I love how everything can get done in one spot... blood tests, ultrasounds, X-rays...etc. the staff…read moreis friendly, the phlebotomist did not bruise me (huge plus).

My husband was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma in January 2023. He died from his cancer in September…read more2024. I want to make something very clear from the beginning: I am not writing this review because my husband died. I understand that cancer takes lives despite the very best medical care. I am writing this review because of what we experienced while trying to navigate his cancer treatment--and because I hope another patient or family will learn from what we learned far too late. If you have never walked through cancer with someone you love, it is difficult to comprehend how brutal the journey can be. It is terrifying, exhausting, gut-wrenching, and financially draining. You are making life-and-death decisions while frightened, sleep-deprived, and desperately trying to understand a medical system you knew nothing about before cancer entered your life. This is when you need your medical team the most. You should not have to chase them for care. My husband was treated at CBCC for approximately nine months. During those nine months, he saw his oncologist, Dr. Ravi Patel, perhaps four times. His nurse practitioner was wonderful, but in our experience, she seemed to carry much of the responsibility for his ongoing care. Getting answers was another battle. Calls were often not returned--not just for hours, but for days. There were times when I became so frustrated and desperate for an answer that I physically drove across town because I could not get someone to respond to us. Think about that for a moment: while my husband was fighting a life-threatening cancer, I was driving across town simply to get answers from the people responsible for his cancer care. The infusion nurses, who were with Dignity Health rather than CBCC, deserve to be recognized separately. They were compassionate, caring, and wonderful to my husband. I will always be grateful for the kindness they showed him. One of the most frightening parts of our experience occurred when my husband became critically ill and was hospitalized. In our experience, once he entered the hospital, his oncologist essentially disappeared from the picture until he was discharged. When someone with cancer becomes seriously ill, that is precisely when patients and families need their cancer specialist involved. Instead, we often felt abandoned and left to navigate an already overwhelming situation ourselves. We were also in contact with Dr. Patel's son, Dr. Rishi Patel, regarding palliative care. Initially, he was accessible and made promises to help us, including arranging counseling. That counseling was never arranged. There was no follow-up. Eventually, the phone calls and text messages that had once been answered stopped being answered. When your family is facing the possibility of losing someone you love, promises of help matter. Following through matters. Communication matters. Then we went to City of Hope. It was there that I finally understood what comprehensive cancer care could look like--and how much we had been missing. The difference was profound. At City of Hope, there was a sense of urgency because they understood something every cancer patient already knows: time matters. Biopsies, testing, appointments, and treatment decisions moved forward. We were not left feeling as though weeks and months were disappearing while we waited for the next step. The specialists, laboratories, hospital, emergency care, infusion centers, research, and other cancer services were part of one coordinated system. For the first time, I did not feel as though I had to personally hold all the pieces of my husband's medical care together. I cannot say enough good things about City of Hope. My greatest regret is that we did not go there sooner. That is why I am writing this review. If you or someone you love is diagnosed with a serious or life-threatening cancer, please get a second opinion. Even if you are comfortable with your local oncologist, get another opinion--preferably from a reputable comprehensive cancer center. Ask questions. Research your options. Advocate relentlessly. Do not assume that all cancer centers provide the same level of care, resources, communication, or urgency. We didn't know what we didn't know. By the time we understood the difference between simply receiving cancer treatment and being cared for by a comprehensive cancer center, we had already spent months navigating the system. I cannot change what happened to my husband. I cannot get those months back. But I can share our experience in the hope that another family reads this at the beginning of their journey rather than at the end. Cancer patients are fighting for their lives. Their families are fighting alongside them. They should never also have to fight their medical team for answers, communication, follow-through, and care. If sharing our experience helps even one family ask more questions, seek another opinion, or find the right cancer center sooner, then writing this review was worth it.

After finding out my wife had cancer, we were certain we'd end up at CBCC in Bakersfield. However,…read moreour insurance directed my wife to Dr. Nguyen's office for treatment. Our interaction with Dr. Nguyen led us to believe that he genuinely cares about his patients. The office is much smaller than CBCC which allows for his staff to create a rapport with the patients. Karen and Jill at the reception desk helped with all of our paperwork for FMLA. Our nurses were incredibly nice. Tom dealt with us the most. He makes everyone feel at home there and he's funny...which you need when you're going through something so terrible. Sarah was also really nice and attentive. I wish I could provide some positive feedback on the other nurses but I don't know their names. During treatment my wife used cold caps to keep her hair. Dr. Nguyen was able to accommodate her by providing additional room allowing access the cooler without bothering other patients. The reason I write these reviews is so people who are currently going through what we have can get a third party's perspective before committing to a specific doctor or method of treatment. If you're reading this to determine if you're going to receive adequate medical care under the direction of Dr. Nguyen, rest assured that he and his staff will learn your name, become familiar with your case, and provide really good care during this unfortunate time in your life. Good luck on your journey and stay positive!

Dr. Nguyen is a wonderful and great doctor. I have been a patient of his since 2016 when I was…read morediagnosed with breast cancer. He was kind, caring and he listened. He never made me feel like I was being rushed or like my thoughts and pains didn't matter. When a doctor gives you his personal phone number when you are going through treatment and said call him if you have any serious side effects from treatment. I knew then he was the right doctor for me. Even though I never called him there was comfort in knowing I can. He continues to follow me and so far I have been cancer free since 2017. I have seen how other cancer centers work, when you call and don't get a call back right away or soon there after, that can be very stress full for a patient undergoing treatment for cancer. For example My dad was diagnosed with oral cancer in 2017 and was seen by a different oncologist in town. He got so sick and when we called their office it was hard to get the doctor or anyone to call you back. We thought he is not going to make it, he was declining fast. Then during a follow up visit, when a doctor makes a certain comment. We knew then it was time to switch doctors. We switched him to Dr. Nguyen and he came up with a plan. He even called after hours and on weekends if anything was abnormal. My dad is doing so good now. Grated we all know once you have gone through chemo and/or radiation, you have a new normal but life is good. We love all the staff, they are great. I just can't say enough about Dr. Nguyen, he is a great oncologist.

Michael Oefelein, MD provided a very poor experience for my father. During his visit, my father…read morefelt rushed, dismissed, and belittled, and the doctor's bedside manner was lacking compassion. After the appointment, my father was so upset that he came directly to my home to tell me he wanted to change providers and would never return. I immediately transferred his care to another provider, who treated him with the kindness and respect he deserved. When a patient is sharing something as serious as a cancer diagnosis, compassion and empathy are essential. Unfortunately, this was not our experience here, and I would not recommend this provider.

This rating is for the "medical staff". Not towards the doctor or non-medical staff. Lack of…read morecommunication of pertinent medical information, lack of respect for patient's time and argumentative. It seems they have forgotten that WE pay them for a service and they provide the service.

2 yrs cancer free no thanks to this Doctor who Mis diagnosed stage of my cancer excluding…read moretreatments that once I went to new doctor ended up saving my life By the way he has no credentials he is not accredited through a baby I am or through credentials matter

Completely horrible after finilly diagnosed with breast cancer he totally didn't give my wife the…read moreproper care any cancer patient deserves he gave her 5 to 8 years but shortly going into the second year he just stopped trying anything and as issues came up did nothing to solve anything kept telling us all was fine but wasn't it was moving into her brain and we kept asking for he to do something and when he filling did do the right scans he kept those results from us for almost two months so we went somewhere else but by then it was to late and my wife is now dead at just 39 years no old and after 24 years with her and three kids this has just been unbearable and only after her death did he release those results to us through email and never not even a sorry for your lost or anything