I have had complicated ankle problems for 25 years. I was to the point where amputation was an option. After careful planning and consideration, Dr Arena agreed to operate on an ankle that was crazy bad and others would have turned away. For the first time, I have pain relief and much more use of my foot and ankle than I have had in 15 years! I felt confidence and true caring by the team from my very first appointment. Thank you is not enough to show my appreciation and the effect this has had on my life. If you're looking for a more than capable, trustworthy and kind doctor, he is your guy.
Wendy, thank you for the feedback and trusting me to take care of your difficult problem. Great seeing you back.
Kayla Crocker2025.12.10
Dr Arena is the absolute best doctor/surgeon! He has taken amazing care of our daughter’s ankle and let us try different things to heal her before we did surgery. He truly cares about his patients and always puts them first. He made our daughter so comfortable the day of surgery and after surgery. Her ankle is so stable and causes her no more pain.
This was my first visit to this facility, and I found the staff to be professional, friendly, and attentive. I had x-rays and was evaluated by Dr. Banda, who diagnosed and clearly described my issue, answered my questions, and reviewed my treatment plan. The entire visit lasted under an hour, even though they were not busy when I initially checked in. The facility was clean and well-appointed. Definitely recommend if you need orthopedic urgent care!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re glad to hear our team made your first visit a positive one. Providing thorough evaluations, clear treatment plans, and efficient care is always our goal. We appreciate your recommendation and are here anytime you need orthopedic urgent care.
Trisha Waldo2025.11.25
Dr. Jeffrey Lyman, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon, replaced my ACL ten years ago and did a great job—I’ve had no problems with it. Today I saw him because my knee has been bothering me. I found out there’s a “pes anserine bursa,” which is a small fluid-filled sac on the inside of the knee that can get irritated and inflamed. He gave me a shot in it to calm it down and reduce the inflammation. I’m really happy there was a clear solution, and in a few days I should be able to resume exercise with a much better chance of comfort. I highly recommend Dr. Laymen for your knee surgery and other issues!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and recommendation. We’re grateful for your long-term trust and are happy to hear you’re doing well! It’s wonderful that you found clarity and a treatment plan that brings relief and helps you stay active.
If you need anything or have questions as you continue recovering, we’re always here to support you!
Michelle Smith2025.11.25
Excellent care. Great staff. Dr Stowell was very informative, interested, and took time to explain my injury.
I waited nearly three months under the guidance of my physical therapist to see Dr. Richard Lee Stowell. What I received wasn’t care — it was a masterclass in how to waste a patient’s time, money, and trust.
Before I get into the details, it’s worth noting that after my experience, the CDA Press reported that Blue Cross of Idaho has formally asked the state Department of Insurance to investigate Post Falls ER & Hospital over its business model and billing practices, including excessive arbitration filings and charges thousands of percent above Medicare rates. That’s the same facility I was referred to for an unexplained $500 MRI. The public reporting did not surprise me in the slightest after what I experienced here.
The appointment lasted five minutes. No meaningful examination, no new information, no actionable plan. Instead, I was referred to a $500 MRI at Post Falls Emergency Hospital — which I later discovered is tied to OSI and its partners.
Privacy and professionalism? Nowhere to be found. For what was supposed to be a private medical consultation, I sat through a constant rotation of eight different people walking in and out of the room. I wasn’t introduced to most of them, wasn’t asked if I was comfortable, and certainly didn’t consent to discussing personal medical details in front of them.
Dr. Stowell told me, “Come in ASAP — this could be serious.” The office echoed this urgency, apologizing for the three-month delay and promising I’d be seen right away. Instead, they tried to push me another three to four weeks out, first to August 25, then to August 27. That’s not urgent — that’s poor coordination wrapped in empty promises.
When I emailed saying I wouldn’t be returning, the office manager called me twice — first to apologize and then to offer a refund of the $250 I had paid, asking me to come in and sign for the release of my medical records. I signed the release. But here’s the key point: the imaging that was the entire purpose of the follow-up appointment was never provided to me.
What I did get instead was a letter claiming they were “terminating” me as a patient — despite the fact that I had already formally ended the relationship. The letter served no clinical purpose. It was a performative, after-the-fact attempt to rewrite the events and control the narrative.
This wasn’t a single scheduling hiccup or minor oversight. It was a pattern: stated urgency with no follow-through, patient privacy ignored, administrative assurances broken, and a willingness to alter the paper trail when a patient walks away.
I had no intention of posting a review. I simply moved on. But the repeated contradictions, the failure to provide the imaging, and the final stunt of pretending to “terminate” me left me with no choice but to set the record straight.
You can attach whatever letter you want to this reimbursement check, but the reality is simple: this payment exists because you delivered no actual care, wasted my time, violated my privacy, and failed to provide the imaging that was the sole purpose of the follow-up appointment.
A “termination of care” letter after the fact doesn’t change that I walked away first. It doesn’t erase the fact that you told me “ASAP” and then pushed me out weeks. It doesn’t make eight strangers in and out of my room without consent acceptable. It doesn’t turn five meaningless minutes into medicine.
This check isn’t goodwill — it’s proof you had nothing to bill for.
Goodbye.
Thank you to Dr. Arena & his staff! I’d been to countless orthopedic doctors, podiatrists, physical therapists, & had multiple surgeries before meeting Dr. Arena. He has a fantastic skill set & knowledge, so understood my issues. He has a wonderful bedside manner that made me very confident prior to surgery. His post surgical follow up was extremely reassuring. Thank you!!!
Thank you Carol, great to see your progress. See you soon.
Jennifer Ferreira2025.11.04
I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Stowell for his exceptional care. He performed rotator cuff repair surgery on my left shoulder six weeks ago, and I’ve been thoroughly impressed by his skill, professionalism, and compassion every step of the way. Dr. Stowell has been incredibly thorough in explaining each phase of my surgery and recovery, always taking time to answer my many questions. Most of all, he has been genuinely encouraging throughout this process, which has made a tremendous difference in my confidence and outlook during recovery. I truly couldn’t have asked for a better surgeon or experience.
Everything was made fast and easy check in info was Done with a tablet.
No long waits or delays.
I was immediately taken to x-ray room all necessary x-rays were taken within just a few minutes.
I was taken to the exam room where the doctor showed up immediately no longer waits there either.
The doctor reviewed the x-rays gave me his opinion of what needed to be done and we set up a time to get my necessary x-ray guided injection.
I’m very impressed with the efficiency of the staff and the competency of the doctor.
I would highly recommend anyone that needs The services of an orthopedic doctor to use orthopedic sports Institute.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience! We’re delighted to hear that our team made your visit fast, efficient, and seamless from check-in to consultation. We truly appreciate your recommendation and look forward to supporting your orthopedic care whenever you need us!
Emily Small2025.11.01
UPDATE::: the manager reached out and was very keen to make improvements. She apologized for my experience, took my feedback, and is already working on some positive changes.
Pros: Xray tech is friendly and helpful
Cons: Be prepared to have your time wasted. Three times in a row the office was running between 45-120 minutes behind, but I was told if I checked in late, left the building to run another errand, or even just waited in my car my appointment would be forfeit. Expect to wait quite a while to check in or check out as well, as the front office ladies are always on the phone or otherwise occupied.
Additionally, they scheduled an expensive test to be done at a clinic out of my network, but never alerted me or gave me the option of going to somewhere within my network. I have met my deductible for the year and should have a $0 charge, but was hit with a surprise bill to the tune of $1500 because (unknown to me) the clinic was I referred to was out of my network.
There are many other options for an urgent care or specialist. Go anywhere else.
Got me right in with an early appointment. Was seen very quickly when I arrived, no wait time. I was in and out and got my questions answered. Hope I dont have to but would definitely go back.
I am writing to express my immense gratitude and appreciation for Dr. Richard Lee Stowell, MD and his team at Orthopedic Sports Institute. After many years of suffering with a severely worn shoulder, I finally hit a point in which the pain was more than I could bear. My initial meeting with Dr. Stowell was amazing and left me excited about the next steps in the process. I have never had surgery of any kind my whole life and my research showed that Dr. Stowell was the best of the best for my shoulder surgery. His explanation of the reverse shoulder replacement procedure, expectations for recovery, kindness, and friendly nature was incredible. I am finally pain free for the first time in many years after the surgery and excited to resume the hobbies I enjoy thanks to Dr. Stowell.
From top to bottom, everyone at Orthopedic Sports Institute is kind, friendly, and amazing to work with.
I had the other shoulder replaced a couple weeks ago by Dr. Stowell. As with the first shoulder, the experience was great and Dr. Stowell and the entire team at Orthopedic Sports Institute are amazing!!!!!!
Thank you for your commending 5-star review of Dr. Stowell and our entire team! He is a truly gifted surgeon. We are glad to see that you wrote about your experience here so that other patients who are suffering from shoulder pain can find Dr. Stowell also! We wish you the best on your healing journey!
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