Family Home Health Svc

Pros

• Dr. Rubin is described by patients as a great doctor who has served them for 30 years.
• Dr. Rabins and his staff are praised for excellent, professional, patient-centered care.
• Chelsea Kidd is praised for professionalism, kindness, and helpfulness.
• Dr. Michael Gordon and his staff are professional, congenial, and efficient with short wait times.
• Dr. JohnThomas is praised for professionalism and kindness, and his staff are considerate, friendly, and professional.
• Dr. Kelley is lauded as a savant in rheumatology, with advanced testing that led to a correct diagnosis.
• A wonderful female primary care physician is described as thorough and caring, with nurse Kassie being helpful and efficient.
• The practice is noted for quick, friendly, and professional staff, with clean facilities and social distancing.

Cons

• The staff is described as incredibly lazy and unpunctual, with a website that they don't check or use.
• Front-desk and phone staff are rude, rushed, fail to listen, argue with patients, and threaten to disconnect calls.
• A doctor is accused of speaking disrespectfully, raising his voice, and denying a long-standing prescription, causing withdrawal and hindering mental health treatment.
• The overall lack of humanity and care from reception to doctors is described as unreal.
• The lab is extremely slow and disorganized, with patients waiting for hours for fasting labs.
• Phone holds can be very long (up to 40 minutes) and appointment wait times are often 4?6 weeks.
• Billing practices include sending patients to collections for small past-due balances.
• A staff member allegedly told a patient they were arguing, leading to embarrassment and unprofessional behavior.
• The facility is perceived as profit-driven, rushing patients through to meet quotas.
• A paraplegic patient reports not seeing their established doctor despite multiple hospital visits, calling it bordering criminal.

Review

Intercoastal Medical Group appears in these accounts as a place where some patients find exceptional medical care and genuine, attentive doctors, while others encounter a pattern of stressful interactions with front office staff, billing hiccups, and operational frustrations that undermine otherwise positive clinical experiences. Across the board, the quality of medical expertise is frequently praised, but the day-to-day experience often hinges on how the staff and systems function in the background.

Several reviewers sing the praises of specific physicians and their bedside manner. One patient has trusted Dr. Rubin for three decades, calling him a great doctor, while another patient notes exceptionally positive experiences with Dr. Rabins and his staff - professionalism, attentive care, and a sense that the patient is heard and receiving high-quality medical treatment. In contrast, other reviews highlight similar respect for particular clinicians - Dr. Kelley in rheumatology is described as a savant who identified a serious condition (Polymyalgia Rheumatica) and helped restore hope and function, with the patient appreciating the depth of testing and the subsequent relief. A few patients also mention orthopedic care - that Dr. JohnThomas and Dr. Gordon provided professional, empathetic, and efficient care, with minimal wait times and supportive staff.

Yet, the same providers can be tangled in negative impressions when the surrounding administrative experience goes awry. A long-term patient who is deeply dissatisfied with Dr. Ruben's communication reports an interaction that felt disrespectful and escalated, accusing the doctor of raising his voice and mismanaging a prescription refill. This account feeds a broader sense among some patients that the people answering phones or managing calls - especially those working remotely - are rushed, curt, and prone to arguing or threatening to disconnect a call. Several reviews describe front-desk behavior as unlistening, hurried, and sometimes hostile, with one account explicitly urging Better Business Bureau inquiry and regulatory review over what was experienced as a lack of professional courtesy from the doctor's staff.

Appointment access and responsiveness emerge as a recurring pain point. Several reviews describe long holds, difficulty reaching someone by phone, and appointment slots pushed far out into the future (weeks or even a month or more). One reviewer notes that while the patient portal is strong, it can take some time for the office to respond to emails, and another highlights that scheduling can feel excruciatingly slow regardless of how many patients are waiting. In contrast, there are brief mentions of positive scheduling experiences, such as a patient quickly getting an appointment with Chelsea Kidd, described as professional, kind, and helpful, and another patient appreciating a visit that felt well-managed with minimal delays.

Laboratory and testing workflows also draw mixed reactions. A repeated complaint centers on the lab, described as slow and disorganized, with long fasting-lab waits and a sense that being seen promptly is inconsistent. One person recounts frustration with check-in and lab backlogs, noting that the line between who is seen and when creates a "fabulous mess" in the lab. Conversely, a separate patient reports a smoother experience under orthopedic care, with timely imaging and referrals for physical therapy contributing to a positive overall impression of that department.

Billing, collections, and medication access are other flashpoints. One negative post describes being sent to collections after a relatively modest payment lapse, painting a picture of impersonal financial handling. Another review intensely critiques a longstanding prescription refill, claiming a doctor refused to refill a medication that the patient had relied on for years, and alleging the doctor's conduct worsened mental health access. The tension between patient care and administrative enforcement is a consistent thread that runs through multiple reviews, coloring the perceived quality of service even when the medical expertise is repeatedly praised.

A few accounts convey a broader sense of systemic issues - describing Intercoastal as a place where the "lack of humanity" and care permeates from reception to the examining room, and labeling the practice as being driven by quotas and profit motives that push doctors to move patients through quickly rather than listen fully. In one particularly emphatic voice, a patient who has spent time in the hospital and attempted to schedule with the same doctor multiple times expresses disbelief at the difficulty of arranging care for someone in a fragile health state, calling the situation "borderline criminal" and urging the organization to reflect on its patient-centered mission. This sentiment underscores a fear that systemic constraints might erode the trust that should exist between patients and their primary care providers.

Despite the mixed feelings, a common thread ties the anecdotes together: the clinical competence and compassion of individual physicians are repeatedly affirmed, while the operating realities of scheduling, communication, lab logistics, and billing color the overall experience - often in negative ways. For some patients, the care they receive in the exam room stands in stark contrast to the frustration they encounter on the other end of the phone, at the front desk, or in the lab. For others, the positive doctor-patient relationship remains the anchor, even as they acknowledge inconveniences and system gaps that need attention. Taken as a whole, the reviews paint a nuanced portrait of Intercoastal Medical Group - a place where excellent medical expertise can coexist with challenging administrative hurdles, shaping outcomes that range from life-changing relief to deep disappointment.

This area of Sarasota, Florida offers a variety of amenities and services for seniors looking to settle down in a peaceful and accessible neighborhood. With a selection of restaurants including traditional Dutch cuisine at Der Dutchman and local favorites like Yoder's Restaurant, dining options are abundant. Nearby pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens provide convenient access to medications and healthcare needs. In terms of medical care, several physicians' offices are within close proximity, offering specialized services for various healthcare needs. Additionally, the area boasts cafes like Starbucks for social outings with friends or family. For leisure activities, the Regal Hollywood theater is nearby for entertainment, while parks such as Gillespie Park offer opportunities for outdoor recreation and relaxation. Places of worship like Church of the Palms cater to spiritual needs within the community. Overall, this part of Sarasota provides a well-rounded and convenient living environment for seniors seeking a comfortable and engaging lifestyle.

Restaurants

• Der Dutchman (0.2 miles)
• Yoder's Restaurant (0.3 miles)
• McDonald's (0.9 miles)
• Salty Jims Island Bar (1.1 miles)
• 8-Ball Lounge (1.2 miles)
• The Parrot Patio Bar & Grill (1.2 miles)
• Denny's (1.8 miles)

Physicians

• Sarasota Orthopedic Associates (1.2 miles)
• Intercoastal Medical Group (1.2 miles)
• Medpeds Associates of Sarasota (1.2 miles)
• Arsh Singh, MD (1.9 miles)
• Retina Associates of Sarasota (1.9 miles)
• Solstice Health & Wellness (1.9 miles)
• Dr Carola Hoigne Fleener, MD (1.9 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (1.4 miles)
• Walgreens (1.8 miles)
• Health Mart Pharmacy (1.9 miles)
• Winn-Dixie (2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.1 miles)
• Winn-Dixie (2.3 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.8 miles)
• Starbucks (2 miles)
• Starbucks (2.9 miles)
• First Watch #112 (3.3 miles)
• Starbucks (3.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• Church of the Palms (2 miles)
• Church Of Hope (3.6 miles)

Theaters

• Regal Hollywood - Sarasota (2.3 miles)

Parks

• Gillespie Park (2.6 miles)
• Urfer Family Park (2.7 miles)