Beyond Mental Health

Dr. Matthew Barrett is truly one of the most exceptional providers I have ever encountered. His dedication, compassion, and genuine desire to help people is evident in every interaction. I’m incredibly grateful for the care and support he provides.

If you value your time, well-being, or peace of mind, I strongly advise against scheduling with this practice. I consider myself a patient and understanding person, but that patience only goes so far when there’s consistent disregard for a patient’s time and needs. To begin, in all of my appointments with Dr. Cook he has never been on time. He routinely arrives 5–15 minutes late, and for visits that last only about 10 minutes, it’s frustrating to spend most of that time waiting. It leaves the impression that my care isn’t a priority. My larger concern, however, is with Beyond Mental Health’s automated phone system and front-desk operations. In just two days, I called eight times and received a single call back. Each time, the automated menu suggests you’ll reach someone, but instead, you’re directed to voicemail with a 24 to 48-hour callback window. This isn’t just inconvenient for patients; it also affects pharmacists and other providers trying to clarify prescriptions or medication issues. On numerous occasions, I’ve been contacted by my pharmacy to reach out to my provider and have them get in contact with the pharmacy because they’ve tried reaching out and haven’t gotten any response. When I finally did receive a call back, it was clear the staff hadn’t listened to a thing I said in my voicemail. Out of concern for my situation, I went in person to the Hale Pawa‘a office. The receptionist I encountered (short hair, glasses, Mauna Kea earrings) was wearing earphones watching something on their laptop and eating an apple during the first half of our conversation, while I was explaining that this had become crisis matter. It wasn’t until I asked to speak with the office manager that the issue was suddenly “resolved.” Magically, the medication that had supposedly been delayed for days was “just sent in two minutes ago.” That kind of coincidence raises serious questions about why it took days of calls and an in-person visit to address a basic prescription issue. To be fair, yes, the providers do ultimately prescribe the necessary medications. But that’s where the quality of care ends. The lack of communication, empathy, and professionalism makes the entire process unnecessarily stressful, especially for patients already seeking support for mental-health concerns. This practice would greatly benefit from hiring additional providers and reception staff to handle their growing patient load, so providers aren’t chronically late. Moreover, stronger training in communication, responsiveness, professionalism, and bedside manner is urgently needed. Mental-health patients deserve to feel heard, supported, and respected, not dismissed or ignored.