Margaret Behrens-Family Practice

Pros

• Dr Al-Badri and her team are compassionate, authentically caring, and skilled.
• Mayo Clinic always provides top-notch care from the best of the best in the medical field.
• The staff are polite, attentive, and always concerned with patients' concerns; they go above and beyond.
• Mayo Clinic staff is always very professional and friendly.
• Dr Grover goes above and beyond and is very friendly.
• Kimberly Rodgers is a very attentive provider with excellent bedside manner.
• Lucas Gruwell NP is highly attentive and helps patients navigate referrals quickly.

Cons

• The clinic is described as a disgrace with zero care for patients.
• The reviewer claims patients are purged for not seeing a doctor.
• They refused to see a longtime patient.
• The only thing that matters is money.
• They are not accepting new patients.
• Appointments and labs are exorbitant in cost.
• Billing is a nightmare and hard to track.
• The main phone receptionist was extremely rude.
• The clinic's communication channels are among the worst, with long hold times.
• They performed unnecessary tests beyond what was needed for a routine thyroid test.
• The nurse practitioner is described as having the personality of Nurse Ratched.

Review

The collection of experiences people share about Mayo Clinic in this area paints a picture of two very different realities coexisting under the same umbrella. On one hand, there are numerous heartfelt testimonials about genuine care, kindness, and expert medical attention. On the other hand, there are frequent complaints about access, communication, and the financial side of care that leave patients feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. Taken together, the reviews reflect a health system that can be superb in its clinical reach and bedside manner for some, while feeling inaccessible or impersonal to others when they most need help.

Many patients speak glowingly of the clinicians who treat them like real people with real concerns. They praise Dr. Al-Badri and her team for compassion, authenticity, and skill, especially in the care of family members. A number of patients highlight individual providers who stood out: a nurse practitioner who took time to review medical history and build a careful follow-up plan, an NP who listened intently and spent substantial time with a patient, and a physician who connected them with the right specialists promptly. Some patients recount experiences where lab work was completed quickly the same day, and where the doctor's proactive approach - digging into medical history, coordinating referrals, and outlining clear next steps - made a meaningful difference. Names like Dr. Grover, Kimberly Rodgers NP, and Lucas Gruwell NP surface repeatedly as examples of attentive, thorough care with strong bedside manner and a willingness to go beyond the basics to support the patient's wellbeing.

Yet these positive notes are interwoven with strong criticisms centered on access, communication, and consistency. A recurring theme is the frustration of being unable to establish or continue care when needed: being told a clinic isn't accepting new patients, or being told they were purged from a list after not seeing a doctor for an extended period, or facing long holds and confusing referrals that leave a patient feeling stranded. Several reviewers describe rude or unhelpful frontline staff, misdirected calls, and overall telephone friction that makes it difficult to even begin to seek care. The sense that administrative systems - referrals, new patient intake, portal messaging - do not work smoothly can leave patients waiting for help at moments when they are sick.

Cost and billing emerge as another dominant thread. Several reviewers warn about the high price of visits and tests, with anecdotes of substantial out-of-pocket bills even for routine or minimally invasive evaluations. One patient cites a total outlay of around $2,000 for a thyroid test and related labs, while another complains about lab costs totaling over $1,200 and a total visit that felt disproportionately expensive. The recurring reminders about "an arm and a leg" to be paid, the lack of a clear, printed breakdown of what tests are being run, and the sense that pricing is opaque contribute to a perception that Mayo Clinic's care comes with a heavy financial burden, despite positive clinical experiences with certain providers.

Specific negative experiences amplify concerns about communication and follow-through. For instance, there are reports of delayed or missing prescriptions being sent to the wrong pharmacy for years, or delays in obtaining imaging or answers after requesting an MRI or other tests. One reviewer recounts a long, disheartening journey involving PT recommendations, shifting diagnoses, and inconsistent portal responses that left them feeling neglected and in pain. Another story describes a heart-related discharge instruction that was not followed up in a timely way, causing worry and further delays in getting appropriate specialist care. The pattern across several posts is one of frustration with how information is conveyed and acted upon once a patient is in the system.

Ultimately, the reviews show a facility that can deliver outstanding, compassionate, and deeply capable medical care through its strongest clinicians and staff, but that also bears significant friction in the administrative, financial, and communication dimensions of the patient experience. For some patients, Mayo Clinic represents a pinnacle of medical expertise and personal attention; for others, it feels like a bastion of high cost, complicated processes, and inconsistent access. The overarching call to action seems to be a blend of preserving the exceptional clinical care while sharpening scheduling clarity, improving phone and portal communications, ensuring transparent billing, and stabilizing patient access - so that the care that shines in the exam room isn't dimmed by the experience of reaching it.

Physicians

• Mayo Clinic (0 miles)
• Scottsdale Endocrinology (0.6 miles)
• Arizona Asthma & Allergy Institute (0.9 miles)
• Associated Retina Consultants (1.1 miles)
• Arizona Allergy Associates (1.7 miles)
• Ironwood Cancer & Research Centers (1.8 miles)
• Toca (1.8 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.6 miles)
• Walgreens (0.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.2 miles)
• Walgreens (3.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.5 miles)
• Walgreens (3.6 miles)

Restaurants

• Jack In The Box (0.8 miles)
• Pei Wei Asian Diner (0.9 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (0.9 miles)
• Loco Patron (1.2 miles)
• Wendy's (1.2 miles)
• The Union Jack British Pub (1.3 miles)
• O.H.S.O. Eatery + Distillery (1.4 miles)

Cafes

• Panera Bread (0.8 miles)
• Butters Pancakes & Cafe (1.1 miles)
• Starbucks (1.3 miles)
• Dutch Bros Coffee (1.4 miles)
• Starbucks (2.7 miles)
• Dutch Bros Coffee (3 miles)
• Dutch Bros Coffee (5.1 miles)

Places of Worship

• Shepherd of the Desert Lutheran Church (1.9 miles)
• Impact Church (2.6 miles)
• St Bernadette Catholic Church (4.3 miles)
• Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church (4.3 miles)

Hospitals

• Piper Surgery Center (2 miles)
• Mayo Clinic Hematology/Oncology (5.3 miles)
• Mayo Clinic (5.4 miles)

Transportation

• Scottsdale Municipal Airport (SDL) (2.1 miles)
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car (2.2 miles)

Parks

• Kierland Park (3.3 miles)
• Thompson Peak Park (4.2 miles)
• Desert Horizon Park (4.9 miles)
• Sonoran Hills Park (6.1 miles)

Theaters

• Harkins Theatres Scottsdale (4.4 miles)