He was my PCP for a few years at Kaiser Permanente. The problem with a staff-model HMO like Kaiser is that the healthcare providers also have the role of making coverage decisions. In many respects, he is an excellent physician, but I lost confidence in him when I realized how much his treatment decisions are driven by what they cost Kaiser. I was prescribed a medication for long-term use and after taking it for a few years, I found that newer alternatives to the orginal drug were available that didn't carry as much risk of dangerous side effects. I asked him to change me to the newer med and he declined - saying that the newer med was not "medically necessary." In other words, he made a COVERAGE decision that was not necessarily the best option from a medical standpoint. Another time, we were discussing colon cancer screening and he strongly urged me to have it done. He gave me two alternatives - flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy. He urged me to have flexible sigmoidoscopy, which, of course, cost Kaiser less. I insisted on the colonoscopy. When I went to pick up the supplies for the colonoscopy prep, they told me he had rescinded the colonoscopy order and replaced it with an order for flex sig - all without telling me or explaining why he had made the change. In spite of his having rescinded the original, they proceeded with colonoscopy in spite of him. Another COVERAGE decision that was not necessarily in my best interests. Another time, he was treating me for a urinary tract infection and I asked him to use an antibiotic that a urologist at another Kaiser had prescribed for the same condition. He dragged his feet and said that he could get that, but suggested the more common alternative, which cost considerably less that the original drug. All the good things that the other reviewers say about him are true, but when I realized that his treatment decisions are often contaminated by non-medical considerations, I realized he had to go. I'm not the only one who feels this way about him. I know several ex-patients of his who are "ex" for the same reason that I am. read more

Dr. Q has been my doctor for 8 years. He is a primary care doctor with a background in Infectious Diseases, which is helpful for treating the many ills that can accompany queerness in San Francisco. Just sayin' and enough said. He is thorough when it comes to his efforts to diagnose patients with whatever they come in for, relying on specialists when necessary; but always follows up with everyone. This is Kaiser, so the typical constraints, policies, and benefits are all applicable - it never feels like they give doctors enough time which is why he might seem rushed. Its not you. Its Kaiser. That being said, I give him 5/5. read more

Dr. Q has been my provider for 15 years. He is so down to earth and funny, I really enjoy interacting with him. He is also supremely great about responding to my emails by the end of the day. I see he works extremely hard! read more

Dr Q is pretty amazing. If you can't deal with waiting lay down on the paper and take a nap, but his knowledge is worth the wait. I've had this annoying bump on my neck for a few months. He immediately diagnosed it as a cyst & had a dermatologist verify. He was right. We went over general stuff, talked about healthy lifestyle, and he ordered labs for cholesterol & whatnot. He's super smart and I like talking to smart people about my health & health decisions. He has a great sense of humor and is always pleasant. I've had 3 amazing doctors in my 42 years on this earth...dr rayborn my pediatrician, dr spiller who I went to high school with who was my pc in Louisiana and dr Q in SF. He makes health care interesting, fun, and not so mundane. read more

Jack Quatannens, MD - Internal Medicine Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've had the displeasure of dealing with HIV for over 15 years now, and been through my share of Med School Robots. Dr. Q is definitely not a Med School Robot. He's always treated me like a human being and not "just another appointment". Clinically, he's brilliant & always in the know. He also listens just as well as he talks (and he actually has a sense of humor). He's a great guy and an excellent physician. I highly recommend. read more

I just had a visit with Dr. Quatannens, and DANG! He was so cool! He was super sweet to me, and realized that I was not feeling good but still made me laugh. He was just an overall sweet person, and very caring and kind. He listens to you, and he genuinely wants you to feel better. If you are looking for someone to give you personal care, definitely check this guy out. OH! And he's a handsome guy too. :) read more

I've visited Dr. Quatannens a couple times over the last several months for a general physical, blood work, and some sports injury questions. He is highly competent and knowledgeable, and he has an energetic, confident, and engaging personality. At the same time, I've felt that he has rushed through our appointments and is trying to get me out the door as quickly as possible even when I have questions. I don't know if this is a function of being part of the Kaiser system, as he is the first MD I've gone to as a Kaiser member. But feeling rushed is one of my pet peeves, especially when it comes to answering questions about my health. So net net, 3 stars. The rushing factor knocks it down from 4. read more

I've had the pleasure of being his patient for about 2 years. Not only is he funny, competent and polite, he knows what he is doing and listens to you. I'd highly recommend him as a physician. He was always looking out for my well being. read more

I probably couldn't pronounce his last name without some dicing, but my first-time visit was stellar (sorry doc for being a little late, but I really DO appreciate you being so nice and accommodating me somehow). I felt we had an easy rapport and he has a gift for connecting easily with his patient (maybe practice really does make perfect): it's safe to talk about my dirty laundry, no judgements, just solid, reality-based info. He's efficient in his questioning (clearly up-to-date on his med education). Oh, and he's hands on - actually checks my feet after revealing to him my condition + sets me up with an opthamalogist (I always wondered why my prev doc never referred me to one, even after my diagnosis). Anyway, it's a relief that I DON'T have to come into the office with a quasi medical background. I feel like I'm in good, competent hands. Plus, he is a cutie to behold - it's like having my cake + eating it too. And kudos to the nurse assistant who handled my crazy anxieties around shots, such an enormous shot, and made it feel like a little tap. Yes, I can be a wuss, but can also man it up (outside of this office). One caveat: upon doc's rec, I checked with Member Services since my report says 'to charge a fee' for all the services. This was not true - I have good employer coverage. So their billing records can be OFF - in fact, way off. Hopefully, their admin offices will find a way to fix this computer glitch, so neither doc nor I will have to spend extra time tripping over it. Sigh. I like that their lab includes weekends: 7 am - 4 pm. I can begin my 12-hour starvation fest on Friday eve and come in on a Sat morn. Get the deed done and then slurp up some creamy latte. A great way to start a Saturday! 5 stars for a high cuteness factor and overall medical competence. read more

I had my first appointment with Dr. Q and, first of all, he was late--and I mean 20+ minutes late. Secondly, because he was late, he rushed through my appointment. So much that I didnt get to experience all the goodness that everyone here has. In fact, I definitely felt he didnt have the time for me. I don't have a very high opinion of Kaiser Permanente. They take cost cutting to the extreme and I think he's a perfect fit for them. Who knows? Maybe he'll be better in my second appointment--if there will be one. read more

I had this doctor as my primary care physician (PCP) before. This doctor is very rude and have a high opinion of himself. I've heard him criticizing his peers, I've seen been rude towards his staff and he has made unnecessary exams on me while making inappropriate comments. I know someone who has him as his PCP. He barely sees Dr. Q at the office. It works fine. Bottom line: This is not a friendly and caring doctor. Do not have him as your PCP if you have any sense of respect and self-esteem. read more

He has been my primary care provider for about 5 years now. I stay with him, because, even though I'm not very happy with him, I don't think there is anybody at Kaiser who is accepting new patients that is any better than he is. First the good: He is very thorough, very conscientious and very detail-minded. And quite personable. I would never fault him for his people skills. He keeps very detailed records and is very mindful about keeping all of the preventive care things up to date. As people have noted, he always runs late, but that is because he takes 30-45 minutes with each of his patients. He also doesn't hesitate to make specialist referrals. My issue with him is that he is very conservative and very much a company man. Most of the time, I am not sure whether I am talking to a doctor or an executive in a health insurance company. Although he doesn't say so, it is obvious that his treatment recommendations are very cost-driven. I'm sure Kaiser loves him for this reason. Even though his specialty is Internal Medicine, his primary interest is HIV medicine and I imagine he is a very good HIV doc. But he is not very interested or particularly well informed about anything other than HIV. While his HIV knowledge is very up-to-date, his knowledge base in other areas of general medicine is obsolete. If I thought I could do better, I would change PCPs in a heartbeat, but such is Kaiser. Life at Kaiser involves a lot of "settling-for": this is what we've got, take it or leave it. read more

Flat out, the BEST doctor I have ever had. Ever. No comparison. He listened to everything I had to say, treated me respectfully, made me laugh, seriously a top notch guy. There are a couple reviews about him on here that say he is sometimes late to appointments. You know why? Because he cares about his patients and spends as much time with them as Kaiser will allow him. The guy has a heart of gold. So if you don't like late doctors, get an earlier appointment or go find an inferior doctor, but for me, I don't care if he is on time or 30 minutes late, because QUALITY makes more sense to me and my health is important to me. :) read more

Dr Q. is the perfect doctor for my personality. He is very no-nonsense with me and puts me in my place when I need to. I simply cannot imagine going to another doctor even though I am quite sure that I am not his favorite patient. I think he loves to hate me and I am okay with that. You're the greatest Dr. Q! read more

I am a new patient of Dr. Quatannens. My current doctor was out of the office so I ended up seeing him. It was such a pleasant experience, and I asked if I could switch over. He is an awesome doctor. I find being comfortable and honest with your doctor is paramount. I felt that way from the get-go. Sometimes I hold back with issues that I should bring up, but he has an ease about him that lends to openness. Just today he helped me with a huge issue I had been avoiding. I am all the better, and I have a new outlook. I am so glad I am now his patient. read more

Dr. Q was my PCP for 4 years. The only reason he still isn't is because I am no longera Kaiser member due to logistics (I now live in AZ). I was truly lucky to find him. The guy is exactly what I wanted and needed in a doctor - someone I could be honest with and not be afraid to discuss my lifestyle. He and his staff got me through a very difficult period in my life due to physical and mental health issues and challenges. I would not be in state of mind I'm in now ( alot better one than i was a few years ago) without him. The guy is a GEM - a regular guy that gets it. My only criticism is I wish he'd realize how much his amny patience appreciate him and his work. On my last visit with him before leaving SF for AZ, I told him how much I appreciated his help over the years. I shook his had and hugged him BUT I think he was sort of take aback withthe hug. Hopefully he's reading this - Dr. Q I am not a fan of doctors but you truly changed my mind. Thank you again for ALL your help and concern. You are missed!!!!!! read more

Everyone writing here seems to agree that Jack is a wonderful doctor from the standpoint of patient care, but I wanted to add my experience as regards the inevitable red tape that comes with working through a large insurer like Kaiser. When administrative hassles have come up for me, Dr Quatannens has been a huge help in navigating them. He's been flexible, practical, and I've always felt that he's been my advocate. It's true that modern healthcare is (unfortunately) often as much a matter of grappling with bureaucracy as anything else -- but in Jack I feel I have someone who knows that system and can guide me through it. read more

Dr. Q was a dream come true. I have suffered from Migraines for almost 20 years now, and I've been to more doctors than I could ever possibly count! It was always the same MO, countless tests, countless medications. They all seemed to have a standard protocol to follow for all Migraine sufferers, never bothering to ask questions that may determine if my treatment may vary from the standard protocol. I almost didn't know how to react to Dr. Q at first, because it really seemed like he was listening to me! I was caught off guard! lol Previous doctors had been sending me for CT Scans in regular intervals for years. Dr. Q listened to my symptoms and eliminated all the unnecessary testing. I no longer feel like my entire life revolves around my pain. Dr. Q came up with a medication combination that allows me to live a normal life. I'll never forget him, for it. Sadly, I recently moved to Pennsylvania, but Dr. Q has had a lifelong impact on my quality of life. read more