Signature Care Centers in Johnston, IA

Pros

• Dr. Joel Vander Meide listens to patients and provides attentive care.
• Dr. Alex is an amazing and caring provider for families.
• Kim is an attentive staff member who listens to concerns and answers questions clearly.
• The staff are friendly, courteous, and dedicated to patient well-being.
• The clinic offers fast appointments and doctors who care about patients' well-being.
• The providers listen to symptoms and to how patients are feeling, addressing concerns thoroughly.
• The clinic treats patients like family and earns their trust.

Cons

• The caller sat on hold for 35 minutes and didn't speak to a single person.
• The service was unacceptable.
• The wait time was ridiculous.
• The patient felt disrespected when nurses held their child without consent and made taunting remarks.
• Nurses passed the patient's child around without the parent's knowledge, especially during COVID season.
• The doctor did not speak to the patient and instructed the nurse to send him to urgent care to fill a prescription, despite being a longstanding patient.
• The other two providers lack the same level of care as Dr. Joel.
• A dismissive representative claimed doctors had no responsibility to know costs for patients.

Review

Signature Care Centers in Johnston is best suited for families who prize a consistent, relationship-based primary care experience led by a couple of highly regarded physicians. The standout physicians - Dr. Joel Vandermeide and Dr. Alex - are repeatedly praised for listening, taking time with patients, and coordinating care that includes in-house labs and referrals when needed. For households juggling multiple health needs, the ability to address several concerns in a single visit, and to rely on staff who remember their history, can translate into real value. When the care team is functioning at its best, the experience feels personal, thorough, and trustworthy, with front-desk and nursing staff often described as friendly and genuinely helpful.

Those who may want to consider alternatives should pay close attention to variability in service delivery. A sizable portion of reviews identify lengthy hold times, inconsistent wait experiences, and some staff interactions that fall short of ideal professionalism. Privacy and comfort concerns have also surfaced in a few accounts, notably around how clinic staff handle personal matters in the presence of family members. For families who demand uniformly smooth, frictionless access - where every call is answered promptly, every interaction is perfectly private, and every visit feels perfectly efficient - these inconsistencies could be a deal-breaker. In short, this community rewards patients who can tolerate some fluctuation in day-to-day operations in exchange for stronger relationships with specific clinicians.

The core strengths - listening, comprehensive attention, and the capacity to address multiple problems in one appointment - do a meaningful job of offsetting the more frequent friction points. Dr. Joel Vandermeide and Dr. Alex consistently earn praise for careful listening, thorough evaluations, and a willingness to pursue labs, referrals, and follow-ups as needed. The staff's overall friendliness and the willingness of billing and insurance teams to advocate for patients are repeatedly cited as major positives. When care hinges on having a clinician who will spend time and follow through, these advantages often tip the scale toward choosing this clinic over rivals with less consistent physician engagement.

Nevertheless, the cons deserve practical consideration. Recurrent complaints about wait times - whether in the lobby, the exam room, or on hold - signal a system that can bottleneck at peak periods. Cost transparency and billing practices emerge as a mixed bag: some patients report straightforward interactions, while others encounter questions about charges for visits and procedures that leave them frustrated. The perception that not all providers meet the same standard - one reviewer explicitly singled out Dr. Joel as the consistently reliable clinician while others voiced concern about the performance of additional providers - means expectations should be carefully managed. Families must be prepared to verify what each visit will cover, including potential costs, and to advocate for care plans that involve the strongest clinicians.

To maximize the positives, choose time with the physicians who earn the strongest, most consistent endorsements - primarily Dr. Joel and Dr. Alex - and explicitly ask for a care plan that coordinates labs, referrals, and follow-up steps. Proactively confirm appointment length and whether a single visit can address multiple concerns. Request itemized estimates for any procedures or tests you're asked to consider, and establish a clear point of contact within the billing team to avoid surprise charges. If privacy or staff dynamics are a concern, raise those expectations upfront and seek a clinician who demonstrates respect for family boundaries and patient autonomy. This approach makes the most of the clinic's strengths while limiting exposure to its less reliable aspects.

In the end, Signature Care Centers in Johnston benefits families who value deep physician rapport, practical problem-solving, and a team that champions patient advocacy on the administrative side. For households willing to navigate occasional wait times and the realities of cost discussions, the care can be outstanding - especially when anchored by Dr. Joel and Dr. Alex. Those needing relentlessly uniform performance across every provider, or who require near-perfect privacy and instant access, may find alternatives preferable. As a practical choice, this community delivers solid, caregiver-focused primary care if the plan centers on building a long-term relationship with trusted doctors and a cooperative office staff.

Located in Johnston, Iowa, this area offers a variety of convenient amenities for seniors. With multiple physicians' offices nearby such as Johnston Family Physicians and Mercy Family Medicine of Urbandale, healthcare needs can easily be met. There are also pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS within a short distance. For recreational activities, Terra Park and Lions Park provide outdoor spaces for relaxation and exercise. Additionally, there are dining options ranging from Health House Food to Bandit Burrito, as well as cafes like Starbucks and Panera Bread for socializing with friends. For entertainment, Flix Brewhouse Des Moines offers movies in a unique setting. Overall, this part of Johnston offers a blend of essential services and leisure options ideal for senior living.

Physicians

• Johnston Family Physicians (0.3 miles)
• Iowa Arthritis & Osteoporosis Center (1.5 miles)
• Vision Eye Clinic (1.8 miles)
• Mercy Family Medicine of Urbandale (2.8 miles)
• Mercy Urbandale Medical Clinic (3 miles)
• Christian Eye Clinic (3.1 miles)
• Eyemart Optical Outlet - North Des Moines (3.4 miles)

Restaurants

• Health House Food (1.1 miles)
• Taste of New York (1.1 miles)
• Culver's (1.6 miles)
• Van Dee's Ice Cream Shoppe (1.9 miles)
• El Mariachi (2 miles)
• Viva Mexican Restaurant (2 miles)
• Bandit Burrito (2.1 miles)

Parks

• Terra Park (1.7 miles)
• Lions Park (2.7 miles)
• Waterford Disc Golf Course (5.2 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (1.9 miles)
• Walgreens (1.9 miles)
• National Pharmaceutical Returns (2.8 miles)
• Walgreens (3.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.4 miles)
• Onnen Co. (3.7 miles)
• Walgreens (4.1 miles)

Theaters

• Flix Brewhouse Des Moines (3.3 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (3.4 miles)
• Panera Bread (3.6 miles)
• Starbucks (5 miles)
• Starbucks (5.2 miles)

Hospitals

• Mercy Franklin Center (5 miles)
• Mercy Medical Center West Lake (5.9 miles)

Places of Worship

• Saylorville Baptist Church (5.5 miles)
• Living Faith Lutheran Church (5.8 miles)