Catholic Health East

Pros

• The staff and providers are friendly.
• CRNP Kristen Griffith is great, knowledgeable, and helpful.
• The staff answers calls and messages in the patient portal promptly.
• The medical staff are all fantastic.
• The doctors are awesome, especially Dr. Fox, along with the staff.
• The team always responds online to requests.
• Prescriptions are filled the same day.

Cons

• Some administrative staff are rude, aggressive, and unprofessional.
• Pushy office staff bully patients into not switching doctors.
• A receptionist recorded incorrect information in a patient's file and falsely claimed requests to the doctor.
• Prescriptions are frequently not refilled promptly, with scripts forgotten or delayed, leaving patients without medication.
• The staff are described as lazy, incompetent, and uncaring about patients.
• A reviewer accuses a physician of using their identity and alleges the health system protected him.
• The office does not return calls or answer the phone, leaving patients without timely communication.
• The practice seems to under-triage urgent cases, making patients wait days for appointments and forcing them to see fill-in doctors.

Review

The collection of experiences paints a picture of a primary care practice that can shine in some moments and falter in others. On the one hand, many patients sing the praises of the clinicians: friendly staff, approachable providers, and quick responsiveness in some channels. Several reviewers highlighted positive personal connections with their care teams, noting that certain clinicians felt knowledgeable, attentive, and genuinely helpful. In particular, CRNP Kristen Griffith draws praise for being knowledgeable and supportive, with others praising a generally responsive staff and easy communication through the patient portal. In these threads, the care delivered by the clinicians themselves stands out as a bright spot even when other parts of the system feel strained.

Other reviews underscore strong doctorly care from specific providers, including mentions of Dr. Fox and various other physicians who are described as top-notch or fantastic. The sentiment here emphasizes good medical judgment, clear communication, and timely treatment decisions. A recurring thread is the sense that, when contact is possible online or through direct physician channels, responses can be prompt and prescriptions can be processed efficiently. Even as pandemic-related challenges are acknowledged, some reviewers frame the medical care themselves as excellent, with quick prescription fulfillment and proactive engagement from the doctors in question.

Yet alongside these positive notes, a substantial amount of commentary focuses on administrative and logistical friction. Several reviewers describe administrative staff as rude, aggressive, or unprofessional, with some specifically calling out behavior that feels pushy or coercive when patients consider switching doctors within the practice. One account describes office staff attempting to influence a patient not to switch clinicians, raising questions about the boundaries and training of front-desk personnel. The feeling across these comments is that the medical team may be excellent, but the gatekeeping and interpersonal dynamics at the front end can create a tough atmosphere for patients seeking care.

The patient portal and data handling also come in for criticism. One review reports that a receptionist recorded incorrect information in the patient file and even conveyed to the doctor information about a medication request that the patient says was never made. This kind of miscommunication about records and requests not only undermines trust but can directly affect treatment decisions and safety, making privacy and accuracy in record-keeping pivotal concerns for those navigating the system.

Prescription management emerges as a particular pain point for many. Reviewers describe having to jump through hoops to get refills, with repeated mentions of medications not being sent in a timely fashion and weekend gaps leaving patients without essential prescriptions. There are claims that patients are told not to rely on the patient app because it might be missed, while at other times they're advised to use the app or call, only to experience inconsistent results. The sense is that refills often slip through the cracks, leading to urgent and stressful situations where medications run out during weekends or holidays.

A subset of reviews conveys more pointed personal frustration, including accusations that staff are lazy, incompetent, or dishonest about patient needs. One account describes frustration after repeatedly failing to obtain a refill for a loved one, with the implication that the staff's attitude and processes contributed to unsafe or uncomfortable situations. While these statements are strong, they reflect real patient fear and dissatisfaction rooted in perceived neglect of timely care and ongoing outreach.

There are also more mixed experiences that show a contrast between the strong clinicians and the less dependable administrative side. For instance, some patients praise "top-notch" offices and doctors, noting that online replies and same-day prescription processing are possible, suggesting that when communication lines are open and the system works smoothly, patients are well cared for. But this positivity exists alongside more negative episodes where communication lags, or the triage approach to urgent illness feels insufficient to the patient's needs.

Another thread centers on the difficulty of getting urgent appointments or direct access to one's own doctor. A long-time patient expresses disappointment in how the practice has evolved: the expectation to wait one or two days for an appointment or to see a fill-in physician when sick, rather than receiving timely care from their regular doctor. The reviewer describes a practice pattern that seems to reserve quite a limited number of slots for urgent visits, pushing patients toward holding patterns or seeing alternative providers who may not be as familiar with the patient's history. The sentiment here is one of erosion in the traditional continuity of care that long-time patients valued.

There is also a stark, singular note about a physician within the broader health system: a reviewer alleges that a Dr. Thomas Lawrence employed by Main Line Health engaged in misconduct, describing identity misuse and a non-witnessed evaluation to undermine reporting of nursing home violations. This claim appears as a severe accusation within the broader set of experiences and is clearly framed as the patient's perspective. It stands in contrast to more everyday complaints about scheduling and refill workflows, reminding readers that patient experiences can include serious, unresolved concerns about professional conduct and accountability.

Taken together, the narratives suggest a complex landscape: strong clinical care and some highly responsive communication channels sit alongside significant administrative challenges. Patients with favorable experiences often point to helpful clinicians who are accessible and informed, and to a working patient portal or online messaging that produces timely results. At the same time, others describe a pattern of difficult phone access, inconsistent message handling, data-entry errors, and frustrating bottlenecks around prescription renewals and urgent care access. The overall impression is one of a practice where excellent medical care coexists with a frustrating administrative system that can impede timely treatment and erode trust.

For patients evaluating this practice, the takeaway appears to be twofold. If you can identify a clinician you trust - someone who has earned a reputation for attentiveness and clear communication - your experience may be very positive, with good symptom management and efficient prescription handling. However, be prepared for potential friction within the administrative structure: inconsistent call-backs, scheduling delays for urgent issues, and the possibility that your records or refill requests may require careful follow-up. In any case, clear communication with your provider, explicit confirmation of prescriptions, and proactive use of the patient portal seem particularly important in navigating the system and achieving timely care.

Physicians

• Mid Atlantic Retina (0.8 miles)
• Bowen, Anne Main Line Healthcare Westtown Family Medicine (5.4 miles)
• Main Line Center For Oral & Facial Surgery (6.4 miles)
• Dr Madonna's Family Practice (7.3 miles)
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia - Specialty Care Center (7.6 miles)
• Main Line Health King of Prussia (7.7 miles)
• Main Line Spine (7.7 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.4 miles)
• Starbucks (5.8 miles)
• Starbucks (6.7 miles)
• 320 Market Cafe (6.9 miles)
• Starbucks (7.3 miles)
• Nordstrom Ebar Artisan Coffee (7.7 miles)
• Starbucks (7.9 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Anastasia Rectory (1.9 miles)
• Willistown United Methodist Church (4.2 miles)

Parks

• Ridley Creek State Park (3 miles)
• Clem MacRone Memorial Park (5.3 miles)
• Ellson Glen Park (6.3 miles)
• Wilson Farm Park (6.7 miles)
• Goose Creek Park (7.6 miles)
• Valley Forge National Historical Park (8.5 miles)

Restaurants

• McDonald's (3.1 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (4.6 miles)
• Brick & Brew Gastropub (6.3 miles)
• Flying Pig Saloon (6.4 miles)
• Anthony's Pizza & Italian Restaurant (6.5 miles)
• Jack McShea's (7.1 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (7.2 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (3.6 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (4.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.6 miles)
• GIANT Pharmacy (4.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.8 miles)
• Rite Aid (5 miles)

Hospitals

• Riddle Hospital (4.5 miles)
• Bryn Mawr Hospital (5.9 miles)
• Paoli Hospital (6.3 miles)
• Universal Health Services (7.4 miles)
• Lankenau Medical Center (8.4 miles)

Transportation

• SEPTA/Amtrak: Paoli Station (5.7 miles)
• Septa Malvern Station (6.5 miles)
• Septa: Radnor Station (7.2 miles)
• SEPTA: 101/102 Lansdowne Avenue Station (7.5 miles)
• Darby Transportation Center (9.2 miles)

Theaters

• Regal UA King Of Prussia 4DX, IMAX & RPX (8 miles)