Greenlake Primary Care

The insurance I had in 1990 didn't have my GP 'in network', and I had to find another provider. I found Dr. Starkebaum to be strange.She told me I had emphesema ( I was aware this), and told me they would make it very comfortable for me at the end........what!! \r I just kind of joked and said I guess I won't have to save for retirement. I knew right then there was something 'off' about her. You would use this kind of language if someone is in the late stages of an terminal illness.\r That night she called and left a message on my recorder stating that ""she hoped she hadn't scared me"". She did scare me...I went back to my old GP and paid out of pocket. \r By the way that was twenty-three years ago, and I'm still alive! Thank you Lord. more

I first went to see Mary in 1993. At my first appointment, she asked me all about myself, my medical history, my personal history and circumstances, and we talked at length about some of the issues that were problems at the time. I was very surprised at the amount of time that she spent and the level of personal attention she gave me. She spent more than an hour with me. She has been my doctor ever since and has given me the best care I've ever obtained from any medical professional. She is caring, compassionate, and sensitive. There have been a couple of times where we have not seen eye to eye and, to her credit, she listened and kept the dialogue open until we were able to resolve the issue. No other doctor would be willing even to have the conversation. Mary is a shining example of who and how the health care profession can be. I'm grateful to have her for my doctor and, I believe, my friend. Thank you, Mary. more

My son was extremely sick and several other doctors did not listen to my intuition that he was more ill than they thought. Dr. Graunke was the one that finally did and I am so thankful! A 2 week hospital stay at Children's and long-term out-patient care followed and Dr. Graunke was wonderful through all of it. She came to visit us several times while we were at the hospital and even appeared 30 min after us at the ER when a visit was required as out-patients. \r She was always on top of my son's medical care and regulary corresponded with his specialists at Children's before and after our admittance. She is a terrific, caring pediatrician who provides individual service to her patients. I have felt like doctors sometimes herd their patients through like cattle at big clinics, but the small, family-oriented practice she belongs to knows your name when you walk in the door. I have now moved away and Dr. Graunke has contacted us just to check on our son!\r I can't say enough nice things about her and the clinic staff. Their facility also has adult DRs and NPs so the whole family can be seen in one place. If you are looking for a medical facility I completely recommend Greenlake Primary Care. Pros: Small town service in the city more

Dr. Starkebaum is a great doctor and deserves a lot of praise however, compared to the new age system I feel as if she is a tad bit behind. Its nice to have a health provider that takes the time to hear your every complaint and feeling about your health. I am so screwed up and I feel as if she is really trying to help me figure my health issues out. The one thing that gets under my skin is the dictating at the medical appt. I totally don't have the time to hear the med appt all over again. Pros: Passionate about medicine, listens Cons: long waits, never any urgent care openings, more

I have been with this Doctor from about the time she opened her office. She is one of the most compassionate Physicians I have ever met. Her's are not the 10-15 minute appointments that most Doctors allot for each Patient. She gives about 30 minutes for each one, longer if that is what is needed. This can, of course, cause her schedule to run a little behind. I am rarely bothered by that as I always plan my day for the possibility of a longer appointment time. Plus, I know that when I am with her she will give as much time as my problem requires. Dr Starkebaum is very caring and compassionate. You can tell that she cares for her Patients. I always receive timely call backs with lab information, and general follow up from her. She has an excellent staff, most of which have been with her from the time I have been going there. I would recommend this office and Dr. Starkebaum to anyone who is in need of an excellent Physician. Pros: Takes time explaining things, Very caring, listens Cons: She takes her time with Patients, so she may run late. more

Leslie Vietmeier is a fantastic primary care provider. She is professional and extremely experienced, but also works hard to ensure that each interaction is tailored to the patient. As a former healthcare professional, it's important to me that my knowledge and experience are respected--but also that my provider is willing to ""step up"" and be the professional. Pros: Great quality care Cons: You have to take full financial responsibilty up front more

I have been seeing Dr. Starkebaum for a couple years now. She is absolutely wonderful. Not only an excellent doctor in technical terms, but her blend of professionalism and personal compassion goes way beyond my expectations. I always come away from my appointments feeling great, optimistic, invigorated. She gives me the information I need to make my own informed decisions. She works WITH me, not ON me. I just love her for that. I have not had any negative experience waiting to be seen or long periods in the waiting room. If I had though, I would view that as a very small price to pay for the best care I've received yet.\r \r We take my stepson, who is autistic, ADHD and immune-deficient, to Dr. Graunke who also has a wonderful doctor-patient rapport. It has been especially important to us to have a doctor who is good with special-needs children, and who will listen to and consider some of the idiosyncratic nuances of my stepsons health issues. Like Dr. Starkebaum, Dr. Graunke takes extra time to listen, TRULY listen, to our concerns.\r \r Finally, their entire staff takes a warm and compassionate approach with clientele. They are most professional and go above and beyond to be helpful, particularly in coordinating with medical care teams outside their office. \r \r I honestly can't say enough good about this group of care practitioners. more

I've been seeing Dr. Starkebaum as my primary care physician for four years. Prior to that I had spent about ten years looking for a good physician, one who cared about her/his patients, was truly knowledgeable, and one who was on my kind of intellectual 'wave-length.' Mary Starkebaum is one of those rare doctors who really care about and like being involved in medicine. Her knowledge about current trends, dangers and promising developments in the field is very refreshing, but she is also aware of many areas outside of the field of medicine and really reaches her patients in conversation during the lengthy periods of time she spends with them. Her long past experience in the area of gay & lesbian health issues is also a valuable asset. As a personal foot-note: any time I have been wrongheaded or in denial about an healthcare option, Dr, Starkebaum's no-bullshit approach quickly brought the important aspects of the subject to the fore. You will have to look a long way in Seattle to find a more well-rounded, dedicated, and effective primary physician than this.\r \r About her staff: This is a great support-staff. One gets the sense they are inspired and dedicated, and they do a very effective job. Their easy-going team-work and frank interaction with the doctor give the patient the sense that these are people who know what they're doing and enjoy doing it. Pros: Great doctor and staff, ample parking, easy access Cons: uninspired magazines in the waiting room... lol more

the best doc i have been to \r wish i could afford her though\r my state run insurance wasnt fast enough for the payments\r and i was sent into collection right away\r i think she just needs a good person that knows the ins and outs of the messy insurance industry\r more

It was my first time going to Mary as I needed a family physican in the area. The office is very easy to find and accessible. However, the doctor arrived about 30 minutes late. I noticed great reviews for her online, so I didn't really mind the wait. \r \r Dr. Starkebaum is definately a woman who is passionate about medecine and truly cares. She takes her time, she spent about 1.5 hours talking to me while also doing my annual. However, she is also one who has very strong viewpoints and it's hard for her to understand where you are coming from at times. I've been to doctors who are very open and understanding to what you are concerned about, whether or not they may agree. I don't really see that with Dr. Starkebaum, she has strong opinions about various things and wasn't very open to what I thought. I do believe she is extremely intelligent and truly caring. She is vary charming and charismatic. However, I felt as though she didn't really understand what I was concerned about primarily and I felt like I was being talked to by my mother in a way. I also had to wait about a month before I got my appointment. Hope this review helps. Pros: very caring, takes her time, intelligent, familiar with the medical community Cons: long wait, not very open to patient's concerns if they conflict with her own more

I completely understand why people were upset about the financial policy. Dr. Starkebaum became the the sole owner of this practice as of July 1st and the policy of paying up front (except your copay) is no longer in effect. I absolutely love Dr. Starkebaum. Pros: Dr. Starkebaum takes extra time at each appointment with you Cons: Because of the extra care, you may have to wait a little bit for your appt more

As a man living with HIV, I was skeptical at first towards Dr. Starkebaum. I had many pre-conceived notions about female doctors and a practice geared towards women. But, happily, none of my fears were realized. Mary is the best doctor I've ever had and I recommend her to all of my friends who need a compassionate and informed general practicioner. As long as I live in Seattle, I will be one of Mary's patients.\r \r Greenlake Primary Care has always accepted what ever insurance I've had and never had a problem with the charges. I'm frankly surprised at the criticisms of their financial policies as I can't see how any other office is any different. Health insurance is a fact of like and if you don't buy it your health costs will be high where ever you go. Pros: Makes you feel special in her care. Always friendly and pleasent to be with. Cons: Not on a tight appointment schedule. Allow extra time for office visits. more

She LISTENS!! She's compassionate....and VERY intelligent. Drop whomever you're seeing and go talk with her. :) Pros: Very flexible scheduling Cons: It's Greenlake so sometimes parking can be a bummer. more

Yes, I understand Freya's point about paying up front. If you have good insurance though, this is absolutely the best place in town to get care for you and your kids. I can't say enough great things about the office, especially Leslie Vietmeier, a nurse practitioner that works from this clinic. more

Do not even think about going to this establishment unless you have lots of money. Their financial policy is such that they expect you to pay for all services up front. They require down payments on any procedures and are completely unwilling to work with patients who might not be financially stable and need to work out a payment plan. Their answer to a payment plan is to use a credit card. I have never heard of such practice--outside of dental work. I was not warned that this would be the case. I waited a month for an appointment and it wasn't until the paperwork arrived in the mail yesterday that I was informed of this practice. Greenlake Place treats their patients like they are criminals who can't be trusted to pay their bills. more