Dr. Selwyn Spangenthal, MD

After 30 years of trusting this man ( I will no longer refer to him as a Dr. ) after his staff discovered I had Prostate Cancer and the day before my surgery ( full removal of prostate) a CT scan ( again only thanks to his staff) discovered possible blockage in my arteries and the anesthesiologist actually cancelled the surgery the the night before. I was referred to a cardiologist ( again , through his office). I had been battling insurance for my sleep apnea, paid for in home and in office overnight tests ( both of which I later discovered where separate businesses Selwyn was the principal owner of ,) when my cardiologist requested all relevant records. nearly 3 months later he sent them. But because he delayed over 30 days in providing the paperwork, insurance has said as a rule they need that in a 30 day period or I may have to pay for a new study. So a few thousand dollars of my money ( and the insurance company as well was wasted ) I was told all insurance needed was for him to… send them a prescription and I'd have had the machine during my surgery. The hospital certainly took this seriously, they had a CPAP machine there for me , but realized it was a challenge to have prostate cancer surgery and start your first night on a CPAP machine , so it was decided in those circumstances not using the machine was the only option that was practical. Then when my wife and I each separately and politely spoke with his office , an employee of his office simply hung on my wife. In this mans world he is important. I was not. He actually sent me a certified letter in a attempt to imply he was " no longer following me as a patient " - his exact words. He's the Dr. I'm the patient. For 30 years. I didn't ask for the records. My cardiologist did. I had not come to any decision about seeing him again or not. I was leaning towards trying to continue to see him. I cared for this person. But they certainly made my decision obvious. See him again? Not for even a common cold. To continue to see a Dr you have good reason to have lost trust in ? No rational person would. I fear I'm only the tip of iceberg for a patient exodus from him. His reputation has dropped to totally uncaring for several people I know that have seen him. The hardest part truly for me to accept was I respected and trusted this person. A whole lot. We had worshipped together with him , we pay all our bills promptly. His staff particularly his receptionist and the salesperson he had running his sleep study side business were two of the worst examples of people gossiping to patients about their boss and coworkers that I have ever experienced. I requested the records my cardiologist needed for my safety. I suspect, but have no direct knowledge that he has lost a sizable number of patients, because he basically seems to do more walking around than taking time with his patients. My question for Selwyn is this ; why did you not write that one simple prescription for a condition you verbally had told me I had at a time when your patient of 30years at 64 years of age has told you himself that I have both cancer and possible heart desease? I have Dates and records of two occasions within the last 10 years where I called your office with bronchitis and twice you called in prescriptions for antibiotics and predisone. But this , a prescription that you coukd send in at a time when I faced very , very serious health concerns you are now saying you required an office visit or no sleep apnea machine. I have never done this before. I respect how people earn a living. But I decided that i couldn't in good conscience not share this story. My name is Allan Kaplon. I feel ethically this is the right thing to do, if it helps even one person be vigilant if they opt to continue seeing him. I have never sued anyone, never said anything except at the end my last conversation with the receptionist. I asked " is it not my legal right to get these records ". Then as I sat and listened ( and took notes ) of my wife's conversation with the worst member of his staff as she is saying all right , we'll make an appointment ( despite all the other Dr bills and appointments we were seeing grow) she simply hung up. I called back 5 minutes later and left a message on the same employees answering machine asking to make an appointment.

Dr. Selwyn Spangenthal treated my beloved mother, Barbara Holbrooks, for COPD and other respiratory issues for several years. He is a dedicated physician who genuinely cares about his patients and their families. I will forever be grateful to him and his entire staff for all he did in the care of my mama. I wish there were more doctors like him.

Kind, Caring, Dedicated, Professional. The list could go on and on. Dr. Spangenthal is one of the best physicians you will ever meet.

Doctor Spangenthal is a very caring and conscientious Physician. He listens and is very empathetic. I would not trade him for the world.