Dr. Michael William Bittenbender, MD

My wife and I enjoyed Dr. Mike for the decade that we lived in southern Indiana. He was always compassionate, listening, and skilled. He has our full trust!

He has put me on two meds now, without checking my med list, and these 2 meds are life threatening with serious side effects! Now thanks so Mike, I'm on my way to the ER. Jack D.

I was initially impressed by Dr. Bittenbender and his approachable manner. For routine appointments as well as mild sick appointments (e.g., respiratory, cold, flu, etc.) his medical care was sufficient. However, the true "test" of any reputable doctor is how he/she responds in a patient's hour of need. On this test, Dr. Bittenbender failed--and failed miserably. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, however, and hoped my situation was a fluke. Unfortunately after a colleague of mine lost her mother under the care of Dr. Bittenbender--noting eerily similarities to my own circumstance--I have concluded otherwise. I saw Dr. Bittenbender on several occasions with acute symptoms and complaints and never got anything beyond the "run of the mill" bloodwork ordered. Feeling helpless and fearful for my health, I sought the advice of outside specialists and--thank God--I eventually received a correct diagnosis from a cardiologist. I reiterate--this was done on my OWN volition,… accord, and persistence. Not a single referral--or apology-- for medical error/oversight was ever issued from Dr. Bittenbender. It has now been 2 years since I've seen Dr. Bittenbender and I'm much healthier as a result. I am still under the continued care of a cardiologist and take daily medication--and have for the past 2 years--that is critical for my wellness. Since receiving correct diagnosis and treatment--as well as finding a new GP--I have not had a single trip to the ER. This is in contrast to my "care" under Dr. Bittenbender in which I ended up in the ER 3 times in a few weeks. During my last visit to the ER I thought I was going to die even while Dr. Bittenbender insisted that I be discharged immediately from the hospital. On that occasion Dr. Bittenbender's on-call partner approved my hospital admission for a 23 hour observation period. However, upon returning to his calls the following day, Dr. Bittenbender did all that he could to "undo" this admission and send me home ASAP despite my insistence that I was very ill. I was in the process of being discharged when an astute nurse happened to be in the room when I became very ill (as had been going on for several days, which was my original reason for visiting the ER in the first place). She followed her own gut instinct and, thanks to her, may well have saved my life. She had a hunch that my symptoms & presentation may be indicative of C.diff (Clostridium Difficile) which can be a fatal condition. She issued stat orders on the test and they were positive, both for the antigen being present AND for the toxin being released. Based on these results, Dr. Bittenbender's order for discharge were overridden--by an observant nurse who paid more attention me and my symptoms than did the GP who had seen me on numerous occasions--and I was admitted overnight along with appropriate IV fluid, pain medication, and an aggressive antibiotic with a track record of treating this devastating illness. Not only did I not receive a follow-up call from Dr. Bittenbender following my discharge, I also had to call HIM to request the antibiotic be sent to the pharmacy for continued administration (per the hospital's orders) following discharge. Unbelievable!! My first task was finding another GP as soon as possible. As I stated, the wake of Dr. Bittenbender does not end there. Following my discharge, I learned that a colleague's mother passed away under the care of Dr. Bittenbender that upon autopsy was found to be a condition that had gone undetected under his radar--that condition was C.Diff. This was a travesty and made me grateful--very grateful--that I advocated for my own health and found the cardiologist who correctly diagnosed and treated me as well as the hospital nurse who went out on a limb to test her hunch that was spot on. I shutter to think of the "what if's" in my situation if either person had not been there to help me during my critical hour in need. Two years later, I'm thankful to be healthy and enjoying life to the fullest. I've only needed to see my new GP twice in these past 2 years. It's a sad state of affairs that you don't know the integrity, quality, or competence of your GP until you suffer an acute health crisis and they show their true colors. Rest assured I asked a lot more questions when finding a new GP than I did when I found Dr. Bittenbender. It takes a lot more than an approachable bedside manner to convince me you're a competent and qualified doctor. Today as I gathered my old medical records from that terrible time period for my new GP, I think I finally put the puzzle together. Right there in black & white was Dr. Bittenbender's case notes for me summarizing his clinical judgment and assessment of my acute health crisis of 2 years ago--"I had seen the patient and ordered a bunch of labs as an outpatient and had not found anything...[I] believe the patient may have something but suspect it may be psychological." I'm very grateful that all doctors do not operate on this assumption otherwise I doubt I'd be alive today and enjoying life as fully as I am.

I trust Dr Mike to keep My Health in check. I have been going to him for 8 years now. he is my family doctor. I would recommend him to any one.

Dr. Mike is an excellent Doctor,I would highly reccomend him to anyone.

I have been a patient of Dr. Mike's for several years. I have found him to be a caring and compassionate physician and trust him expertise completely. I have suffered from chronic pain due to degenerative disc disease as well as some other physical problems and he has been one of the few physicians I have seen who does not treat me like I am some kind of drug addict because I require narcotic pain medication on a long term basis. I first went to him on the recommendation of a co-worker and am glad I did. If you go to him for the first time, be prepared. He often will sit with his eyes closed while you are talking to him, but he is definitely not sleeping; he is listening intently to what you are saying and does not miss a word. Thank you Dr. Mike.