all your treatments, medications, etc. are to be approved by him, and that he should be contacted for approval for any treatments. Having a relative to watch over you in the hospital is important, but having a competent doctor watching over you in a hospital is life saving. Also, Dr. Patel… has a 24 hour emergency number to call him if you need to contact him. I have always been able to get into the Doctor's office quickly. I have had no problems with my insurances. All his staff are of the highest expertise. They are hard working. You will have a good experience there. Take my adivce, go to Nurse Ellen, if you need to talk to someone. All the nurses are very professional and nice, but Ellen, she will get to the bottom of anything you need done or if you want to talk to someone about anything. I just call her mom, because, I know she will set me straight, no matter what. It is like going into a small hospital that can meet all your needs in a nice neighborhood setting. The office is modest, but the quality results you get are big. In my opinion you are being treated by one of Washington's top doctors at one of the best run medical doctors' offices in Washington, DC and the country. I am constanty referring patients to Dr. Patel because, he is the most accessible doctors I know, especially for emergencies. Go to the emergency room is you have an emergency. Everything else, you can go to Dr. Patel. He can see you for anything. He is absolutely one the best doctors out there. I like a doctor who gets to the bottom of my problems, and gets me quick results, so I can keep on going. Dr. Patel gives me great service and has been doing it for a long time. I keep his card in my purse because I am confident, that no matter what problem I have, Dr. Patel is the right doctor to be notified and he is the doctor I turn to for all my problems. How many doctors can you say that about?

After looking at the other reviews, I'm convinced that they must be written by the staff because there is no way that "Courtesy and professionalism of office staff" could EVER be considered excellent or even good.