South Berwick Family Practice

The docs here are educated and educating. They have always taken the time with me allay any fears, answer any and all of my questions, and have always been proactive with me on all things related to my continued good health. I agree at times the staff have been terse or curt, but I have never felt as though it was anything other than professional brevity.
I am very happy with the small town touch I receive from my GPs.

I love South Berwick Family Practice. Never have a problem getting an appt, usually can always get same day appt. Staff and Dr's are always friendly. We love Dr. Jokonya!

Its a dr office with several drs. Each day if the week is a walk-in with a different dr from 830am to 1130am.

Excellent care and advice from kind and knowledgeable people. They schedule readily and share information clearly.

Always very polite n helpful n listen to my needs

I originally had a NP that was very good. I was moved to Dr. Jokonya with no issue. Until I suffered a traumatic orthopedic injury......

I originally went to the Wentworth Douglas Urgent Care clinic on a 2/21/2021 Sunday afternoon with an acute knee injury. Documented that it was believed to be a meniscus injury.

Followed up with the South Berwick office in increasing pain on 2/22/2021, prescribed a steroid pack.

2/23/2021, Was left with untreated/uncontrolled pain and forced to go to the ER for treatment, writhing in pain and crying in the middle of the COVID pandemic.

Small dose of narcotic and muscle relaxer prescription from the ER MD (like I asked for at my visit at South Berwick) and 2 days later I am still in pain, but it is tolerable, and understandable given the injury I sustained.

Was late. I was left sitting in an empty room for 40min. I went to the Hallway to go out and retrieve my cell phone, I was told Dr. Plata would be right in. 15 min. Later he came in. Unprepared, not thought. I can’t wait to find another care provider!

I was a patient in this practice for several years and recently left. The people were very nice, but overall I did not have a positive experience. On one occasion an office member was asking me about a prescription in the waiting room and I asked if we could please speak in private. It was a bit embarrassing and upsetting. They behaved annoyed, and I reminded them about HIPPA. After some eye-rolling they got a nurse and we went into a private room for a brief discussion. When I met with the doctor I was quite surprised and disappointed that she was also quite dismissive and even defensive about the incident. I have never left a Google review before. I hope that this practice can listen to this constructive feedback and consider learning from this to prevent a negative patient experience in the future. Thank you.

They only wanted to do blood work and a referral. Not an actual place for treatment, just a company that bills your insurance because they have the ability to.

The Physicians Assistant was very nice, but incapable of doing anything. Unless you are looking for blood work and a referral… I remembered his voice, he’s the one that told me to bring my paperwork in, or they might have to reschedule me.

Nice scare tactic, I’m embarrassed for them. Really what he meant was the insurance information to Bill my insurance.

After talking time to get the paperwork In on time. They didn’t have my medical information, sad excuse for a doctors office.

I read the reviews and still gave them a chance, trust the reviews. I’m posting this so you don’t make the same mistake as me.

Save your time and or money, DO NOT SEEK THIS PLACE FOR A PRIMARY CARE!! Trust me

Wouldn't see me because due to autism spectrum disorder and panic disorder, wearing a mask is impossible for me, because I can't breathe at all. They absolutely don't care about their patients at all, or the fact that I was extremely close to having to go to the ER due to a panic attack. This was supposed to be my first appointment with my new doctor, but after the way I was treated today, I don't need a primary care provider that bad.

Dr. Jokonya is fantastic IF you can get in to see her. They schedule appointments several weeks out regardless of what’s going on, leaving you to have to rely on urgent care to attend to your needs. Schedulers have made appointments for my husband and I on days the doctor isn’t even there and when we have showed up, they don’t seem to be bothered by having to ask to reschedule another several weeks out. If they can’t offer decent service to the patients they currently have, why are they advertising that they are taking new patients?

I continually have some of the same problems over and over. When I first came to SBFP I explained that I was only coming to them for ONE THING. They continue to try to get me to do testing that I neither want or need and add tests without my consent to my yearly blood test for my prescription. Each time I have to tell the people doing the blood test to remove all the unwanted tests from my paperwork. Each visit to SBFP I complain about the tests being added. It still continues.
Now I am having a great deal of difficulty getting my prescription done properly. After getting my blood work done, I contacted the pharmacy to get my prescription filled that the doctor had told me that he would call in once he got the blood work. He had gotten the blood work but had not called in my prescription. I tried multiple times to deal with the situation over the phone with no luck, so I drove to the office and still had no luck. Eventually someone called me and after explaining the situation they said that they would take care of it. They did not. I contacted the pharmacy and instead of setting up my prescription for the year, they only set it up for six months. For over fifty years with multiple doctors in multiple states, I have always been given a prescription with enough refills to last me for a year when I once again have to have blood work done.
Last year when my blood work got lost I was not informed until months later when it became a problem. Now I have to double check everything and get paperwork to prove that the test was done as well as checking to see if things are added to my tests and reminding the doctor not to add things to the tests.
I don't understand why I can be very specific about my medicals needs and wishes and they are constantly ignored.

I called this place on accident instead of great works and they were so rude to me! Acted like I didn’t know what I was talking about. And when I tried getting a pcp they were extremely rude because I wasn’t sure how to properly read my insurance card.

The office is terrible to deal with. I had an MRI that was sent over many times that they couldn't find. I went back and forth for weeks between them and my ortho. When I arrived to get it read (took me weeks to get in), they still didn't have it and I was turned away. I recently discovered that cancelled my refill prescription, with no communication to me. The last straw for me was going in for a visit and finding out over a week later that the labs never got sent out...so therefore, the whole visit was a waste of time and financial resources. I had to go elsewhere to get the care that I needed and got the results in within two days. Honestly, after being with this practice for 15 years, I've taken my health concerns elsewhere. Also note that they have a complete turnover of medical professionals yearly.

Whoever is now answering the phone is in the wrong line of work ... she makes you feel like you're interrupting her. It was easier to find a new doctor than to have to put up with her .

Trying to get a simple prescription renewed when you're totally out is extremely difficult. The providers here just don't care about your well being.

The staff is a joke. I called them 5 times to get me a referral then I called seacoast orthopedics my self to schedule the appointment. I am done with them.