Winterberry Family Medicine

Consistently unavailable for the patients that need them. The online booking portal could potentially be the most inefficient 'improvement' to a website I have seen. 8am is an extremely inconvenient time to call and make a same-day appointment. There is little care for the patient at this office. I hope all of the professionals leave this place and any existing patients realize they're fueling the fire of poor healthcare in our city. Potential future clients, go elsewhere. Your health is too important to entrust in this faculty.

What are your hours of business? I've been trying to call since 2: 40 with no indication on my number in line but it just playing music on repeat, it's now 3: 35 and it says I'm calling after hours? If your lines are open to 4 they should be open to 4, very frustrating.

We went there 5 yrs ago And Dr Zizzo walked in and said hi haven't seen you in a long time funny thing is that was my first visit never went back hubby did and all the nurses did was take his blood pressure, for 5yrs he saw Zizzo once now he is fighting lung cancer and likely had it a long time ago buyers beware this is how this place runs so angry!

Dr Taras is an amazing doctor. My name is Darryl. I have been a patient of dr Richard Zizzo since I was a child but now with him slowing down his practice, I was not sure who my doctor would be. I am so happy it is Dr Taras. He is so easy to talk to and so informative and makes things easy to understand. He makes you feel like he is your friend and doctor at the same time. I seriously thought he was like a hockey buddy just chatting. But at the same time he answers your questions and explains everything so clearly. I hope this is the direction medicine is going! I have read some of the negative reviews, and I also have not always had a great experience with a couple of the nurse practitioners as it relates to my skin (I think they are not there anymore) but I understand that no one is perfect so I won’t post any negative things because I can tell the practice is improving a lot by having people like Dr Taras there. I think everyone also needs to understand they are working on making things better and there has already been many improvements. For those of you that had a bad experience, maybe ask to see Dr Taras next time, and I think you will change your mind.

The nurse practitioners are great as are the reception team! About 5 years ago when we registered, this office was amazing and getting an appointment was relatively quick. Nowadays.they keep taking patients yet they can't even manage the ones they have.it's almost impossible to get a same day appointment or even an appointment within a few.what's the point of having a family doctor if you end up having to visit Urgent Care more then you can actually get in to see your family doc? They have some silly online booking system that is incredibly frustrating to navigate as you have to go through every single name before finding an appointment and don't expect to find one that isn't 3-5 weeks out. If you call the office for a same day, you are directed to the online booking that literally rarely had same day apts no matter what time of the day you look.

Also, twice now over a span of a few years, we were supposed to get a referral for our son (now 4 years old) and still haven't heard back.

A few years ago I would have highly recommended them but definitely not now. Which is a shame because most of their team are top notch.

Winterberry family medicine is a great doctors office. Dr. Raza, the nurses, and the reception staff are all very polite and welcoming to the office each and every time you visit or call. Highly recommend using this office for your doctor needs.

The most unreliable uncompassionate, doctors office I’ve ever been too, do yourself and your health a favour do not come to this doctors office they do not care, they will affect your health in such a negative way

The best Clinic ever, they know what they are doing, they provide the proper treatment, and they know who is the best specialist to refer you. They are very respectful between all the other doctors and specialists. I’m their patient for about 6 years myself and the rest of my family, and we are satisfied 100% with their services
Mohmet Nagy

I have been a patient for about 2 years and have no complaints. The model of a team with more than just doctors I think makes alot of sense. They seem to actively be trying to improve what they do with new staff, follow ups and patient outreach. The nurse practitioners I have seen have been great. Dr. Semenchenko is fantastic.

Winterberry Family medicine has been a very frustrating experience for me. There have been times where I have called during their REGULAR hours when they are supposed to be open to make an appointment and I get no response, or a long automated message explaining how they aren’t open. I was told by one of the receptionists to call early in the morning the next day because it’s impossible to make an appointment that isn’t sooner than 4 weeks ahead. I did what she told me and apparently they were “closed” according to their automated message. I even went on their website and their website clearly states that they are open. This has happened multiple times, to me and it’s really frustrating because I go out of my way to wake up early in the morning and I get no response. During the times that I have called and they ACTUALLY answered, I was out on a 25 minute hold. Apart from this the staff are very nice, but do not decide to join winterberry if you want a family doctor who is consistent.

Would be zero stars if possible. To many problems with this incompetent, unprofessional, uncaring, medical practice to even list. Save yourself time and go to a clinic where you will get to actually see a doctor and speak with a professional health care provider who actually cares about your health.

They never call you to let you know of tests that were done 3 months ago. I have an appointment to discuss results 4 months from when the results were completed. Just like alot of people have stated. Almost everytime I go in I talk to someone else. There’s no consistent nurse or NP that you follow up with. I was new to the area when I signed up and they had great reviews and now the rating has gone down.

I'm a patient. So is my husband. Save yourself frustration and feeling the most dismissed and disreguarded youve ever felt by a medical practice and don't make this office your primary care.
So far I've had more cancelled appointments than kept ones, they've canceled them. I've personally not been listened to at all for my care, which very nearly cost me referal to a specialist. Because they referred me to a specialist with the wrong reason for referral. Getting prescriptions renewed is a nightmare, a week, many calls and claims of oh we never got that. Over and over.
This place makes you feel like you are just a means for collecting a pay check from the government and nothing else.

I'm a patient there. I had just left a very frustrated negative review. It was about waiting over the holidays/weekend for blood work results that were mentioned in an out of office hours voicemail I could not respond to. I received a call back and a very empathetic apology for how that would make anyone feel. I received my results and am very reassured that my Dr. Does in fact care about his patients and the staff of Winterberry Family Medicine are helpful and cooperative. Thank you very much for making this right.

My experience with Winterberry has been horrible, frustrating and had an impact on my overall health. Their process has definitely led to small issues becoming larger health issues. I often find myself needing to turn to walk in clinics and the hospital for care. Care being the key word that’s missing from this family practice. Their processes are cumbersome and full of hiccups and mistakes, making appointments is nearly impossible and you’re rarely listened to or followed up with. If I could give zero stars I would. I’m actively looking for a new provider and have been for quite some time. Not an easy task these days…

When i started at this practice, I was on no medication but was just recently in a car accident. If you are living under a rock, emergencies and walk ins will not help with pain mgmt. You are told you will get no help unless you are with a family doctor.

I started with Dr. Steven Zizzo then (early 2018) and was very appreciative of the opportunity. I only really spoke to nurse practitioners though but was somewhat able to see the same one.

After the pandemic hit, this practice took on all the patients from his father that passed. Ever since then, the influx of patients has made it evenident that ongoing long term care seems unpredictable.

I spoke up once already and was told the patient care supervisor would assist me from that point on with Dr. Steven Zizzo's help. I never saw Zizzo again and was randomly told he is only doing the operations now and not seeing clients and that the patient care suppervisor was on leave.

The staff their are clearly trying their best with what they have but ongoing care seems imposible. I'm back again with no clear long term goals or care. I'm given random people to talk to everytime, going over my history again and again. Im at a pass now where i am looking for a new doctor as i do not feel safe anymore in this practices care. The last direction I was given ended in a hospital visit.

Previous patient.

I had multiple appointments across the span of over a year with a progressively worsening condition. The nurse practitioners (I never once got to speak to a doctor) did nothing to figure out the underlying cause, and instead, just kept suggesting the same few over-the-counter medications that weren't helping. I finally ended up just going to a walk in clinic to get a referral to a specialist.

On a separate occasion, I had just started a new prescription medication and was having concerning and worsening side effects for a few days (chest pain + loss of breath), so I phoned and was told that I couldn't get an appointment for over a month. I told them it was urgent, and they said the soonest I could speak to someone was the following Monday (it was Friday when I called).

Overall, I am really disappointed with the "healthcare" that they're providing here.

My wife has a severe breathing issue do to bronchitis. The doctor faxed in the prescription at 1PM today. When I went to go pick it up, over two hours later, I was told it hadn't been received. I went back to Winterberry and asked if they could provide me with a copy. They told me no, it had been faxed and it can take up to 48 to go through the print server. I explained that she cannot breathe and she needs the puffer asap. They were very rude and told me that it can take "UP TO" 48 hours and that it is not instant. I asked how do you do it instantly? Can you call it in? They said no, it has been faxed. I said, what is this? 1991? And she closed the window and told me to leave.

Horrible service! DO NOT GO HERE. My family and I will be going elsewhere for our medical needs.

No surprise Dr. Zizzo (s) has such terrible reviews. The process for accessing primary physician care is absolutely ridiculous and borders on neglect. You can never get an appointment booked ahead and are told to call in at office opening time for a "chance " of same day apt. Presently, I am still trying since mid november to acquire an accomodation letter for my employer which has to be filled out by Nov 25 (haha) by my MD per our union/ health and safety manager. I was told this could not be emailed to the office, filled out and faxed to the secure line NS must be in person apt (so that it can be billed for I would assume?)

I myself work as a nurse and do not have the ability to call in during the beginning of my shift when I am responsible for my own patient care. It is not a feasible way to run a practice and is, quite frankly lacks any compassion for working individuals. I should also mention Stephen Zizzo has been my MD for over 3 years and neither myself nor my 3 YO daughter in his care have ever met him or been assessed by him personally.
Do better. Figure out a better management of schedules at the office to allow access to primary care which everyone has a right to. I don't need to be reminded that there are shortages across the system- us nurses have actually been out there delivering hands on PATIENT CENTERED care throughout the pandemic. Denying simple care /requests pushes patients to use walk in /urgent care / ER inappropriately. Get it together!

Please do yourself a favour and do not use this practice as your primary care facility. It takes 2 weeks for them to fax in a prescription refill, even when you call every single day to remind them. This happens every single time I need to have something refilled. I was told by 3 different people that this request would be done same day. I am now 4 days without my medication and they could care less. This facility has way too many patients and not enough time to provide the necessary care for their patients. For the highest paid doctor in Ontario, you sure provide the worst service I have experienced.

Winterberry Family Medicine and Dr. Steven Zizzo have provided my family a low standard of care and poor service. They have made several inexcusable mistakes and oversights which have delayed medical treatment for members of my family. We are actively seeking another family doctor. I hope that this review will help you avoid making the same mistake that we did when we trusted Winterberry Family Medicine and Dr. Steven Zizzo.

The experience that i have had in the last couple of years has been a joke with this place, it took over 3 years to get me an appointment for my hearing aids and now I can't get them to refill my meds, my pharmacy sent a fax last Wednesday and still nothing (it's been back and forth over the phone for over a week) and by it's for my diabetes. Been with the zizzo family 40+ years but since moving to his nephew Steven who ive never meet yet it nothing but a problem.

Not so much a review but a question? I've submitted a New Patient Request online (under a different email address) in early January but have not received a response yet. Are you still accepting new patients? It seems to have taken a long time to get a response.

Edit: the office responded and I was able to get an appt

Clinic wanted me to give them an updated ohip number and they also wanted to know if I am still a patient with their office. Seeing as how I haven't been there in 4 years and the fact that they know that my number has expired makes me wonder why they want me to give them an updated number, I have a gut feeling that they were billing ohip for appointments that I wasn't there for. Pretty pathetic when your doctor's office doesn't even know if you are a patient. I saw their review rating online and they have a 2.6 out of four, that's kind of pushing it.

Absolutely the worst experience. I went there with my daughter. I was to have my 4th booster and my daughter was getting 2nd (we both had appointments). Arrived and found a very long line and disorganized office. People didn’t know who was next. Patients were being called after they had already been seen. Waited for 15-20min just to check in. After check-in I waited another 5 min before being told they no longer had paediatric doses and my daughter could not get her second dose (despite having an appointment). The staff behind the desk were not wearing masks. What seemed like a doctor walking around was also not wearing a masking. Avoid this place! Go anywhere else to get the vaccine! I was there over an hour. Complete nightmare.

Terrible experience. Booked an appointment for May 2022 a year ago in 2021. Got a call 2 days before the appointment that they are short staffed and cannot take me in. Extremely poor planning. Such information could be provided a few months prior vs. 2 days prior. I requested them that I am fortunate to be in good health but they need to prioritize high risk patients and reach out to them ahead of time not just 2 days before appointment. But did not get any commitment on their part to put effort on that end. They do not seem to care about the patients health. Seems like a refresh of Hippocratic oath may do this clinic some good.

Had a great experience at Winterberry getting my covid vaccine. They are not taking new patients and their waitlist is over a year long. Their website indicating they are taking new patients is outdated, don't waste your time waiting for a response like I did. It will not come.

Truly awful. I don't even know where to start. It's nearly impossible to get an appointment in a timely manner, and when you do it is assumed to be a phone appointment. They do everything they can to avoid in person appointments, acting as though it's completely unreasonable and inconvenient if you request one. I have had a handful of NPs that have been lovely, who do their best to provide quality care, but the bottom line is that it's obvious they take on far more patients than they can provide proper care for and you cannot trust that your health is of any importance at all at this clinic. I've had test results go completely unaddressed and ongoing issues undiagnosed despite my best efforts to advocate for myself and pursue answers. Today I finally had an in person appointment for my daughter that was supposed to be an annual check-up. The MD we had (whom I had never met or seen at the clinic before) was rushed and dismissive. As we were wrapping up I asked if he could set up a referral for an appointment with my daughter's allergist. I can't imagine that sending a referral would have taken longer than a minute or two. Instead, he said, "This consultation is over, Kristen. My next patient is waiting. You can discuss this at your next appointment. " before he turned his back to us and effectively made it clear that we were to leave. The appointment had been rushed from the start and had barely lasted fifteen minutes. I was baffled. I have never been so blatantly disrespected and brushed off by a medical "professional". I will be doing my best to find a new family doctor as soon as possible, and I advise any one looking for one to avoid this practice.

Never see Dr zizzo. Only see nurses and have to explain your whole life health over and over again to every new nurse you see. Waited 3 weeks for them to fax my pharmacist back with my prescription for depression pills, not a pill you can just stop taking. I should not have to wait 3 weeks! For a fax back for a prescription that I need to take every day. Dr zizzo doesn't know any of his patients information or health issues. Stop taking new patients when you can't focus on the ones you already have

Worst service. Trying for 4 days to get an appointment. Everyone calls at 8am. Who ever is lucky gets the few same day appointment. I ended up in the hospital. They don't care about you.zero stars if I could

Hello all, I would generally like to start by encouraging everyone to look elsewhere for family health care. I called the office on a Monday at 8AM to get a same day appointment. No luck after holding for some time because they are fully booked within the first 20 mins of opening their office. Next day, same thing. CAN NOT GET A SAME DAY APPOINTMENT AGAIN ON A TUESDAY AT 8AM. I finally booked an appointment on the online portal available for the same day, and I drive over to the office (I live 35 mins away). Only to be told that I booked with a nurse who is no longer working at the office. I asked to speak to an office manager only to be redirected to a private one-on-one discussion with a nurse. Absolutely disappointed, and thank you very much for the increase in stress Winterberry Family Medicine. Think twice.

Wish I could give this less stars. The people at this office has neglected my family for years. From Misdiagnosing my grandma's cancer as a cold sore to abandoning me for several months with zero care or follow up after admitting I was on the verge of suicide. These doctors are biased, bad at their jobs and constantly neglect their patients. Wouldn't recommend this place to anyone actually looking for care.

CRA has better service than Winterberry Medical. On March 14, I had a x-ray and called to have a review with the clinic. Winterberry said a call was make to my phone no without answered but I received no message or further following up. Next available appointment date will be in April. When people need a review of x-ray result and couldn't have it in 3-4 weeks time, shall it consider to ba a clinic ready to serve? Meantime 3 e-mail came in asking for phone call appointment regarding general medical check up. This clinic focus on making OHIP benefit rather than providing medical care.

0 stars if I could. It's a money factory not a med practice. The disorganization is verging on negligent. They keep taking more patients but can't manage the ones they have.
After 7 years of progressively worse incompetence I'm seeking a new family doctor asap.

Highly disappointing. Booked covid vaccine appointment for my daughter online. Got two confirmation emails including one day before the appointment. And the place was locked at the appointment time with no person to contact. Clinic needs to value other people’s time as well.

The staff are always nice and they have so much in house so they can get you help sooner than going through third party channels.

I felt like there are a few negative reviews here that are quite dramatic, and that people don't fully understand the strains on our healthcare system right now.
I have dealt with Tammie and Kevin (Nurse Practitioners), and both were attentive, knowledgeable, and most importantly, non-dismissive. If I NEEDED to speak to a physician, I genuinely believe they would refer me to do so - but at this point in time, I have more faith in them than most doctors I have dealt with over the years.

Sadly you don't have a "0" star option. My partner called 15 days in advance for a prescription renewal of his daily meds that no one bothered to send. Two follow up calls well in advance of his running out of daily medication.no action taken until he was 2 days without medication. I receive better healthcare without a family doctor.

Updated:
If you want to do vaccines, don’t waste your time here.
We’ve booked appointment for specific time, and still waited 1 hour in the line.

I’ve recognized that it maybe the line I was talking about in my original review was one-time issue. I missed my appointment that day because of line and delay, but I had another one for the other day and it actually went very smoothly.

Visited Winterberry to get my Autistic Niece Vaccinated and RPN Nina was the best. We tried 8 times prior at other facilities and was unsuccessful. Nina was so helpful, asked the questions to under the fear of what my niece was going through. Hand down I now have my new medical facility.
Thank you so very much Nina

Pre-made vaccines that are totally indedical and without any differentiation, are kept in kitchen plastic containers separated by towel paper with written on "Pfizer" "Moderna".
Not even in 3th world countries you will see that.

I really don't care much what vaccine I'm getting, but it would be nice to know for sure which one I got.

The human errors are possible with that "organization", especially when a nurse who is giving you the vaccine is mostly on her self phone.
Also, never send me the confirmation on my email, I called in and spent 25min on hold, the receptionist said she would send it.stil nothing

I am not often one to write reviews, but I felt it was important to voice our experiences with Winterberry Family Medicine to save other families the troubles we have endured for over 2 years. Similar to other reviews left here, we have not actually ever been able to see a doctor and dealing with the front administration staff has been a complete nightmare. They are not only inept at conducting simple tasks like booking patients, but they simply have no regard for their patients well-being. The poor service has gone so far as to approach malpractice and because of this, my son's health is worse off than it was when we began. We have spoken with Patient Experience Coordinator (Jennifer) multiple times, as many of the reviews here have suggested, but things have only gotten worse. I expect those referred to these coordinators had the same experience. I know finding family doctors can be difficult, but I urge you to refrain from settling for this practice.

UPDATE IN RESPONSE TO THE STAFF COMMENT:
I would strongly disagree that you "endeavor to provide the highest level of care at all times and always look for ways to improve". This is not only based on our experience but the MANY reviews here that echo ours. As I mentioned, we have spoken with Jennifer multiple times over the past two years and things have only become worse. I have nothing bad to say about Dr. Zizzo himself (as we have NEVER ACTUALLY SEEN HIM outside of the meet and greet). However, the front staff's treatment of patients (and medical information) has been nothing short of reprehensive. Further, the nurses have repeatedly failed to even manage simple tasks such as recording basic information or submitting forms, let alone handling a medical situation. As I previously stated, I am not looking for your office to resolve any personal issues on our account at this point, but I am simply posting this for current patients experiencing the same problems (and any potential patients looking for care). You do NOT need to, and you SHOULD NOT, accept this level of care for you or your family. Don't be fooled into waiting around and thinking it will change. Even if finding a new family can be challenging, it is well worth it!

Avoid. It’s not actually a doctors office, it’s run by medical assistants and nurse practitioners and chances are close to 100% you will never see a doctor. It doesn’t matter for what, you will be bounced around from one nurse practitioner to another. There is no continuity of care. They’ve designed their system to squeeze in as many patients as possible while grossly limiting doctor to patient interaction. It seems there is no concern high enough to ever warrant seeing or even having a discussion with a doctor about your issue. We have now been with them for 2 years and seen Dr. Stephen Zizzo exactly once (in the initial intake appointment). I would say, the system makes you feel like a number, but it’s much worse - it’s like you don’t even exist and no matter how much you speak up, no one listens or cares. Online portal is buggy and appointments are never available. Do yourself a favour and never get registered here for the health of your family. Literally any walk in clinic will do you better.

The doctors and nurses are not necessary the problem. The front staff is rude and unhelpful and literally hangs up on you if you get upset with this poor service they give you. I think the doctors need to get pretend patients to call so they can experience it themselve I would give them zero Stars if I could.

I’ve been a patient at this practice for some time now and it’s gone downhill fast. I have tried all week to get a same day appointment for a brutal cough (I am not going to the friggin ER for that and clog them up) and every time I call right at 8am it’s either busy or by the time I get through (15 mins later.) all the appointments are booked. How are we supposed to get care? Brutal. Must be too many patients for their capacity it seems.shame.

Changed our family doctor a year and a half ago due to the retirement of our doctor.
Best thing that could of happened, did. We have had tests done that we would never have thought of. All in accordance with our age and gender. Even though our family doctor was good he wasn’t thorough.
Amazing staff and knowledgeable practitioners that stay in touch with us has reaffirmed our faith in the medical field. Through this time of stress and viruses they are informative and compassionate. Special thanks should go out to Tammy. One of their practitioners.

AVOID THIS PRACTICE!
Our experience here has gone downhill very quickly. My husband has been trying for WEEKS to get an appt just to renew a regular prescription. Every time he calls is told there are no appointments and just keep calling back indefinitely. This has now become medical neglect as he needs this medication to function. Please please please do not consider becoming a patient here.

I have tried to call 3 times to cancel an appointment on December 3 2021for a covid booster shot at 5: 00 pm. After waiting 10 minutes each time I was hung up on each time when someone said hello. Now I just wont show up

If you actually like seeing your doctor and not a nurse this is not the place for you. I have been in many times and have only seen DR. Steven Zizzo ONCE, on my first consultation. They care about the OHIP Money more than you. I am currently looking for a new Dr.

Don't except to get an appt in advance within a reasonable time frame. One recent example is when we we tried to book TB test dates for my son starting new employment. All that they could offer was 6 weeks out to accommodate the injection and then the read test 3 days later. They expected us to call every morning for one of those same day appts to get this done. Not everyone is free to sit on hold for a hour daily and to visit a doctor, or can just take time off like that (2x in a week 2 weeks in a row), especially in a new job. Some people need to plan this time off.

If they send you for blood work or a urine culture it takes over 1-2 weeks for them to give you the result and treatment (antibiotics) if any (even though I see in my end through the labs website the results posted the day after I was in). Or if the blood work comes back normal they call and say we need to make an appt to review your results. It's a money grab. I work with many doctors and all of them agree you only call to bring in a patient when there is an abnormal result.
More recent I tried to make an appt for my 17 year old, I was told I need his consent for that? He has a few specialist we see and never have any of them pulled that. Once he's 18 I get that but i right now he's only 17.6
Finally wait room times go from 5 mins to 3 hours (despite not a single other pt there waiting).

Impossible to get a hold of, never gets back to you within a reasonable amount of time. Too many patients resulting in poor patient care.

To be honest, this family medical practice makes me feel like little more than a number for them to report to get paid by OHIP.

In the 3 years that I've been with them, I've seen my actual doctor *once*. It takes months to make an appointment. We have way better luck going to the walk-in clinic.

During the pandemic, staff have missed 3 appointments. When they apologize and try to reschedule, the next appointment I can get is a month away. Today, staff missed my appointment and the reason I was given was that they were busy "doing research". To me that sounds like a game of golf or a long weekend at the cottage.

At every other family doctor I've ever had, every time I had an appointment, I saw my *actual doctor*. I get that nurse practitioners are really great, but occasionally I expect to see the doctor too.

UPDATE: Yet again.really disappointed with this office. Mainly because they appear to be tripping over their own feet / information systems / policies. I received my first COVID-19 dose at this office several weeks ago. Only a week later, I began receiving an onslaught of emails from Winterberry Medical prompting me to book my second COVID-19 dose online. I did not do so because the mandatory 8-week period recommended by the province had not expired. The emails kept happening for weeks. I mentioned this to my wife a couple of times. "they *did* give me my first shot, so they *should* know that I can't book yet, right? " Eventually, Winterberry Medical called me and asked me if I would be able to come in for a dose on June 24th. I said I would love to, but explained that it had not been 8 weeks. They said on the telephone that was fine and I could come in anyway. So I booked it! So today I arrived and waited for about 1/2 hour because they were behind schedule. Then, finally, when they brought up my information, another staff member told me that I was not eligible to get my vaccine today. I explained how that's what I also thought but that someone from their office had booked me in spite of knowing that information. So yeah, bit of a waste of my afternoon, and now I will likely have to wait significantly longer than I should have because I assumed that I would actually be receiving my 2nd COVID-19 dose at the appointment that they booked for me!

It's frustrating. If you become a patient at this practise you will be frustrated regularly.

Excellent experience. The staff were very friendly and relaxed even though there were so many people to get their vaccine, they handle it very efficiently.

My boyfriend and I went to get our covid vaccine together. The lady giving me the shot is a great conversationalist. While she's giving me the shot, shes telling me about a highschool teen whose over 6ft.tall and loves football requesting his mom to be in the room while he's getting it. And afterwards asking to be taken out for icecream The lady's a professional and i hope I get her again for my second round shot

Most of the time it's okay. I waited 2 hours to get my COVID vaccine even though I had an appointment. They have filled out some of my paperwork incorrectly so I had to go back and ask them to fix it.

The NP and Nutritionist I work with are great.but the fact that during the global pandemic they won't fax forms to fill out and require you to come in is ridiculous.

It's dumb at best and negligent at worst.

Update June 11: Thank You Patient Experience person for the call today.

You wasted my time. I told you about how my mental health issues and anxiety. I had two panic attacks one at your office because I was worried about being on medication again. Then another on the way home concerned that I both had to be on medication again against my better judgement, but you convinced me, and that I would have to leave the house again. Took me all day to get my anxiety in check again just to be outside. I did though, but then you failed to send in my prescription or sent it to the wrong place or lied. So why would I trust you going forward. This isn't the first time though this practice has wasted my time. There is a reason why I haven't returned for three years.

Edit June 10: Adding making appointments without consulting the patient first to the list. An appointment with a specialist that would have incurred a financial penalty that I would not be able to pay had I missed it. An appointment I never asked for.

And why is it you can never get to see a doctor here.

I don't recommend Winterberry as we were very disappointed in the general running of this office.

The main problem is the system they have in place for booking appointments. They start accepting calls once they open, & have a select number of same-day appointments available - typical of a doctor’s office - but it's impossible to obtain one if you need it. You can call precisely when the office opens & you'll be placed on hold for 25 minutes. When you finally speak to someone, all same-day appointments are gone & you're offered an appointment for 2-5 weeks out.

We didn't really like Dr. Richard Zizzo as we found his behavior sometimes unprofessional - he once called my husband crazy for feeling anxiety - but we stayed as it's so difficult to find a doctor accepting new patients. We left when his office couldn't help us with a serious issue:

We traveled to Mexico and contracted what we thought was traveler's diarrhea. My husband & I were both very ill when flying home, with abdominal pain & vomiting along with the diarrhea. Once landing in Canada, I drove us to Emerg at St. Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton. They took blood & stool samples from each of us for testing, & gave us each antibiotics as a precaution. Hamilton Public Health then contacted us advising we both tested positive for STEC Ecoli & to make appointments with our GP asap. When I called Winterberry, we were advised they could not see us for a week, despite Public Health urging us to see our doctor sooner. When I updated the woman at Public Health, she took it upon herself to call Winterberry on our behalf to see if Dr. Zizzo, or an alternate doctor, could do a phone consult with us. They would not oblige. The Public Health worker also said the office staff was very rude to her & she’s never dealt with a more unpleasant medical staff. We went back to the hospital where we were tested, & the doctor consulted with the Infectious Diseases Centre. We were told to wait out the symptoms, staying hydrated, & to make an appointment with our doctor in 7-14 days to check our kidney function, as antibiotics mixed with Ecoli could lead to HAUS and have damaging effects on the kidneys.

I called Winterberry & was told they do not have any available times within that time frame & our best bet was to make a same-day appointment. I continuously tried but all same-day appointments were gone by the time I spoke to someone. On the 14th day, I managed to speak to staff & they had 1 spot left for a same-day appointment, but only 1 patient could take it. I explained that we didn’t need to take up Dr. Zizzo’s time, we just needed him to give us requisition forms for blood work for testing. She put us on hold to speak to her co-workers & when she returned on the line, repeated 1 patient per appointment. I asked for my husband to take it. She then told me that while we were on hold, someone else took that same-day appointment & it was no longer available. That’s when I got on the phone looking for a new doctor.

One facility advised they weren’t accepting new patients but they operate a walk-in clinic on weekends & that they could accommodate us then (Saturday was the next day). That receptionist was also shocked to hear that our doctor would not see us as usually an office will make time for a patient with something serious, especially if Public Health is involved.

The Public Health worker was still following up with us & advised she had tried faxing our records to Winterberry but they were again rude, explaining how a fax machine works and that it’s not instantaneous - but she had sent our records multiple times and had received confirmations they were received. As she was having very little success dealing with the Winterberry staff, she offered to deliver our results directly to our doorstep that day. She did not have to do that but clearly empathized with us considering how difficult our doctor’s office was being.

We’ve since found a new doctor’s office and we’re very happy with it! Never again Winterberry!

Not so much a review but a question? I've submitted a New Patient Request online (under a different email address) in early January but have not received a response yet. Are you still accepting new patients? It seems to have taken a long time to get a response.

Edit to respond: I did call to inquire about being on the waitlist and was told to register online.so I am not certain what to do now!

I'm not sure where the negative reviews are coming from. I have no issues booking appointments and have found all the staff to be pleasant.

The Nurse Practitioners I've seen are knowledgeable and always review their information with Dr Steven before I leave.

I don't need to see the doctor face to face for a standard checkup, or standard procedures, his time is better spent dealing with other patients in cases like this.

Winterberry, by only allowing new patients to register online, you are violating accessibility to vulnerable populations who: are visually impaired, do not have access to Internet, do or do not have access to a computer. Your secretary confirmed this is the only way to register. At a minimum, AODA standards are violated. These restrictions you impose on accessing rightful healthcare in Ontario is appalling.

Dr. Steven Zizzo is amazingly efficient, open minded, up to date on healthcare and medicine and has the best team to help facilitate the various services he offers as my family physician. Since switching to his office, I finally feel comfortable making an appointment. I know as a patient of Dr. Zizzo, I will be heard, my issues will be addressed in a timely manner and I will not be given a quick fix or a pill to remedy any situation. Further to that, they will look at the big picture and proactively take measures before further problems occur or manifest themselves. I feel at ease knowing no matter what team member welcomes me, I will be treated in a timely and respectful manner. I also appreciate that Dr. Zizzo will take the time, in person or virtually (which is really cool) to over see their recommendations to ensure that I am comfortable and happy. Thank you Dr. Zizzo and staff for making my transition to your office these last 6 months a very welcoming and satisfying experience.

I have been seeing Dr Steven before having my daughter. This clinic is very different compare to my last family doctor as they run as a team. There are Nurse practitioner that see patients. They can answer most of the questions and if needed, will consult Dr. Steven.

Pros: 1) I am able to book same day appointments if I call in the morning. Not something I can do with my previous doctor as their schedule is full and you can't see them until 2-3 days later. 2) Staff are all very knowledgeable and friendly 3) The clinic is clean and modern, with enough parking spaces outside. You don't have to worry about parking on the street.

Cons: 1) Their phone hours are very short. Sometimes I forgot to call and I have to wait to call at the next time slot. Some days they only takes call in the morning and that's it. 2) When you do call first thing in the morning, do prepare to wait on the line as their call volume is very high. 3) It's very unlikely to deal with the same person there due to their different schedule.

Improvement: I would like to see that they have longer phone hours and possible improvement on the telehealth system (video call with the doctor, as their connection often freezes and lags)

We have been with Dr. Steven Zizzo for about 5 years now. And don’t have any negative comments. We always been received when needed and referred to specialists depending on the situation. My pregnancy control during and after the baby was born has been excellent. We are very happy with this clinic. Nurses see you and communicate with the Dr every time while you go to your appointment. It will be impossible for the Dr. To do all the work every day that’s why nurses are there to support and they are very professional. The clinic is clean and neat. Staff is busy but nice and helpful. Waiting times are fair and I think it is the same or worst in other clinics.

Dr S. Zizzo give my baby wrong vaccines. The nurse Mellisa run out after that and the doctor did not speak and did not check my baby after all that happened.

I have been with Dr. Steven since March and have waited to review. I have found nothing but timely professionalism from all staff onsite. I don't understand the discord about this practice or this team. Everything at our intake appointment was explained on how this practice was run "as a team" of professionals. We waited to be included in this practice during my pregnancy, delaying some important steps because of our confidence on how it was run! All of our hopes and expectations have been more than met and exceeded. The care and consideration of this team is one of the best experiences we have had with a family practitioner! Attentive and intuitive has been our experience and we cant wait to add our little bundle to this practice! The grass is greener at this practice! Well worth the wait and the switch!

Not sure.where all the bad reviews are coming from, the staff are great in my experience, polite, professional and friendly.

This is absolutely the most ignorant, unprofessional, and disrespectful, medical facility, I have ever been to. The staff are so rude, not very knowledgeable, and literally will bully you over the phone. My phone has a recording app, and I will sure be giving copies to the college of Doctors.

I usually don't have a problem but now I've called 3 times in a row and each time it sounds like music plays for less then a second, before maybe someone answers and immediately transfers me to some other line then it says "voicemail has been disabled for this extension", the line goes dead and hangs up, like what? I need to make an appointment for Monday and I need to call now to get that ready, it's pretty important

Unprofessional. Skypes the patient without even seeing them.
Office staff are extremely rude and hang up the phone on you.
Good luck trying to make an appointment.

Unprofessional. Avoid like the plague

I have been a patient of Dr. Stephen Zizzo for a couple of years and my entire family is as well (kids and grandkids), at first it was great. There was evening appointments which is actually why I started to go there in the first place. All the staff was helpful and it make it a place for me to recommend to all my kids for my grandkids. But now it is a different story, you wait for 30 mins or more to get through to the office, get told there are no same day appointments (which I don't want), but call back tomorrow for another same day appointment. If you want a real appointment it is 3-4 weeks away. I am so done with this office. I work out of town and can't go to work, wait on the line for 30 mins to get a hold of someone to turn around and go back to Hamilton for a same day appointment. What happened to the days of regular doctors appointments so that you can plan your schedule. Well, time to look for a new doc that does take appointments, and were I go and am sure some of the kids will follow. Too bad, because I liked Dr. Steve, just the service is not there anymore.

Update: I was contacted by the office and was given the opportunity to speak with someone regarding my concerns. Thank you so much Dr Zizzo's Office for giving me a chance to speak and hopefully we can move forward to a better understanding. I will continue on with them and see if they can indeed change.

Never see the doctor! The staff are always so rude and they do hangup on me too! I'm getting a doctor that actually wants to see their patients!

Do NOT sign up with them. There is one doctor and he won't see you - you will be directed to other 'appropriate' staff depending on your appointment/condition. They say their lines open at 8: 30am but their call system doesn't take calls at this time; more like 10am.

I had an appointment and took the day off from work; they cancelled 2h within the appointment time and are not willing to re-book on a Saturday because they "don't do that kind of appointment on Saturdays". They will not make an exception or accommodation. They also do not do afternoon appointments.

I have only ever seen the doctor once who was very nice. However, the staff are very curt on the phone. Not impressed.

UPDATE: I called this morning to book an appointment to see the doctor and not a NP. I was given the run around once again. I was told the "office manager" would call me back.
I'm sorry, I have been a patient for 5 years or more and have only seen the doctor once. Everytime I have needed an appointment I have seen an NP. Never the same one twice. For continuity and consistency you should at the very least be able to see the same NP if a doctor is not going to see you.
I called just after 9 AM this morning and am still waiting to here from the office manager!
I think its short-sighted that you refer to patient care as customer service.

I originally wrote a review over a year ago, with no response until 2 days ago. To which your reply was that you can assure me that there have been changes. I don't see any change for the better.

Had I known from the onset that this is their business model where you never get to see the actual physician, I wouldn't have agreed to become a patient. I understand that NPs can diagnose and can prescribe medication, but if I am a patient of Dr. Zizzo, why can't I have an appointment with him.

Again I am feeling extremely frustrated and disappointed with how I was dealt with this morning!

I never have seen a worst hospitality and carelessness office in Canada. I am a mother of a son who was almost suspended for a certain vaccine, which was supposed to be taken in January 24 but had given the wrong vaccine. This lead me to drive down to Jackson Square and made me wait for hours just to take the right one. Another case happened a week ago with my husband, where he suffers pain in his leg and have been calling the office for an appointment but the response was to check next morning to call us for an appointment. When calling next morning, no one picks up or sometimes appointments are full, today he called however, secretary said system was down: (. One of most curcial situations happened a month ago, where my small daughter, a special need patient, had fever and her immune system was weak. We called over and over, but the response was odd for an emergency like that. Where the office offered us to call for the next day for an appointment.

Update* Once getting through, I was told I cannot have an appointment as my question was not of enough concern for them. ABSOLUTELY disgusting of a medical professional, that I am being refused to be seen. Can you give a medical professional less than one star? Most disgusting display of customer service even trying to create an appointment. One must call in day of to create appointment, but they don't actually pick up. Automated voice says you will be placed in cue, and then 30 seconds later, tries to transfer your call and hangs up. I have spent 45 minutes calling and being hung up on for 53 attempts.

Just got off the phone. I'm just a guy looking for a new family physician. The first available appointment they had was a month and a half away. That's an inappropriate wait time. If you have serious health issues, you won't be a priority here.

This clinic only does “same-day” appointments (unless you want to be booked in months in advance). Even when you call at 8: 30am when the phone lines open you won’t be able to get in. Not worth the hassle when you have children that need to see a doctor.