Dr. Stephen Lee Payne, MD

I have had this doctor for quite a few years, since my previous doctor closed his practice. dr. payne is very willing to help you with a referral to a specialist, which is a good thing. you don't have to fight for it with him. however, I have had a number of issues over the years with his staff in the front particularly. my most recent situation is sadly, typical. if you call and they do not answer the phone the recorded message tells you to call back. you can not leave a message and get a return call. yesterday I drove to the office to pay an outstanding bill (medicare paid what they will and then we were told what we owed) and I was given the wrong amount because I had already made a payment toward it. I was told they would have to "research it" and they would call me with the amount due. when I arrived home that evening there was a message. I took not of the amount being about what I had thought after the payment so I erased the message without writing it down, believing it should… be on the computer when I went back. drove there again today and when I arrived I was told the computer was down for upgrading (something that should be done at the end of the day?) and did I remember the exact amount? no, I don't. I offered to pay over the dollar amount and take the excess off of the copay my husband now has when he came for the appointment we were trying to make. well, we can't make an appointment because it's all in the computer. yup, and it's down for an upgrade! so, a second wasted trip. so now we are at about 40 miles total for 2 round trips. and still haven't been able to do the business we went for. oh, and we also needed a letter for the court system because I was supposed to do jury duty in 2 weeks but am disabled and the court house is not accessible so I was told to "have them fax a letter" to a fax number. they will not fax anything I was told. it's my responsibility. they don't have time to do that sort of thing. 24 to 48 hours to "dictate" a 2 sentence letter but 30 seconds to fax is too long.... having worked in 2 medical offices that were much busier than this one, but before all this computer stuff, I remember we had 1 person who was secretary/receptionist and when the medical assistants were not working with a patient or loading the autoclave, we were helping doing filing patient records (which is now done by computer) or we were making copies of records for patients or we were faxing things for patients. we were not on the phone making personal phone calls or just hanging around. the office managed to return calls too. I do understand that the computer is important in this day and age, and why we couldn't schedule an appointment without it. but why would a busy doctor's office do a computer update in the middle of the afternoon when it depends so much on that computer? why is it so tough to return a call about scheduling an appointment or needing a new prescription for refills to be sent to the pharmacy? I'm not one to complain most of the time, but I fill my gas tank at the beginning of each month and must make it last until the beginning of the next month. it's 13 gallons. we have just lost our hospital here in town and that means any urgent care (the doctor does not have an associate who covers for him) requires I drive 25 miles one way. I can't afford to waste my gas. it's just too bad that this is such an issue and I bet I'm not the only one....

Dr. Payne cared for my husband for over 10 years much to my dislike, keep my husband on medications for pain then one day told him he would no longer give him pain medications for a chronic problem unless he stopped drinking, Dr. Payne KNEW he had been drinking from the start and would not stop, but dropped him like a hot potato without a care! To me that is not what doctors do.

Small practice, personalized care, excellent follow up. So glad to have a doctor I can talk to!

I went to Dr. Payne for a "sinus" issue that has been misdiagnosed by Bennington doctors for a year now. Dr Payne treated an infection with heavy antibiotics, but after the regiment was done- I still have the same underlying issues. Dr Payne ordered a CT Scan on Thursday, it has now been 10 days I had yet to hear from NA Regional Hospital. I finally called Dr Payne's office, they had not EVEN SCHEDULED the visit siting insurance clearance-- That was 9am this morning and I was supposed to get a call back in a "few minutes" now, here it is 3:30pm and the receptionist again said some one was going to call back...Im considering changing Drs at this point, considering this "sinus" issue now has neck pain and face numbness attached to it.

Knowledgeable and friendly. Accurate diagnosis and quick to refer to a specialist if necessary. A really top notch family practitioner.

Both Dr. Payne & Kathleen are great!! They spend time with you and listen to what you have to say... most doctors don't do that anymore...A++

Can't believe this guy is allowed to treat people. I can't even count the number of times he messed up my script. If I had them filled and took them as directed I would be dead or lying in a hospital. What an idiot. And his secretaries are just as stupid. Don't go to this guy