Hirschfeld David S MD

A Well-​Oiled Office…
Pros: People are top of the line. Good location and parking.
Cons: Waiting room is often crowded. Office interiors are a bit frayed.
Suggestion: Patients — Be flexible with your schedule. Dr and Staff — Declutter the office and give it a fresh coat of paint.
Star Ratings:
— Overall: 4
— Scheduling: 5
— Waiting for Appts: 4
— Location: 4
— Waiting Room: 3
— Wait Time: 4
— Technicians: 5
— Dr Hirschfeld: 5
— Office Environment: 3
— Billing: 4
— Parking: 4
— Restrooms: 3 (needs more cleanup)
It’s probably just a sign of age. When you’re 11, you go to the orthodontist for braces. When you’re 61, you go to the dermatologist, gastroenterologist, internist, opthamologist, podiatrist, rheumatologist and, of course, the urologist… not to mention the chiropractor, physical therapist and dentist (if you have any teeth left). So it came as little surprise I needed to see the cardiologist.
When I first noticed some scary symptoms in 2009, such as chest pain, my primary care physician heartily recommended me to Dr Hirschfeld. A series of tests at that time revealed no problem, but when similar problems occurred recently, I made a fast dash (maybe a brisk walk) back to his office.
— Scheduling: The calendar belongs to Patty, Dr Hirschfeld’s receptionist. She’s very good at juggling appointments which is necessary since the caseload seems quite high and the wait for non-​emergency procedures is rather long.
— Waiting For Appointments: Depends on the severity of your situation. My initial «stress test» was scheduled within a week of a request, possibly because it came from my doctor. Something was a bit suspicious, but the follow-​up «stress echo» took 3 weeks to get on the calendar. Your flexibility in hour of arrival will also be rewarded. My job limited appointments to the afternoon.
— Location: In a «relatively new» building at the west end of the Good Samaritan campus. 15 years isn’t new, but compared to 40 in the main hospital it is. Good access to nearby roads.
— Waiting Room: Fairly small, especially for the number of patients seen by the 3 doctors who share the facility. There are many magazines to read, but you might do so standing up or elbow-​to-​elbow with a neighboring chair.
— Wait Time: Not too bad, considering the high volume of patients. Apart from completing any paperwork, plan to sit for 5 – 15 minutes.
— Assistants and Technicians: Everyone I met seemed conscientious, friendly, knowledgeable and understanding of pain which is particularly important as the treadmill accelerates and incline is raised until your face turns red. Once your blood pressure reaches a certain level and you’re about to «cry uncle», they’ll help you recover at your own pace.
— Dr Hirschfeld: For a guy with seniority in the profession, he’s surprisingly energetic and highly involved. On both occasions, he answered all my questions and made time to double-​check the symptoms. That’s in contrast to my experience in 2009 when I feel he didn’t take my issues seriously.
— Office Environment: About as you’d expect… busy, a bit cluttered and shopworn around the edges after many years in the same location.
— Billing: Efficient. They get your insurance information up front and paperwork is handled behind the scenes where it belongs. I’ve only to cover a co-​pay at each appointment.
— Parking: Plenty in a parking structure to the north plus scattered spaces to the east toward Good Samaritan and the older, single floor medical offices.
Overall, I’d recommend Dr Hirschfeld and his staff. It’s like a well-​oiled machine… although a bit overworked.