Anyone going through Cori Center in SE Michigan?

I am currently working with the Cori center and Dr. Taylor for my LapRNY gastric bypass. I was wondering how you all have faired? I just had my consult and am waiting for a my letter from the PCP and then a surgery date. I'm a little nervous. I have BCBS Community Blue PPO, I hope I wont have any problems with the insurance covering my surgery.

I had surgery in March by Dr. Wood. In my profile you will see an entry dated March 16th (I think!) with a copy of a letter written by my PCP. I was approved and had surgery scheduled almost immediately and I too have BCBS Community Blue PPO. Good luck and keep us posted! Jennifer 355/253/150

I'm going through Dr. Taylor and he is wonderful. I have my surgery on the 14th of September. The Cori Center is very helpful when it comes to insurance approval. They got approval BCBS Blue Choice POS in about a half an hour.

Hey Tricia I had my RNY micro-pouch done by Dr. Taylor on May 15, and have been feeling great. I will say, after my 3 month check up this past Monday where I waited 3 hours for a 3 minute visit with Dr. Taylor (he was stuck in surgery and I think they forgot I was in the room waiting) that the after-care leaves me a bit peeved, but during the pre-op and hospital stay Taylor was great. (He's good now, just not reliable for appointment times.) But he knows his stuff and I'm SOOOOOOO glad I had the surgery. I have 2 co-workers who went through CORI as well (which is why I ended up there) and both were very happy and are healthy today (6 & 3 years out). Email me if you have any questions & good luck!

How was your hospital care/stay at Harper?

Tricia I know you didn't ask me but I will give my 2 cents......... My stay and in hospital care SUCKED!!!!! I had to ask 3 times and wait an hour for pain medicine and ice chips, I was in recovery waiting for a room for 7 hours after surgery.....then when they went to move me to a room I was almost put into someone elses bed! Honestly the day shift was the WORST care I have EVER gotten in my life!! BUT to all of this I have to say I went where I did for my surgeon NOT facility, after care etc. Hope I don't sound too negative, just trying to tell it like it was! Jennifer

Seeing that you had a choice in surgeons (I've noticed quite a few places offering WLS such as St. John's etc.) do you feel that the team at Cori center was one of the best?

Unfortunately from what I understand (from the CORI staff), expect to be in the office for about 3 hours every time you have an appointment. My 3 appointments have ALL taken that long. After my one year, I plan on using my own PCP to monitor my blood work and such, because my life is WAY too busy to sit at ANY appointment for 3 hours! Jennifer

Boy that really is awful! Maybe I should try and be late and maybe we'll meet in the middle. Who is your PCP? I'm nervous that my letter won't say enough because I may have pi__ed her off leaving message after message and no response. She gave me a percription pad note at first. I have Dr. ****itti at St. Joseph's Mercy Fraser Healthcare. I have BCBS Community Blue PPO and everyone at CORI keeps saying that I will have no problem. I guess I'll have to wait and see. It's seems to me like they wouldn't have you go through all the blood tests and meeting with the Dr. if they felt the insurance wouldn't cover it.

Tricia, I had my surgery in April through CORI by Dr. Wood. I have had to wait about an hour and a half for an appointment with him. However, I had to keep my JP drain in for 21 days and that required that I go into the office every 4 or 5 days until it was removed. I saw the PA, Beth Gerritson, for those appointments and had no waiting for her. My PCP wrote a letter that described my diet history. I've been his patient for 25 years. One of my orthopedic surgeons wrote his letter on a prescription pad. The other I'm not sure but he sen t the records. My sleep doc, wrote a very detailed letter that Dr. Wood said was great. In my experience CORI doesn't let you see the doctor for a consultation until they are sure of the insurance approval. They had my paperwork for 6 months before the insurance would even look at it. It wasn't a benefit until January of this year. As soon as they knew the insurance was going to cover it they sent the information in. Jeanne