I really do not know where to begin but this is what took place today, for I was asked by a very close family friend this morning to whom I think of as my own mother that is severely disabled and elderly to drive behind her a day before her actual appointment which would be tomorrow for her appointment at Dr. Ernst office so she would not get lost and to make sure everything was good to go without anything happening to her. Like a dry run so to speak.
I drove behind her in my vehicle and showed her the office when we arrived there and
parked our cars across the street from Dr. Ernst office, then she said she had to use the bathroom. She got out of her car and using two canes was struggling to make it up the sidewalk because of an incline in the cement and when we got to the front of the office building the walkway that leads up into the doorway of the building had a bigger incline to which she had a very difficult time making her way up into the doorway. As we got to the entrance door and I opened it for her another elderly lady who was waiting for her appointment helped me out with getting my friend into the lobby area of the office.
Then I took her to the bathroom and she asked me to see if she could be seen today and I said I would ask, then I went up to the desk and asked the lady there if she could be seen today since she was there and almost fell down a few times and the receptionist said goodness we wont turn you away, then she went in the back and asked Dr. Thomas Ernst if she could be seen today and he said nope I am going to lunch tell her to come back tomorrow for her appointment time. The receptionist then came back and told me and I said that is so sorry the he cannot do her toenails today for her and his lunch is more important then seeing an elderly disabled lady who struggled so much to where I then again said that this is so sorry for where is the so called dedicated to the patients he self proclaims he has going on? Also there is no ADA railings outside or no grab bars in the bathroom for any handicapped person to hold and grab onto to prevent them from falling or what ever. The one older lady who help me to get my elderly friend in there was sitting waiting to be seen and said she heard everything and said she will not be back and was so disgusted by what he said and turned her away for a lunch break instead to which is more important then a patient in my view. I had contacted the Detroit VA when I got back home and told the hospital administer about this situation and she too was very upset and said you got to be kidding me and I said no I am not. I asked her to never send a referral or anything for this Joker for I might get a toe cut off or something because it was getting close to lunch time. I even called my family doctor to which he is in the McLaren hospital network and told him about the situation and again he said I cannot believe what I am hearing, for I said believe it and I ask him also never to refer me to this guy no matter what, if I should ever need to be seen by a foot doctor and he said believe me I will not.
You cannot even get insured at your own house if you do not have at least one hand railing on the front or back porch.
Then as I was standing at the receptionists window I saw the lady who does the Xray’s going in and out to what looks like a cleaning closet to develop the Xray’s my goodness!! I guess the insurance money is to good and more important then people asking for help and not making your office more professional then it is right now and have been for some time!!! I just got a bad migraine out of this situation with this foot doctor and his office, for what a Joke. I can say this Doctor is not Veteran or disabled person friendly what so ever and what I wrote here today is the truth!!!
His office is not ADA compliant in any way!!! And this Grandfathered-in thing is no excuse what so ever as to why his office is old and out of date in and out of this building this doctor is working out of. Reminds me of a puppy mill!!
As we were heading very slowly back to her car this elderly couple came out from their appointment and told me they too will not be back here because they will be treated the same way as my elderly friend was today if they were to become disabled. I am personally scared to death to go there now for even myself after today’s experienced at that office and I had canceled the appointment there and made an appointment at another Podiatrists office for my severely disabled elderly friend of mine. When she did finally make it home and I got her into her house by wheel chair she began to cry and asked me why did he value his lunch time more then her and all I could say is that some people are so self centered and really do not give a darn about other people and I even apologized to her for this situation, for when I left her house I too was crying how she was turned away by this doctor and how she risked life and limb trying to get into that office

Submitted May 8, 2021

While waiting in the exam room I noticed rusty cans and the jars holding swabs etc were rusty and corroded. the table holding these items was rusty and dirty. The magnifying exam light was filthy and smeared with who knows what. Gross. I was in pain and made an early morning cal and was told to come in. When he saw me he said he couldn't help. When asked if his staff didn't know how to screen patients and he got irate told us to leave...words were exchanged, he flipped the bird while hiding behind his recptionist's desk.

Submitted Feb. 21, 2018