VIK Medical at Westlake

Not impressed by this place. Let me start from the beginning. Front desk was polite and helpful. Let us sign in and then leave since there was a two hour wait to be seen at the Urgent Care. If that is the case, why can’t I just make an appointment or sign in over the phone. I had to leave a baby puppy at home alone to drive my very sick girlfriend out to West Lake only to turn back around and go home to wait.
Insurance: They want payment in full after being seen. My girlfriend has a regional metro DC area Blue Cross that has a deductible for out of state coverage (she hasn’t changed it over yet until the allowed time) Knowing this, they still want a 70% payment.
My girlfriend goes through the appointment. She had flu like symptoms last weekend that got a bit worse leading to wheezing and a compressed lung. This made me think she might have walking pneumonia. She calls me from the office and mentions the doctor asked her if she was depressed or had anxiety. What exactly does that have to do with a persistent cough and chest soreness? I found that to be odd. Let me continue. It gets better.
Knowing that she has an out of state insurance and will have to most likely pay out of pocket, the doctor orders the following. 1. Blood work. 2. X– Ray. 3. EKG. My girlfriend calls me while in the office and let’s me know this. I tell her the bill for an X Ray without coverage will be enormous so it’s best to wait. Do the bloodwork and see what the results find. I’m too late and they have already taken the X-​Ray. I tell her to refuse the EKG which she does. Lord knows how much money this place is trying to suck out of us. (Mind you, I understand the importance of certain tests. I do however feel it’s the responsibility of the doctor not to lead the patient into very expensive exams before checking bloodwork especially when out of the coverage area for the insurance)
Everything comes back negative. She calls me upset but I let her know it’s a good thing she at least knows results. She goes to pay (in full) and guess what. The system is down. I can’t wait to see the number we are going to have to pay when it’s back up.
Side note: my girlfriend was prescribed steroids (which she said she was uncomfortable taking) as well as antibiotics. If the bloodwork is negative, what are the antibiotics for? We live in a time where the news is constantly talking about antibiotic resistant bacteria and the need to lower the amount of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions.
Last but not least. The doctor prescribed my girlfriend with antibiotics she listed as having «severe allergic reactions» for. If he hadn’t called her a few minutes later (or if she was on the phone for work like she normally is all day long, we would have had a life changing moment on our hands today). They are lucky this review is (probably) as far as I’m going to take it.
One word to summarize. Careless.

Dr. Vik is awesome. We have been going to his clinic on Bee Caves Road since it opened many years ago. They have been great with all our problems, big and small. They are open from 8 AM to 8 PM 7 days a week with no appointment necessary. Our family always seems to need help outside normal business hours or on the weekend. I highly recommend them.

Dr. Vik and his staff are the best — always there when we need them and always so friendly and helpful.

The wait is completely unreasonable. Multiple patients who arrived after us were seen before us. When we inquired why this was the case we were told those patients had signed up online. I spoke with one such patient and she said that she had not gone online before coming in to the office.
It seems the proliferation of locations of this medical clinic has greatly diminished the quality. My past experience was good but notably declining over the years. Now it seems the quality of service is such that it is worse than other medical care options. This will be my last visit.
Very disappointing. I will actively discourage others from using this business.

This is the best medical care in Austin. Dr Vik and all of his associates are as good as it gets. Thorough diagnosis, treatment, care. I cannot say enough good about them. Call and make an appointment… that prevents you from waiting.

I have had a really hard time finding a doctor in Lakeway. I went to Vik in Lakeway because my back was hurting due to an accident long ago. It would flare and nothing would really take away the pain. I saw Bonny Macfarlane, M.D. and she was wonderful. I just found out that she could also be my primary care physician. It happened again this week and I followed her out to the Westlake location. She was so helpful and nice as was all her staff (at both places). She referred me to PT, (which they do there on Tuesday I believe), had a good, clear x-​ray taken, and referred me to a good spine doctor. I had the same team of doctors in Seattle for 15 years, she has been the only one that I have found here who has the same compassion and knowledge. I did not have to wait — Friday at 4:45pm. Finally I can check that big one off my list!

Went to an urgent care center on a Saturday, and it was pleasant experience… Just walked out of the office and this concept still confuses me!!! An urgent care run like a high end family practice. Very clean, very informative, 30 min wait for a walk in that’s never been there before… Unheard of! Great job, will definitely be back

After having been a patient for ten years, I am very disappointed with the way I was treated. I have had very poor experiences the last few visits and would not recommend this practice to anyone looking for attention and exceptional care. I did not realize how much insurance influenced this practice until I decided it was time to see a real family practice. What I lost in convenience of hours and walk-​in style appointments, was far outweighed by switching to a provider who is genuinely concerned and valued patient satisfaction/​experience.
I hate to ever write anything negative, but I would hate for anyone else to trade convenience for quality of care.
However, if you are experiencing a mild emergency, need a quick physical, or want to see a doctor before you leave for vacation this place is perfect for you. They can squeeze you in with a PA & get you out in no time.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Vik Medical, though they are technically an urgent care they are truly a family practice and make you feel like family; from the receptionist to the nurses and doctors, I could not have felt better cared for.
After having my symptoms brushed off for years by my regular doctor, I remembered Vik Medical from when I had a sinus infection and decided to stop in. I am so glad I did! Dr. Williams spotted that my thyroid was enlarged from across the room, something that had been passed over by every other doctor. They did not ignore or brush off any symptoms, and when they called to do a follow up for my tests they went through and explained every result for me in detail. They even called to check in on me and see if I was improving or had any more questions or concerns.
An added benefit is once you are a regular patient you can call ahead and be put on the waitlist, they will call you when you are about 20 – 30 minutes from being seen so you don’t have to sit in the waiting room. They truly care about the patients and about people, I can’t recommend them enough!

Nothing like the medical assistant telling you to «come on out» for help & when you arrive they have no doctor to help you.
I spent 30 minutes to get there, in that time I lost the chance to drive anywhere else for help since everyone else was closed.
Nurse practitioners are not doctors, can’t prescribe & don’t have half the education & shouldn’t be allowed to diagnose.
If you’re going to this place make sure it’s a doctor that treats you and not a pretend one.

My husband and I went to Dr. Vik ’ s Medical Center this am and were seen by Dr Rochelle. She was incredibly professional, thorough and patient with us and our one year old that was running around the room. She provided us water, and crackers for the baby. She took blood tests, flu tests and was completely thorough with her diagnosis and treatment. I will always go to Dr Vik ’ s for our family’s medical needs. The staff is all amazingly caring and helpful.

Vik Medical is absolutely the best way to receive medical attention for just about any condition. Michael Vik and his staff are fabulous, attentive good listeners who deliver their diagnosis with professionalism and joy.
Try them and you will have peace of mind for your whole family when it comes to a situation where you need quick medical attention.

Horrible argumentative physician who acted as if he was doing a psychiatric intervention on my son who was sick and didn’t feel much like talking. I’m his mother even at age 16 it’s my job to be his advocate. Together we were listing of his symptoms.
This P.A. Christopher Clint stated after being told what my son’s symptoms were that he «wasn’t convinced» what the hell is that type of behavior?
I’ve been a nurse for 10 years and a mom for 25.
This man was completely incompetent, my son suffered through the night until I could take him to another clinic the next morning.
I’ve never felt the urge to just throw something at a doctor and run out. But I certainly did with him. Even my son said the P.A. made him feel weird with his behavior.
Don’t even take your dead dog there!!!
Horrible.

When my family needs medical attention, our first stop is Vik Medical. Unlike most minor emergency clinics, Their doctors are compassionate, thorough and more like family practice doctors.
I’m confident in referring anyone to Vik Medical.
Open 8 am — 8pm 7 days per week.

After a couple bad visits, I was contacted by the office manager to see how they could correct what went wrong and apologize. This kind of customer service is what I remembered about Vik’s medical and was very much appreciated!
I decided to give them another try and went in this week and could not have had a better experience. Pleased to say I will be going back again.

I have been going to VIK medical for years and had some pleasant experiences in the past. Unfortunately today that was not the case. The woman that first received me at the front desk wasn’t very friendly. After returning the paperwork I waited for about an hour/​hour and a half, which wasn’t that big of a deal. The medical assistant walked me to my room and asked several questions. She was kind and wrote notes and listened to what I had to say, which I appreciated.
Once the doctor entered the room I knew immediately that she would be in and out. I’ve had this experience many times in the past where doctors don’t take the time to actually sit and actively listen to the client. This has always boggled my mind. You would think that their education would emphasize the importance of making sure the client feels heard and understood, but it appears that’s not the case.
Since I felt the doctor was in a hurry, I did my best to ask all the questions I wanted answered before she left the room. Although the nurse had done a thorough job taking notes beforehand, the doctor didn’t seem to read through them because she didn’t mention my questions regarding having a tetanus shot or my other concerns. I asked the doctor about the tetanus shot and told her that I would like to have one today. After quickly answering my questions she said I was finished. I left the room with her and then reminded her that I wanted a tetanus shot. She said she had forgotten and told me to return to the room and wait.
After having received my tetanus shot I didn’t speak to the doctor again. I received my paper work and went to check out. I was never explained what was prescribed, nor how to best continue to take care of my infected wound. After paying and getting in my car I realized that I had two oral antibiotics listed on my prescriptions, which didn’t make any sense. I returned to the building and asked the front desk, who then went to speak to the doctor. A few minutes later she came out and didn’t apologize for her mistake. She had been in such a hurry that she failed to prescribe the correct medications, which is a huge error that should be taken seriously.
I rate VIK medical with 2 stars because the nurse was kind and thorough, as was the man who gave me my tetanus shot. I am disappointed with my doctor for being in such a hurry and not taking the time to give me the attention I deserve as a client. I also think prescribing the wrong medication and not actually discussing the prescriptions with the client are errors which should never be made. I am now eager to find a doctor which I can trust and rely on.

Affordable, convenient care but poor service, long waits and average docs.
On paper this doc-​in-​the-​box model makes a lot of sense as an alternative to the expensive ER or scheduling issues with primary care docs (thus is the state of our crappy, non-​customer focused medical system).
I’ve had up and down experience with them. The docs are what you would expect at a no frills clinic. The facilities are nice. But the model is based on walk in traffic and has no scheduling. Several ERs offer online scheduling but Vik doesn’t.
So the biggest issue is very long wait times and no one will tell you how long the wait is.
My experience is that you typically wait 30 minutes in the lobby, then spend 15 minutes with a tech or nurse for background info and then wait 30 – 60 minutes for the doctor. So again, my experience is 90 – 120 minutes for simple stuff.
In my opinion, the model only makes sense for getting flu meds for the kids and not as an alternative to primary care. At least in the Westlake market where people are willing to pay for their time.
I would use this location more frequently (flu shots, wellness checks, minor stuff) if they had a scheduling system or shorter wait times, and I’d pay more for the convenience.
As it is, it will only be the place to get antibiotics for the kids.

I had hives on my legs yesterday. First I got on the internet to see if I could diagnose myself. The problem with that, is you have to look at images which quickly go from the tame to the terrifying, and then I was both certain and terrified of spider bites, and other things that crawl in the night.
I could not stand the itching any longer, and if I was indeed dying from the bite of a deadly spider, I needed to be sure.
Not wanting to spend thousands at the ER, as it was a Saturday, after 4:00 pm, I searched Unilocal for urgent care places and noticed this place with a high rating and a 5-​star recommendation from Kimberly K. I called to make sure they were in network with my insurance, which they were, so I hopped in the car and drove over there.
The waiting room was warm and inviting with a large fish tank, leather chairs and sofas. The front desk staff were friendly and helpful. The intake paperwork was minimal.
My name was quickly called and the medical assistant, Vanessa, escorted me to an exam room with some pretty cool Austin artwork. She collected the rest of the information usually done on intake paperwork and entered it into the computer as I answered. She even laughed at my quirky humor as I explained I had tried to diagnose on line and the photos of rashes and bites terrified me. Apparently, I am not alone in internet diagnosis.
I was quickly seen by Dr. Williams. She was thorough and explained it looked less like a bite and more like contact dermatitis. She gave me the option of a steroid shot or pills, and a prescription for a cream. I opted for the shot and asked if the cream would end up being one of those newer ones that end up needing a pre-​approval or costing me a small fortune. I explained that last year, by Dr. had prescribed a cream for dry hands, but when I went to pick it up, it was almost $ 200 and that I had a fundamental problem paying more for hand cream that Champagne. She laughed and said it should be a pretty affordable one, but liked my priorities for Champagne. She then asked to look at my hands to see if I still had the issue. I explained it flaired up more in the winter. She also asked to look at my feet (being thorough).
Fast forward, five minutes later, steroid shot in hip and scrip in hand, I headed to the desk to check out. As I pulled out my wallet, Crystal at the front desk said that since my deductible was so close, they would just bill insurance and send me a bill for the balance. I asked if they wanted to estimate and I could pay today, and she said it was OK. She also offered to send me an on-​line payment link with the bill which was awesome, because who writes checks anymore?
There are two morals to this story:
1 — Stay off the internet when diagnosing, because the pictures are terrifying and chances are, you are not dying of a spider bite when a simple cream and a shot will cure you.
2 — If you find yourself needing an urgent care provider, head over to VIK Medical (they have 3 locations) for top notch patient care, in an inviting setting, with a human touch and a smile. Oh, and they might just laugh at your random humor too. I would definitely use them again.

I have been going to Dr. Vik since 2004. He has wonderful staff and a nice waiting room. I like the fact there is coffee waiting for me! There is also an aquarium to relax to and also a TV to watch while you are waiting.
There are three locations for your convenience and I have been to two of them: Bee Caves and 620. Both are wonderful and well-​staffed.
When you register, the staff is very helpful and nice. They have always been truthful about the wait time and, in fact, when I went to the Bee Caves location several weeks ago, they told me the wait would be two hours but I could get in the 620 location fairly quickly. I made the decision to go to the 620 location and I’m glad I did. I was in and out of there within an hour.
The doctors are friendly, the nurses are friendly and helpful, and I generally do not enjoy going to the doctors, but they make it a pleasant experience.
I highly recommend this place!

I mean seriously. You know what stinks? When people have one bad experience and run straight to Unilocal to write a review that lives on in perpetuity. It’s cool, that’s the power of the internet! So let me drop some truth into perpetuity.
Coming from the multiple experiences my friends and I have had, Dr. Vik and staff are fantastic. He’s frank, friendly, and intelligent. Their office is clean, their services are many, their staff is helpful. Whether you or your kid are in need of urgent care, you won’t find a better place. If you’re in need of seeing a doctor for things that are generally out of purview for urgent care facilities… look no further!
I’m a 31 year old dad of 3 and spent years never having a personal doctor until I found Dr. Vik. What other well established general do it all physician just allows you to walk in and see them?! And what’s more… If you are an established patient, they will allow you to call ahead and put your name on the list! They’ll even call you when it’s about time for you to be up (Full Disclosure: I’ve never experienced this because I typically go right in after calling, I have friends who swear by the call ahead/​call back with them though).
Saves me time, saves my family’s health. I’m proud to say that Dr. Vik is my guy.
When I originally found Dr. Vik, it was from a group of my friends. I was complaining to them about a misdiagnosis and poor treatment I’d received (again) at another urgent care. All of a sudden I was met with one of those moments where a man starts with «I’m telling you…» and slaps his hand on the table for emphasis. He proceeds to tell me how great Vik is. At that point the rest of the group chimes in to back him up. After multiple visits all I can say is, I get it.
The people that know what’s up, love Vik Medical. Don’t concern yourself with the curmudgeons laying disparaging reviews down on this guy. Go check it out, thank me later.