Home Health Svc

Pros

• Dr. Howard takes the time to listen to patients and understand their concerns.
• The staff treat patients with kindness, respect, and patience.
• The practice genuinely cares about all their patients.
• Patients are treated with dignity and feel that their feelings matter.
• Dr. Okeson and all the staff are wonderful.
• The office staff are competent and wonderful to work with.
• Care providers consistently listen and never make patients feel rushed.

Cons

• Roberta, the front office staff, is described as very rude and shows no respect for patients.
• Roberta has the worst attitude and allegedly hangs up the phone on patients.
• Dr. Stine and Nurse Dony are accused of screaming at the patient and calling them a liar.
• Dr. Stine ripped up a prescription in front of the patient and refused to provide a Baycare referral.
• Nurse Dony is rude and implies that nothing will be provided from Dr. Stine unless through her.
• The patient felt terrified after being screamed at by Dr. Stine and stood up in fear.
• Dr. Stine allegedly told the patient that Humana does not approve Baycare and claimed the patient was never at Baycare.
• The doctor refused to provide copies of the patient's records, saying he doesn't have to.

Review

This collection of impressions shows a practice that sparks strong feelings, both positive and critical, about the care layout, the people who work there, and how patients are treated at every touchpoint. On the bright side, many patients sing the praises of the clinicians who take the time to listen, understand, and genuinely care about what's going on with their health. One patient repeatedly notes affection for Dr. Dean and, more broadly, for the team's patient-centered approach. Another patient specifically cheers Dr. Howard for consistently taking the time to listen and to understand, rather than rushing through visits. These voices highlight a clinical culture that prioritizes connection and clarity, with clinicians who seem to value patients as people with real concerns.

But the experience isn't uniformly positive, and several reviews zero in on front-line interactions that can undermine an otherwise strong medical team. A patient who works in a medical facility describes a troubling encounter with a front office staff member named Roberta, characterizing her as rude and disrespectful toward patients. The complaint includes a phone call that was abruptly ended, a tone and manner that the reviewer feels fail to meet professional standards, and a sense that such treatment betrays the patient's trust and the basic courtesy expected in healthcare settings. This contrast - kind medical care from clinicians paired with challenging front-office behavior - appears repeatedly in the feedback, underscoring how important respectful, professional communication is to the patient experience.

Another strand of the narrative centers on a patient who was referred here by an insurance plan that doesn't actually cover them, yet the staff treated them with extraordinary kindness, respect, and patience. This patient describes being treated with a level of care that felt dramatically better than what they had previously experienced with other physicians in Florida. The message is clear: when patients are genuinely welcomed and supported, even complicated administrative hurdles or insurance issues can feel more manageable. The reviewer emphasizes feeling seen as a human being and applauds the entire staff for their kindness, calling the experience transformative enough to wish for more than a hundred stars.

There are also sharper, more alarming accounts of interpersonal conflict with specific clinicians. A patient recounts a hostile confrontation with Dr. Stine and Nurse Dony, describing being screamed at, accused of lying about visiting Baycare, and facing aggressive refusals that included ripping up a script in front of them. The patient claims Humana approved Baycare and insists that the doctor's behavior - yelling, attacking the patient's credibility, and withholding records under the threat of how the staff would respond - was not only unprofessional but potentially unlawful. This account also notes that new paperwork was not provided, leaving the patient feeling undervalued and underserved during a second visit. The language is forceful and the sentiment is clear: such experiences undermine trust and raise serious concerns about how some interactions are handled.

In stark contrast to these episodes, other reviews celebrate Dr. Okeson and the entire staff for exemplary care. One patient, a nurse themselves, describes Dr. Okeson and every member of the team - from the front desk to the medical assistant, lab tech, and ancillary staff - as wonderful. The praise emphasizes a consistent standard of attentiveness and care, accompanied by heartfelt appreciation and a strong recommendation for primary care within this practice. The tone reflects a deep professional respect for a team that is seen as thorough, empathetic, and reliable across multiple roles.

Finally, a longstanding patient perspective reinforces the theme of dependable, compassionate care. Having been with the practice since 2007, this reviewer highlights not only the competence and warmth of the office staff but also the physician who consistently provides time, listens without rushing, and never makes the patient feel hurried. The patient notes that when the primary care provider is unavailable, other clinicians step in and deliver the same level of care, validating the practice as a stable, patient-centered environment. The sentiment is clear: years of positive, respectful, attentive care have built strong trust and loyalty.

Taken together, these accounts sketch a practice that is capable of exceptional patient-focused care, with many patients highlighting doctors who listen well, explain clearly, and treat people with dignity and compassion. Yet they also reveal troubling gaps in front-desk behavior and some high-intensity interactions with certain clinicians that can severely diminish the patient experience. The strongest message across the stories is a call for consistent, respectful communication at every level - so that the genuine, human-centered medical care praised in the positive notes can shine through even when the administrative and interpersonal challenges are present.

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.2 miles)
• Walgreens (1.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.3 miles)
• Winn-Dixie (1.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.3 miles)
• Walgreens (2.5 miles)

Physicians

• Pinellas County Environmental Health (0.9 miles)
• Village Family Practice (1.8 miles)
• Bay Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery (2.3 miles)
• Premier Miller (2.4 miles)
• Skin Wellness Center (3 miles)
• Eye Institute of West Florida / LASC (3.6 miles)
• The Heart Institute at Largo (3.7 miles)

Parks

• Largo Central Park (1.5 miles)
• Eagle Lake Park (2.8 miles)
• Dog Run (3.1 miles)
• Freedom Lake Park (3.8 miles)
• McMullen Booth Tennis Center Clearwater FL (3.9 miles)
• Kapok Park (5.7 miles)
• Sand Key Park (6.8 miles)

Restaurants

• McDonald's (1.7 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (2 miles)
• Chili's Grill & Bar (2.5 miles)
• Hammerstein Brewing Company (3.7 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (3.9 miles)
• Mercel's Bake Shop (4.3 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (4.4 miles)

Theaters

• Regal Largo Mall (2.5 miles)
• SMG Seminole (4.7 miles)
• Regal Park Place & RPX (5.6 miles)

Transportation

• St Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) (3.3 miles)

Cafes

• Belleair Coffee Company (4.6 miles)
• Panera Bread (5.5 miles)
• Kristina's Cafe (7.6 miles)

Hospitals

• Morton Plant Hospital (5.2 miles)
• Morgan Heart Hospital (5.2 miles)

Places of Worship

• Christ The Cornerstone (5.2 miles)