High Country Community Health – Boone

“I honestly love this practice as a whole and the front desk staff are so lovely and I’ve had some great interactions. This being said.. the PA English Flaherty must have just come out of medical school or something because she has the absolute WORST bedside manner. As a woman who is around the same age as myself, I figured she would listen to my issues and try to help me understand what was going on so we could create some kind of game plan and do testing. Instead, she told me (in a very patronizing way might I add) every symptom that I was having could be explained by “Anxiety”. I went home feeling so defeated. I had explained during the appointment that I had been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder (because they had asked at the start if I had any mental health diagnoses) and that fact was later thrown back in my face and made out to be the entire reason for my issues. She told me she’d see me in 6 months to a year to see if lowering my anxiety helped my symptoms…. I tried again to see another provider at the same practice and the MD I saw diagnosed me right after she ran the tests that she thought were needed. To make a long story short : Based on my labs I was diagnosed with a chronic illness. It is something I will have to struggle with for the rest of my life. I will have to manage it and possibly be on medication for the rest of my life. It was not all just anxiety!!!Surprise! Surprise! If you have serious symptoms that are more than just a little cut on your finger or a belly ache from food poisoning make sure to ask for ANYONE but Flaherty. No matter if you ask for specific testing (which I did) — she will wave you off. I know other people/businesses in the community who have had some very not so pleasant interactions with her outside of the practice as well but I will leave those out of this review.. HCCH staff! Please stop recommending this woman to women with complex medical histories! I will only continue going back to this practice only because the rest of the staff is so lovely.”

“I wanted to take a moment to recognize an amazing nurse, Abigail R., at Boone Pediatric Office. My son needed labs done and was absolutely terrified going in. Abigail already knew he was nervous, and she went above and beyond to make him feel comfortable. She took the time out of her busy schedule to walk him through every single step, explaining everything in detail so he knew exactly what to expect. From the moment we walked in, she greeted us warmly, introduced herself, and made us feel welcome. While doing his vitals and talking with him, she was so kind, patient, and genuine. She even made him laugh during a moment that was really scary for him. I’ve never seen anyone take that much time and care with him before. Most places rush through, but Abigail didn’t she made sure he felt safe and understood the entire process. She didn’t just do her job she went far beyond it. I truly hope she gets the recognition she deserves because nurses like her make such a difference. I highly recommend Boone Pediatrics HCCH. Abigail, if you see this keep doing what you’re doing. You are absolutely amazing, and we appreciate you more than words can say.”

“I tried to schedule an appointment here and I received and email back with a bible verse listed which is fine but I called to see if this practice was inclusive for LGBTQ but no response. I had to reach out to my psychiatrist for another provider due to this. I don’t believe these health care providers should discriminate”

“I wish I could rank these separately. I’ve seen Chuck Harris for years and he is more kind, empathetic, understanding, and supportive than any practitioner I’ve ever seen. He has given us many options for care that meet our family where we are and has been a constant source of support for half a decade. I cannot recommend him enough. I’ve seen Katie Langley for years as well. She is intelligent, insightful, and has supported me through many transitions and difficult times. Her office has been one of my fiercest advocates to date. I adore my providers at HCCH. My children were supposed to work with Sammi Silar under Dr. Austin Combs. We have struggled with school avoidance and refusal since Hurricane Helene (we were in the flood water up to our waists in our car, they’ve had a hard time thinking about it) and their father having two below knee amputations 4 years apart and the subsequent hospital admissions following that. After months of attempting to access school based therapy I was told today that they do not meet the attendance requirement of HCCH to work with them and that ‘trauma should not be dealt with at school’. I’m absolutely disgusted with the projection of responsibility to children who are seeing better tools to cope with the world around them. HCCH provides wonderful care for adults - the school based services they provide neglect the students who need them most based on arbitrary metrics ‘we have to be stingy with those spots’. Stingy, with therapy for my children. This is why parents get frustrated and feel defeated and unseen. Dr Combs I hope my children’s wellbeing is worth the miserly efforts in your scheduling. Watauga County Schools need a better provider that doesn’t rely on discriminatory metrics for students and parents with disabilities.”