Dr. Barry Donald Zaretzky, MD

Extraordinary compassion and dedication! Explains things in a way that is easy to understand.

Doc Z is sharp as a tack. He also has tons of experience to draw on, and I don't sense that in other doctors. He let me tell my story the way I wanted to tell it without cutting me off.

This doctor will not tell you what you want to hear to keep your business, and he won't medicate you to make you think that he is doing something for you even if that is not the best treatment. Honestly, I didn't want to hear what he had to say, but he patiently explained his rationale (with persistence and repetition sprinkled with some humor) and the consequences of not following his advice and finally got it through my thick skull. I am thankful he did not give up on me because he was right, and this is the best I have felt for at least the past 10 years.

I was diagnosed with IBD years ago and would have to stay at home for weeks whenever it flared up because the diarrhea was so severe and frequent. I was miserable and hopeless. I saw Doc during a really bad bout and literally within a few days of trying what I call Doc's "secret recipe" for IBD based on research and all his years of experience, the bloating, cramping, and diarrhea went away. I no longer have to stay close to a bathroom and already feel my quality of life has improved significantly. My husband's quality of life has also improved! Thank God for Doc Z!

After having a ton of tests done at another clinic, I was prescribed medicine that turned out to be the exact opposite of what I needed, and I became very sick. It turns out that I wasn't seeing an actual doctor at the other place, even though I thought I was, and that other person interpreted my tests incorrectly. Dr. Z put me on the proper medication after reviewing my tests, and it has made a world of difference. I don't trust anybody else.

I didn't know there were doctors like Dr. Z, and I have been to a lot of them! He spent a great deal of time reviewing my previous medical history with me, and even though other doctors had run out of ideas, Dr. Z was able to come up with a thoughtful treatment plan based on my unique combination of issues that has already reduced my symptoms. He was able to figure out a cause instead of just prescribing different medications to see if something would help.

I didn't know there were doctors like Dr. Z, and I have been to a lot of them! He spent a great deal of time reviewing my previous medical history with me, and even though other doctors had run out of ideas, Dr. Z was able to come up with a thoughtful treatment plan based on my unique combination of issues that has already reduced my symptoms. He seems to have a better understanding of how different systems in the body interact with each other.

I initially saw Dr. Zaretzky for a second opinion, and it was the best thing I ever did. Multiple specialists whom I saw previously did not seem to understand or care how one issue was affecting another. Dr. Zaretzky understands how the body works as a whole, and he is now my primary care physician.

I gave up hope of finding a doctor who actually cares about patients until I found Dr. Z. He is the first doctor I have seen who was not looking at a computer screen during most of the appointment. He asked questions that no one asked before. He explained things that I think maybe newer doctors don't understand because of lack of experience. Dr. Z gave me hope that I can feel better because it seems he understands how body systems work together better than other doctors. Expect to spend significant time with Dr. Z on your first appointment. He does want previous medical records so that he doesn't have to waste time reinventing the wheel, and he does actually review every page (even if it is several hundred pages) before he meets you for the first time, which was quite impressive. He is very selective about which new patients he accepts, and I feel privileged that he will continue to be my doctor.

Dr. Zaretzky is a Godsend. I stopped seeing 5 other doctors because Dr. Z understood how to treat the issues I had with different body systems, and he was able to explain how one issue affected another. None of my previous doctors were communicating with each other, and it turns out I was being prescribed medications from different doctors that had bad interactions with each other. After seeing Dr. Z, I take half the medications and am feeling much better!