Dr. Singh (who resides in Texas) has had his way with the county. He bought the hospital and equipment for far below appraisal value because the oversight group for Palm Drive was incompetent, to put it mildly. He then failed to provide emergency or at least urgent care and blamed it on Covid. But he took Covid patients at his 'hospital' (really an acute care nursing home) because it was extremely lucrative. His protocols were loudly criticized by his staff. I really don't understand why he isn't being sued by the county for breach of contact. He is making money and will make even more when he decides to sell the property. But the county just can't be bothered going after him?
While I don't doubt the difficulties of operating an urgent care facility or the stranglehold placed on doctors by insurance companies these days, I feel Sebastopol Times has done a disservice in writing an essentially hagiographic piece about Sebastopol Urgent Care and Dr. Flower in particular. Flower claims to "not (be) here to get rich, I'm here for the community," yet she operates a concierge practice clearly for the benefit of the 1% with its $1500/year membership fee (as of last year). She also claims to want to see 20 patients a day in urgent care. I find this curious because I took my elderly mother to see her at urgent care where (after a very slipshod exam) Flower didn't review my mother's list of prescriptions (all two of them!) and ended up prescribing one of the exact same medications my mother was already taking -- when I mentioned this to Flower, her petulant VERBATIM response was "Well I've seen 21 patients today and I'm tired." (So does that mean she can see the 20 she wants to see but you'd better not have the bad luck to be patient nos. 21 or 22?) She was unprofessional and rude, so maybe that's why people aren't flocking to her urgent care facility.
As for Sonoma Specialty Hospital being in breach of its contract to provide urgent care to Sebastopol, which is a whole other can of worms, it uses the excuse of not fulfilling that part of the contract because Sebastopol already has an urgent care facility in place, Dr. Flower's. So maybe Dr. Flower shouldn't have opened her urgent care in the first place, since it may have impeded Sonoma Specialty Hospital's ability to fulfill its contract and open its own.
I remember reading a similar account from you about three years ago. I do not remember this encounter. I am baffled as to why you are so hateful toward me. I am neither rude nor uncaring.
There was a point in the urgent care history when my partner was out with a health problem and I was working in the urgent care 70 hours a week for three months straight. I can’t imagine being rude to anyone, no matter how exhausted I am. I am sorry you perceive my service as poor and useless. What I find disturbing is the vitriol with which you disparage my character after a 10 minute interaction in which I was simply trying to help your mother. I would think after years you might let this go.
For your information in my concierge practice I also have many patients that are getting pro-bono care and many more that are getting deep discounts for care based on their need. Without the concierge money that is now paying the difference of the urgent care shortfalls, none of these services would be available to our community.
I suggest that you spend your energy in positive ways.
It was one year ago, and if you were "simply trying to help (my) mother," you would've gotten closer than 10 feet away from her to truly examine the potential symptoms of the allergic reaction she came to see you about, and you would've taken 10 seconds to examine the notes your assistant took (and the intake form I filled out) which clearly showed what medications she was already taking.
As for my "vitriol," it would've easily been dispelled if you had simply apologized after I pointed out your careless oversight of re-prescribing her same prescription. Instead, you chose to scold me for being upset about it, then made a whiny excuse about being tired and overworked.
By exercising my right to comment on an article in a news source that I find to be more of a P.R. piece than truly investigative, I am spending my "energy in positive ways" by letting the public know more about your character and practice.
Shortly after moving to the area about two years ago, I had a very positive weekend experience with Dr. Flower at Sebastopol Urgent Health Care. I was very ill and she quickly diagnosed the problem and provided just the right treatment--her ER experience is a real asset. Check-in and wait were short and easy. Within a day, I was on-the-mend. I will definitely use the clinic again if a need arises and my usual health provider isn't available. I am forever grateful and hope the clinic can continue to serve this delightful community.
Thank you so much for your support and kind comments. It’s for situations like yours that we are open seven days a week. Illness and injury doesn’t just happen on the weekdays. This is why I am reaching out to the community for support, so that I can continue to serve you on the weekends.
We are a privately owned clinic without, government or corporate support. The cost of providing care is very high and that is why there are very few private practices in existence currently.
We are committed to serving everyone who needs us. This is why we have our nonprofit which is supported by our community. I am hoping with the support of the West County community, we can continue to be here for all of you.
The state of medical practitioners, their reimbursement through insurance and ability to stay afloat is yet another crisis of our times. I just want to say here that Dr. Roger Pitzen, Dr. Flower's neighbor, has been providing "sports medicine", "Urgent Care", "Concierge Care" and much more for decades, simply because he feels that's the way medicine should be practiced. I know how fortunate my family is to be in his care. We have worked hard and paid more to keep him as our physician for decades. This is not a criticism of Dr. Flowers or anyone else. I just feel compelled to give the wonderful Dr. Pitzen a shout out and thank you publicly here- a true (and largely unsung) hero of Sebastopol.
You are absolutely spot on about Roger Pitzen! He is a pillar of medicine in West County. I think he has been practicing for over 40 years, unselfishly serving this community with knowledge, professionalism, skill, and compassion. He is the kind of doctor that I emulate. He was a doctor when I was an x-ray tech, hoping to be a doctor someday. He still works 70 hour weeks, I often see his car outside of the office at night. There are very few of us old time doctors left.
Due to the corporatization of medicine, very few of us can sustain a private practice. He seems to be one of the last of a dying breed that I am hoping to resurrect. We need to be role models for tomorrow’s doctors. Good for you for supporting him and giving him kudos. He certainly deserves them.
Hi Jude- you are lucky. We tried years ago to get in Dr Pitzen’s practice but for the longest time he was not taking patients. I have always heard such positive comments about him. Glad your family has enjoyed his presence.
"Dr. Flower post a community appeal for more people to use the Urgent Care service" Maybe I don't understand "urgent care " but that doesn't sound like something people proactively plan to use. It's an unexpected emergency service?
I had the same thought. But I think, as evidenced by one of these comments, that people didn’t know she was there at all and we’re therefore driving to Santa Rosa for urgent care.
Urgent Care has many uses, especially in today’s medical climate. There are the emergencies such as lacerations, sprains and broken bones that everyone thinks of, but if you have a severe cough, sore throat or ear ache it helps to get these treated in a timely manner. Most primary practitioners can’t be seen for days or weeks, so urgent care is useful. Sometimes people need urgent medication refills. There are a host of infections, painful injuries, and reactions that need immediate care.
My Urgent Care was established for community. I am hoping for community support so we can continue to be there for you when you really need us.
We have served hundreds and hundreds of Medicare patients with Medi-Cal. In many, if not most cases, we work with the patients. As mentioned above, we do have some resources that can pay that medical copay. In any case, our reimbursements are so low that 20% is in the $20-$30 range. I know that $20 can be a lot of money to seniors on fixed incomes so we strive to not let that be a hardship to anybody.
I think part of the issue is that the urgent care does not take Medi-Cal so even if they take Medicare, there are many seniors that have med-cal as a secondary and a required to pay 20% of services.
Wow. Here's the thing. I am a long time resident of Sebastopol. I did not even know there was an urgent care office in this town. I assumed that one had to go to SR for urgent care. This useful article can get the word out but maybe there are other ways as well to let people know this service exists?
I agree with you. I’m at a bit of a loss on how to do that. I have been blogging on Facebook and next-door. We have signs up, and I am going to place a more strategically located sign in front of the building. We seem to have a presence on Internet searches, so I don’t know what else to do. Do you have any thoughts?
I think the main task is to recover from what has been there (on and off) since Palm Drive closed. My head was jerked side to side trying to keep up with on going changes in that debacle. So you have to start over and go big. Sending out a postcard to all residents in the city? Expensive, I know. Send a message home via school bulletins? Getting this piece in the Sebastopol TImes was good. Work on the PD? also, get a mention in the local Gazette? You need to get people talking about and appreciating your service. Maybe see if you can get a booth at the Farmer's Market or the Gravenstein Festival? Or Peacetown events? As it is' people don't know it's there. Ask your current patients to talk about their care with friends and neighbors.
One thing that is not clear to me is the question of payment. Does the Urgent care office take the common insurances? Medicare/Medicaid? Or is it an out of pocket thing that consumer must push through with their insurance company?
We take all old-fashioned Medicare, all PPOs and a few HMO‘s. We are not in network for Medi-Cal because we do not qualify. Our cash prices are 1/3 of the corporate Urgent Care because we understand that people without insurance, usually don’t have it due to lack of money.
The problem is is that most people have been pushed out of PPOs and into HMOs because of the exorbitant cost of medical insurance. So the people in our community that have a Sutter HMO or Providence HMO or Kaiser don’t usually want to be seen at my clinic because their insurance will not pay me to see them. That has significantly reduced the number of patients that have coverage at my clinic. Additionally, with this new push to put Medicare patients into Medicare advantage plans, which are basically private HMOs, a much smaller portion of the people in this county have insurance that works in a private Urgent Care.
The market manipulations by the insurance companies and the corporate healthcare providers are strangling the independent practitioners deliberately. I am one of the few holdouts. If this trend continues, there will be no more independent practices.
I appreciate that explanation. This is typical of yet ANOTHER way that big business and oligarchs in general are really damaging the majority of the people. How to fight that?
Do you have any kind of a auxiliary organization? Like Friends of the Library only Frinds of the Urgent Care? Opportunities for volunteers? any way to teach people about this?
I, for example, am on Medicare but have Anthem Blue Cross as my supplement. I have avoided the Medicare Advantage business but that might just be luck. Of course, it is all confusing to someone who is not savvy in the economics of health care. I will say, I left Sutter b/c I could not get appointments . I actually joined a wonderful practice in Petaluma - Part of Marin Health but also associated with UCSF. But I would really prefer to be able to use your urgent care facility for the rare times when I might have some immediate concern. I will be sharing the information I have learned with others .
Have you approached the Senior Center in town about making a presentation there? Or maybe the library?
Dr. Singh (who resides in Texas) has had his way with the county. He bought the hospital and equipment for far below appraisal value because the oversight group for Palm Drive was incompetent, to put it mildly. He then failed to provide emergency or at least urgent care and blamed it on Covid. But he took Covid patients at his 'hospital' (really an acute care nursing home) because it was extremely lucrative. His protocols were loudly criticized by his staff. I really don't understand why he isn't being sued by the county for breach of contact. He is making money and will make even more when he decides to sell the property. But the county just can't be bothered going after him?
While I don't doubt the difficulties of operating an urgent care facility or the stranglehold placed on doctors by insurance companies these days, I feel Sebastopol Times has done a disservice in writing an essentially hagiographic piece about Sebastopol Urgent Care and Dr. Flower in particular. Flower claims to "not (be) here to get rich, I'm here for the community," yet she operates a concierge practice clearly for the benefit of the 1% with its $1500/year membership fee (as of last year). She also claims to want to see 20 patients a day in urgent care. I find this curious because I took my elderly mother to see her at urgent care where (after a very slipshod exam) Flower didn't review my mother's list of prescriptions (all two of them!) and ended up prescribing one of the exact same medications my mother was already taking -- when I mentioned this to Flower, her petulant VERBATIM response was "Well I've seen 21 patients today and I'm tired." (So does that mean she can see the 20 she wants to see but you'd better not have the bad luck to be patient nos. 21 or 22?) She was unprofessional and rude, so maybe that's why people aren't flocking to her urgent care facility.
As for Sonoma Specialty Hospital being in breach of its contract to provide urgent care to Sebastopol, which is a whole other can of worms, it uses the excuse of not fulfilling that part of the contract because Sebastopol already has an urgent care facility in place, Dr. Flower's. So maybe Dr. Flower shouldn't have opened her urgent care in the first place, since it may have impeded Sonoma Specialty Hospital's ability to fulfill its contract and open its own.
Hello Misty,
I remember reading a similar account from you about three years ago. I do not remember this encounter. I am baffled as to why you are so hateful toward me. I am neither rude nor uncaring.
There was a point in the urgent care history when my partner was out with a health problem and I was working in the urgent care 70 hours a week for three months straight. I can’t imagine being rude to anyone, no matter how exhausted I am. I am sorry you perceive my service as poor and useless. What I find disturbing is the vitriol with which you disparage my character after a 10 minute interaction in which I was simply trying to help your mother. I would think after years you might let this go.
For your information in my concierge practice I also have many patients that are getting pro-bono care and many more that are getting deep discounts for care based on their need. Without the concierge money that is now paying the difference of the urgent care shortfalls, none of these services would be available to our community.
I suggest that you spend your energy in positive ways.
Peace to you.
It was one year ago, and if you were "simply trying to help (my) mother," you would've gotten closer than 10 feet away from her to truly examine the potential symptoms of the allergic reaction she came to see you about, and you would've taken 10 seconds to examine the notes your assistant took (and the intake form I filled out) which clearly showed what medications she was already taking.
As for my "vitriol," it would've easily been dispelled if you had simply apologized after I pointed out your careless oversight of re-prescribing her same prescription. Instead, you chose to scold me for being upset about it, then made a whiny excuse about being tired and overworked.
By exercising my right to comment on an article in a news source that I find to be more of a P.R. piece than truly investigative, I am spending my "energy in positive ways" by letting the public know more about your character and practice.
Peace to you.
Shortly after moving to the area about two years ago, I had a very positive weekend experience with Dr. Flower at Sebastopol Urgent Health Care. I was very ill and she quickly diagnosed the problem and provided just the right treatment--her ER experience is a real asset. Check-in and wait were short and easy. Within a day, I was on-the-mend. I will definitely use the clinic again if a need arises and my usual health provider isn't available. I am forever grateful and hope the clinic can continue to serve this delightful community.
Hi Constance,
Thank you so much for your support and kind comments. It’s for situations like yours that we are open seven days a week. Illness and injury doesn’t just happen on the weekdays. This is why I am reaching out to the community for support, so that I can continue to serve you on the weekends.
We are a privately owned clinic without, government or corporate support. The cost of providing care is very high and that is why there are very few private practices in existence currently.
We are committed to serving everyone who needs us. This is why we have our nonprofit which is supported by our community. I am hoping with the support of the West County community, we can continue to be here for all of you.
The state of medical practitioners, their reimbursement through insurance and ability to stay afloat is yet another crisis of our times. I just want to say here that Dr. Roger Pitzen, Dr. Flower's neighbor, has been providing "sports medicine", "Urgent Care", "Concierge Care" and much more for decades, simply because he feels that's the way medicine should be practiced. I know how fortunate my family is to be in his care. We have worked hard and paid more to keep him as our physician for decades. This is not a criticism of Dr. Flowers or anyone else. I just feel compelled to give the wonderful Dr. Pitzen a shout out and thank you publicly here- a true (and largely unsung) hero of Sebastopol.
Hi Jude,
You are absolutely spot on about Roger Pitzen! He is a pillar of medicine in West County. I think he has been practicing for over 40 years, unselfishly serving this community with knowledge, professionalism, skill, and compassion. He is the kind of doctor that I emulate. He was a doctor when I was an x-ray tech, hoping to be a doctor someday. He still works 70 hour weeks, I often see his car outside of the office at night. There are very few of us old time doctors left.
Due to the corporatization of medicine, very few of us can sustain a private practice. He seems to be one of the last of a dying breed that I am hoping to resurrect. We need to be role models for tomorrow’s doctors. Good for you for supporting him and giving him kudos. He certainly deserves them.
Hi Jude- you are lucky. We tried years ago to get in Dr Pitzen’s practice but for the longest time he was not taking patients. I have always heard such positive comments about him. Glad your family has enjoyed his presence.
"Dr. Flower post a community appeal for more people to use the Urgent Care service" Maybe I don't understand "urgent care " but that doesn't sound like something people proactively plan to use. It's an unexpected emergency service?
I had the same thought. But I think, as evidenced by one of these comments, that people didn’t know she was there at all and we’re therefore driving to Santa Rosa for urgent care.
Hi Mighty,
Urgent Care has many uses, especially in today’s medical climate. There are the emergencies such as lacerations, sprains and broken bones that everyone thinks of, but if you have a severe cough, sore throat or ear ache it helps to get these treated in a timely manner. Most primary practitioners can’t be seen for days or weeks, so urgent care is useful. Sometimes people need urgent medication refills. There are a host of infections, painful injuries, and reactions that need immediate care.
My Urgent Care was established for community. I am hoping for community support so we can continue to be there for you when you really need us.
Thanks for clarifying the type of services provided and what "urgent care" includes. I didn't realize and I suspect many others won't either.
Hi Megan,
We have served hundreds and hundreds of Medicare patients with Medi-Cal. In many, if not most cases, we work with the patients. As mentioned above, we do have some resources that can pay that medical copay. In any case, our reimbursements are so low that 20% is in the $20-$30 range. I know that $20 can be a lot of money to seniors on fixed incomes so we strive to not let that be a hardship to anybody.
I think part of the issue is that the urgent care does not take Medi-Cal so even if they take Medicare, there are many seniors that have med-cal as a secondary and a required to pay 20% of services.
Wow. Here's the thing. I am a long time resident of Sebastopol. I did not even know there was an urgent care office in this town. I assumed that one had to go to SR for urgent care. This useful article can get the word out but maybe there are other ways as well to let people know this service exists?
Hi Gracie,
I agree with you. I’m at a bit of a loss on how to do that. I have been blogging on Facebook and next-door. We have signs up, and I am going to place a more strategically located sign in front of the building. We seem to have a presence on Internet searches, so I don’t know what else to do. Do you have any thoughts?
I think the main task is to recover from what has been there (on and off) since Palm Drive closed. My head was jerked side to side trying to keep up with on going changes in that debacle. So you have to start over and go big. Sending out a postcard to all residents in the city? Expensive, I know. Send a message home via school bulletins? Getting this piece in the Sebastopol TImes was good. Work on the PD? also, get a mention in the local Gazette? You need to get people talking about and appreciating your service. Maybe see if you can get a booth at the Farmer's Market or the Gravenstein Festival? Or Peacetown events? As it is' people don't know it's there. Ask your current patients to talk about their care with friends and neighbors.
One thing that is not clear to me is the question of payment. Does the Urgent care office take the common insurances? Medicare/Medicaid? Or is it an out of pocket thing that consumer must push through with their insurance company?
Hi Gracie,
We take all old-fashioned Medicare, all PPOs and a few HMO‘s. We are not in network for Medi-Cal because we do not qualify. Our cash prices are 1/3 of the corporate Urgent Care because we understand that people without insurance, usually don’t have it due to lack of money.
The problem is is that most people have been pushed out of PPOs and into HMOs because of the exorbitant cost of medical insurance. So the people in our community that have a Sutter HMO or Providence HMO or Kaiser don’t usually want to be seen at my clinic because their insurance will not pay me to see them. That has significantly reduced the number of patients that have coverage at my clinic. Additionally, with this new push to put Medicare patients into Medicare advantage plans, which are basically private HMOs, a much smaller portion of the people in this county have insurance that works in a private Urgent Care.
The market manipulations by the insurance companies and the corporate healthcare providers are strangling the independent practitioners deliberately. I am one of the few holdouts. If this trend continues, there will be no more independent practices.
I appreciate that explanation. This is typical of yet ANOTHER way that big business and oligarchs in general are really damaging the majority of the people. How to fight that?
Do you have any kind of a auxiliary organization? Like Friends of the Library only Frinds of the Urgent Care? Opportunities for volunteers? any way to teach people about this?
I, for example, am on Medicare but have Anthem Blue Cross as my supplement. I have avoided the Medicare Advantage business but that might just be luck. Of course, it is all confusing to someone who is not savvy in the economics of health care. I will say, I left Sutter b/c I could not get appointments . I actually joined a wonderful practice in Petaluma - Part of Marin Health but also associated with UCSF. But I would really prefer to be able to use your urgent care facility for the rare times when I might have some immediate concern. I will be sharing the information I have learned with others .
Have you approached the Senior Center in town about making a presentation there? Or maybe the library?
Please come any time you need us!
I love Marin Health! Good job on finding a primary doc there!
Yes, I would love to reach out to the other organizations in town. Great Idea!