David S. Filippi, Md at 2 James Way, Pismo Beach, California.

It's difficult enough when a loved one is ill, caring for them is often heartbreaking. My mother has had dementia, seizures for years... some bedside manners and decency from the office staff is all we ask.

My mother is gentle and kind, and her visits with Dr. Filippi were rude and dismissive. We stayed because we heard he was the best Neurologist in the area.

A few weeks ago I flew across the country to be interview by Social Security to be my mom's representative, as she is no longer able to manager her own affairs. It went well and all that was needed was for the doctor to sign the form confirming she indeed has these medical issues. Nothing was returned. For weeks we called and were just forwarded to the voicemail of the office manager, and never heard anything back. The ladies at the front desk refused to help or lift a finger other than to transfer our call to the voicemail, mid sentence.

Finally, today, a day before the deadline and all our travel/work would be for not, I called and pleaded with the ladies at the office to at least ask the doctor, or reach out to the Office Manager for me, follow up proactively somehow, they refused. They gave every excuse in the book not to at least try and help move this forward: they said it wasn't their job, that usually primary care doctors do this, that they can transfer us to the office manager, that they're not allowed to speak to me about confidential patient information (I didn't ask them for that). Perhaps it is true that primary doctors normally are the ones to sign, but it is not a hard rule they have to never do such forms, especially when the reason on the form is 100% neurology related -- and never getting back to us for weeks put us in a spot where getting this done by her primary is now impossible.

All we wanted was someone to ask the doctor, or at least help us get a response from the office manager -- nothing. When I asked why we didn't hear back for weeks they said, I don't know, and hung up. I called back three times and they screened our calls.

Just a little bit of care, effort, and empathy could have meant so much to my mom and family.