Sarasota Children's Clinic - Sarasota, Florida

Robyn

The doctors and nurse Brooke are great but I have to give them a lower score because the reception staff are the laziest and most incompetent girls I've ever dealt with at a doctors office. Kept my sick 2 year old waiting for over 45 minutes because THEY can't do their job and ask me for the right paperwork when I set my daughters appointment which I did in house while I was there with my son 2 days earlier!!!! I have to prove I'm my daughters mother even though I have set and came to all my daughters appointments in the past. I set my appointments early so I don't sit in a waiting room full of sick kids. But now here we are 45 minutes AFTER my appointment in a room full of sick kids.

m b

The worst office in the entire world. I rather bring my child to a third world country to be seen than deal with these incompetent people. They are liars. The old lady doctor she is a wacko and doesn’t even know what she’s talking about. The daughter is never around. You’ll rarely ever see your child’s doctor and you’ll be given a nurse instead. This place is horrible. And god forbid you decide what you want to give your child they try scolding you. Yea no thanks!

Iryna Kovalchuk

On the morning of 14/08/24, we brought our 4-year-old daughter, who was losing consciousness. The previous day she had diarrhea, but she was an active child, eating and drinking (apparently not enough). The next morning she woke up and was very weak. I was very scared and took her to the pediatrician, since it was not far from us. Along the way, the child lost consciousness and came to his senses again. Running into the office, all the doctors and nurses rushed to examine our daughter and provided her with the first necessary aid. Thanks to Lisa Ann Bernard, Corolla Fleener and all the staff! They acted very quickly and professionally. We sincerely thank and appreciate it! You saved our daughter ?

Olena Romanek

Dr. Barbara was very attentive and carefully examined my children. She noticed that my eldest daughter had lost weight and prescribed additional tests. I received competent answers to all my questions. At my request, she made an appointment for us to see a dermatologist for a consultation regarding moles. The children and I were pleased with the appointment.

Alaina Vargas

We have visited this office before seeing Dr. Barbara Fleener and had a really great experience. After recently moving back to Florida I was excited to have both of my children back in her office, however, this experience was horrible.

We saw Lisa Bernard despite my request for the appointment to be with Barbara Fleener. Lisa Bernard attempted to bully me into forcing my ten year old child to remove their pants for a physical despite my child nearly crying and not feeling comfortable. At no point in the beginning when I stated he was not removing them did she state that without him removing his pants the physical could not be completed. I can only assume she believed her multiple attempts to coerce he and I would be successful and instead continued to conduct the entire physical only to become frustrated at the end when I stood on my child’s body autonomy on this matter. She waited until the end to tell me rudely, “then this physical is incomplete”.

She also made it a point to say in front of my child, to me, that she only experiences a child’s discomfort when they’re subject to sexual trauma. Another words, accusing me or someone we trust of SA’ing our child? To the contrary, Lisa Bernard, I respect my child’s body autonomy and a physical can be completed without removing a ten year old’s pants if the child or parent declines. If YOU don’t, then stating that from the beginning would be appropriate and more constructive.

Aside from her and this experience, the staff is very friendly and polite. The office is clean and welcoming. And our experience with Barbara Fleener was NOT like this, so it may just be an isolated risk with Lisa Bernard.

Janette Brinson

My children have been with this office for several years now. Each time we came in, we would get a random draw of whichever Dr Fleener was available to see us (mother/daughter) or the NP.

In all my experiences through the years I felt like there was never a customized approach to my children’s healthcare. Oftentimes, we would get prescriptions for antibiotics contrary to not needing them to begin with (an illness being viral not bacterial)

In addition to this Dr Carola Fleener proved to be utterly disrespectful with the worst bedside manner I’ve ever experienced.

Most recently in an appointment, I voiced my opinion believing my child could benefit from a specialist due to a sensory disorder they have and she replied not only with 7 other specialists that were “a must” (I believe she gets a kickback from) but she had the audacity to say “you should be VERY careful who you disclose things to because DCF often is notified due to potential sexual abuse that could have possibly taken place”— can one be any more uncertain while making such a statement to a parent?

It left me feeling like she was threatening me .. until I realized there was genuinely nothing wrong on my end for that to be the case. The two have no correlation!

I was mortified thinking that sharing my child has a clear sensory disorder would warrant a verbal indirect threat versus guidance as a pediatrician and appropriate specialist.

Furthermore, understanding we homeschool she proved to be severely disrespectful by rolling her eyes any time I would make a comment about our preferred choices saying, “well of course you do this, (eyes rolling) you homeschool”,

Asking if my child has her disorder when she does sleepovers?, where I replied we do not do sleep overs and she commented, “of course you don’t do sleepovers (eyes rolling) you homeschool” — making me feel as if my decisions as a parent were not the right ones. This is when I realized we can no longer be apart of this office.

— I felt like she entirely placed her personal beliefs outside of her specialty of knowledge as a MEDICAL DOCTOR. She’s not a psychologist; she’s not a parenting expert, nor a dentist..and needs some major realizations..

News flash doc.. clearly this is not the only review making it entirely evident on how unprofessional and rude you are. I’ve considered staying with the office in hopes you retire but who knows when that will be. Get with the times, the outdated, old school mentality trying to push your agenda onto your patients all because you have a medical degree doesn’t lessen a parents knowledge of their child — it appears your level of entitlement makes you believe it’s ok to make patients feel inferior or unintelligent and it’s outright WRONG.

I’ll leave it there. Any new patients, be mindful of these negative aspects people are mentioning.

Maritza Lopez

Today I took my oldest daughter to her check up at Sarasota Children Clinic. They did a visual and hearing test which she past but she did not pass her shapes and colors. I know that sounds bad because she is 5 but she’s very shy. First the nurse was a bit condescending when she asked me about that and I told her she did know them but she was shy. As soon as the nurse left I asked my daughter and she told me the right colors and shapes; again she’s very shy with adults only.
Than her dr; DR. CAROLA FLEENER came in and asked me about schooling and I told her I was doing homeschooling and she was very rude saying “how could you homeschool with that & that at home too” pointing at my youngest kids. Mind you, they’ll be her patients tomorrow and how could a pediatric dr refer to kids as things? and you don’t even know our schedule at home or home life so why would you assume homeschooling is not a possibility? afterwards she asked about my sons age (3) and told me I needed to get him in prek and my daughter needed to go in regular school because they would be sooo behind and very antisocial. All while having a very sarcastic tone and belittling demeanor. At the end of our apt she asked if I need our apt forms for schooling and before I could answer she said “of course not because you’ll be HOMESCHOOLING” while rolling her eyes. After she left the room I heard her and the nurses talking about my daughter and I in the hallway. I was very disgusted with their attitude, I cancelled my other kids apt for tomorrow. She’s also very past her retired age.

NiChele Brown

I began taking my son to this office over 16 years ago, when I first moved to the area. Over the years, I’ve had two more babies and they’ve all seen Dr. Carola Fleener, the NP Lisa, and then Dr. Barbra Fleener(when she began practicing). My two youngest were both preemies, born at 26 & 28 weeks respectively. I love how thorough and knowledgeable everyone has been with providing excellent care for all three of my children. Dr. Carola Fleener is very straightforward and to the point and I LOVE that about her. I’ve always had a great experience no matter which provider cared for my children. This office, staff, and all medical providers are AMAZING.