Columbia Eye Associates & Family Focus Eye Care

Columbia Eye Associates & Family Focus Eye Care has been amazing. I had my first visit in May and a second visit in October. They had told me that if I had any eye changes to call immediately. I did my Amsler Grid test in the morning, saw some irregularities, called the office at 8:30am and was seen at 9:40am. The medical assistant I saw first was so kind, friendly and compassionate. She helped me feel comfortable right away. She did such a great job getting me ready to see the doctor. I'm always grateful for kind medical assistants who can help me feel comfortable but also help ease the anxiety I feel. I wish I had gotten her name because she was awesome. Then I saw Dr. Murphy who continued that same gentle care. We talked about my testing results and the image scans we did in the office. She was thorough and encouraging. I hope that I can continue working with Dr. Murphy. I appreciate her demeanor - she, too, is kind and compassionate and thorough with her treatment.

I was referred to this clinic by my primary care physician. Unfortunately, at no point before the visit was I informed that my insurance would not cover the service. After the appointment was completed, I was told that the visit was not covered and I would be responsible for the full cost. Had I been informed in advance, I would have contacted my insurance or chosen a different provider. This lack of transparency put me in a very difficult position financially. Patients deserve clear and upfront communication about insurance coverage before receiving care. I hope the clinic improves its insurance disclosure process so others do not experience the same situation.

My experience at Family Focus was frustrating and disappointing. I had called ahead to confirm that they accepted my insurance, and I was told that they did. Based on that, I scheduled an appointment and even drove an hour and a half to get there. However, when I arrived, the front desk staff told me that the doctor who accepts my insurance wasn't in that day, and I'd either have to reschedule or pay out of pocket. Since I had already traveled so far, I decided to pay out of pocket. The staff mentioned that if I needed any additional testing, the doctor would let me know because that would also be out-of-pocket. After my appointment, the doctor said everything looked fine and suggested a 6-month check-up. I asked if she could make sure the next appointment was with someone who takes my insurance -- she seemed surprised that I had paid out of pocket that day. When I went to check out, the front desk told me I owed an additional $47 for extra testing that I wasn't informed about. In total, I ended up paying around $220 out of pocket for a visit that I was told would be covered by insurance. I'm glad I had money with me, but the situation was stressful and could have been avoided if the office had properly verified my insurance or communicated more clearly. Overall, it was an overwhelming and annoying experience, and I hope the office improves how they handle insurance information and communication with patients in the future.

Not happy with office staff - they were more concerned with fiscal matters than my eye injury. Although I have the best BCBS PPO insurance, ended paying $75 for eye exam. After all the exam process, I was given sample moisturizing drops, and no treatment. Told to come back in 2 weeks- decided to get a second opinion somewhere else.

I have been going there for several years. I have open angle glaucoma yet was followed by an optometrist. In the last two or three months they have hired 2 well known and respected ophalmologists and yet both have left this practice. The refusal to provide info to their new location is demeaning and harmful to patients.

Super slow service. Each time we come here, we sit in the waiting area or the test room, waiting, for a long long time. The whole appointment will take at least 2 hours. This is very absurd. I won't recommend this place.

This is a eye care center that cares about you. And I want to give an ENORMOUS shoutout to the southern front-desk gal who called me back within 5 minutes of me leaving a message. She went out of her way to make me feel heard, and was able to get me an appointment within an hour of me calling. She was a dream to talk to and showed the exact type of customer care that I needed during an urgent medical moment. -- I called with an urgent need to be seen by an opthamologist and they were able to fit me in same-day. This is the ONLY place in Gainesville that was able to do that - and I called 5 other places - so they earned an instant 5-star review from me. The reception staff was running ragged when I walked in, they were clearly extremely busy but they still had time to give me a smile and let me know that they cared. Busyness isn't a problem when you have good service! I waited in the waiting room for about 30 minutes past my appointment's scheduled time. No problem for me, I work from home and was able to get the flexible time off. This may not work for everyone but I really didn't mind. With how busy the center was, I was expecting this. And going over is usually a sign that the healthcare provider is giving patients the time they deserve. And giving time was exactly what was happening. Once I got called back, I went through the vitals check and was talking to the opthamologist within about 10 minutes. I was able to express my concerns and she took her time examining my eye. She may have been busy, but it didn't come through while I was with her. She clearly cares about her patients, and is an expert in her craft. I left with a prescription waiting for me at Walgreens and another appointment scheduled for a followup 4 days later. Providing real care to patients takes time. And I was given all the time that I needed to feel comfortable.

We went for pediatric care and were blown away by the friendly and efficient staff and care team. My son had never had an appointment and we were completely caught off guard to find out his eye sight was far worse than we assumed. Dr Khuddus was fantastic with my son and even my daughter who was just attending with us. The staff helped us from the beginning to the very end when we picked out glasses. I left knowing we were in good hands moving forward.