Bautista Dator Carmen MD - Oswego Avenue Willowood: Me and my partner had our first appointments with Dr. Carmen a couple days ago to establish care. We waited for a month for this appointment, and we drove 50 minutes to get there (not the worst, but we were hopeful it would be worth it). The desk lady was very nice, and then we went back and met Dr. Carmen. My partner was explaining to her that they were around a lot of drywall dust as kid, and that they wanted to get their lungs looked at. She asked if they were on any medication. They told her, "An albuteral Inhaler, and I USED to be on gabapentin." At that point she stopped the entire appointment and said, "I dont do psychiatry, so youll have to find a psychiatrist before I establish care with you." We reiterated that we werent there for psych stuff, we were there for the physical health stuff. She just kept cutting us off and saying, "No, you are here for mental health stuff, thats why you mentioned gabapentin." She asked what meds they were on and they answered, and apparently that means were only there for mental health stuff??? We left very upset, and I had a full mental breakdown in the car. This was supposed to be the first step for me figuring out why my joints have never worked right, and if I have long term damage from years of childhood concussions and whiplash. Ive been with therapists and psychiatrists for 6 years, and while I cant wait to have another therapist, my mental health is not my main concern at all. Quite frankly, turning away patients who are trying to figure out their chronic symptoms, all because theyve been on low grade anxiety meds, is just mental illness discrimination. I dont expect much from primary care physicians other than referring me to doctors that will actually help, and she couldnt even do that. Refusing to treat patients with a history of mental illness is going to kill someone one day, all because she refused to even look at their issues. She doesnt deserve a medical license, and if youre establishing care with her, dont even bother if you have a history of mental illness. You wont get anywhere.
