Banner Gateway Medical Center Hospital

My surgeon is wonderful. He was very informative and answered all of my questions on my first visit. I haven't had surgery yet, scheduled oct 25, but am very confident in his abilities. Some of his office staff could use some customer service training. Yes, customer service. I am the customer. I should not be hung up on. I should not have to track down faxes that have been misplaced. I will leave these employees nameless. Eileen, the nurse scheduler has been wonderful. My doctor emphasized the importance of the aftercare program. I may have to look elsewhere for that if the incompetence of the staff continues. I am giving them the benefit of the doubt and hoping they are new, if not.....The first and last people you see before and after you see the doctor are his staff........
met w/surgeon for preop visit, went great staff was really really nice, maybe they were having bad days. i realized when i was there that the one that had hung up on me had just had gastric bypass herself...Just 4 days into the lquid diet and I am ready to hang up on folks.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that Aetna will approve me for the gastric sleeve. I have nothing but good things to say about Dr. Podkameni and his entire staff.

Dr. Podkameni is wonderful! He is a straight shooter - very direct, honest and clear. Over time, I found him to be very approachable and responsive. He has a good sense of humor and was able to put me at ease. Their program is very structured - with support from a nutritionist and almost bi-weekly support groups facilitated by a nutritionist, psychiatrist or exercise physiologist. He was always very thorough, encouraged lots of questions and was understanding of my concerns and hurdles. Both his surgical competence and bedside manner were fantastic. He checked on me several times each day while I was in the hospital and was always accessible. I'd highly recommend him!

Hospital was super clean, new (3 years old), newest equipment (da vinci robotic assist surgery), GREAT nurses and support staff. Rooms are very private, with new TVs, beds and other equipment. Staff respond fast with any needs. Even though I was next to a nursing station and liked my door open a little, it was very quiet. Staff always ready to walk with you post op. Really, I could not have been happier with the whole experience.

Dr. Podkameni was great the first time I met him.
The Staff a Banner Gateway are the best. I had went to another weight loss center and decided to go with Banner Gateway so glad I did. They seem to always be on top of things. Iileen sent in my paperwork to insurance and it was approved in 2 days.
They did all the work for me as far as insurance goes.
Dr Podkameni wants all his patients to go to the support meetings 2X a month. He goes over all the risks to the surgeries and decides which one is best for each patient. I would give him a 10 for his overall.
He came in to see me before surgery to go over everything with me, one last time before I went in to surgery too make sure I was ready. This is my personal impression and If anything changes I will update. But for now I love the whole experiance I had with Banner Gateway.

I had vertical sleeve gastrectomy surgery March 30, 2010 by Dr. Podkameni. I have to say that Dr. P is a guy that actually cares about his patients. So many times I have seen Dr's that you can tell the only thing they care about is their bmw payments. Not Dr P though, he spent a ton of time with me. I had to have a little extra time to recoup but he was there for me. I dont think i would of been as well taken care of with other surgeons. I dont regret my decision in picking Dr. P one bit, and will praise his name when ever possible. Dr P is a cool cat, and a great surgeon.

Dr. P is a terrific surgen. I had some unplanned complications and he was great about explaining the issues and making me feel comfortable with the issues at hand. He was great about explaining what needed to be done and why. When the second surgery was over he was great about explaining what was done. 6 months after my RNY I ended up having hernia repair surgery which he also did. I would recommend him anyday.

The hospital is only 2 yrs old but they were great.

My only complaint is that they would not let my boyfriend see me when I was in the recovery area, even though he has a power of attorney. Luckily, it turned out to be a mis-communication, and they eventually let him come back.

The pre-op nurse was absolutely phenomenal... she calmed all of my nerves. The post-op nurses were also amazing... very upbeat and friendly, with great bedside manner.

I definitely hope to eventually have my children at Banner Gateway... it was a great experience!

I met Dr. P. when I went to the informational session at Banner Gateway Medical Center last month. I was impressed with the way he handled the audience and their questions. He was very patient and gave great explanations. As a nurse, I have had a lot of experience with surgeons and he did not have the arrogance that I often see associated with them.rnrnI had my first office with Dr. P. on Feb. 11. He asked pertinent questions, reviewed my medical history and patiently answered my questions. He asked me what type of surgery I thought I needed and he concurred that the Roux en Y was the one. He spent a lot of time reviewing the surgery, aftercare and risks. rnrnI will meet with him, as well as the anesthesiologist, two weeks prior to surgery. At that time, I will go on a clear liquid diet, no caffiene or sugar,with 4 protein shakes a day. rnrnThe Bariatric Center offers a pre and post-op diet package that includes all the required supplements that will be needed for purchase. I am seriously considering getting that to reduce the stress of thinking about getting it together.rnrnHis office is at the Banner Gateway Bariatric Center. Due to recent budget cuts, they have two staff members, a RN and dietician, who handle everything from office visits to working with the insurance companies to get authorization. I must say while I was greatly prepared when I went in, my authorization process went very smoothly. I saw him on Nov. 11 and was approved on Nov. 18. rnrnNow I am just waiting to get my surgery date from the hospital surgery scheduler. Yeah!