Dr. John Richard Hodges JR., MD

Very well pleased with him. Very compassionate.

Phone time to make an appointment was a little long. When I arrived at the appointment, I didn't have to sit and wait. When I saw Dr. Hodges, he diagnosed my problem immediately. I was scheduled for an endoscopy and later I had an additional problem and had to be scheduled for a colonoscopy. There was no hesitation to fit both procedures in at the same time. I went to the Augusta Endoscopy Center and the doctor was there waiting for me which was a pleasant surprise. Usually it is the other way around; you are waiting for the doctor. I have had both procedures in the past at a hospital and I would recommend the Endoscopy Center over the Hospital. Reasons for the preference are the Endoscopy Center specializes in these procedures, the charge of the Endoscopy Center is more reasonable and there is less infectious diseases to come in contact with. The nurses, anesthesiologist and doctor were very attentive and provided a smooth process, comfortable environment and I was quickly… discharged. In addition, the procedure was on a Friday and the Endoscopy Center called me on Monday to follow up, making sure I was o.k. This was also a pleasant surprise because a lot of doctors and hospitals do not follow this practice. The only process I did not agree with was on admission to the Augusta Endoscopy Center. Discussing payment for the procedures and wanting money up front when I have Good Insurance on the same day as the procedure, while you are anxious, is not the best time. I was instructed to write a check for the amount agreed upon days before the procedure and when I arrived, I was told it should have been two checks, one for the facility and one for the doctors. Since I did not bring my check book, they took my debit card and split the payment in half which was not correct. When I called the billing office, I was told to check when I receive the final bill and if there was a problem, they would correct it then. To eliminate all of the above, I do not understand why the original check for the correct amount could have been split and coded properly for the correct amounts, both doctors and facility. This created undue stress.

Was a little nervous about my tests with Dr. Hodges but he made me feel comfortable and relaxed. We talked about his cowboy boots and television programs from when we were kids in the 50's and 60's..When I awoke from my tests I felt no pain and went about my business without having any problems after the procedure.