Gerald T Bowns, MD

I have gone here for years and now am physically disabled so I cannot transfer to the doctor's chair. They simply push that chair back so I can remain in my wheelchair, but on my recent visit it seemed to be an "off" day all around. I hadn't been contacted in 2 and 1/2 years to have a checkup, had to do that myself ( I was told they reorganized the office) and when my caregiver and I arrived for the appointment there was no greeting from the office staff.....one lady by the window at a computer and another lady coming to her. No greeting or comment on our presence, no one else in the waiting room. We filled out the appointment information, waited a few minutes, finally some chatter and were called in.

The gal tried to position the wheelchair at an open station to check my prescription, but I was physically unable to do this, so then I went to the waiting area for the doctor, who walked back and forth several times as they finished up with another patient and then deliberated at length about how they were going to put me in the exam room. Lots of waiting time passed although they weren't that busy. There was a lot of wait time even before my eyes were dilated. I don't know what the problem was about moving the regular chair, but that seemed to be the major problem. I felt very uncomfortable! Surely I am not the only disabled person with vision problems!

I was referred to this dr by my pediatrician who I love, but I wasn't happy with my experience. I took my then about 11-month-old in b/c I knew she had a lazy eye. The appointment took forever. 2 or 3 hours with dilation. OK, that seems to be the norm. However, my girl had missed her nap, was fussy when the dr finally saw her, and he spent maybe a minute looking at her. He declared there was nothing wrong but she was near sighted. When I doubted him, b/c I've seen her lazy eye, he said "You shouldn't want her to have it." Duh! What mother wishes this upon her child? So I left, knowing I'd have to go see someone else b/c a mom always knows when something isn't right with her child. And, yes, I saw a different dr. And, yes, she has a lazy eye. And, no, I'm not happy about it.

My experience was very similar to the previous reviewer. 2 1/2 hours at the office, and the doctor only spent a max of 3 minutes with my daughter. He did not conduct any of the basic exams that normally are done at an initial eye appt. He did not check her periferal vision, did not test eye pressure (glaucoma), did not even take a light and look in her eyes. I mentioned she may have trouble reading - he did not even check that. He only checked her distance vision, and then he only had had her read 1 line of the eye chart with both eyes open, and said she looked fine. (even though there were 4 letters on the line and she got 2 of them wrong). When I stated that her pediatrician recommended glasses, he then said - okay - put her in front of a refractor, and flipped the lenses only twice for each eye. He seemed to be completely uninterested. Then he wrote a prescription for glasses, but went back and forth as to whether she should even have glasses. I am making an appointment with another eye doctor for my daughter today.
Dont waste your time or money on Dr. Bowns.