Certified Allergy & Asthma Consultants

I had an exceptionally poor experience at Certified Allergy & Asthma Consultants with Dr. Michael Katlan. I attended this visit while actively treating Lyme disease and experiencing hives from my medication. Because I am also allergic to the first option for treating Lyme (doxycycline), I was feeling anxious and overwhelmed, hoping for clarity about what treatment options remained safe for me. Almost immediately upon entering the room, before any conversation, questions, or examiniation occurred, Dr. Katlan stated, "I have no way of knowing if you're allergic or not, there's not much I can do for you." This statement caused some confusion for two distinct reasons: 1) Directly behind him in the exam room was a poster encouraging patients to ask about penicillin allergy testing. 2) I had successfully undergone penicillin allergy testing with a provider who worked for this very practice. It turns out there WERE valid reasons I couldn't be tested that day (active hives and backordered… testing agents). However, he never communicated any of this to me during the visit. My intention was never to be difficult; I was genuinely confused trying to reconcile his initial statement with the room's signage and my own medical history. Instead of explaining the clinical rationale—which is a basic part of a provider’s job when dealing with an anxious patient seeking answers—he snapped and retorted, "I'm the expert here, not you." When I said the visit was useless and that I was leaving, he replied, "Good, please do." Furthermore, Dr. Katlan never asked to look at or physically examined my rash, yet he subsequently wrote descriptions of my hives in my medical chart as if he had evaluated them. He also falsely documented that he had explained the testing backorder and active hive restrictions to me during the encounter, when he had not. While my anxiety and search for clarity may have brought some intensity to the conversation, I was seeking understanding, not conflict. Out of sheer frustration with being belittled, I muttered a rude remark as I walked out. I recognized that lapse in judgment and reached out to management shortly after to apologize for my words and explain the breakdown. Instead of addressing the provider’s conduct or correcting the false documentation, the practice responded by discharging me from the entire practice for "insubordination," refusing my (reasonable) request to be transferred internally to a different provider. Prospective patients should be aware of the lack of basic clinical communication, missing physical evaluations, and defensive charting practices at this clinic.