Richa Gupta, MD in Gulfport

I saw Dr. Gupta today for a new patient appointment. She was very thorough, and appreciated the timeline of my medical events over the past year I presented to her. This was one of the first specialists I’ve seen that hasn’t been dismissive of my signs and symptoms, and for that, I’m truly thankful. I have faith that she will help figure out what is going on with me medically.

I was referred because several doctors thought I had an autoimmune disease after pouring through my health history & labworks from the past decade. Dr. Gupta did her own lab work & concluded that since everything looked normal in hers, I don’t have anything wrong w/ me. This is a specialist I was driving 2hrs to see & she couldn’t tell me this over the phone or a virtual visit? She was late to my appointment & then basically just gave me a few sentences, telling me there was nothin she could do for me & left. So my primary care gave me instructions on how to care for myself because they know that I have something going on, even if the specialist isn’t willing to put in the work to formally diagnose it. If you look at all of my most recent & past labworks though, there most definitely IS something going on. It seems like she just didn’t care to take the time w/ me. What I have going on doesn’t need medications, it needs a lifestyle plan. It’s defeating. This has become a common issue w/ healthcare “providers” today. What makes it worse, is having to wait months to see a specialist, just for them to scoot you out their door w/o providing any answers. Every life matters. I think Dr. Gupta is probably a great person, but I’m very disappointed in the waste of time & money I spent for her to write my case off. I do not recommend her for this reason. They sent me a bill for $10, but I’ll keep that for all of the gas money & time I wasted.

I have never felt so dismissed in my life. Doctor is convinced there is nothing wrong with me- I’m just old and need to exercise more. She was very dismissive. She said all my panels are so normal and X-rays are so normal there is nothing more she can do for me. I am 43 years old. I have been on muscle relaxers for years, seen chiropractic care, and live on Tylenol.. She says I have the red face/rash and pain of lupus but the labs say no. No other things to look at or consider? No EDS, Fibromyalgia nothing? I just old. That’s all. I am so disheartened

My dr. Called in a referral and 2 weeks later no response.. I called and they said the lady that handles that was not in and to call back the next day, which I did and they said they would call me last Friday.. it is now Thursday and no response…I have since seen another rheumatologist..Remember , the doctor is only as good as their staff…

Memorial Health Care Rheumatologists...it's the office manager not the DR. I was never even able to make an appt. The lady answering the phones and the office manager, Susan (who refused to give her last name,) are playing some sort of perverse game of ‘I’m having a bad day and I’m going to take it out on our patients’. It was obvious this was just their usual routine. I have the office manager on tape and would love to send it to the Drs there. I’m sure they have no idea what the ladies running the office are doing. I moved here recently and needed to fine a new Rheumatologist and had read good reviews for Dr. Gupta. I called to make a new patient appt and was told before they could even schedule an appt that I needed a referral. I said fine and I’ll have my records sent at the same time. I asked if a referral was really needed since I’ve been diagnosed with RA for years and they would have all my records. The lady said yes. I got my records and a referral from my previous Dr asap to Dr Gupta’s office. Once my previous Dr’s office confirmed they had sent the referral and the records and they were received, I call to make my appt. Now the lady said she couldn’t make an appt until the referral was “processed”. I asked if they could check the ‘processing’ so I could make an appt and was told, ‘no, it’s a process’. I was very polite but persistent as I could tell the lady was having a bad day. I asked how would I know when it was ‘processed’. She told me I would need to call back and check. I asked her when and she said, “I don’t know”. At this point I could tell the lady was enjoying giving me a hard time. I told her I needed more than, ‘I don’t know’ at which point she became angry and said, “YOU CAN SPEAK TO MY MANAGER”. There was no dispute or open hostility at this point and I didn’t ask to speak to a manager. Before I could say, ‘that isn’t necessary”, she put me on hold mid-sentence. At this point I figured the office manager was probably her BFF. Then Susan, said office manager, came to the phone and immediately started berating me saying she heard the whole conversation as she was standing right there. I told her she only heard one side of the conversation which should have been enough to at least make her somewhat apologetic. I explained I was only asking when I would know when my records would be “processed”. She said, “about 3 weeks”! I said, “Please give me a break, RA is a terrible disease to have and not be able to even get scheduled for an appt for medical care and meds. She said, “Yeah I have Lupus” like what was my point. She then proceeded to berate me some more telling me they get 75 referrals a DAY and that everyone was in the same boat. I asked her if she couldn’t just walk over to someone’s desk and ask about the “process” so she could tell me something. Then she really blew her top, told me sarcastically, “Why yes, I’m covered up but I can take MY TIME to find out’. Eventually she came back to the phone and claimed my referral wasn’t there, just my records. I think she was probably lying but at this point I knew I could not deal with her office. While I didn’t get the first lady on tape, I did get the entire conversation with the office manager on tape and would like to send it to the Drs. I find most Drs genuinely care about their patients and would probably be appalled to hear how the front desk treats patients. In the time she took to berate me, Susan could have “processed” my records. I called another Rheumatologist and guess what…he’s in the same office with the very same ladies running things. The recording makes it very obvious the office manager was quite comfortable treating patients this way. Has anyone else had to deal with this office or know any of the Drs so I can send the tape?

I was diagnosed with RA by the VA and was being treated for it. I moved to Mississippi and they do not have rheumatology at that VA so I was outsourced to Dr. Gupta. She didn’t believe that I have RA and refused to treat me and I was discharged. Prior to seeing her I asked the nurse what was going on because I had been waiting a hour past my appointment time. Dr. Gupta entered the room and told me if I had somewhere to go I should have cancelled my appointment. She was very rude. I already have a hard time getting medical treatment at the VA being a female. I didn’t realize that community care was going to be like this.

Dr. Gupta incorrectly diagnosed me with psoriatic arthritis. Over the course of a year, she prescribed 3 different immunosuppressants that are dangerous drugs, but wonderful for someone with autoimmune arthritis. I got a second opinion when the 3rd medication she prescribed didn’t work. Dr. Gupta never ordered a contrast MRI. If she had, it would have clearly shown what my rheumatologist at Ochsners discovered has been the source of pain all along. I would not recommend Dr. Gupta to anyone.