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Report: #756871

Complaint Review: Dr. James Powers - New Port Richey Florida

  • Submitted:
  • Updated:
  • Reported By: Concerneddaughter — New Port Richey Florida United States of America
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  • Dr. James Powers 5413 US Hwy 19 North New Port Richey, Florida United States of America
  • Phone: (727) 738-5900
  • Web:
  • Category: Eye Care

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My mother was invited to attend and 'EDUCATIONAl SEMINAR' about Macular Degeneration she saw in the paper.  Instead of being educated she was LIED to and SCARED to death by an ARABIAN man named Peter Habib who claimed to be a Doctor during his representation which I later found out was the Doctor's brother pretending to be a DOCTOR to scare innocent people into getting un-needed injections into the eyes of senile, vunlerable, people like my mom.  She only said yes to schedule an appointment so that Peter Habib would leave her alone and after her appointment they sent her a bill for $ 680.00 sum dollars for 5 procedures they did that she doesn't even remember occured.

People like this are disgusting an should be put in prison its bad enough that the ederly are preyed upon by telemarketing people and sleezy salesman in stores, BUT freakin' healthcare people???  This is unbelievable that they would allow this to occur without Medicare coming in and looking at what they are doing.  Do not take your family member there unless you wanted to be treated like a money bag!   

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 07/26/2011 07:21 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/dr-james-powers/new-port-richey-florida-34652/dr-james-powers-healthy-vision-institute-un-needed-treatment-and-pushy-arabian-salesman-n-756871. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
0Author
7Consumer
2Employee/Owner

#9 General Comment

When there is smoke there is fire

AUTHOR: Sascha - (USA)

POSTED: Thursday, June 02, 2016

I have worked for places that choose not to pay their employees, and make their money by ripping off the public. I am not an employee, but as a person who was looking for an eye dr, I can tell you that after reading this, I will not be coming in. People need to realize that as we become a more enlightened society by means of the internet, people will judge you not on just what they see, or don't see, but by how you treat others. I want to see someone who is ethical, and not feel that I am ripped off.

I also need to know that my doctor (remember the oath you took when you graduated)? The patient is the most important thing, and I cannot and will not support a facility that encourages people to take advantage of their patients, (not just customers). Good luck finding perspective patients while running this type of place. I hate to think of your company working with the elderly in a care facilty.

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#8 Consumer Comment

Joyful experience

AUTHOR: Mores Smith - (USA)

POSTED: Monday, May 11, 2015

I am a patient of Dr.Powers and have been for over five pleasant years. I have been recieving treatment from Dr. Powers for a very long time and I have never witnessed any of these negative reports. 

It saddens me to see that people can badger such a wonderful Dr. based on a few misconceptions. Whenever I have an appointment with Dr. Powers I am treated with the utmost respect. He is a smart and humerous man who makes his patients feel at ease while recieving their treatments. 

Not only are many of these allegations false, but they are hurtful as well. Bad experiences and appointments do happen but I know that they are rare for me during my visits to Dr. Powers. 

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#7 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Healthy Vision/Peter Habib

AUTHOR: formeremployee123 - (United States of America)

POSTED: Saturday, March 24, 2012

Another ex-employee here

Things that I witnessed

Peter Habib either misrepresenting himself as a doctor or being intentionally vague about his qualifications

Scaring seniors to get them into the office for expensive and unneeded procedures not covered by their insurance or Medicare

Insurance fraud (false billing) and encouraging seniors to change providers so that they could receive care under Dr. Powers

Peter Habib berating and intimidating staff in front of patients

Forced and uncompensated overtime

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#6 General Comment

Response

AUTHOR: Anonymous - (United States of America)

POSTED: Thursday, August 18, 2011

I am really glad I saw you post today as I was about to go to this company for an interview tomorrow for a position as a Community Liason/Patient Educator.  I was rather upset when I read your blog as I have worked for people in the past that have tried to intimidate me to the point that I just wanted to walk out of the job; however I was strong enough to prevail and just deal with it as I had no choice I needed the job.  This was startling information and I have since changed my mind as I am actively looking for a position and have been unemployed for a year or so now.  I was really excited when Peter Habib invited me to come in tomorrow for an interview, however he did not respond to my e-mail confirming the time I had chosen.  Thank you for saving me from shear misery and preventing me from maybe entering into a position that would have had me working in excess of 40 hours a week (I also take online classes) so this would have definitely not worked for me.  Although I dealy would love to go back to work this has just taught me to be cautious and not take the first interview offer you find on Craigslist.com.

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#5 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Corrections

AUTHOR: Bigsmoke PH - (United States of America)

POSTED: Thursday, August 04, 2011

I want to start by saying that I think the allegations that a patient received unneeded care is particularly incorrect and untrue.  I know that Dr. Powers is a medical professional and keeps meticulous notes in each patient's chart showing need for the care that they are receiving.  The idea of a person's parent getting a shot in their eye to treat fluid pooling on their macula is scary thought, but unfortunately it is a very real condition that effects many people across the country.  Dr. Powers is good to his patients, and cares a great deal about them, I would say that he is a very good doctor.

However he is not a very good businessman, or a very good boss.  James Powers employs his brother to run the day to day operations of the clinic, and as mentioned in an above post, Healthy Vision is growing (not at the rate that Peter or Dr. Powers claim, at a much slower rate, that will be detailed in a later paragraph), however Healthy Vision will not grow much larger with Peter Habib trying to direct/negotiate business operations.  Peter, bluntly is a fool.  He has cost his brother more business deals than he has gotten him, and delays projects days, months and likely years because he cannot make a decision. Evidence of this is a commercial that was shot, to be aired sometime shortly thereafter on cable television targeted to Dr. Powers demographic, the commercial is still five minutes long, cost easily $10,000 dollars and has not yet aired.

Dr. Powers is interested in opening an assisted living facility, and I believe that he has had many meetings to discuss this matter with several people, however, he has lost the relationships with architects and builders simply because his brother believes that the only way to negotiate with someone is to be abrasive and completely insist on receiving a product for near to free.  Again, after purchasing a parcel of land and demolishing buildings on it, the lot still sits empty and unused. A half million dollars wasted, and a goal unrealized because his brother won't make a decision.

Dr. Powers is also several months behind on multiple bills because Peter Habib is in control of what gets paid- http://www.pascoclerk.com/public-courts-results-nc-case-info.asp?mdqs=c&tbqs=524411 that is a link to a lawsuit filed on Healthy Vision for a breach of contract due to unpaid bills.  James Powers name and business are being dragged through hell because his brother again decided to ensure that he would abuse someone just to ensure that his greedy hands are kept full of money.

Lastly, and perhaps most shamefully is the way that Dr. Powers treats many of his employees, some of who have been with him for an extraordinarily long period of time. A few years ago the Labor Department was notified that Dr. Powers and Peter Habib were in violation of the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act)- this act establishes a minimum wage and overtime rules for employees.  Dr. Powers was sited as being in violation of the FSLA because he did not pay his employees adequate overtime.  Resulting in some very large checks being cut.  To this day he is still in violation of the FLSA, he gives employees mock titles and tells them that they are executives, when they truly are not, he has employees sign job descriptions that list them as overtime exempt even though that one little phrase isn't qualification enough to deny someone overtime.  It's this abuse that is most blatant and the hardest to understand, especially when he has employees that have been with him for such a long period of time.

Healthy Vision has lost over 40 employees in the past 12 months because Dr. James Powers allows his brother to run the business operations, employees that put in honest and hard work, and yet because his brother uses intimidation, harassment, sexual harassment, berating remarks and threats, he has scared off a number of employees.  If Dr. Powers would like to see his business grow past the level of being a mom and pop medical shop selling gimmicks and curealls, then he needs to get rid of his brother as the man leading the way. 

Peter Habib, is a decent man, a good father, but he is a liar and scoundrel, a man that I wouldn't trust with potatoe gun let alone lucrative medical operation. He has lied about being a Dr. in the past as evidenced here (http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/PublicInquiry/ArrestInquiry/ViewArrest?id=06023405&k1=8ce211dc3fe42ed&k2=NjYxOTE4NDI2) note that his occupation is listed as ophthalmologist.

Dr. Powers, from employees that believed in you, and believe that your a good doctor, you should consider moving Peter out of your business operations and allow him to monitor something that doesn't involve your business.

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#4 Consumer Comment

ah NO

AUTHOR: Stacey - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, July 29, 2011

I would rather be kicked in the head by a drunk mule wearing a dress than attend one of these scam seminars.  You should be ashamed for using your "status" for monetary gain.

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#3 REBUTTAL Owner of company

WE WOULD like to INVITE EVERYONE to our Educational Seminars so you can see for yourself the truth

AUTHOR: A Patient - (United States of America)

POSTED: Friday, July 29, 2011

I wanted to set the records straight on our horrific blog about of our Medical practice. Healthy vision Institute has been doing educational Seminars for 7 years and have helped thousands of seniors and diabetics by providing proactive and preventative EYE CARE.

Peter Habib is our CEO since day one and these ridiculous alligations on claiming he is a doctor id NOT TRUE and SLANDER to our business and to Peter HAbib and his family. He happly invites everyone to our practices and experience the first class service we provide to all our patients.

Everyone of our patients have medicare or a medicare supplement and the allegations that we billed this "concerned daughter's" mother is HIGHLY unlikely. IF we made a mistake please contact our practice and we will correct this immediately and also explain with full document everything we did to help there mother.

This is the first and ONLY compliant we EVER had on our Seminars we have received hundreds of appreciation notes for helping new potential patient and zero complaints. I realize our practice is growing fast and this can cause some short term turnover and a few angry ex- employees. We apologize for any actions you felted wronged and would appreciate you stop the slander and defamtion of character immediately.

We hope if you are local in our area you will give us the opportunity to show you these claims are wrong and false accusations. Again we INVITE you to VISIT and experience the truth yourself.
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#2 REBUTTAL Owner of company

THESE HORRIBLE DEFYING RACIST REPORTS are FROM DISGRUNTLED EMPLoYEE- THIS is ABSURD FALSE

AUTHOR: A Patient - (United States of America)

POSTED: Thursday, July 28, 2011

Obviously these details are false and UGLY as you can get!!!!

We know they are coming from ex employees out for Vengence......PLEASE HAVE them REMOVED as you can see they are RACIST LIES

CLEARLY Healthy Vision gives Patient advocacy seminars to educate and give all these Seniors the opportunity to be proactive in there care.
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#1 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Blatently Unethical, Immoral and Unsanitary

AUTHOR: Former Employee - (United States of America)

POSTED: Thursday, July 28, 2011

As an employee I witnessed similar instances of Dr. (?) Peter Habib's misrepresentation. Although I worked there, I am still uncertain as to what Dr. Habib is a doctor of. Who is Dr. Powers for that matter? Peter Habib and James Powers are brothers. So is it Dr. James Habib AKA Dr. James Powers? It is rather difficult to figure out who the doctor is. Yesterday at noon, Peter or Dr. Habib or whoever he is, held a free educational seminar in New Port Richey to advise prospective patients, identical to what the ripoff report was filed based upon. Dr. James Powers had clinic in Dunedin at the same time. So who was giving this medical advice to prospective patients? Is he a doctor or not? Should he be giving medical advice? 

I can tell you first hand of how bad they take advantage of their employees. They force employees to work 20 or more hours a week in overtime, without compensation. There have been labor claims filed which the employees have prevailed just for the employee to be harrassed to a degree beyond belief. On my second day, I witnessed Dr. (?) Peter Habib verbally assault two female employees for not offering to carry his bag. Not reprimand, but yell and scream insulting and berrating them to tears and resignation, respectively. Know that I was not fired, I resigned today due to the hostile work environment. I needed that job, but I could not stand by and watch the way that Dr. Powers and Dr. Habib treat their employees, patients or prospective patients. For such a small practice of 1 or 2 doctors, depending on who you believe, they have had more than 38 employees come and go inside of the prior twelve months. 

The treatment of patients concerns me more than anything however. Since the day that I started through today, you won't find antibaterial pumps or sanitizing stations anywhere. Dr. Peter Habib told me that he did not like the way they look. The Technicians come to me and ask me for it but Dr. Peter Habib would not let me purchase them. This is the tip of the iceberg, some of the other risks concern me to much to blog them recklessly. 

Someone needs to investigate everything about this business. There is so much more that I know but I fear that giving specifics might somehow make me culpable. I left this company after less than four weeks. I had to, after the seminar yesterday I could not bring myself to participate in what only can be perceived as fraud. Speak with the employees for that matter, but have tissues standing by. It is like battered wife syndrome some of them just take it because they feel they have no choice. I for one feel no obligation to take the fall for what I have witnessed and been told to do. Contact me, I will gladly share details so long as I receive immunity.         



   

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