I really liked this doctor prior to having my 5th child at Alta bates /sutter. But while in the…read morehospital about a day after I gave birth via csection (csection done by Dr Kadri who's great) she came in and told me about the possibility of needing another surgery due to some post partum symptoms. So coming off of a csection and having a brand new baby this news really scared me and while I looked for reassurance and help she made me feel silly and had VERY little patience with me. She could see I was somewhat panicking and she just made me feel worse. So disappointed in her, I'd seen her a few times in office and even considered having her be by primary this pregnancy, so glad I didn't.

I'm not very good at pregnancy and had complications each time that I delivered. For my first…read morepregnancy, I made the mistake of going to an OB-GYN who lacked experience in high-risk. Unfortunately, that pregnancy did not end well. For my second and third pregnancies with deliveries in December 2019 and April 2022, I knew that I needed to find an experienced, knowledgeable doctor with good bedside manner. Dr. Zhang checks all those boxes. She was able to advise me on which tests were necessary and which ones weren't, called to check on me when I was hospitalized during my second pregnancy, takes time to explain things to me, and listens to the questions and concerns that I have. I appreciate the attention that she gives to me, despite getting the standard ten minutes or less that patients get with the doctor. My only regret is that I did not see her for my first pregnancy, or the story might have ended happily.

Dr Monardo is one of those rare once-in-a-lifetime doctors. Her genuine care and compassion for her…read morepatients is consistently evident and she's truly an advocate for female healthcare. As her patient, she went above and beyond to help me navigate and overcome some very difficult times which is something I'm grateful for and will never forget. Unfortunately I moved out of state and had to change providers.

Super impressed but the service this John Muir branch offers. Making an appointment was easy and…read moreeven though it was not immediate, I was happy to wait a couple of weeks as there was no emergency reason for this annual check. Building is well located and very practical. Waiting area is immaculate and spacious. The nurse who look after me was kind and clear. I was seen on time I was seen by the nurse practitioner Eli who was thorough , efficient, caring and gentle.

she left and went back to her family in Hawaii. She was awesome! A loss for us! My care was Gyn.read more

A friendly, patient, empathetic and above all an honest doctor…read more What can I say except that I have a 6 and 2 years old kids with us, because of her :) Prior to her, I felt like writing checks to doctors for wrong diagnosis and false hope. Tomorrow, my daughter has her 6th birthday, and while collecting some old pics for the party, I saw a picture (see my profile DP). I thought at least I could write something nice about this doctor. Thank you, doctor !

Dr. Susan Willman at the Reproductive Science Center (Orinda office) is absolutely amazing. She is…read moreso extremely knowledgeable, always takes the time to answer your questions and take you step-by-step through the choices and procedure. I have PCOS and knew I would need some assistance with becoming pregnant. Upon our first visit she was so reassuring and confident, instilling instant trust in her and establishing the foundation for a wonderful patient-doctor relationship. She is exceptionally thorough and truly leaves no stone unturned. I felt 100% confident in her as a doctor (something I can't say I have ever felt before). Our journey began with the discovery of a Uterine Septum (which no other doctor had ever identified in 20+ years of GYN appts). She herself performed the Hysteroscopic Septum Resection surgery to remove the septum and we then began fertility treatments. We tried 2 rounds of Clomid but my uterine lining was too thin and I overstimualted on that med, so she decided that injections and an IUI were the better bet. Well . . . . I got pregnant on our first try of Follistim and IUI. I am now 8 weeks pregnant and so sad to have to be leaving RSC (they only follow you until about weeks 8-9) :( SO SAD!!! I felt very attended to at RSC and dealt with many of their nurses and doctors while there. They have all been fabulous. Seriously, this is the BEST medical facility I have ever been to. They run an exceptionally professional and seamless ship. You will not be disappointed in this center. Truly, they are top notch and I feel so fortunate to have had them available during this journey.

I found Dr. Schleuning to be a skilled surgeon who told me what I needed to hear, had patience to…read morelisten to my concerns, was honest about my situation and gave me excellent advice. Most importantly, the outcome of my surgical procedure was excellent and my recovery went well. I am very grateful to have had her as my surgeon.

My experience with this doctor was terrible. After waiting over an hour undressed in the exam room,…read moreshe finally walked in and, in a condescending tone, asked why I was "in such a hurry." I won't go into graphic details, but after performing a minor procedure, she left me in pain and bleeding and simply walked out. I had to get up and track down a nurse for help. Overall, an awful and deeply unprofessional experience.

It's really been quite a while since I lived in the area and was able to keep Dr. Sakamoto as my…read moreprimary, my gyno, etc, but I still recall his hightened sense of care and professionalism and i have yet to find another gyno that would come out superior to Dr. Sakamoto. Dr. Sakamoto was always very patient with all my questions and very attentive to my concerns. I never felt that I had to be rushed out of there and his nursing staff was always very pleasant, friendly, and helpful. my favorite "awwwwwww" moment - realizing that there is a poster of baby polar bears cubs on the ceiling.... ladies - i think you understand))

I've had Dr. Sakamoto has my OBGyN for a long time. Then he joined Kaiser . I managed to find him…read moreafter years and I'm going to drive all the way to Valejo to have him as my primary physician. Kind, caring and an amazing knowledgeable practitioner.

I had one interaction with this doctor and that's all it took. Without going into too much detail,…read moreI had a very important blood draw I needed done one night. It was the deciding factor in if I was going to need an invasive surgery the next day. It was my misfortune that the offering physician forgot to put the stat order in, and my even more misfortune that the on call doctor that night was Dr. Melissa Owens. There I was, at the lab, trying frantically to get the order in the system before they closed. I am a triage nurse, so I know how these things work after hours, and there's always an on call doctor on duty and it's their responsibility to take over these kind of orders. So the lab/I get in contact with Dr. Owens and explain the situation. She tells me she doesn't want to put the order in because, "then I'll get a call at 3 in the morning with the results, and I don't want to be woken up." I literally pause for like 30 seconds...so you'd rather put my health and well being on the line because you don't want to be woken up at 3 in the morning? I just thanked God she wasn't my regular physician. I wouldn't want to interrupt her day or night with my burdensome life threatening problems. She did finally call my original OBGYN to ask her to put the order in for me. But it wasn't until after I sort of stood my ground, saying, "well, I kinda need this..." Also, of note... The lab result came in at 11pm, so she would have been "burdened" before midnight. To think that she put my medical need behind her restful sleep. Not the type of doctor I'd want watching my back.

The very best. How lucky I was to find a doctor like her. It's impossible to find the quality of…read morecare and compassion that she offers. Wow, will I miss that when she retires some day! Sonja Farer