Catherine W. Bergeron, MD

I had a very concerning experience with Dr. Bergeron during my recent hospital stay. She not only incorrectly documented my family medical history, but also inaccurately added to my own medical history. When I questioned an ambiguous CT scan report that could not rule out a serious issue due to an artifact in the image, Bergeron immediately labeled me with severe anxiety and noted the “situation worsening” simply because I requested a repeat CT for confirmation. This labeling is dangerous. Rather than ordering a follow-up scan for clarity, Dr. Bergeron became combative and rude, literally raised her voice. She refused the repeat imaging, citing radiation and cancer risk. She stated that even if the issue had already resolved within twenty-four hours, she would still proceed with the same treatment plan involving several weeks of a high-risk treatment. I was hospitalized for multiple days and placed on this medication without definitive confirmation and she ignored other pertinent… details. I believe a confirmatory CT scan would have been the safer and more evidence-based approach before starting treatment. Instead, Dr. Bergeron appeared dismissive of my concerns and was quick to attribute reasonable questions to anxiety. This interaction left me feeling unheard and seriously undermined my trust in the care I received. Labeling patients with anxiety when they ask questions about their care seems like a cheap tactic of a God complex. Patients deserve respect, accurate documentation, and careful diagnostic reasoning, not defensiveness or quick demeaning labels when they advocate for themselves. I will be filing a formal complaint about this experience.

I had a very concerning experience with Dr. Bergeron during my recent hospital stay. She incorrectly documented my family medical history and my own history into the record, when I questioned an ambiguous CT scan report that mentioned it "could not rule out" a pulmonary embolism (PE) due to an artifact, she immediately labeled me with severe anxiety and noted the "situation worsening" for simply requesting a repeat CT to confirm the diagnosis. Rather than ordering a follow-up scan for clarity, Dr. Bergeron became combative and rude. She refused the repeat imaging, citing radiation/cancer risk, and stated that the embolism could have already resolved (24 hours), she would still treat me with six weeks of blood thinners (Eliquis). I was hospitalized for multiple days and placed on this high-risk medication without definitive confirmation. I believe a confirmatory CT would have been the safer and more evidence-based approach before committing to anticoagulation therapy. Instead, Dr.… Bergeron appeared dismissive of patient concerns and quick to attribute questions to anxiety. This interaction left me feeling undermined and distrustful in my care. I will be filing a formal complaint about this experience and recommend others do the same, as this now appears to be a pattern. Patients deserve respect, accurate documentation, and careful diagnostic reasoning, not defensiveness or quick labels when they ask reasonable questions about their care.

Avoid at all costs. She “treated” my father for his recent hospital stay. Incompetent, rude, and several hospital personnel confirmed that Dr. Bergeron is basically a nightmare. You also have to wonder why there is not a review rating on the Sentara website for Her. Could it be that she would rate so poorly they would be embarrassed?

Dr. Bergeron took the time to explain to me my condition in a way that no other doctor had ever done. The time spent with her helped me to view my condition as it really is, and that has helped me to recovery fully. I wish I could tell her this personally.

Unwilling to listen to concerns. Refused to consult specialist.