Dr. Russell Raymond Smith, MD

I was a patient of Dr. Smith's for approximately twelve years. I liked him in the very beginning, even though his office is dirty and smells horrible to put it mildly. I'd had a few ups and downs with his practicing style and his revolving door of staff members, but I stuck with him anyway. Over the twelve-year period with his practice, I did have the desire to change physicians on many occasions, however, breaking up with an established General Physician is always hard to do no matter what, so I stuck with him. Big Big mistake! I should have listened to my gut instinct and changed Doctors years ago. About a week ago, I called Dr, Smith's office requesting the name and number of the Rheumatologist he’d provided months earlier. Unfortunately, the Physician he'd referred me to and had been treating me moved to New York. When I called Dr. Smith's office to get a reminder of his current/new recommendation, I was told I'd need an appointment for that, so I complied with a bit of… hesitation considering I’d already paid for an office visit for this same referral. On the day of my appointment I sat in the freezing cold exam room for at least 25 minutes. Once Dr. Smith finally came into the exam room, I explained that all I needed was the name of the Rheumatologist he’d referred me to and that I wasn’t sure if insurance would require a written referral. I explained I was in some pain; to which he ignored. He spent approximately 4 to 5 minutes in the exam room, left to write the name and number of the Doctor he’d already told me about on a post it-note and sent me on my way. The charge for that visit was $116.00 but I went ahead and paid it. As I was walking to my car, I was scratching my head wondering why I was being charged for something I’d paid for in the past and could have been given to me over the phone! Since I was in a bit of pain I didn't want to walk all the way back into his office to discuss the issue, so I called instead. The staff member was rude and unapologetic , continually interrupted me and asked what I wanted her to do about it; to which I replied, I guess I’d like my money back. She said she’d need to discuss it with Dr. Smith and call me back. A few minutes later she called and informed me he’d refund the office visit charge. Less than a week later I received a letter from him dismissing me as a patient. I was in a bit of shock to say the least, but not at all surprised! I had stuck with him and all his imperfections, plus his less than desirable office conditions for 12 years, only to get disrespected and dumped over a disagreement regarding a $116.00 charge. I am positive that 90 percent of the population would have questioned that office charge too. When I finally spoke to Dr. Smith regarding this circumstance, I was told the charge was for an insurance referral letter, yet I never received a letter. He said, “it takes his staff hours to prepare an insurance referral letter and that’s what the charge was for”. Basically, he was charging me ahead of time for something I may not have even needed. I recall him saying to me, “just call the office if your insurance needs a letter of referral”. I’m curious; in the event I didn’t need the referral letter would I have gotten my money back? I now understand why Dr. Smith’s office reeks, his furniture is so old that you sink to the bottom of the disgusting smelly chairs and sofa that it’s a struggle to even get off of and why he can’t repair the broken toilet paper holder for his patient’s rest room (meaning every patient must grab the same roll of TP just after using the toilet for a urine sample) Barf!! It’s because he refuses to invest in his office and in his patients care. It’s all about getting your money without questioning him or having a disagreement or a complaint. A staff member once said to me when I mentioned the smell of the dreadfully uncomfortable and foul-smelling furniture, “he may retire soon and doesn’t want to invest in new seating for his patients”. She said they spray the furniture with Lysol twice a day trying to reduce the foul odor. In addition to the above-mentioned problems Dr. Smith, also insists on seeing his patients for every single prescription refill and still uses inconvenient paper prescriptions. His bad office environment is a clear indication of how much he cares about providing his patients with considerate individual care. In all twelve years of being a good paying patient and the only time I had a disagreement with him; he chose to respond by dismissing me and accusing me of having a problem with his staff; avoiding the heart of the issue. FYI: Most people do have a problem with rude staff members. My advice would be to find a doctor that truly cares about you and not just your money. Medical care in this country is complicated and expensive enough with dealing with this kind of difficulty!

Went there for a routine physical that is covered 100% by the insurance company. Got a surprise bill after 6 months from the doctor's office. Insurance company claimed this was submitted as "routine office visit". Got billed twice for the same, annual physical visit. Even the follow up visit just to go over the results was billed as "office visit" instead of "preventive care follow up visit". Provider declined to help in resolving this out after numerous phone calls for this. Ended up paying for all the visits to get rid of this situation. Horrible experience. Please STAY AWAY from this provider!

I have been to Dr Smith now for 6 years. He is very thorough and always takes his time with me. I would highly recommend Dr Smith to anyone.

My father visited from overseas and had some health issues. Dr.Smith was extremely patient with him and listened with so much care and understanding. He followed up with us on regular basis and was always on call incase I had more questions. I would give Dr. Smith the stars in the sky to rate his care towards my daddy!

Dr. Smith is very professional and kind. His office staff is caring and efficient. I feel lucky to have found this office!

office staff was rude and made comments which were unprofessional and Dr. Smith misdiagnosed a problem and I ended up going to an emergency room later that day to get the correct care. I was a patient for several years but could not take the office staff any longer.

Dr. Smith is extremely caring! He gives his patients ample time to discuss issues. I never feel rushed! He is also very conscientious on giving medicine. He will not sacrifice our precious lives for a quick pill fix. He makes sure we find the right and natural solution first and foremost. He is our family's preferred doctor for 10 years now!

Doctor Smith took interest in all of my problems. I was made to feel at ease from the moment I entered his office. The nurses were also very caring.

I've been going to Dr. Smith for about 20 years and would recommend him to anyone. He is very caring, thorough, and great at explaining.

I received the most comprehensive examination ever from Dr. Smith. He was able to spend time with me and did not make me feel rushed. I was very comfortable in his office.