Dr. Jean Baptiste - Anyone know ....

Got this email recently,

Tom,

My sister went to Dr. Jean Baptiste and is unable to reach anyone in the office .... Do you know if he is still around?

I told the person I would check with the fine folks on the board. So any information would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Tom,
I too am a patient of Dr JB. I had my surgery July 29, 2009 and I called a ffew minutes ago to make an appt. for a fill....the answering service just told me the office has been closed for a week now and they have no forwarding info.
My original appt was about a month ago and I received a call asking me to reschedule. I did reschedule for the following week and I received a message on my voice mail from the office telling me the Dr will not be in (on my scheduled day) but I should feel free to come in if I need to see the nurse or the nutritionist. This was the week of the Haiti earthquake and I thought perhaps Dr JB had made a trip over to help out (he is from Haiti).
I decided to wai until this week to make another appt. figuring if he did go over to Haiti, perhaps he would be back by now.
No luck..no one has been in the office for 1 week now.
Please keep me informed with any info you may come up with.
Thanks!
Fran Kopas

I originally (Aug.-Oct. 2009) was using this Dr. and was scheduled for RNY with him (which is all that he offers) on the day that I met you (Tom) at the ALS seminar.  Thank God for that day, because things are WAY different now going to Dr. Bertha and using ALS and all that they have (well rounded) to offer!  (See my "blog"........... I had a lot of problems- more than I wrote about) with Jean-Baptiste's practice.

I work for a surgeon and I do know that he went to Haiti and was back, but another OH member posted just this past weekend that she was scheduled for Mon. 2/15 and received a message that her surgery was cancelled and they would contact her for a reschedule date!  She was very upset.

So far that is what I have come up with............ (a lot of problems, but the practice is still there)

I am a lap band patient of Dr Baptiste...had my surgery on July 29, 2009, So he does in fact offer more than the RNY.
 ...I am totally happy with Dr Babtiste's bedside manner, the outcome of the surgery was a success, i am down 40 lbs in 6 months
Something at that office is just 'not right' that much i can say...I received a call back from dr Baptiste today and it';s evident there is no longer a staff at his office. Will they be back? I haven't a clue but as far as professionalism, it is without a doubt, lacking.
Today's phone call blew my mind..

 I am a very happy Dr. JB patient and YES he does great lap-band.  He always has been SUPER responsive over the past few years and his office staff is all new"ish".  He has come in a few times late at night or at 6 AM for me - he is a caring man... I know the answering service is poor - always has been.  Try again tomorrow and ask for the name of the person at the "service" that you are leaving a message with

Well.................. I am very surprised to hear from 2 people who he has recently done lap bands for.  Mainly because I am barely a candidate for WLS (BMI 40 is stretching it, with no co-morbitities), and for other reasons, I am considered a better candidate for Lap Band, and when inquired to do a band, he refused, so I cancelled my RNY.

I do know he has a great reputation, and as I stated earlier, I work for a surgeon (who is a colleague of his) and he has come highly recommended from his colleagues and patients alike.  That is why I originally went with him.  There are quite a few reasons why I chose to seek a 2nd opinion and am very happy that I chose to do so.

I must add, that I'm sure some of the problems (with Dr. Jean-Baptiste's practice) is the fact that Muhlenberg Hospital closed in 2008 and that was his main hospital and still where his office is located.  If I hear anything (I am right there, and have many colleagues in JFK, the hospital where he has privilages) I will post, and hope everyone gets their follow up. Also, it makes little difference how good or bad an answering service is, if no office staff is coming in to take the messages, nor returning calls. (I went through literally 3 months of 3 letter requests and a few phone calls to this office to obtain my own legal documents which are my medical records.)

HI, I was the one whos surgery was cancelled at the last minute. And still have no idea why. When I asked Dr. JB was very vague and elusive as to why he couldnt do it and said that Maybe it could be done in a few weeks. I'm not sure what to do at this point. I'm very upset with how this is playing out and not getting any answers, so if anyone does hear something, please update me! I'd appreciate!


Oh, and how do I change my surgery date by my picture? I cant figure it out again, lol. TIA!

Good morning all-
As I mentioned yesterday afternoon, Dr JB did return my call and asked if I would like to come in today (Tuesday) for my fill. I told him I could not make it until next Tuesday. He told me he would call me back toward the end of this week, to arrange next Tues.'s fill  (for me).
His answering service made it sound like the place shut down!
As "Karen in NJ" mentioned in her above post, JB is an awesome Dr and the fact that he returned my calls several times on a weekend allowed me to easily trust him with my all.....but...what is going on with no one in the office...I do feel badly for the new patients who are awaiting their surgeries.

He did my original surgery when he was with another practice but he was here one minute and gone the next.  I hope that is not what happened again.  I did like him as a doctor but he literally disappeared.  Hope you guys find out what is going on.

Jenn Y.

Hello Im a patient of Dr.JB first I must say he is a good doctor I had my surgey a year ago rny I hit my goal. However the office has been closed for nearly 3 weeks I spoke to JB yesterday only after my gasto docotor called him now I was told that he do not have any office staff this changes everything I called and called I think that this matter could be handle in a better way at this point the communication is gone.. Dr JB had great bedside manner so im concern the answering service do not have answers which only make it worst.... Im waiting and wishing things get back to normal I was looking to have a surgey to see if I have internal hernia which at this point is controlled by pain meds I was told I can be admitted to JFK and have sugery but the next concern is what comes next I will need fu visits and at this point I rather wait until things are back to normal and I can speak direct to office staff not answering service..Im not giving up on dr. JB but this is a nightmare