Hepatologists who are Physicians - Oakhurst, NJ

"I’ve been a patient of Middlesex Monmouth Gastroenterology for routine colonoscopies for 10+ years. Now, I will seek a new practice. Too many red flags this last go around. Dr. Tawardros is not a yet board-certified gastroenterologist. The practice ignored providing that information when they scheduled my appointment with a new doctor. The doctor who performed the first two retired. In 2021, I needed to see a gastroenterologist after a hospital visit. I was assigned to an alternate physician, Dr. Gupta, since my doctor had retired. In 2024 it was time again to schedule a colonoscopy. The practice did not schedule the pre-procedure office visit with the physician I met with in 2021 although he still is a practicing physician at the practice. They scheduled me with Dr. Tawardros. They did not tell me he is not currently a board-certified gastroenterologist. I learned this in my own. However, he is board eligible, and board certified in internal medicine. This should’ve been the first red flag that the practice has gone downhill.  The second red flag occurred when the practice sent my prep prescription to the wrong pharmacy. The third red flag was when I transferred the Rx, I learned there was a second. Surprise! Dr. Tawardros also prescribed Pepcid. This was the first time a physician has ever prescribed a medication and didn’t discuss it before leaving the office. I’ll give him credit he asked if I experienced heartburn, I told him rarely. Fourth red flag: You can’t call the office and talk to a person. Each time I called I had to use the “AI voicemail system.” Well, the AI system doesn’t always recognize numbers punched in with a cell phone. Fifth red flag: A polyp was removed during the colonoscopy. Now I’m nervous. I have a high risk for colon cancer, and this is the first time I’ve had a polyp. Waiting for results was nerve wracking. I called a little more than a week after the procedure. The doctor called me back and told me he didn’t have results, but we would discuss them during my follow-up. I considered that odd since the follow up isn’t for 7 weeks. I told myself, no someone will call with the biopsy results. Sixth red flag: I received the results via a My Chart alert two weeks after the procedure. No phone call from the practice to settle my nerves. Final red flag (7 weeks after colonoscopy): I received a voicemail that the follow up appointment I made several weeks ago needs to be rescheduled. Please call the office to reschedule. What?!?! No thank you."

"I did the endoscopy in her office, and she prescribed two medications right after without even letting me know that she did or explaining what these medications were for and how to take these. When I called the office to ask about these medications, the front desk lady refused to transfer me to the doctor and said “You need to pay out of your own pocket to be able to speak to the doctor because your insurance company doesn’t pay for it.” When I asked to get a copy of my patient record with endoscopy results, she told me that they charge $20 per copy. I need to pay for my own health record?! This is the most unprofessional doctor’s office I have ever dealt with. The most shocking and unprofessional thing is that when I was in the waiting room with other patients before my endoscopy, the front desk lady asked me personal and private questions loudly and publicly, “How tall are you? How heavy are you? When was your first day of your last period?” I drove 40 min to get this endoscopy done and didn’t want to waste my time on looking for a different gastro, so I still did the procedure in that office. It was the most stupid mistake I have ever made. Avoid this money sucking doctor’s office if possible!"