Dr. Ann M Leibold, MD

It's not very often (read: never) that I feel compelled to take the time to post a negative review online. This, unfort...unately, is one of those rare times. So, without further ado, here's a brief summary of my experience with Dr. Leibold:

I went in for a skin check after noticing an odd looking spot on my cheek. Dr. Leibold thought it was a pimple and decided not to biopsy it at that time, but said that it could be skin cancer and advised me to monitor it closely over the next several weeks. She told me three separate times to come back in "immediately" if it changed shape, color or started to bleed. I watched it for another couple of weeks and, when it started to change color, size AND bleed, I quickly called to schedule a follow up appointment. I explained the situation, told them I was a little freaked out, and kindly asked for the next available appointment. Dr. Leibold was booked solid that day but her assistant said she could squeeze me in "sometime after 4:00 pm when she finishes up with her last appointment." It was around 3:15 when I called, so I cleared my schedule for the rest of the day and jumped in the car to head south toward her office. When traffic on I-25 slowed and then came to a complete stop around Yale Ave due to a MVA, I called her
office again and told them that I was stuck in traffic and that it was looking like I would be arriving closer to 4:15. Her assistant said NO PROBLEM and thanked me for the heads up. Here's where it gets sketchy. When I arrived at 4:15 -- just FIFTEEN minutes
after my open-ended, "sometime after 4" appointment - I was told that Dr. Leibold had left for the day. The staff said that her last appointment had ended early and that she didn't want to wait around the office to see another patient. When I asked why she had decided to leave given the quasi-emergency (or, at the very least, concerning) nature of the situation, and without so much as even a courtesy phone call, I was told the doc is a "punctual person who doesn't like to wait around." She's ex-military, apparently, and waits for nobody.

If it were me, I would have waited a couple of extra minutes for the patient, especially if he or she was reporting cancer-like symptoms. With that said, I can understand not wanting to extend your day for a last-minute, unscheduled appointment. And, as a derm practicing in Colorado, I'm sure she deals with skin cancer on a daily basis and all of this was rather routine for her and her staff. To be clear, I don't fault her for leaving. That's her call and I'm in no position to complain when I show up late
for an appointment. Here's what really bothers me, though. First, I wasn't told that I would have to reschedule when I called to notify them I was running late. Why waste my time? Why did I spend time heading farther south, zipping down side streets at higher than normal speeds, only to be told upon my arrival that the doctor didn't want to wait around? By the time I got out of her office it was full-blown rush hour and it took me an hour to get back to the office, arriving just before 6:00 having accomplished nothing more than reducing a couple of gallons of gas to exhaust. I also have to say that her staff was unbelievably rude and defensive when I asked them why they didn't bother to mention the doc was leaving when I called earlier. Toward the end of the conversation, they were outright hostile, in fact.

This probably goes without saying at this point, but her staff couldn't have cared less if I ever rescheduled the appointment. The whole 5280 Top Doc thing must be doing wonders for her book of business. I asked if they could get me in the follow day or early the following week. Nope, not going to happen. Dr. Leibold doesn't work Mondays or Fridays (must be nice) and, as luck would have it, she was scheduled to be out all of the following week on vacation. I then asked if I could be seen by the other derm in the practice. Nope, that wasn't going to happen either. Dr. Leibold and the other doc only share patients "in cases of emergency." The scheduling assistant smiled and then coldly informed me that a "little spot check is not an emergency." So, the car accident on I-25 and Dr. Leibold's punctual nature left me in the unenviable position of having to either wait weeks to be seen by my current dermatologist (who has all of my medical history) or scramble around and try to find another dermatologist who could see a new patient on short notice.

Thankfully, I found a great dermatologist who understood the urgency of the situation and agreed to see me the very next day. After one look at the spot, she got out her biopsy kit and started to numb my face. She expedited the labs and called less than 48 hours later to inform me that I, in fact, had cancer. I was told that I needed to schedule surgery ASAP and ended up going in for Moh's surgery shortly thereafter. The contrast between my new derm, who genuinely cares about my well-being, is kind and compassionate, and Dr. Leibold, who apparently was in a hurry to get her vacation started, really couldn't be more stark.

If Dr. Leibold sounds like the type of doc you 're looking for, I’m sure she could fit you in on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

[In fairness to Dr. Leibold, I should note that I saw her on several other occasions without problem before this wonderful experience. Everyone has bad days, and maybe this was one of hers.] more details