Dr. Christopher Mark Baloga, DO

Dr. Baloga is the best and most kind physician I have ever seen.

This Dr told my friend (who speaks very little English) that in america English is spoken and she should learn how. He was very rude to her. At the same time, she witnessed him get mad at a staff member and throw a chair. She will never go back.

Qiute simply the best Doctor I have ever seen. I immediately felt comfortable with his bedside manner and was more than satisfied with his care. He's a very nice person and an excellent doctor.

I have been the patient of several eye doctors over the last 10 plus years and thought that I was getting good care in general. After experiencing my last eye exam with Dr Baloga I now know that what getting excellent care is all about. I can't say enough good things about the way his office staff and he treated me. Dr Baloga is not only the best eye doc I have ever seen, he is the best doctor I have ever seen, period. Coming to a doctor after waiting too long to have a problem taken care of, I expected the usual lecture. Dr Baloga not only put me at ease but his wealth of knowledge was excellent. It was obvious to me that that I finally found a doc that really cared for his patients. I was so impressed by his bed side manner and knowledge that I asked if I could become his regular patient even before my exam was finished. I can go on and on with good things about about Dr Baloga but suffice it to say that I would recommend him to anyone and I will bringing my family in the near… future.

I left Dr. Baloga's office in tears after having to pay $249 for what I thought was a $69.00 eye exam. I scheduled and expected to receive a routine eye exam, one that is partially covered by my insurance. When I was being examined, I was asked if I wore contact lenses (which I do) and the test proceeded. Little did I know that because I wear contacts, I was going to be automatically charged for a contact lens fitting, which is an additional $180.00. Throughout my visit, I continuously thought that the tests being conducted and conversations being held were a part of the routine eye exam, and wasn't informed until after the fact that I had a more specialized visit and would be charged for both types of exams. When I protested, I was shown a descriptive form that I signed prior to the exam indicating my acknowledgment that the routine eye exam was $69 and the contact lens fitting was $180. I was told that the difference is clearly outlined and that it was obvious during the exam that I… was being fitted for contacts. In retrospect, yes, it was obvious that I was being fitted for contacts, but that is not what I asked for. I asked for a routine eye exam. I never would have verbally consented to the more specialized exam if they had been clear that that was what I was about to undertake. Just because you sign a form that is used to make you aware of the prices of various exams does not mean you consent to having them done. I feel like I was bait and switched--went in for a routine eye exam at an affordable price, and then came out with something I had not bargained, or budgeted, for. I spent a long time discussing the misunderstanding with Dr. Baloga, and although I appreciated the time he set aside to speak with me, he said (in a rather condescending tone) that I should have known what I was getting myself into and that the difference between routine and non-routine exams is obvious. He said that their forms are written for non-native English speakers and so I clearly had the advantage of having these descriptive services laid out for me. He said their office never has a problem with people misunderstanding the protocol. I walked away feeling ashamed and dumb that I had not understood what I was getting into but upon further reflection, it was absolutely wrong for this office to assume I wanted a lens fitting without explicitly receiving my consent for the additional service. Furthermore, I had to wait one hour to get seated in an examination room and another 30 minutes to be seen by the doctor. An hour and a half is far too long to keep a patient waiting without any reading materials, access to water, etc.

I did not like Dr. Baloga's manner. He was very abrupt and short-patient. I have specifically requested appointments with Dr. Vaxmonsky after my ONE experience with Dr. Baloga, however, since the two doctors teamed up, prices at the office have sky rocketed, so I won't be going back.