Caroline O'Donnell, NP

NOTE: Caroline is with Beth Isreal Deaconess Waltham NOT Waltham Family Practice. She has been my defacto PCP for over 5 yrs although Dr. Hackett is listed on my insurance because MA does not allow NPs to be PCPs. She takes the time to listen to my concerns & almost always responds quickly to email or phone questions. I haven't had a problem getting an appointment when I needed one. She is an excellent gatekeeper & won't hesitate to refer me to a specialist if need be. My only frustrations are that the practice is with the Bl-Lahey system which has 2 separate portals 1. Primary Care 2. Specialists & you need both to get all your information, referral authorization is via a central line which is often too busy to take calls & finally, I can only get referrals to new specialists affiliated with BI-Lahey. I have Drs in the Mass Gen/Brigham system too so it's a hassle to keep my records straight and make sure all my caregivers know what's going on with me.

In all my life I've never had a strong feeling either way about a doctor until her. She is fantastic. She cares for my entire family so well that when we moved far away we still make the drive to keep seeing her. I couldn't be more grateful. I recommend her to anyone who needs a PCP.

I am giving her only 3 stars due to poor management and extremely rude staff. When I was horribly sick and new in town, she fit me in. She is competent, friendly, and I received good care. Today it all went awry. I arrived 6 min late (someone drove 15 MPH ahead of me for miles, life happens). I waited in line & by the time I got to the front, I was 8 min late and they refused to see me. It would be another month! They were condescending to me and very rude to another patient.