ARIZONA

FLAGSTAFF
Amy Clark, D.O.
	Beaver Street Family Practice
	(928) 774-7345 
	Self-referred.
	I practice HAES (health at every size) and focus on the
	patient's immediate concerns. I also believe that mental health
	is just as important as physical and that berating people for
	their bodies is poor medicine. I too have been a victim of fat
	shaming so I don't visit it on my patients. I am working on
	making the office fat-friendly too.

GLENDALE
West Olive Family Medicine Center
	6151 W. Olive Ste 5
	Glendale AZ 85302
	602-939-8618
	Both of the physicians (Drs. Linda Brown and Anne Gilbertson)
	and all of the nurses, assistants and staff have always been fat
	friendly. The waiting room has mostly couches and a few chairs
	without arms. All of the examining rooms have the large blood
	pressure cuffs.  The examining gowns are very roomy so that most
	people under 400 lbs should be able to get them closed. I don't
	object to being weighed, so I have never asked them to not weigh
	me. I don't think they would have a problem with it. My weight
	has never been an issue with my doctor. She's never brought it
	up; even when discussing an problem that many doctors would
	consider "weight related" she discussed it in terms of nutrition
	and exercise, rather than pounds or amount of fat on my body.
	NOV 99: There have been changes in some of the staff. Although
	the physicians' behavior towards patients is still fat friendly,
	they have redecorated the waiting room, and all the chairs have
	arms -- and they are narrow chairs! In addition, they no longer
	have the roomy gowns. I wear a size 18/20 and was unable to
	close the examination gown!

MESA
Cynthia G. Jordon, MD, General Practitioner
        3048 E. Baseline Road, Mesa, AZ 85204
        (480) 505-3276
        Even though I weigh over 300 pounds, Dr. Jordon has never
        mentioned my weight while treating me for my various problems.
        She is a great listener, explains everything in terms that you
        and I can understand and attempts to treat the person as a whole
        instead of just concentrating on one aspect. Just to give an
        example -- when she spoke with me about changing my diabetic
        medicine, she explained that this would help my blood sugar
        levels, but may add a few pounds in the process.  She asked if
        this was a concern for me.  When I expressed that I was willing
        to deal with these extra few pounds -- she was very supportive 
        of this.  Most doctors I've had would have jumped on the "You
        ought to be losing weight anyway" bandwagon. In 38 years I've
        never found another doctor as kind and supportive as she is.
	DISSENTING VIEW
	I could not have had an experience further from the one that
	they described.  When I told Dr. Jordan about some pins and
	needles in my feet, she first described a pinched nerve in my
	back. Then she said "You do know that you're overweight,' while
	circling my weight on the chart. (I understand that my wieght
	could be a factor in my symptoms, but her tone was very
	accusatory.) When I said that I knew, and that I was working on
	making improvements in my diet and exercise routine without
	regard to weight loss, she lectured me on lifestyle changes
	without asking about my current lifestyle. She told me all about
	the glycemic index, and that "obesity begets diabetes" as if
	this were information I had never heard of.  She then asked to
	take my blood pressure again since I had told her I sometimes
	have "white coat hypertension," and as she put the cuff on me
	she said I should look into a dermatologist because someone with
	skin like mine was "a magnet for melanoma." She then became very
	accusatory again and said, "Your blood pressure is even higher
	than when you came in here!" Gosh, couldn't have anything to do
	with telling me I was going to get diabetes and/or cancer! I
	told her again that I was not looking to use wieght loss as a
	measure of success with diet and exercise changes, because that
	was a road to failure for me. At that point she seemed to be
	supportive, but it was as if it were the first time a patient
	had said this to her.  

PHOENIX
David Arneson, NMD (Naturopathic Physician)
	PHOENIX OFFICE
	550 W. Indian School Road, Ste. 122
	Phoenix, Arizona 85013
	phone 602-234-1158
	fax 602-234-9691
	SCOTTSDALE OFFICE 
	10405 N Scottsdale RD, Suite 5
	Scottsdale, AZ
	480-596-3576
	docdave2003@msn.com
	Self-referred.
	SELF-REFERRAL:
	While I'm not overweight, I treat many patients who are. I also
	treat a number of patients that have ongoing chronic health
	problems due to gastric by-pass surgery. 
	PATIENT RECOMMENDATION:
	I e-mailed Dr. Dave after reading his entry on this list.  He
	responded with a phone call the next day.  I was quite direct
	about my needs and my desire to not be pressured to lose weight.
	He has been respectful of this (though he does do weight loss
	counseling and treatments). I have never been asked to weigh. I
	have never been told that whatever health problems I'm dealing
	with were a "result" or "caused" by my weight.  I have been
	encouraged to exercise and eat well without regard to weight
	loss. He and his colleagues accept that fat people can obtain
	good health. 
	       I have been receiving acupuncture treatments from
	his associate, Dr. Chad Goetz.  I have never had a more caring
	health care professional.  He seems to genuinely care about my
	health and well being and I count him as a friend.  I suffer
	from a chronic illness, so having a health care provider who is
	this competent and kind has made my life incredibly easier. 
	       A lot of people do not realize that a Naturopathic
	physician can prescribe medications, order medical tests, and
	make referrals in Arizona pretty much the same way a 
	regular physician can.  
	       I head right into the treatment room when I arrive. (They
	don't overbook the way many MDs do). 
	       I mentioned (okay, nagged) the lack of fat-friendly
       chairs several times. Upon moving into their new Scottsdale
       branch, they took the arms off of chairs in the waiting room!
	DISSENTING VIEW:
	 I was pushed to see the other doctor on staff about going on
	 the hCG diet, which is 500-calories a day and has been well
	 disavowed by the medical community as a safe or effective way
	 to lose weight. I have had my gallbladder out, and my previous
	 doctors have been really clear that extreme dieting like that
	 is dangerous, yet Dr. Arneson wasted no time in asking me if I
	 wanted to lose weight and telling me about hCG after I said
	 that I wasn't interested. He backed off, but not before he
	 muttered about how "touchy" people get when being asked if they
	 wanted to lose weight, and did not respond well when I told him
	 that I wasn't being touchy, I was advocating for my health and
	 wanted to be treated as a whole person, not just as a fat
	 person.	
	 There was no one at the front desk--later Dr. Arneson said the
	 volunteers who work the reception desk are never on time--and
	 no one responded when I called hello (Dr. Arneson wears
	 hearing aids, so I don't fault him for that). When Dr. Arneson
	 finally poked his head into the waiting room ten minutes later
	 he greeted me with "what's up?" in a disinterested manner and
	 didn't introduce himself to me or seem to remember that he had
	 a patient booked. 
	 The rest of visit with Dr. Arneson was conducted with the door
	 open. There was another patient down the hall, so much for
	 patient privacy. I got blood work done there, as they have an
	 outside company contracted to do it at a low price, and instead
	 of calling me the results on the day they said they would, I've
	 had to call them for the past three days and still can't get
	 the doctor on the phone, and he won't release the bloodwork
	 until he "signs off on it" but so far has failed to review it
	 despite saying that he will when I call.

Tamare Miller, MD
	Native Health Center 
	4520 North Central Avenue, Suite 620
	Phoenix, Arizona 85012
	phone (602) 279-5262
	fax (602) 279-5390
	This practice's waiting room has some chairs with only one arm,
	but no armless chairs.  However, they don't require weigh-ins
	every trip, unless it's been more than 6 months since they
	recorded a weight.  Dr. Miller became concerned at my rapid
	weight LOSS from Very Fat to Moderately Fat, demonstrating to me
	that the weigh-ins she DID request were to monitor rapid weight
	CHANGES, not just weight GAIN.  She doesn't decide that all your
	issues are related to your weight, but takes a look at the whole
	picture. She listens, and doesn't make faces or get that
	disgusted look. In fact, I was well treated by ALL the staff
	there.  I haven't met the other doctors at this practice, but
	with the overall tone of the place I think I'm going to like
	them as well.

SCOTTSDALE
David Arneson, NMD (Naturopathic Physician)
	10405 N Scottsdale RD, Suite 5
	Scottsdale, AZ
	480-596-3576
	Self-referred and patient referred. See main entry under Phoenix. Office has armless chairs.