At the outset, let me be clear about what you’ll read in my review. Dr. Alejandro Badia is a superior hand surgeon and a great human being. His Badia Hand to Shoulder Center provides wall-to-wall service and leaves nothing out. At my age, 64, I have visited a number of doctors and had a few surgeries. Dr. Badia ranks at the very top, with regard to expertise, skill, and the human qualities that make a visit to a surgeon as pleasant as possible. The center is highly efficient. I was scheduled for an initial visit, and although I came all the way from Alaska, when I entered the office I was greeted warmly by an office staff that I now regard as friends. The wait to be seen by a technician was short, and when I met Dr. Badia, he already had in hand both the x-rays of my hand that I had sent earlier and those taken moments before by the technician. In a very easy and pleasant manner he described what he would do to repair my arthritic thumb the next day. I felt well informed and reassured. The Surgery Center at Doral, which is located just across the hall from Dr. Badia’s offices, was another pleasant surprise for me. Again, the staff was fast, efficient, and very caring. I reported to the Surgery Center the day after my initial visit to Dr. Badia’s office. The outpatient surgery on my thumb took about a half hour, and I was on my feet walking out the front door in no time. All in all, for the surgery, I probably spent no more than four hours at the Surgery Center. I experienced only some minor soreness in my thumb and truly never had any actual pain. The following day I revisited Dr. Badia’s office and the original bandage came off the thumb. After Dr. Badia had examined it and made certain all was well, I was outfitted with a cast that would stay on for about six weeks. Again, Dr. Badia and his staff worked quickly, but were warm, friendly, and reassuring. Before long I was back in Alaska with a “new” thumb. You may want to know about billing. Dr. Badia, his staff, and the staff at the Surgery Center rank as saints in my book. The patience they have shown in working with insurance is wonderful. I had got a pre-certification for my surgery, and the insurance company even provided that same pre-certification directly to Dr. Badia’s staff. Still, they delayed and gave both the doctor and me the run around for months. Dr. Badia’s staff patiently sent additional information and persisted until the insurance paid, leaving me with no remaining balance at all. There are two morals to this story: Get yourself a fine doctor with a good staff – like Dr. Badia and his staff – and then don’t give up on the insurance company. No insurance company cares whether the doctor gets paid, and they don’t care if you end up owing. Only persistence and skill bring them around. Finally, through the whole process of preparing, traveling, intake, surgery, and recovery I was helped and guided by two fine ladies in Dr. Badia’s office and one in the Surgery Center. Though Dr. Badia is the best doctor I ever have known, he also has surrounded himself with the highest quality staff I ever have met. (Thanks Eneida, Raquel, and Lori!) If you need surgery on anything from the hand to the shoulder, see Dr. Badia. He’s the best, bar none.
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