Tower Health Medical Group Pain Management - Wyomissing - Pain Management in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania

“Significant Decline in Care, Diagnostic Failure, and Serious Concerns Over Staff Conduct. I have been a patient at this pain management practice for over ten years and was previously a strong advocate, recommending it highly. However, the quality of care has drastically declined over the past several months, resulting in both acute complications and resurfacing concerns about staff misconduct. Clinical Concerns (Rating: 1/5 Stars) My recent experience highlights a failure in specialized care and crisis management: Substandard Physician Care: Following a recent herniated disc diagnosis, a spinal epidural injection (10/29) severely worsened my pain. The physician responsible offered no meaningful follow-up or solution for the procedure-induced complication, instead repeatedly telling me to "go to the ER." This demonstrates a critical failure in managing patient crises and taking accountability for outcomes. Lack of Solutions: I have been consistently denied the comprehensive treatment options previously offered, creating the impression that my symptoms are not being fully heard or believed. Serious Concerns Regarding Staff Conduct and Diagnostic Bias The practice retains staff whose conduct is detrimental to patient well-being and diagnostic accuracy: Harmful Conduct by NP Susan Hodgkins: I must formally raise a severe complaint regarding Nurse Practitioner Susan Hodgkins. During a previous flare-up crisis, she treated me inefficiently and dismissively due to assumptions about my age and condition, making me feel judged and treated as if I were only seeking drugs. Crucially, I was later diagnosed with a herniated disc which ultimately required an ACDF surgery at age 31. Her negligent dismissal resulted in a delay of proper diagnosis and severe medical consequences. Unprofessional Communication: I also received recent written communication stating, "I have nothing else to offer," which is dismissive and unacceptable from a specialist clinic managing chronic pain, let alone who suggested the injection that worsened symptoms. The failures in physician follow-up, crisis management, and the retention of staff with known, potentially harmful conduct issues are unacceptable. I no longer recommend this office and am actively seeking care elsewhere due to grave concerns over patient safety, diagnostic diligence, and the consistent lack of appropriate specialized care considering this is a specialist practice.”

— Taylor Ashley

“Today May 27 2025, I went to an appointment with Susan Hodgkins, CRNP and an Abbott Company Spinal cord stimulator technician. My surgery was performed by Dr. Brian Lockhart MD a year ago for April 2024 but he no longer works for that office. Dr. Brian offered me a spinal cord stimulator due to a failed surgery in 2021 due to damage to the L4, L5 S1 disc and a herniated disc due to a work accident in 2016. Today I was seen by Susan Hodgkins. From the moment I entered the office, I noticed she was uncomfortable, sighing loudly, as if in a bad mood. She did not feel comfortable with my presence or that of my wife. She offered me medications and injections that did not work in the past, they only made me worse over the years. I asked for an MRI since my last fur was 2 years ago and she said no. She asked me about the pain medication, I told her that If you can raise the milligrams and she said no, ok, I took it normally since she is the Doctor, that's all I told her, but she wrote in the notes because I saw them in My Chart things that were not true, like that I refused to have the stimulator adjusted and that was not the case, the technician asked me if I wanted it adjusted or removed, I said to remove it because it did not help me, what they told me was that it would be 80% improvement and that I would take less pain medication or none at all, and it was not like that. The technician adjusted it 3 times after the surgery and it's been 1 year and if it doesn't work in 1 year, it is not necessary to keep trying, better to remove it. I told the technician, but Susan Hodgkins said that I was inflexible and that I wanted more painkillers and it is a total lie, when I was talking about the medication, I asked her if I could raise the milligrams, that's all I told her, I did not ask for more painkillers as she expressed herself and she only gave me one appointment for 3 months, I'm going to look for other options but they write bad things in their notes and then the other doctors ask for the record and see everything negative and they don't see all my suffering for 9 years if it weren't for the condition I wouldn't take any medication but be aware, investigate the doctors first before making an appointment”

— Georgie Cotto

“**** As of 2025 I'm giving the Wyo location a chance. 22 years of chronic pain, shots, failed neurostimulator surgery etc, let's see what options they present me with. Will update in June post appointment. Much more positive experience, wonderful experience actually! This was over 4 years ago @ the hospital location. Send you for MRI, EMG, you can have 7 plus herniated disc's, stinosis, sciatica, Dergenerative disc disease, fibromialgia, and if there's no nerve root compression on your MRI, or nerve damage shown on EMG (which only tests large muscle groups) you're dismissed, they "can't /won't" help. Why? Because I've already had injections and a failed Neurosmilulator implant surgery, so I won't make them any money. Absolutely adorable!! Almost 20 years of spine issues....don't waste your time if you get a referral, seriously!+l((NOT THIS OFFICE, IT'S BRIAN LOCKHART who judges everyone as not being in pain bc they're not in a wheelchair like him)) he's horrible! Get into a different office thru them! All he wanted to do was put me on methadone, yunm yeah no!!((this was all post pandemic, the one Dr had since left, who was very kind)that was at the actual hospital”

— Kristina Sin Barbuto

“Dr. Lockhart is amazing. I am so sad to see him go but I pray his future is grand. The whole team here is amazing. I look forward to working with Dr. Leah. Ive heard much good about her.”

— Cherokee Rose