The office is prompt--I get in and out very quickly. Front desk staff are polite and helpful. Nursing staff are always very caring and the doctors are extremely professional and very empathetic and kind. They always take time to answer my questions, and I never feel like they are rushing on to the next patient. This is an excellent practice. read more

I went to IAA two years ago after developing a severe allergy to honey bee venom. Dr Scarupa clearly explained a proposed course of treatment and now I am substantially free of the allergy. Thank you. read more

Update: This doctor that I had that treated me horribly was right that I didn't have CVID, but he didn't think I had any antibody deficiency disorder and I have now been diagnosed with one -- correctly this time -- and I'm believed to have at least two total, possibly three. Go figure. My advice to you would be: maybe a patient doesn't have what they were diagnosed with, but it's possible they have something else within the same family of diseases. Don't treat them horribly just because they are in shock that they were misdiagnosed and don't act like they don't have something if maybe they have a different version of it. Absolutely crazy to experience a doctor acting like this. This experience unfortunately led to a year of problems for me in the same category with other doctors who looked at his notes and said "oh you clearly don't have one." But then they never tested me for anything because he thought that I didn't have anything wrong in that category. I ended up with back-to-back bronchitis and other issues and yes, I actually have an antibody disorder. It made my health get so much worse for a while and I wish that he had correctly done the right testing and not just told me that I was "beating a dead horse". read more

Office management has gone downhill in the last few years. I have been overcharged regularly and so are other patients (based on conversations in the waiting area directly with other patients and overheard). Receptionists argue bills when you are holding one and the bill doesn't reflect what your appointment or services were. Be prepared to argue bills regularly. It's also a challenge to get RXes filled or called in correctly, or at all. I've had to call for each RX at 1-3x to get RXes called in. I only keep going here because one of the doctors is excellent at managing allergies. That said, that doctor often blames office staff for their mistakes and office staff blame the doctor. So professional! When she leaves, I will also leave this practice. read more

During the start of pandemic the only way to get an allergy shot appointment was to be scheduled in an office, instead of sitting in the waiting area (the usual waiting area was closed to the public). After you received your shot and were required to wait the 30 minutes in the office room, a doctor would occasionally walk in and check to see how you're doing. Months later, the office is now billing patients for "Office Visits" for every time a doctor invited themselves into the office room you were required to wait in. No one at the billing department seems to care. There are many other allergy offices in DC to go to. read more

Institute For Asthma & Allergy - Check in - Allergists Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

Excellent care throughout my infusion. Dr Carla Ward is the best. Dr Carla Ward listens and cares about patients and their plan of treatment . Judy who is very knowledgeable administered my IVs and infusion. read more

I've had a great experience as a newer patient in this office. Everyone working there has been very courteous and I have not had long wait times for my appointments. Things have gone much more smoothly with my insurance company to get my specialty prescription than they did with my previous allergist -- unfortunately the insurers make it very difficult for both the patient and the doctor's office, but this office has managed the insurance company and all their paperwork well. Dr. Crank is excellent. She listens patiently and I feel she has provided me with good information and education so that I can make the best decisions for myself. I would highly recommend Dr. Crank and this practice. read more

Jean & Patrice, the Front Desk Patient Care Representatives & Daisy, the pint size yet magnificent Medical Assistant gets all the stars. From on my mark, get set, be cared for & go to work...they extended me by far remarkable service. Yet, with a great support team they have to support a prodigious Physician, & Dr. Athena Economides aka Dr. E. is just that. Had I not been the patient myself, I would have sworn today's examination & testing was not a New Patient visit, as I felt right at home. Dr. E's candid engagement, professionalism, humble abundance of knowledgeable & comprehensive assessment provided me a comfort level in a new environment. Moreover, her sincere interests in my extreme adverse reactions to certain medications, food allergies & other concerns, her taking the time to analyze & share insight was golden for me. I surely recommend Dr. E. & her IFA&A staff for allergy, asthma & immune needs from my experience today, witnessing the positive exchanges between staff/patients, & the quick turnaround of seeing patients - even toddlers. In addition to being informed to contact the office anytime with questions & or concerns, I received my patient portal registration & login credentials before I left the office. Dr. E, you are absolutely a medical Goddess...your patient care fits your name effortlessly. read more

Although the medical care seems adequate so far, the access by phone and portal is abysmal. The portal never works and the phone is constantly answered by a service that says that the "clinic" is closed" even when it is open. There is NO way to contact anyone or even get on the non-working portal. Michele Alexander, Ph.D. read more

I can be one tough customer when it comes to medical care. Look at my other reviews. I was a patient years ago but l left due to distance. Now that they have a more convenient location, I was happy to use them. Their founder Mike Kaliner is long gone, but he was outstanding as was his nurse Doug. Dr. Kaliner was not just an amazing doctor but an amazing manager. I can see that in the current team. read more

Good doctor but wait times have gotten longer. I have waited 25 minutes for an allergy shot so far today and still waiting. Similar experience last month. read more

I've been going here for 3 years now. I see Dr. Ward. I come weekly for allergy shots. They are really professional and care about my needs.

Dr LI sucks He walked in with his stupid laptop and did not make any eye contact with anyone. He was totally not interested in what we had to say or our concerns. He had some weird smirk kn his face like he is enjoying watching us get frustrated with his heavy accent. He kept giving confusing information after our repeated attempt to get clarification. Place felt stuffy and outdated. read more

Office open but shots end at 3:30. Four patients rejected for arriving at 3:31. They absolutely have the right to set any rules for their practice that they see fit. We feel ashamed to have given them our business and providing profits to their owners given their interest in patient care or customer experience. read more

I've been to this practice 3 times now - twice to see Dr. Jeong, who is GREAT. And once to see Dr. Li, who is a completely different story (HUGE mistake on my part, seeing him in Dr. Jeong's absence). I am NOT reviewing Dr. Jeong in this review, just to be clear. A little bit about me. I was diagnosed with horrendous asthma and allergies at age 3 and have lived with these problems as well as chronic sinusitis almost my entire life. I'm very well versed in these matters and have done a LOT of research, to say the least. I saw Dr. Li the other day because I was finishing a month-long course of antibiotics for an infection in my maxillary sinus (which I've had for six months now), but had just experienced a huge bout of sickness which indicated to me the infection is still present - and Dr. Jeong happened to be on vacation. I figured another doctor in the same practice could pick up where he had left off, so why not? WRONG. After listening to me for 30 seconds, Dr. Li pronounced that he felt I had a virus and it was not the infection. He looked at my original CT and "decided" that the antibiotics had certainly treated the infection. (How can he possibly know that without a new CT??) He asked if I had any other questions. Uh, yeah. I asked him why he thought I have been sick the entire year - because that is what Dr. Jeong was trying to figure out. He proceeded to tell me that "sometimes people get sinus infections because of bad luck." BAD LUCK? You are telling someone who has been suffering her entire life that it is BAD LUCK? Completely taken aback - and because he had no interest in hearing my historical information - I asked what on earth my course of action is. He literally told me to "come back when you get another infection." Really? When you can't even prove to me that the current infection has been successfully treated? Give me a freaking break. That is completely unacceptable. I walked out of the office in tears, really ticked that I had to pay another $50 copay for what was an enormous waste of my time, effort and emotions. While I may call Dr. Jeong when he returns from vacation and see if he has any further plan, in all honesty I am probably done with this practice. When we pay as much as we do for healthcare, we do not deserve to be treated the way I was treated by Dr. Li. Unacceptable. read more

A few years ago I learned that I have developed various minor allergy and asthma issues. Finding Dr. Mark D. Scarupa at the Institute for Asthma & Allergy has been wonderful for me. My first visit to him was a second opinion, just to make sure that my previous doctor had taken the right course of action. The Institute did numerous basic tests and Dr. Scarupa chatted with me for some time about my symptoms. I ended up keeping the same treatments but feeling much more sure of the diagnosis, and much more confident in my doctor. A check-up a year later left me feeling just as confident in my treatment, and allowed me to have some pleasant interactions with his nurses and staff. Everyone there made sure I had all my questions answered, and I never felt rushed. Dr. Scarupa also was also very conscious of how expensive treatments can be and, unprompted, offered me several tips on how to cut down on some of my costs. The Institute has a prescription hotline that handles prescription and refill questions and requests. When I accidentally let a daily medication's refills expire this made obtaining one refill before my next appointment simple and quick. Their offices are also in a nice building on Wisconsin Ave just a few blocks from the Friendship Heights metro station. This is extremely convenient for anyone in the area or living on the Red Line. I would highly recommend Dr. Scarupa, and if my experience with him and the staff at the Institute is any sign, I'd guess the rest of the doctors there are wonderful as well. read more

A friend recommended the Institute for Asthma & Allergy to us. I am so very glad. Like all office spaces there are some bumps with regards to management. In particular, school forms are just hell. That's not the Institute's fault in the slightest, and the Drs. do their best to alleviate this. But if someone improves this situation, I would be grateful! The doctors at IFAA are phenomenal. I cannot thank Drs. Li and Ward enough for their patience and care. read more

First, the good: I cannot say enough positive things about Dr. Economides. When I see her, I always feel like I am listened to and like there is a clear plan of action moving forward. She is empathetic toward patients while maintaining an efficient approach to care. The nursing staff with whom I interact regularly are lovely. The women who work the front desk and check out usually greet me with a smile and remember who I am. The bad: as with a lot of other medical offices, this one is busy, so things can feel crazy sometimes. Wait times for shots and appointments can be long at times. This is really important for new shot patients to consider, as it can be hard to work shot visits into one's work schedule. The latest you can arrive and get allergy shots is 4:00. They are not messing around either; the sign-in clipboard gets put away, and no amount of pleading or explaining your lateness will get you a shot one second after 4. You may have to wait to get your shots during peak times, however; my afternoon injection visits can take 45 minutes to an hour. If you work with an employer who is a stickler about arrival times or not exceeding a 60 minute lunch break, it may be challenging to receive injections from this practice. In my experience appointments can take some time to finish. Recently, I had to leave an appointment when it was not complete in 80 minutes in order to make it to my next obligation on time. I was not charged for this appointment, and the doctor who saw me did apologize on that day and on a subsequent occasion. I was stressing quite a bit the day it happened, though. One of the more taxing things about visiting this office is the other patients. In the afternoons in particular, the waiting room can get crowded. As well, some people handle the required 30-minute waiting period after shots better than others do. Most of the folks passing through are lovely, but there regularly seem to be a few who forget their manners. Loud phone calls, squabbles with office staff, messy snacking, and full-volume mobile games and entertainment are not as uncommon as I would hope. If it sounds odd to mention, I promise you that the waiting room feeling here is noticeably louder and more tense than other places. I don't blame the staff for the behavior of the patients. I do notice, though, that the environment can feel tiring; it's definitely a more challenging place to get work done while you wait, for example. read more

Absolutely horrible. Unprofessional service that overbills, overschedules and does take responsibility for being rude and hangs up on customers. Strongly do not recommend. read more

My allergy testing experience was just fine... but there was a big problem with my prescriptions. Maybe because I'm a new patient? I was told when I left the Chevy Chase location that my prescriptions would be sent in to my local pharmacy. When I went to the pharmacy that evening, no prescriptions has been sent over. So I called the Institute for Asthma and Allergy's answering service, who managed to reach the prescribing doctor and get the Nasal Spray prescription sent over. When I got up the next morning, I called the pharmacy, and they STILL did not have the prescription for my Inhaler (which I really needed because I'm having trouble breathing). So I had to leave a message on the Nurse's Station voice mail. Why should there be such a problem getting two prescriptions sent to my pharmacy after my first visit? The quality of the medical care seems good here, but the follow-up admin systems need some work. read more

Getting allergy shots here has changed my life. Dr. E is awesome and the nurses are amazing. As other reviews note, it can get crazy and busy. The best way to avoid that is to figure out the off peak times to get your shots. If I'm not able to do that, I know I might have a wait. They are sticklers about the 30 minutes post shot, but that is for your own safety. read more

The front desk staff needs a few training sessions in customer service (minus one star). Dr. Shahlaee was nice seemed kind of dismissive but I don't have really bad allergies so I didn't take it personal. He was however open to talking about my ailments but like I said I have seasonal allergies so I just needed to change my regimen. read more

They never return calls and are very unresponsive, stay away. Thank god I have not started treatment with them.

Specifically, Dr. Henri Lee. My vetting process ranks him high on the totem pole. Not only an MD but a PhD as well. Both from Johns Hopkins Medical School. Can't get much better than that. What do I like about him? 1. His depth and breadth of knowledge is impressive. 2. Always up on the latest research, theories and studies. 3. Approach is that more invasive measures should be a last resort. 4. I don't know if this is because he is Chinese, but into 'balance' of bodies natural environment. 5. He will spend as much time with you as you want/need. 6. He never talks down to you like so many other doctors do. He isn't just for allergy & asthma. His knowledge far extends that area. I'm considering approaching him as my primary. read more

I have been a patient of Dr. SCarupa for about five years now. He always takes time to listen to my complaints before examining me. He also asks me what I think about his suggestions so I feel like we work together in my care. In short: he is one of the best doctors I have encountered. read more

This is a double review because I have been here twice: with my 2 daughters once with my younger and once with my older. The first appointment was stellar. Dr Economides was determined to get to the bottom of the allergic reaction which was believed to be from tuna fish. Prick tests were done and the problem solved. Unfortunately my older daughter's experience with Dr. Amir Shahlaee was less than stellar. Dr. Shahlaee's bedside manner is disinterested and a tad blasé. My older daughter had a similar reaction to seafood, with face swelling, itching and headache. The 1st appointment he told her to take Zyrtec and wrote a scrip for an Epi-Pen: $290. He told her to return and he would do a prick test and she needed to abstain from allergy medication for a week prior. She did this, returned, he took her vitals, asked how she was feeling, did NOT do the prick test and charged us another $290. What really ticks me off is that my daughter is in college and now she has to return to college this week and still has no idea if she is allergic to shell fish. I called the office and spoke to Susan, the office manager. Susan was very apologetic and refunded us our money for the 2nd visit, and wants my daughter to return for the prick test...we'll have to see when that will happen as she attends university out of state. Bottom line, if you are going to this Allergy Institute, see Dr. Athena Economides, she is thorough and wonderful. read more

If I could give 0 stars, I would. The receptionists are extremely rude to patients. I have witnessed them on several occasions get attitudes with patients over simple questions. They are very impatient and are never helpful. I've also witnessed the receptionists talk negatively about patients out in the open. Don't bother calling for questions because you can guarantee at least 10min holds before they transfer you to someone else who then puts you on hold again. I come in for allergy shots weekly and they only have 1 nurse available for shots, so the average shot time is an hour with waiting and getting the shot. If you need allergy shots, I would highly recommend going somewhere else. read more

Dr. Scarupa is really good and if it weren't for him, we'd leave this practice. Everyone from the front desk staff to the medical assistants to the nurses are rude. If you want customer service, do not go to this allergy practice. We have been going to this practice for a year and wait at a minimum 30 minutes every time to get my child's shots. Then we wait another 30 minutes to be cleared by a staff member. My husband and I are both physicians and when I had to leave early one visit, the lady who gave the shots said in a very rude manner, "I'm still telling the doctor you went AMA." I don't know who manages this office but the office manager should not have a job. Make sure you really like the doctor if you commit to this terribly run practice. read more

Read my post before you make an appointment! My husband made an appointment over the phone with IAA. He couldn't make it in, long story short the cab company was very late. He called and explained the circumstance to the front desk person. They said no problem, call us when you want to reschedule. Be forewarned! Weeks later we get an invoice in the mail for $100 missed appointment fee. We call the office to explain no one told us there was a fee and that we physically haven't ever been in the office to read a sign with this disclosure either. We fully understand that some doctor's have fees if you miss an appointment but these are typically explained when the appointment is made or even when you cancel. We told them no one told us this so how can we be responsible for paying? They became very saucy to say the least. We apologized, explained that not showing up was out of our hands. Their responses which are troublesome: "We don't have to disclose we charge a fee." "If you write the doctor an apology letter we'll drop it to $25." "If you went to our website you would read it there. That's why we can charge you." So everyone who makes an appointment has access and should go to their website? Since when don't offices have to disclose a fee they make you responsible for paying? And any office that tells me to write an apology note makes me cringe a little...word to the wise anyway. read more

One of the rudest receptionist. While it is true that receptionists deal with a lot of stress, it is also true that no one forced them to take that job. Being a receptionist is a service job, a job where it is important to be friendly and approachable and sympathetic. Cosi was rude and unkind making my first impression of your office a negative one. As a recent mother of twins, the last way I want to start my day is by having someone be blatantly rude and unfriendly to me for no reason. Let's hope our appt with the doctor is much better! read more

My internist thought I most likely had allergies, but he recommended getting a "specialist" to review my symptoms to be sure. I went to the Institute for Asthma & Allergy for a second opinion. After a very brief time with me, the doctor concluded that I was suffering from allergies. As it turned out, it was not allergies, but cancer. Strike One, Misdiagnosis. But this was not the best part of my experience with the Institute. For the next year I had to deal with a billing dispute with the Institute, which was a rather unpleasant experience. In a nutshell, the Institute had negotiated a rate with my insurance company, which was less than the Institute's $275 "regular" charge. Because my insurance company messed up by paying me the lesser amount instead of paying the doctors directly, the Institute tried to collect the additional amount from me. In short, I had quite a bad experience with everyone at the "Institute for Asthma & Allergy." read more

Two part review: 1. Dr. Scarupa is a tremendous doctor. I've seen him for years. He's thorough, responsive, patient, bright-- all the things one would want in a doctor. Also, his Friendship Heights office has a great all around staff. 2. The Wheaton Office *front desk* staff, however, leaves a little something to be desired. I'm sure many of the receptionists are lovely, but I literally, not two minutes, ago was hung up on by a receptionist (and I'm not petulant). A 45 second phone call to make an emergency appointment with Dr. Scarupa because he is in the office on Fridays but not Thursdays (trying to coordiante btw the two offices) just left me flabergasted. the receptionist was quick with me and then hung up on me. I find nothing so discourteous as this. My thoughts-- stick to the Friendship Heights office unless you have a high level of tolerance. read more

1. I found Dr. Scarupa arrogant and careless. I was seeking treatment for an infant with multiple serious food allergies. The doctor was dismissive of our concerns and gave us misinformation downplaying the test results. This lead to a completely unnecessary trip to the emergency room. 2. He was not accessible by phone and is very difficult to reach. When important blood tests came in it took several days to get a return call from the doctor. 3. My husband also saw him about a sulfite allergy. Dr. Scarupa spent most of the time discussing his own credentials and ultimately claimed that my husband's allergies were imagined even though my husband had received treatment in the hospital for his last allergic episode and has been treated for the allergies elsewhere for years. 4. The office rooms were unclean - the first room I was shown into had crumpled tissues with blood on the floor. read more

I wish the staff responsible for the shots were more careful and just a little bit nicer. They should receive a proper training to learn how to deal with patients in a better way. read more

Very disappointed with the extreme lack of care and neglect from this doctor and his practice, http://www.allergyasthma.us/, the Institute of Asthma and Allergy. Do not go here. Absolutely no follow up. I went to see Dr. Scarupa for problems with bronchitis. He got a background, ran tests and gave me medication, but I had bad side effects to the medicine he gave me. Five weeks and four messages later left at the practice's office for Dr. Scarupa, I have yet to hear from him. I am on hold right now and have been for 39 minutes. This is unacceptable. read more

I have been going to this place for 2+ years now for my allergy shots. The docs are ok, but some of the staff are terrible. The normal shots are fine, but with anything outside of that routine the process falls apart. A few examples: - A few months back, the serum was bad and had to be reordered. No one cared to inform the patients who were low on serum that they don't need to come before the serum is replenished. This was told to the patients in person. - If you and your doctor has scheduled a blood test, make sure that the nurse knows about it. Even if it is scheduled, they will tell you that they can't do it because they can't do it because they have too many patients on that day. Of course, no one has the time to let you know before, but you are told when you are there. In general, I feel the office would benefit from a dose of customer service. I actually don't think that the doctors know much about the patient experience outside of the examination room. Some staff are great - friendly and helpful, but there are some who look like they are being burdened by what they are supposed to do. read more

I am surprised to see so many negative reviews. I saw Dr. Economides for years and used to say I failed Allergy 101 because I needed shots for so much longer than I expected, but she patiently worked on adjusting my doses, we both kept our sense of humor, and after a number of years I find myself getting through most flowering tree moderate pollen seasons well. I always found the nurses and receptionists professional. You have to stay in the office after shots to make sure you don't have a bad reaction. Every allergist requires that. I still need meds occasionally when pollen is high, but with them (Nasacort) my symptoms are under control. I have returned to see Dr. Li a few times when I wasn't sure whether I was experiencing allergy symptoms or not--bronchitis or bad colds sometimes tip me back into an asthmatic cough. He believed that the combination of coughing and wheezing I continued to suffer was likely due to a blend of gastroesophageal reflex disease (GERD) and prescribed omeprazole and QVar (an inhaler). It is now my go to response when this kicks up from time to time. This was after years of being given cough medicine with codeine by my internist who never got underneath the problem. Since you shouldn't be on omeprazole forever, I go off it for months, and even had an endoscopy to be sure there weren't any other problems. I found Dr. Li and Dr. Economides always attentive, kind, knowledgeable, and professional. read more

HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! If you are coming for regular allergy shots, this has got to be the worst place imaginable. First, they are slow as crap (regularly have to wait 30 mins just to get the shot then they expect you to wait another 30 mins afterward to check for reaction, plus if you want to pay your bill that's another 30 mins wait... meanwhile loads of people loafing around doing nothing at all but somehow too busy to help you out). Then, their hours are horrible and they are closed for 1.5 hours lunch break (while the staff sits around doing nothing) and only give shots until 4:00. Crazy. A lot more competition is needed in this area to make these people actually try to service the customer. read more

Warning: emotional reviewer. I have a SERIOUS gripe with this place. I don't want to go into detail because it's health-related but Dr. Economides and staff failed to inform me of a lab result that could have been very serious. I mean, life-threatening. I called to get my lab results and the nurse said, "oh, they'll call you if something is wrong." When they didn't call, I thought all was ok. Keep in mind the tests weren't for anything major, they just happened to catch something major (had I known the seriousness I'd have called them daily to double check). That being said, I brought the test up (emphasis on "I") at my next appointment (about 2 months later) and low and behold, I had a very serious diagnosis. She kind of tried to cover her tracks a bit but I work in medicine and know what they did was not ok. Their failure to inform me of this test has led to a lot of unnecessary pain and suffering and a lot of time spent trying to fix what they missed (and actually made worse with the treatments they gave me for a totally different issue). When I first started going here I liked the knowledgeable staff and the fact that it was a teaching clinic. And Dr. Economides seemed really quite brilliant. However, that brilliance doesn't mean much when the continuity of care is so faulty. I think the issue is that this clinic is WAY overbooked. Each appointment ranges from 2-3+ hours (even without allergy tests). I was hopeful b/c Dr. Economides is ranked on Washingtonian's Top Docs but those ratings are from fellow docs, so I think they don't always know when the bedside manner part is lacking. I get why other docs would rank her high - she is SMART. However, I'd take a little less smart in exchange for good follow-up. I do not recommend Dr. Economides. I've heard good things about other docs here, though. So I don't know... read more

The doctors are excellent but the front desk nurses and nurses that give allergy shots are too often rude. Some Allergy shot nurses are heavy handed with the needle while some are gentle - there is a lack of consistency. Wait times also vary -sometimes you find yourself waiting even when there is no one else there. But for location close to metro I would go elsewhere. read more