Dr. Alexander Simotas, MD

I’ve worked in health care for over 25 years. I’ve known many excellent practitioners and periodically some poor ones. Dr Simotas falls under the category of bizarre. He contradicts himself from one visit to the next, his chart notes do not represent what actually took place in his office, he barely makes eye contact, and he is incredibly rude. Apparently when I responded to a question of his, I rolled my eyes (out of frustration). He did not give me a chance to respond verbally. Instead, he told me I was “disrespecting him”. Before I could respond again, he repeated that I was “disrespecting him”. This was absolutely not the case. He then said there was no longer a need to review the MRIs (He never reviewed them with me.). I wrote HSS a “grievance letter”. They responded and it sounded like he got a “slap on the hand”. This is a thumbnail sketch of my 2 visits with Dr Simotas. I do NOT want Dr Simotas or HSS to give a generic response to this review.

Staff was welcoming and kind. Dr. Simotas Zeroed in on my particular problem quickly and immediately got in front of my pain. He saved me from crippling lower back/ nerve pain. He is smart, attentive and current in all areas of treatment for his specialty. He’s honest and direct. I appreciate and respect that - he’s a 10 out of 10

I would say consistency is wonderful when it comes to Dr Simotas. I know I don't have a basic case which has pushed other doctors from helping me. Regardless of the difficulty he took the time to review my chart before he came into the my room to see me. He was patient and informed as he spoke to me discussing the best course of action for me to take. I appreciate his sincerity in how he is approaching my case and not rushing me and explaining my plan of care.

On my first visit Dr Simotas diagnosed my condition missed by five other specialists. He referred me to a rheumatologist to continue my care. I was super impressed with his conscientious care for patients and his expertise.

I saw Dr. Simotas in 2018-2019 for chronic neck pain. After clear X-Rays and MRIs, he concluded that my issue was "stress" related, "in my head" and suggested "I read a book." I spent hundreds of dollars on doctor's appointments and thousands on tests. Refusing to believe his diagnosis, I have seen many other doctors and have been diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome which will require surgery. Instead of claiming there was nothing wrong with me and it was in my head just because he couldn't come up with a diagnosis, he should have had the humility to recommend me to someone else who could help. A current 3.2 healthgrades rating shows I'm not the only one completely displeased with him. Could have saved me 1.5 years of pain and thousands of dollars in medical bills. Better yet, his office still keeps calling me for "unpaid" medical bills despite me sending bank statements because their system switched over and they can't seem to reconcile their paperwork. Do not go here.

I was not kept waiting and Dr Simotas was very patient and listened carefully to my issues with my back .

Dr Simotas is a very attentive physician. His demeanor, the time spent with me and my husband ( who came along for moral support), his review of my records, physical exam, and conservative recommendations for the future were outstanding. I am very grateful to have met this doctor.

I've seen Dr Simotas for over 10 years. He saved me from unnecessary, painful and traumatic surgery when I came to him for a second opinion on my back pain. He's sympathetic and a very thoughtful Dr. carefully investigating medical problems and coming up with carefully reasoned solutions. he can seem a bit detached but thats him thinking over the best solution to your medical problems. I would unreservedly recommend him as a completely asa physiatrist who has your best interests as his main goa

Have had the luck and pleasure of being under the care of Dr.Simotas.for a few years. I have a lot of back problems and am 82 years old. Luckily he is a wonderful doctor, is a big help to all my problems, and also amiable,patient and reassuring! Would not hesitate recommending him to my children, family and friends! YOU ARE IN GOOD HANDS WITH DR.SIMOTAS!!!!!

I would recommend Dr. Simotas 100%, I went to him with terrible sciatica. I went to several other doctors that could not help me, misdiagnosed me with more serious issues. He sat down with me and reviewed my MRI and actually showed me the issue. I walked away with a well rounded wellness program that included specific exercises and stretches. Within a week, the pain subsided. I am super grateful because other doctors recommended surgery etc.

Don't go to Dr. Simotas. I saw him several times over the course of 6 months. Not once did he ever remember why I was seeing him - even when he called me to report test results, he couldn't remember why I'd had the test & didn't bother checking my file - he just guessed, badly. With 2 exceptions, his staff were rude and unhelpful. He was dismissive, never explained anything, made me physically uncomfortable, & prescribed a drug that my gp warned me I shouldn't be taking.

I have been seeing Dr. Simotas for over a decade. First in 2006 was for a herniated disk that I injured skiing. he correctly diagnosed the problem, started with injections and PT then ultimately recommended one of his colleagues perform surgery. Within two months I had no pain and was playing tennis then skiing the next season. More recently I was experiencing bad shoulder pain which Dr. Simotas diagnosed as spinal stenosis after an MRI. He recommended PT which eventually helped. A great Doc.