The CORE Institute – North Phoenix

I had to see a hand specialist and now on my 3^rd visit I waited in a long line for a ‘pre-​checkin’ and to get the paperwork to complete. I waited over 40 minutes for someone from the front desk to call my name to finalize the process and to see the doctor. I finally just left. I waited a total of 50 minutes from the time I walked through the doors until the time I decided I had waited long enough. As you can see from my previous reviews, nothing has changed in the past year. They have this fancy screen on the wall that shows if the doctors are on time or delayed and the funny thing was my doctor was showing on time yet my appointment was at 10:30 and I hadn’t even been called to the front desk and it was 11:10. Their check in process needs A LOT of work. I definitely will not return.
After posting my review, I was emailed and asked to call their patient advocate Dept. Reluctantly I did. At no surprise, no one answered and I was asked to leave a message. I did and to date, no one has returned my call. What a joke. My advice, find a different orthopedic practice.

If you are ever tired of healthcare feeling a little to «personal» feel free to come to the Core Institute where you will be treated as a (credit card) number. As all of the images here truly do reflect the feel of the office. Not only does this place make you feel like you are at a poorly run DMV (there are actual «status screens» that show the wait time for all their doctors and therapists, in addition to x-​ray and CT wait), but they show absolutely no effort in regards to patient-​centered care. I had an appointment at 3:30 but there were also 4 other people who had an appointment around the same time with the same doctor (3:20, 3:25, 3:35 & 3:40!). I’m sorry, I am not paying someone to walk in for 59 seconds (had a stopwatch on my phone), touch the affected area then leave.
Never again!

Great doctors and service. The building is a bit daunting to get into but the doctor, Dr. Melissa Galli, was caring and thorough. I did have difficulty with the casting dept. as one of the casts caused a blister on top of my stitches requiring an additional cost to see wound care specialists.

This place is supposed to be a welcoming medical center for people who are injured. It’s a nice looking place and seems busy. So why do they employ the RUDEST possible woman to run the sign in counter?
This woman did not greet a single patient. You have to walk up to her and she acts like you are interrupting her day. She was not kind or welcoming of any patients during my observations. After questioning why she was so rude to me and another elderly woman she told me to have a nice day. I’d like to have a word with her supervisor. I’m sure the DOCTORS who work at Core would not approve of their patients being treated this way. One would find a more welcoming sign in receptionist at a FREE CLINIC.

Terrible place! I thought I was at MVD! I arrived early, heard, very faint screams for people to go to a variety of Windows. When I finally heard my name (they had beepers like Olive Garden) but I didn’t get one because they ran out! Then when I went to the window they immediately took my card to pay my fathers copay and proceeded to tell me they are running an hour late, but that they would x Ray my fathers right hand! The surgery was on his left hand, I tell the girl, she proceeds to tell me well the right hand will be x rayed! I told her cancel the appointment, I will go to a real doctor! This was late March/​early April, I have not received my refund. I guess they needed the $ 30.00 to purchase one more pager. Would never recommend this place to anyone.

Everyone was pleasant except Dr. Arash Araghi. From the lady that checked me in to the x ray technologist to the his assistant Molly provided excellent service and we all chatted and built that base rapport. Then Dr. A comes in the office like someone just did a number to him when I’m the one already in excruciating pain. I’m not feeling confident that he will be the best surgeon for me, or anyone for that matter. His bedside manner left me feeling uncomfortable and not wanting to return. I wish it was not so for I just don’t want to be in pain anymore. He had the images from my American Dynamic imaging but wanted me to get them trying to teach me some sort of lesson.

I’ve been to the core for plantar fasciitis twice. the first time I received a cortisone shot and then did physical therapy there. The PT department is awesome! Friendly staff and nice area. The second time I saw Dr Galli and she was really nice! She gave me some new options for my foot problem. Class act place! Patient confidentiality is great here.

Reminds me of the DMV with how big it is, multiple windows to check people in.
They have a screen with expected wait times that is way off. My appointment was at 7:40am. Wait time said Dr. Edwards was on time. Didn’t see the doctor till 8:55 for a 5min consult.

I had a good experience at The Core everyone was nice and the X-​Ray technologist were very helpful and patient with us.

Good luck with this place. It took seven weeks to get an appointment and then No follow up… ever. I was promised prompt response with results to my test. It never happened. I called and called and only got their call center with long holds followed with a transfer to voice mail. No return calls EVER. I’m finished with this place and I now have to start over somewhere else.

It is all about the money. On the wall states «respect and courteous care». That didn’t happen. My appt was 8:50. I sat in the back room waiting for dr Scott Edwards for 45 minutes, yet it indicated in the front waiting room that he was on time. I did meet a med student. When Edwards finally came into the room. He probably spent a good 2 minutes with me. Very unprofessional and could care less about my issues. Maybe he has a quota to see as many patients as possible in one day. I will not return!

Great staff! Friendly environment and a huge facility. Dr. Lucero is amazing and in tune with his patience

Dr. Galli is an AMAZING dr. She treats you like family and honestly cares about your success after surgery. Her MA Abel is the bomb. He jokes and kids with you and is on top of any concerns. If you have the need for a foot surgeon, please check them out.
My experience with the Core Institute, including their physical therapy department has been nothing but outstanding. I highly recommend them.
Bonnie

Just want to give a shout out to Dr. Scott Edwards. He did a great job on my thumb/​wrist and I am now virtually pain free.

Amazing drs, great staff… wait times awful… the quickest time I was then back in was about 30 min. Later then time, the worst was 2 hrs and 10 min…

I didn’t have the experience that a lot of other reviewers did — and so far we’ve seen two doctors there (a third soon to follow) thanks to my husbands various joint problems.
One person mentioned Dr. Chiang. We didn’t have any of the experiences that she did. I can’t remember whether he washed his hands, but he only did a visual scan anyway. He referred to the x-​rays because, well, that’s where the real information was.
My husband was very happy with his service because, despite his knees not being bad that day, the doc took his complaints seriously. He offered two main treatment options — NSAIDs or cortisone shots — and said that, if neither of those worked, we could look into arthoscopic surgery.
We haven’t experienced the wait that other people mention. On our second visit, radiology was running a little behind, and they predicted a 30 minute wait (and were very apologetic). But my husband was called back 10 – 15 minutes later. About 10 minutes after that, we were brought back to see the doctor. Maybe it’s just the time that we go. Usually between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
They also haven’t called to reschedule us, and they’ve gotten us appointments pretty quickly — as in, a week or less. (The one exception being physical therapy. They were apparently in high demand there.)
I think the setup in the office, while admittedly a little clinical, is great. The pagers mean that you don’t have to look up to see if you’re being called every time the door opens. It also means names aren’t being called out, which can be really distracting.
The only downside is that you have to see a different doctor for each problem area. With my husband, that’s a lot of different areas. Still, that also means that the doctor you see is completely focused in on that one subject, so I feel more confident that (s)he is staying abreast of all new developments.

the worst place ever it’s like walking in the DMV lits clearly a money making business. Nothings personal everything all walked in and walked out and refused treatment there never ever tell my doctor never seen anybody there it’s a money machine is clear is a money machine

Today was my first visit here and yes it is a beautiful facility and Dr. Lucera (not sure how you spell it) and Dr. Wood were great during my visit with them. It was everything between walking in the door and seeing the doctor. You first walk in to a wall of people in line like a soup kitchen leading to some random corner where there is an after thought desk where you check in. I stood in line and they give you this high tech pager device like at a restaurant when you are waiting for a table. I thought that this was pretty cool and it even has a little screen on it that tells you where to go. It took forever for it to go off and when it did it was just to finally check in. The gal who helped me apologized for the wait and that they are just behind out front and the doctors are waiting for patients in the back. Well this was complete BS. I paid and had to sit back down to wait even more. The pager went off I thought finally I get to be seen. Nope this was just to take X-​rays. After the X-​rays I had to go back out to the lobby to wait some more. So much for the doctors waiting for patients. It finally goes off again and I get taken back to a room where I had to… You guessed it wait some more. This whole process should have taken THE MOST an hour but no it was 2 and a half hours I’ll never get back in my life. The one thing really couldn’t understand was how it was an early morning appointment and how could they be so far behind. It was by far unacceptable for anyone to wait that long. I probably could have gone to an emergency room and been seen faster. I had high hopes for the Core Institute but was extremely disappointed. The administration staff really need to get there act together and find a much more efficient way of operating there business or schedule and 75% less people.
I read a review before I went there talking about how great the facility was now that they are at their new location. I almost wish I would have been able to see the way they functioned there because it is not worth the new building if they don’t have their customer service up to par. Best way I can think to describe it is if you put a big beautiful shiny bow on a piece of poop, doesn’t change the fact that it’s still crap! A very generous 2 stars for this place only because of the doctors that helped me.
Ps. Get some better lighting in there. It’s very dungeon like

Recently moved to this much larger, beautiful facility, just off the 17, so it’s very easy to navigate to. Ample close parking, a bonus for those seeking treatment with limited mobility. Upon walking through the front entrance for patients, you’re greeted with a large waiting area that is very clean, classy, updated and stylish! You check in at the desk and head back to the appropriate treatment area for you, in my case I need a private room, and cannot be treated out in the main room, maybe someday when I am moved up to working on strength building, but for now I am confined to the private rooms for manual work on my ribs. It would be hella awkward to be out on the main floor with everyone watching me get a rib rub down, so I am grateful for places that have private rooms like this, and they are very nice!
My physical therapist, Krystle is an amazing magical manipulators of mad muscles. She rocks! Very highly quialified and professional. She is even certified in a dry needling technique which looks similar to acupuncture, which someday I might be giving a try, but at the moment I personally cannot fathom any pointy objects anywhere near my hypersensitive rib area, but maybe it’s for you, and I have heard she produces amazing results, and instantaneous healing.
Update: I totally had Dry Needling done by the amazing Krystle Alexander and she was absolutely stellar at it! The first few, I didn’t even know she put them in, and I was extremely nervous and anxiety was flooding through me, but she put me at ease, and her intensely skilled hands did a superb job! I made it through almost 60 needles in my back! That is a huge accomplishment for me and it would not have been possible without Krystle doing such an outstanding job!
I also have had the pleasure of working with the ultra-​knowledgable «Bill”/William, and he REALLY knows what he is doing! I think I remember learning that he used to own his own practice at one time, and jokes he has been doing this for like 100 years, but he is totally a young spirit, with wise and skillfully professional hands! Thanks for all your help and expertise, Bill!
The CORE Institute was a great experience for physical therapy, and I would definitely recommend you give them a try if your body is in need of some rehabilitation!

I have really mixed feelings about the CORE Institute. My two main problems with CORE are
1) it’s drive-​thru pain management and
2) AHCCCS patients seem to be treated with lesser care.
Having said that, I don’t have any experience with other pain mgmt clinics to compare and contrast whether they have the same issues.
I was referred here last year because of persistent back pain that I’ve had since at least 2011. I’ve had lower back pain since high school, at all kinds of weight – thin, heavy, in between. But it became so bad that I could no longer walk 1 ½ miles at a time… then 1 mile… and then when it got to ½ mile, I went to my primary care physican for help. I was eventually sent to CORE, where I met a spine surgeon. Jesus, what an arrogant asshole. He snarled at me like I was beneath him, told me my problems were all because I was fat, and even WHEN I had an MRI and it showed degenerative disc disease, a bulging disc, and a herniated disc, he exaggerated how VERY SMALL the bulge was and how «you really SHOULDN’T be in that much pain.»
Excuse me? Now I’m not allowed to feel pain because it’s not worthy of his attention? Seriously? He sent me to physical therapy, which worked at first, and then exacerbated my pain to unbelievable levels. I stuck with it, though, because I kept thinking all I had to do was complete it, and I’d be fixed. Nope. With a great deep sigh, doucheface sent me to a pain doctor.
This isn’t really important, but I should probably warn anyone headed here that most of the doctors look like GQ models. I was startled when my first pain doctor entered the room. I guess I had been expecting an old dude with a croaky voice and I got a mega tall basketball player doc instead. Don’t get me wrong, the first doc was nice – but nice isn’t what I needed when I could barely walk and my pain was getting so bad I was regularly throwing up and sometimes even passing out from it. I needed efficiency, not small talk and charm. So I began doing steroid epidurals. They didn’t help – none of them. I almost felt guilty when he would ask how they helped, and I had to say they didn’t, at all.
Time went by, and the first pain doctor transferred to his own practice in another state, so I began seeing the second pain doctor. He was curt and abrupt in the first couple of appointments, but I guess when you deal with fakers every day, you have to separate the wheat from the chaff. He also scolded me about my weight. I gained 60 lbs in 2012 from a medication I was put on, and almost directly afterward, while I was exercising to work it off, my pain began to soar to the point that I sought help. I have a history of eating disorders counting back to middle school, so the topic of weight is extremely sensitive to me. But I am aware that the more weight on a person, the worse the pain and the harder it is for the joints to move.
I continued with the rx regimen and in the meantime, my new primary care physician referred me to a rheumatologist, who confirmed that in addition to degenerative disc disease and the herniated disc, I also have fibromyalgia. I continued with the nerve blocks, but also started Neurontin, hoping that would help both the widespread and lower lumbar pain. The pain in my back persisted, so I opted for radiofrequency ablation; the first done in the beginning of March, and the other done yesterday. My rheumy also discovered I have osteoarthritis in my knees. I’ve had pain in my knees for years, but I think being heavy was insult to injury (pun intended).
My pain has been persistently severe enough that I still regularly throw up or pass out. I have relayed this to staff, but I was met with the insistence that the rx regimen I am on now (which is not that high, medication wise, and in relation to other DDD patients I know) is the absolute most I can take. To say that this is frustrating is the understatement of a year. You never know how many little things you can miss until your very ability to walk, work, play sports, and generally function are taken away. I almost feel as if I’m not expressing myself eloquently enough, because the dr and PA smile unblinkingly at me. I understand there’s a modicum of professionalism, but I am really suffering, and thank goodness I have faith and positivity, as well as the love of friends and family, bc an ordinary person would really struggle with her sanity in the face of all this pain. And I remember that there are all sorts of people in all sorts of worse situations than I am. It makes sense to be detached in an atmosphere like pain management. But I would appreciate just a little twinge of empathy, just once.
The new building on 25^th Ave is atrocious. The lobby is like a basketball court, with echoing shouts of names from the receptionists and a little store tucked in the corner. The hallways leading to the exam rooms are like something out of The Shining. The building makes me feel small and frail. Try the CORE Institute & see what you think.