This doctor has terrible bedside manner and is not compassionate at all. I received a traumatic brain injury and he was one of the doctors I was sent to during my recovery. At one visit I remember him having me walk back and forth repeatedly even though walking made me dizzy and I kept losing my balance. He had me do this by an office desk and one of his office staff was watching and kept laughing. After he humiliated me enough he had me stop. He continued to treat me like I was fine even though I had a severe head injury and couldn’t even stay awake for an hour at a time. He wouldn’t help me with pain management and when I called explaining I was in dire pain he had his nurse direct me to go to the emergency room. I was told he said, “It shouldn’t still hurt so you should go have more scans.” Again, this was a traumatic brain injury. It has been years and I still get migraines. Pain throughout the rest of my life is very possible. This was just a few weeks after my injury was sustained. There are many more highly skilled neurosurgeons and neurologists in this area. Don’t feel this guy is the only one. You have other options and don’t have to settle for someone who won’t treat you right. I strongly recommend NOT going to this doctor. My experience was all negative. He spoke to me like I was an idiot, his staff was rude, he was rude, and his quality of care was sub par.

Submitted Jan. 8, 2018

I AM NOT SURE WHO YOU PEOPLE SAW, BUT THIS GUY RUINED MY HUSBANDS LIFE, OUR FIRST CLUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN WHEN HE WOULD ENTER THE ROOM AND HIS EYES WOULD BE ALMOST CLOSED AND RED. HE DID SURGERY ON MY HUSBAND AND THE VERY NEXT DAY WAS GONE, WE WERE TOLD HE WAS OFF ON A "MEDICAL LEAVE" YEAH IF YOU ARE ON A MEDICAL LEAVE YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS OPERATING ON A PERSON,, BUT HE DID JUST THE SAME, MY HUSBAND WAS SEEM BY SEVERAL DIFFERENT DOCTORS FROM THE OFFICE AND EACH ONE HAD A DIFFERENT IDEA, ONE HAD HIM PULL HIS LET UP TO HIS CHEST, WHICH TORE HIS INCISION APART CAUSING YET ANOTHER MESS LEADING US TO THE WOUND CARE CENTER, LATER THAT FALL WE WERE TOLD THAT DURING A STAFF MEETING THE GOOD DR. GOT UP AND SAID HE RESIGNED AND HE WALKED OUT. FOR MONTHS WE TRIED TO FING INFO AND KEPT HITTING BRICK WALLS, BECAUSE OF COURSE NO ONE WANTED TO PICK UP AFER HIS MESS AND OPEN THEM UP FOR THE LAWSUITE THAT I SWEAR ONE DAY I WILL MANAGE TO FIND A WAY TO FILE. MY HUSBAND USE TO DRIVE CROSS COUNTRY, NOW HE CAN;T WALK FROM THE FRONT OF OUR HOUSE TO THE BACK, AND HIS LIFE WAS PRETTY MUCH OVER AT61 WE HAD SO MANY PLANS AND DREAMS AND THE GOOD DR HERE PUT THE END TO ALL OF THEM. WHAT A JOKE. HE IS THE MOST WORTHLESS PERSON I HAVE EVER KNOWN AND SOMEDAY A VERY GOOD ATTORNEY WILL FIND THE ANSWERS TO HIS MEDICAL LEAVE AND WE WILL FINALLY HAVE THE ANSWER TO WHAT REALLY HAPPENED WITH MY HUSBANDS SURGERY. IF IT TAKES TILL THE DAY I DIE I WILL FIND THE ANSWERS. SO BE VERY SURE BEFORE YOU GO TO THIS GOOD DR.

Submitted Sept. 14, 2017

This Doc's office is a horror show. If you need records or films or insurance papers signed - good luck. The dragon running the show is Michelle, referred to above. Stall, ignore, excuses and delays for help filing insurance forms. NO help at all. When you are ill or in pain, the LAST thing you have the energy to deal with is paperwork. I felt like Michelle made it MY job to do HER work- and it wasn't pleasant. I finally had to get an attorney to get my own medical records for a second opinion out of this place. The delay caused me several more months of excruciating nerve pain. This woman has NO SOUL when it comes to dealing with people! Even tho Dr. Cockerill was my primary surgeon, she just refused to pass along messages or schedule followup appointments after surgery when I began having difficulties. Luckily, I have been seen by another Neurosurgeon who says it's lucky I got in to see him when I did or I could have been paralyzed. When did office staff begin practicing medicine???

Submitted April 19, 2010

Dr Cockerill is a very, very skilled neurosurgeon. He is quite technically competant in my experience. He performed a cervical spinal fusion with fixation and a graft on me in '08. He took on my work comp case that had been lingering for 10+ years in spite of their sh#%tty payment system and did the best he possibly could. I had been suffering (*understatement*) for a long time with neck, back and arm pain that conservative medical treatment had failed to touch. His surgery was technically superior - great alignment and fusion healing, but it failed to cure my radiating arm pain. He counselled me beforehand that this was a distinct possibility because of the severity of my injury. He encouraged me to try physical therapy post-op, and was very patient with me when I had difficulty. I appreciate that he stuck with me, and referred me to a pain management program at a local hospital. His office staff - especially Michelle, his work comp insurance biller is a wizard and a saint!

Submitted May 14, 2009

ok...so I could hardly walk into this office...the pain was horrific..had a lower lumbar surgery...screws placed into my spine ect. so now he ****es that I would want more pain meds because I am still in pain just about 85 % of my being! He does not even look you in the eyes when he talks but instead talks to the xrays that he flashes on the screen! not impressed and totally screwed til I get a 2nd opinion and probably will need another back surgery...thanks doc...I am sure you sleep well at night...pain free.

Submitted May 11, 2009

This man is a wonderful surgeon and overall human being. I was dx. with a brain tumor in '04.' His skill and knowledge was great. I left the hospital, in less than 72 hours, after a 4 hour surgery with 48 staples in my head, shocked that I had very little pain after all that I had been through. In fact, it was anticipated that I would be in ICU longer than that before being transferred to the neuro-ortho floor for an 'undetermined amount of time.' This man was a God-send. Besides the removal of my large tumor, he also took with him all of the depression that I had carried for over 7 yrs. with it. I no longer take tons of medications for 'mental illness,' as I never had it to begin with. Perhaps if the psychiatrists at Madison Center had listened to my family and took our family physicians advise 5 1/2 yrs. before the tumor was found, they could have spared our family much pain. They requested proof & our doctor suggested a CT scan. But, thank you, Dr. Cockerill. You are awesome!

Submitted April 25, 2008