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Dana Sims

I was gaslit for nearly two years during skin cancer checks that a wound on my arm, that had been there for a year already, was because I wouldn't leave it alone. Only after I questioned repeatedly why this particular wound wouldn't heal did they biopsy, begrudgingly. Sure enough. It was skin cancer. Then they told me the surgery group would be too busy to call me to just set up an appointment for a consult for removal. I was lucky that it wasn't worse, but I wouldn't trust them with anything.

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W T

There are good dermatology practices out there. This isn’t one of them. Please don’t go to this one – please don’t go through what I have gone through. I had gone to Annapolis Dermatology Associates (ADA) for decades and received excellent care. I had a melanoma years ago and saw Mr. Heins every six months for skin scans. He was exceptional and never missed a problem spot. But then Dr. Renfro and Mr. Heins retired, and the practice became an affiliate of Anne Arundel Dermatology (AAD). The merger was chaotic to say the least. The real problem though is the care is now very very poor – not at all what I had been used to. The NP that I was assigned to for skin scans isn’t capable in my opinion; my skin scans were very quick/not thorough and the NP came across as apathetic. In one of my first appointments I indicated concern with three moles, but the NP thought they were ok. I reiterated that I was concerned, and the NP said that they would go ahead and remove them. The biopsy for two came back atypical with one requiring further excision. So … I think I am doing an ok job finding and pointing out problem spots myself, but I can’t see all parts of my body directly myself, e.g., my back. Fast forward a year later and I have a MELANOMA on my back. And this was a mole that I pointed out to the NP at my annual appointment and not the other way around. (And yes, they switched me from biannual appointments to annual – another problem.) At the follow-up surgery the surgical team (who are excellent) told me I needed to now have skin scans every three months. I said no problem but I needed to see someone else. They highly recommended a physician (with AAD), and I was able to schedule my first 3-month appt with this physician before I left the office that day. I was feeling hopeful but it was short lived. The first 3-month appt was very quick and the physician seemed preoccupied and disengaged. Then when I went to make my second 3-month appointment, I was told they couldn’t accommodate me. My second 3-month appt was made for 6 months. That was it, no checking to see if there was someone else that could see me (AAD is a big conglomerate), no nothing. It’s like they are trying to get you to leave. And that’s what I did (last straw and all). I did some quick research and reached out to a different practice and was able to get an appointment in the time frame that I needed. I have had two 3-month appointments with this different practice so far and they are excellent. It didn’t quite end there with ADA/AAD, however. There were problems getting a copy of my records transferred from ADA/AAD. I submitted ADA/AAD’s e-form to them about 4-5 weeks before my first appt with the new practice. I called ADA/AAD about 3-4 weeks later to see if the records had been sent (given my lack of confidence in them), but it’s extremely difficult to get a hold of people at ADA/AAD; you get put on hold for up to 45 minutes (or at least that’s how long I’ve stayed on hold before giving up and hanging up). So I called the new practice to see if they got my records and they hadn’t received them yet. I ended up going in to the ADA/AAD offices with a printed version of their form and submitted it in person. My request was for them to send my entire file, but at my appointment with the new practice I learned that ADA/AAD had sent only the page related to my last appt with ADA/AAD.

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Susanne Trimmer

Among those medical professionals who enjoy fleecing the “worried well” there’s nothing quite like a bad dermatologist. Please educate yourself about basal cell carcinoma. No one ever died of it, and it is not necessary to do many of the expensive, disfiguring and painful Moh’s procedures performed by shady Dr. Renfro (now missing, did she finally get her license yanked?) My 92 year old dementia addled father was cut to pieces with unnecessary surgeries for basal cell tumors that would have never caused a problem. Honestly according to my doctor, my dad will be dead for 20 years before those small basal cells ever became even visible, even if they somehow grew! And they took off half the skin on his nose; so gross. I hope this practice gets investigated.

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Helenmarie Corcoran

I have tried repeatedly to contact this practice. Telephone says 6 minute wait but does not get better. Leave number for callback never calls back. Receive demand for payment with no reference to service when no bill has been sent. Receive query as to how was your visit when did not visit. Receive request to confirm appointment and fill out new patient documents when I have visited the office twice before. The annual visit that I had was so superficial in comparison to other offices I had used in the past that I will not return and seek another dermatologist.

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Beat Army

When I have had appts with Dr Renfro, all has gone well. However the attitude of those who work for her practice has slowly degraded over the last two years, in my opinion and the opinion of other patients. It’s as the staff feels that they have a service that cannot be replicated elsewhere close by. I feel like the female receptionist has given horrible customer service at check in. My entire customer experience from the receptionist to the PA was poor. The woman who walked me back to PA was very nice. I then had to wait 30 minutes to be seen. The check out people were very nice.