Juan Montoya broke the story yesterday in El Rrun Rrun of a raid at 3702 Charmaine Lane, a home evidently owned by Dr. Alberto Almeida. An intern, formerly employed by Almeida, not Dr. Almeida himself, was evidently arrested in September and federal officials had obtained a warrant to search the home.
The story caught my attention because Dr. Almeida has been my PCP for at least 12 years.
Since there's no picture of Dr. Almeida online, I opted for the cowboy boots above to represent the physician since he wore them the first couple of years I went to his clinic on Los Ebanos Blvd and a picture is displayed prominently in his waiting room of the doctor riding a horse during Charro Days years ago.
Back then you could hear the clunk of boots as Dr. Almeida stomped from one examination room to the other and things got very loud as he approached the room where you waited.
In the last decade, whenever we've had a scheduled visit with Dr. Almeida, we've been seen by interns only.
Within the last year or so a young woman who identified herself as "Maria from Dr. Almeda's office" would call me about once a week to ask how I was doing, did I need medications, etc. I assumed Dr. Almeida was billing my insurance for this unrequested service.
Actually, I'd not actually seen Dr. Almeida personally in the last ten years until he popped his head in unexpectedly last month during my annual checkup.(He'd overheard Ana and I discussing with the intern the relative merits of the Baptist Medical Center and Valley Regional and popped in to give his two cents.)
I take full personal responsibility for continuing with Almeida despite being served by various interns through the years. Actually, I was satisfied with the care.
Ana's been after me to change to a doctor who would actually see me personally, but I keep procrastinating when I think of making the change.
In December 2020 it was Ana who rushed me to the emergency room resulting in triple bypass surgery.
I recall seeing on some billing that Dr. Almeida's attempt to attach his fees to the billing was denied. Actually, he did not visit me at the hospital nor did any of his interns.
Somehow, I wound up in the office of Dr. Edward McGlynn, a cardiologist associated with Dr. Jaime Silva.
I consider Dr. McGlynn extraordinary.
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| Dr. Mark Morales |
I have a similar view of Dr. Mark Morales, the flamboyant doctor who performed my bypass surgery and Dr. Ricardo Schwarcz, pulmonologist who was educated at the University of Buenos Aires.
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