Ralph E Steele

I went to Dr. Steele to replace my CPAP machine that was functioning well but had a message on the display that the motor life has exceeded and therefore I needed to see my provider. I went to see Dr. Steele because the wait time to get an appointment with my sleep physician at Mayo was too long. Anyway, Dr. Steele promptly prescribed me a new CPAP machine, and had a sleep study conducted, which I appreciate. But beyond that my interactions with him was very unsatisfactory - and I'll give a few specific example to explain why. As soon as I had started using the new CPAP, my sleep quality deteriorated significantly. During this time there was no way of communicating with him (this complaint goes beyond Dr. Steele and also relates to how MN Lung and Sleep Center is run). My very poor sleep quality (with the new machine) continued even after Dr. Steele adjusted the settings of the new CPAP machine based on the new sleep study. Again, during this whole time it was not possible to contact Dr. Steele. Finally, after several weeks, I had a follow up with him in his office. When I mentioned the problems, instead of showing empathy and inquisitiveness ,Dr. Steele seemed disinterested to know the details. He even commented that the machine is new in the market, and therefore not all its quirks are known (is it ethical to prescribe a therapy where a lot of things are still unknown?). Therefore, he wanted to collect "data" over a period of time (by using different settings on the machine) and then find out what's going on. Besides the ethical issue of doing so with a patient, he told me that he'll be gone for the next two weeks and could not be reached (my interpretation: don't bother me with your complaints during this time). I was extremely lucky that right then, and quite unexpectedly, I got an appointment at Mayo clinic. Obviously I never went back to Dr. Steele. The difference with the Mayo clinic physician was like night and day. He took the time to understand my problems, consulted with the local vendor of CPAP machines, and replaced my CPAP with a different model (that has been on the market for a while). Lo and behold - I have been sleeping very well ever since. Had Dr. Steele done his job as a physician, it could have saved me several months of hell. Besides, it felt like that he was "just doing his job" without showing any empathy for his patient. If you can - avoid going to Dr. Steele. And I think it would be a good idea for Dr. Steele to retire. On the side, my overall experience with MN Lung and Sleep Clinic was not good for a variety of reasons, specifics of which I am not getting into here. I'd love to share those comments with the clinic management but apparently they are not interested. I say that because, after my visit, I did receive a text message from the clinic asking about my satisfaction with the recent visits. I responded back that I was not very satisfied and that I would love to share some specifics with a live person. I never got a response from them. I'd like to leave it to you draw your conclusions.

This user rated the provider, but did not write a review

Dr Steel was very friendly and professional. He was not only knowledgeable, but easy to talk to.

This user rated the provider, but did not write a review

Dr Steele is very personable and professional. He has been great at diagnosing and treating my difficulty with severe sleep apnea. Staff are great as well !

This user rated the provider, but did not write a review

This user rated the provider, but did not write a review

This user rated the provider, but did not write a review