Desert Endoscopy Center

I’m back to update my review left in 2014. In looking at my previous review, I realized there’s more to this story, which has to do with me getting to know more about how health insurance works. It’s not Desert Endoscopy Center’s fault that there was a communication issue with the sometimes-​contracted-​with– and sometimes-​non-​contracted-​with-​BCBSAZ anesthesiology group that they use. (I suspect this is normal in any center that contracts with anesthesiology groups).
Bottom line is that health care insurance is very complicated, with many layers that one must peel through to get to the real answer. It takes a lot of effort on the consumer’s part, as well as all the various layers of health care professionals involved. It can be exhausting. It’s no fault of this center that health care insurance is the way it is.
Anyway, I have been to Desert Endoscopy Center at least one time since my 2014 review, and I am a fan for sure.

Did two upper EGD procedures and a colonoscopy here over the course of two years. The quality of the facility seems pretty top notch and the staff is pretty friendly and professional for the most part. Let’s start off with the waiting area… it’s not that big and what I have noticed is that they tell you to show up an hour before your procedure so if at any time they get backed up in their procedures that waiting room gets cramped quick but other than that it’s alright in there. Once you go through the waiting room phase and you’re called back they’ll put you in a bed area and you’ll put on their gown and put all your belongings in a bag, once past this stage you just sort of lay around waiting for them to catch up on getting information down and talking to the nurses about history/​conditions and you’ll sign some papers for the anesthesiologist and procedure — they’ll talk about risks for a little bit as well and then there will be some more waiting around before they move you into the procedure where it feels pretty rushed.
Now I recently had an emergency room visit to Banner Gateway Medical Center and had an upper EGD performed that blew Desert Endoscopy Center away in terms of technology and treatment/​guidance. The practices they used at that hospital were beyond anything I have seen at Desert Endoscopy Center. Not to say Desert Endoscopy sucks but I would hope they would have thought about upgrading some of their techniques over the course of two years such as how you lay in the procedure/​bite-​block/​anesthesiologist dosing and the comfortability of it all.
I’ve had mixed feelings over my visits to Desert Endoscopy Center — one time was absolutely terrible where me and my father (have to have someone to drive you there and back) had to sit in a backed up waiting room for 3 hours and then spent another hour or two after getting through the waiting room process before I was done and home. The last time I went there for an upper EGD it was nearly on schedule every step of the way. It was a checkup upper EGD and one of the nurses gave me a real hard time about me doing my own research on prescriptions and the side effects of those prescriptions and she was pretty much telling me to just take drugs for my esophagitis regardless of whatever research I have done myself. She quite frankly was rude about it and wouldn’t let it go. Other than that this place is A-​OK but nothing phenomenal or state of the art.

If you are scheduled to have a procedure at Desert Endoscopy, put your mind at ease. You will be in the kindest and most capable hands anywhere. Everyone I came into contact with treated me as though I were a member of their own family. They were friendly, warm, reassuring, and professional. Everything was explained thoroughly. Every precaution was taken to ensure my safety, and every consideration given to ensure my comfort. I cannot say enough about the quality of care I received.