I used Invitae via Bon Secours for genetic cancer screening and it seemed fine. But when I went to…read moreget FH testing, I realized this is probably a scam. Think Elizabeth Holmes. They outsource FH testing to a company called "Genome Medical". My Monday consult with the genetic counselor was fine. She disclosed she was driving and I asked if she wanted to reschedule but she said she was fine. She seemed knowledgeable and I told her I was leaving the country Friday, but she assured me all as well. After the call, she told me she'd have the test kit sent via overnight shipping. Come Wednesday, nothing. I tried to call Genome Medical (the subcontractor, as far as I can tell) and I was redirected into a voicemail after a lengthy hold. I called Invitae and was told there was no order and to call Genome. Buck passing at its best. Can't wait for my bill. Genome finally called me back and I asked them to cancel the shipping of the test kit as I was not getting service or anything I was promised and that my GC was clearly too busy driving to remember the overnight commitment. They said they'd cancel. Next thing I know, there's an order. Which I missed because I wasn't in the country, like I said. No one can tell me if temps are a factor in accuracy. This is a joke. And if you're going to outsource your service, it's your job to handle your vendor. You don't get to tell me to sit on hold forever only to get routed to a voicemail. Unacceptable. And I have no recourse because Invitae just tells you goodbye.

I had a very frustrating experience with Invitae's genetic counseling support while trying to…read morefollow up on my whole genome testing results. I reached out with specific, informed questions about my report--particularly regarding documented limitations (including areas where additional or targeted testing may still be clinically relevant). I also asked about next steps given ongoing and evolving neurologic symptoms. Instead of receiving clear guidance, I was repeatedly told to "wait" until a future specialist appointment several months away. At the same time, I was also told I could submit medical records to support updated symptoms--but no clear explanation was provided for how that process works or whether it would allow for earlier review. That inconsistency made it very difficult to understand what my actual options were. The interaction itself was also concerning. When I attempted to ask follow-up questions or clarify discrepancies between what I was being told and what was documented in my report, I was told the counselor would not "go back and forth" on the issue. The tone came across as dismissive, and it did not feel like there was room for meaningful discussion. Additionally, some statements made during the call about the scope of testing (including claims about what had been ruled out) did not appear to align with the written report I received, which further added to the confusion. Genetic testing is complex, and I understand that not every question has a simple answer. However, patients should be able to ask reasonable follow-up questions about their own results and receive clear, consistent, and respectful communication in return. I would strongly recommend that Invitae improve: * Clarity around what whole genome testing does and does not rule out * Guidance on when additional testing may be appropriate * Communication standards for patient interactions This experience made an already complex process significantly more difficult than it needed to be. Patients navigating complex conditions should not have to push this hard just to understand the limitations of their own test results.

Receptionist was extremely rude and unhelpful. The woman who answered my call didn't have any…read moreinformation about me or my case before immediately dismissing my concern. "Do you have breast cancer?" To which my reply was: "Not that we know of however...." I was immediately cut off and was told I would "ONLY be seen if I had breast cancer". I do indeed need to have a lump removed by the sergeant, and my primary care Dr. specifically recommended me to Laura Esserman MD, and sent my records to her office... After allowing me to speak about what I was told by my Dr... The receptionist then informed me that I would see a nurse practitioner first, and then come back to speak with Esserman if they thought it was necessary. Now that was helpful! Maybe if she had taken a moment to hear me, and actually take my name... She would have found the necessary information from my Dr's office before dismissing my explanation. The receptionist at an office such as this should not be short, or short tempered with patients trying to book and appointment. Especially while dealing with delicate matters such as these. This is a stressful time fore people who are trying to get the help they need. Massive turn off to the practice, and the level of care that is represented.

They are disorganized and frustrated…read more Got a referral to see Laura J. Esserman, MD, MBA. Called in to make an appointment. Push 1 for English... Now push two for a doctor... And so on. Talked to a man who did not seem to believe that I had been referred to Laura J. Esserman. He eventually took my number and said they'd call back. 20 minutes wasted. I did not get a call back. Called in many hours later at 3:40, wasted 17 minutes on hold. Then she picked up. She didn't identify herself, but asked why I was calling. I said I was following up on my earlier call, to make an appointment, and that I'd been on hold for about 20 minutes. I heard a few of excuses about why they do not answer the phone, some vent, some anger about having to deal with me, with her raising her voice to a level that physically hurt my ears, so that she could complain to me about how busy they are and how she would hang up on me if I continued to talk to her like that. Then she just hung up. Dr Esserman took one hour of my day and delayed my treatment for my condition. She accomplished this by hiring other people to do it for her. This is what she does.

Just provided this as feedback on Sutter Health's internal form and felt like it merited sharing…read morehere as well: Our feedback is for our overall experience of care provided by Dr. Brian Shaffer as our MFM across multiple visits, both in person at the 1100 Van Ness CPMC location and on video visits, with our most recent interaction being a video visit on 10-9-25. In short, our interactions with Dr. Shaffer have been hands down the best experience we've ever had with any doctor or medical provider in any context in the sum total of both of our lives. We see that no one has ever left any negative review for Dr. Shaffer in any capacity effectively ever, but it still behooves us to add to the mountain of universally positive regard for Dr. Shaffer due to the sheer magnitude of the exceptionality of his care. It still boggles our minds that someone who has chosen one of the most emotionally challenging specialties of medical care can garner such categorically positive reviews from patients, given both the emotional minefield we imagine one must navigate successfully in caring for patients undergoing profoundly stressful and anxiety inducing experiences and the level of kindness, thoughtfulness, and competence required to provide necessary reassurance and compassion in such difficult circumstances. At every step along the journey, Dr. Shaffer has blown us away by the depth of care he's provided. We've never, ever felt rushed by him and it's always seemed like he's had all the time in the world for us, even when he's gone so far out of his way as to sacrifice his own lunch break to jump on an emergency call with us to discuss a completely unexpected chance finding. He's always come more than prepared to every conversation, and did so much research on our specific one in several thousand rare condition that even every other doctor we've ever spoken to has remarked on how unusually thorough and detailed his notes were. And even when we raised highly improbable and unusual concerns that he hadn't encountered before, far from being dismissive of these concerns despite his strong confidence that they were unwarranted, he was more than willing to go incredibly above and beyond in proactively reaching out to the lab that we had conducted testing with to have them either reprocess the sample or culture it to send to another lab, or to even repeat amniocentesis in the interest of either expediting the process or precluding the possibility that the present lab would fail to culture a sufficient sample. That really blew us away that he was willing to let us choose whatever option felt most reassuring to us, despite the request being highly unorthodox and frankly apparently unprecedented. In all, it truly is impossible to express just how grateful we are to Dr. Shaffer and his team for all the immeasurable help and reassurance and compassion they've provided to us in the course of our experience with him across two separate pregnancies facing two discrete and independently incredibly rare genetic conditions. We may have incredibly poor luck genetically, but we certainly won the lottery with Dr. Shaffer. Thank you!

From the owner: This provider is part of Sutter Health, dedicated to creating a more personalized healthcare…read moreexperience.

We've been patients of Laurel since 2019, and it's insane for me to even think of how long we've…read morebeen there. We were "this is taking a long time to get pregnant but maybe we're just not trying hard enough" in DENIAL folks who "let's just freeze our embryos just in case" turned into a many year journey of infertility treatments to grow our family. We are so blessed and so grateful to Dr. Smikle and our main nurse Kat for all these years of support. We weren't an easy case at all, from my being a traumatized needlephobe hard stick that needs plenty of time to hyperventilate and get distracted from the medical assistants and nursing staff, all the way to Dr. Smikle personally getting my blood... on multiple occasions... To coordinating an out-of-state start-up for reproductive immunology opened (Pregmune by Dr. Andrea Vidali) for my assessment and their interpretation.. To answering all my anxious research throughout the years of all the extra "add ons" that may or may not actually help... To the extended monitoring to 8 weeks because we had a subcorionic hematoma... We are eternally grateful. Our son just turned one year old and we are just flooded with memories of our journey that got us here with the help of Laurel Fertility.

I received excellent care at this clinic, and am happy to recommend Laurel Fertility to anybody who…read moreis experiencing infertility or seeking to grow their family via IVF. Of all the options in SF, I'm so glad that I went with Dr. Smikle in part because he's an amazing, empathetic, friendly, and super knowledgeable specialist, but also because the experience felt much more personal and hand-held than what other clinics had to offer. When you're going through IVF, there are a lot of factors to consider like getting PGA testing done, storing eggs or creating embryos, getting biopsies/tests done on yourself, and managing a lot of medications that are time-sensitive- but none of this felt overwhelming while I was a patient at Laurel Fertility. My friends' experience at larger clinics and teaching hospital clinics sounded very impersonal, where they would receive (good) care but from lots of different practitioners (rarely the same one twice) and they weren't able to develop a 1:1 relationship with their doctors or nurses/phlebotomists. However at Laurel things were different, and you get to know your doctor as well as the clinic staff over time, and they really root for your success. The staff are there to comfort you when things are stressful or difficult, which is unfortunately a pretty common feeling when you're going through infertility treatments. It was truly an amazing feeling to 'graduate' from this clinic after a successful embryo transfer, and I'm thankful to Dr. Smikle and the staff at Laurel Fertility for their compassionate and professional care.

Dr. Judge is truly one of a kind. Before finding her website, I had consultations with five…read moredifferent surgeons in the city--and without a doubt, my experience with Dr. Judge was the best. It's hard to fully trust someone's work based solely on photos or a handful of Google reviews, but the moment I walked into her office and met her in person, I immediately felt at ease. Dr. Judge genuinely cares about the why--she takes the time to understand your goals and how to make your vision a reality. I had wanted breast reduction surgery for 15 years, and when you wait that long, you have a very clear idea of the outcome you're hoping for. It's scary to put that trust in someone and hope they can deliver. Dr. Judge didn't just meet my expectations--she exceeded them. She is a true artist who deeply cares about her patients. If you're feeling hesitant or unsure, go meet her. You won't regret it.

Dr Judge and her team are the absolute best. I had lipo 360 with Dr judge in June and she did an…read moreincredible job. She's truly nailed the artistic side of plastic surgery. She was very helpful and informative with any questions I had, and she reassured me throughout the entire process. I am very happy with my results. Her office team, Mackenzie and the rest of the women are wonderful and warm, and very accommodating. I couldn't recommend this practice enough.

Amazing hydrofacial with Annie which comes with hand and arm massage. Also got Botox done with…read moreWendy and she is very knowledgeable. Highly recommend!

Definitely a life changing surgery for me. Growing up, people would ask me if I was tired when I…read morewasn't. My mono-eyelid Asian eyes just naturally couldn't open fully -- they looked heavy and small, and no matter what I tried with eyeliner or eyeshadow, there was only so much makeup could do. I'd done a lot of research before my first consultation with Dr. Peter Lee, and I walked in half-expecting to have to explain myself. Instead, within minutes he pointed out exactly what I had been staring at in the mirror for years -- that the muscle in my eyelid wasn't strong enough to lift my eye fully open, and that there was some excess fat adding to the heaviness. He said it so matter-of-factly, like it was obvious, and I remember just thinking yes, that's exactly it. No one had ever put it into words for me like that before. The surgery involved tightening that muscle and removing some of the fat, and the difference in how my eyes open now is truly magical. One of my biggest fears going in was looking overdone. I didn't want to come out with big, wide eyes that looked westernized or like a completely different person staring back at me in the mirror. I brought this up with Dr. Lee and he completely understood without me having to over-explain. The result ended up being exactly what I had hoped for! My eyes look like my eyes, just the way they were always meant to open. Natural, balanced, beautiful and still very much me! The staff made the whole experience feel a lot less scary than I expected. Everyone was calm, patient and genuinely warm :) I'm not someone who usually leaves reviews. But this one felt necessary

I will never see Aileen again. She dismissed me when I told her about my weird pregnancy…read moresymptoms... twice. I lost both pregnancies. In fact, with the second pregnancy my life was in grave danger. She just told me to wait and didn't even see me... twice. Being a woman and pregnant doesn't make me a hypochondriac. I deserve to be listened to. If I say something is wrong, stop and think that maybe something is wrong indeed. I don't think Aileen is a terrible medical professional, but I do think she has some skills to learn.

I've been a patient of One Medical for almost four years and they have never failed when it's come…read moreto my concerns. One person in particular that's always stood out to me has been Aileen. I've seen her numerous times for colds, flu, women's health, etc. & every time I've seen her she's gone above and beyond to make sure I felt taken care of. There have been times that I have gone in for one issue, and Aileen was able to tackle three more with me. She's caring, thoughtful, highly educated in her field, and gives you the individual care and respect that you'd want your provider to give. I expect to see Aileen as my provider for many years to come!

I've been a patient in with Cara since 2016, and it has truly been a transformative experience…read more Before meeting her, I was living my life never quite feeling right. Despite my concerns, my HMO doctor repeatedly told me there was nothing wrong. I had resigned myself to the idea that I would spend the rest of my life feeling slightly off--unwell, but not sick enough for doctors who treat based on statistics to take action. Then I was introduced to Cara. She listened to me, ran blood tests that my primary care doctor deemed unnecessary, and discovered an issue that had been overlooked. She began treatment right away but didn't stop there. She continued to listen, test, and make adjustments to my care, refining the approach until I truly started to feel better. Cara is very direct and precise in her treatment approach. For instance, when I started taking a vitamin she hadn't recommended, she made her disapproval clear. That's because she cares deeply about your health and expects you to be an active partner in your care. She's thoughtful, knowledgeable, and always up to date on the latest research. Cara ensures that your treatment is holistic, with a focus on healthy living, vitamins, and medication working together to support your overall well-being. I would recommend Cara to anyone ready to understand why they don't feel the way they should--those truly seeking to improve their well-being. Today, I can honestly say that I wake up feeling energetic, happy, and without anxiety or depression--something I never thought possible!

I just had an initial call with Cara, and I feel dumbfounded and shell-shocked. She came across as…read morerobotic and completely devoid of empathy. She repeatedly questioned my therapist's credentials and emphasized the importance of laying out one's entire educational and training history on their website. I found this to be extremely digressing, rude, and off-putting. Really - this is what you want to focus on after I answered your questions about the trauma I am experiencing? She asked me towards the end of the call if I had any questions. Before I could even formulate my question, she cut me off and explained that she's the "most expensive" because of XYZ and that quote "I only work with people where money isn't an issue for them". During this mini tirade, she emphasized how a lot of people expect a magic pill. When I reminded her (gently) that I had mentioned in our email exchange that I specifically do NOT expect a magic pill, she suddenly grew defensive and said "okay sorry but I receive 1000 emails a day and I can't be expected to remember everything. I am human too." Is this how a "top-tier" psychiatrist is supposed to treat prospective clients? I am shaking as I type this out. It was as if she has NO CLUE on how to talk to people who are suffering greatly with their mental health. STAY. AWAY. Also - read her responses to the negative reviews that she receives on Yelp. Just completely devoid of human emotion - just cookie cutter, professional speak. No honest accountability for her actions. No genuine apologies. There's a level of sociopathy that I believe has helped her achieve the success that she has achieved - by removing human emotion and empathy for others out of the equation, she's discovered that she can make a lot of money (but she only serves people who don't have a problem with money - remember that!)