Dr. Connolly truly cares about her patients and makes you feel comfortable with discussing your health issues. Also, she is super sweet and kind...the type of person you would like as a friend as well as a Doctor. Total Awesomeness!!! 10 Stars!!! read more

Excellent doctor who knows her stuff. Very easy to talk to and she listens well and asks all the right questions. She is very knowledgeable and has a very nice manner about herself. I definitely recommend her services if you need an excellent GI doctor. read more

Lynn Connolly, MD - Front of Doctors office at 1223 16th Street. - Gastroenterologist Near Me - Santa Monica, California

AMAZING!!!!! I can't say enough about the amazing quality of care that I received as a patient of Dr. Connolly. She is everything that you could ever want from a doctor... specifically: Knowledgeable: She was always up-to-date on the latest treatments and findings in the literature and was able to discuss it in terms that I could understand. She was also able to easily articulate the pros and cons of different treatments and effectively convey whether they were viable treatment plans for me. Humble: She was never afraid to admit when we encountered an area that wasn't her area of specialty and wouldn't hesitate to use her resources to find the best solutions. She also never made me feel like my questions/concerns were stupid. She always included me in the planning process. Great listening skills: Have you ever been to a doctor and felt like you might as well be talking to a wall? You will NOT feel this way with Dr. Connolly. She was a very active listener who allowed me to express the issues that were most important to me. She would then repeat a summary of our discussion back to me to make sure her understanding was accurate and that I didn't have anything else to add. Then she would work with me to come up with the best plan for my care....she is the definition of a patient-centered care provider. Compassion: I went through a rough spell with my health under Dr. Connolly's care. When I would come for a visit, I always felt that she listened to me and truly cared about how my condition was impacting my life. I felt that she truly cared about my recovery and that she was going to fight hard with me to get me back to health. Additionally, she and her staff did everything in their power to make sure that I was able to afford the treatments I needed and they went out of their way to get me help when this became difficult. Everyone in the office took care of me as a whole person, not just as a patient... I never felt like a number. Professional: Dr. Connolly made me feel very comfortable talking about sensitive topics.. She never came off as judgmental or condescending. Also, she is the most prompt Dr. I have ever been to... I was in her office pretty dead-on to the appointment time.... barely ever waited in the waiting room more than a few minutes. Excellent communication skills: She knew exactly how to explain things so that I could understand. She would always explain why she wanted to do a test or procedure and what alternatives, if any, existed. She would incorporate my narrative of symptoms and my main concerns into her explanation of her plan. She made sure to adequately address my concerns in a way that made me feel like she wasn't going to leave me stranded on sick-and-miserable island.... I always felt that she had a plan to immediately help me and that I could reach out to the office if I ever needed anything between visits. Ease of appointments/ office management: I never had a particularly hard time scheduling a visit with Dr. Connolly. Her staff was always good about helping me to get in when I needed to and helping me schedule my other tests and procedures. They were friendly and helpful as well as organized. I never had an issue of lost appointments... if they said it was scheduled, it was. Also she, the nurses and the office staff were all very good about returning calls/ emails and very easily accessible if I needed to contact them. Demeanor/ bedside manner: Possibly one of my favorite things about Dr. Connolly is that she is a "real person"... you don't go into her office and feel like you are expected to bow to the white coat. Her style is professional but very approachable. She has a great sense of humor. She somehow manages to balance an incredible amount of clinical knowledge with impeccable people skills.... a feat that few physicians have mastered (in my experience at least). So would I recommend Dr. Connolly to a friend/family member? Without hesitation! If you are currently with a GI doc you are not 100% happy with I would highly encourage you to give Dr. Connolly a shot... the only thing I regret is not coming to see her sooner! Thank you so much, Dr. Connolly and staff, for taking such incredible care of me! read more

Dr. Connolly gets more than 5 stars in my book. I had a number of GI issues during my pregnancy and afterwards, and these are not the kinds of glamerous symptoms that you want to talk about to just anyone. I was also travelling for work, so I had find a doctor in the LA area depsite living in SF (always hard to figure out medical care in a city you don't live in.) Dr. Connolly is a wonderful listener and makes you feel at ease. Since she is also a mother herself, she could understand where I was coming from and I felt like she really took the time to understand my specific issues. I have a number of family members who are doctors, and when I described the treatments she recommended to them they all said that Dr. Connolly asked all the right questions and gave me the right advice. I would strongly recommend Dr. Connolly to anyone looking for an excellent doctor with an incredible bed side manner. She is a fabulous doctor and you will never go elsewhere again. I actually travel down to LA to see her rather than find a SF-based doctor (who I might not like as much!) read more

Dr. Connolly is a truly exceptional doctor. I saw Dr. Connolly for about a year (before having to move to NYC) and had a really great experience. She was the one to diagnose my UC and really put me at ease. In an age where doctors treat patients more like numbers than human beings, Dr. Connolly always really took her time with me. She listened to my questions and concerns and treated me as I believe she would a member of her family. And you really can't ask for anything more from a doctor than that. read more

Holy smokes! In two days Dr. Connolly solved my heartburn issue. Two days! I've had a lot of medical issues over the years and I've never experienced this type of effectiveness before. She is quick, decisive, smart, and cares deeply about getting her patients better. Don't hesitate in scheduling with her. read more

WOW. I received excellent care. Dr. Connolly is knowledgable, kind and generous. She listened to all my concerns and gave me the answers I needed to feel informed. Dr. Connolly is also very responsive. She follows up with her patients in a timely manner. She's the first doctor I've had who I could email with questions. She always got back to me within a matter of hours. read more

I had a routine colonoscopy by Dr. Connelly about a year ago. She removed two benign polyps & I was sent home. Pain persisted all day post procedure, chills & fever. I called her office with emergency inquiry...no return call. Went to Emergency Room. My colon had been perforated. Emergency surgery for sepsis followed by an eight day hospital stay with NO FOOD OR WATER allowed the entire time. Dr. Connelly was nice enough & visited me in the hospital but when it came time to pay the bill for the hospital, her office refused to take any responsibility.... I am a healthy woman with no prior issues, I believe this was malpractice. read more

I had a wonderful experience with Dr. Connolly. She is thorough, knowledgeable and professional. She is a great listener and made me feel comfortable, which is especially important when talking about sensitive GI issues. She had a lot of great suggestions and ideas to help me with my ongoing problems. She took her time with me and didn't seem rushed at all. It was nice to feel like I had a doctor's full attention for once! I'm excited to see her again in a few months. read more

I was thrilled when I first met Dr. Connolly because she is so warm and approachable. However she does not return calls so if you want someone you can communocate with both in and outside the office I recommend someone else. Her refusal to call made it very difficult to get to root of the problem. Sweet person but maybe needs an assistant to help with returning calls. read more

I'd consider going elsewhere for your colonoscopy. Dr. Connolly was brusque to say the least; she did not listen carefully to questions, read my medical history, or explain anything. Consistent with her bedside manner was the brusque approach to the "little snafu" in the procedure. The anesthesia insertion placement by the nurse was such that it hurt like crazy when they put in the anesthesia in. The response: rip that one out and put another in (good) but ignore the meds already injected and re-do it completely (not good at all). I should have woken up within a half hour but did not wake up for more than 2 and a half hours. I'll go elsewhere next time. read more

Without Dr. Connolly's help I wouldn't be feeling as great as I do today! For years I had suffered with a chronic health issue and, after seeing multiple doctors, she was the one who finally took the time to help me resolve it. She not only referred me to an experienced surgeon but continued to follow up with me through my recovery. Definitely recommend! read more

I never post but am compelled to. Dr. Connolly is the best. Knowledgeable, compassionate, courteous, and caring. A wonderful and refreshing choice in today's efficiency-oriented health care environment. read more

Dr. Connolly was my doctor for years before I moved away from CA. I'm still searching for a replacement for her, as there simply isn't anyone better! She is so intelligent, knowledgeable about the latest evidence, and competent in addition to having a manner that's warm, caring, and instills ease in patients. I trust her implicitly. She has set the bar extremely high, and I'm grateful for all she has done for me! read more

Hard to believe I am leaving a review for my GI doctor. But I have to admit Dr. Connolly deserves five stars! No...she really deserves more than five. Uber drivers can get five stars. Doctors like this deserve a rating much higher than an uber driver! So happy I waited for more than a month to see her. She's smart, responsive and truly cares about your well-being. There was no reason to fear my endoscopy. Completely painless! read more

I went to see Dr. Connolly after my doctor moved away. Dr. Connolly provided me with a comprehensive explanation of my illness that made complete sense. It was empowering to finally understand the details as to what was happening in my body. Dr Connolly also clearly explained the meaning of my test results which my other doctor hadn't done. Dr. Connolly encouraged questions and took a holistic approach, making sure I was managing my stress and other factors that could impact my condition. I left the appointment feeling empowered. I highly recommend her. read more

Dr Lynn Connolly is one of the most caring and knowledgeable Dr's I have met. I really could not believe how much research she has done to investigate something that my GP was not able to figure out. She is very responsive and gave me a sense that she truly cares about me! Each time I have seen her, she has given me options of different treatment plans and explained the benefits and challenges of each. I don't write things on Yelp but was motivated to do so because I think so much of Dr Connolly! Excellent Dr! read more

I went to Dr. Connolly and initially she was really nice to me. We discussed some of the issues I was having and I was told to have a colonoscopy. However as my symptoms got progressively worse, instead of thinking outside the box, she ran some blood work and when everything came back normal I was dismissed. Months later after I had lost a lot more weight and my bowel movements were abnormal I was diagnosed with intestinal cancer by another doctor. I came close to losing my life. After that when I would see Dr. Connolly she was abrupt and agitated - like I was a reminder of a mistake she made. I think she's a good doctor for straightforward medical issues but for more elusive problems you may want to get a second opinion. read more

Too many fabulous things to say about Dr Connolly ... Warm, gentle, knowledgable, comforting, compassionate ... She is great at what she does. She takes her time to explain everything to you. She never makes you feel rushed and always makes you feel more than just another patient ... If I could give more than 5 stars I would !!! read more

Dr. Connolly did my colonoscopy today, and it was a great success! From the moment you meet her you are filled with a sense of confidence, coming from her commanding demeanor as you shake hands with her, powerful hands, strong from manipulating the tools of her trade. She let me do it with no sedation, and went out of her way to accommodate my request, chatting with me through out the procedure and explaining what she was doing, letting me watch the video, and keeping my discomfort to a minimum. Her team at the hospital was very kind and helpful, and I would highly recommend Dr. Connolly to anyone shopping for the perfect colonoscopy doctor. read more

Dr. Connolly is a pretty average doctor who thinks she's God because she went to medical school. I sent in a well-researched letter (she even said I did my research) describing my symptoms and what I believed was wrong with me (I can't digest long chain fatty acids). She seemed to come into the meeting with a preconceived notion about me as doctors often do when you have a brain and want to get to the root of a problem in a scientific manner rather than have you kiss their feet and accept whatever they say as gospel. Instead of asking me about my problems or offering any kind of sympathy over the horror I described in my letter, she immediately demanded to know what I hoped to get out of the appointment. I was taken aback by her blunt tone which immediately put me on the defensive. What kind of question is that to ask a first time patient? Don't patients usually consult doctors because they're sick and want to feel better? What else could a patient hope for out of an appointment than to start on a path to a possible cure for their ailments? What a weird question. It only got worse from there. I tried to explain what was happening but she was typing the whole time and it didn't seem like she was really listening. It seemed like she was just humoring me until she could talk since she came into the appointment with a diagnosis of visceral hypersensitivity (basically, I just feel more pain than other people do because my nerves are wonky). She offered this diagnosis without any kind of scientific data about me to back it up. She had not done a lab or a procedure and had zero knowledge of my case other than one lab test I had done a year ago and an ultrasound also done a year ago. We then got into an argument where she accused me of having an agenda because I told her I did not believe her diagnosis was correct and that my true issue was inability to properly digest fat. Why would I believe her diagnosis was correct if she hadn't actually performed any scientific tests on me to gather evidence to support her claim? I have plenty of evidence to support my theory. I live with it every day. She acted unprofessionally but she did agree to prescribe a bile acid test which is the only reason I'm giving her two stars instead of one. Doctors need to start thinking outside the box and stop creating mystery illnesses for everything they can't explain rather than developing better diagnostic tools that test for functional disorders. Illnesses are not the Lochness monster. A doctor might not be able to explain an illness but it shouldn't be relegated to the realm of the incomprehensible/psychosomatic. Why doctors attempt to treat symptoms rather than try to understand the underlying mechanism of an illness that is foreign to them is beyond me. Is there no scientific curiosity left in Western medicine? Anyway, if you want a doctor who thinks outside the box, it's not Dr. Connolly. read more

AMAZING doc. Really listens to you, takes your questions and concerns seriously and answers them thoughtfully. In addition, she is extremely knowledgable - even about stuff that is not mainstream. Clearly she is up on all the latest research in the field (unlike many other docs I've seen!). I wish I could give her more than 5 stars. If you are fortunate enough to see Dr. Connolly you are very lucky and in great hands. read more

I agree with the others. She does seem to want to help explore the problems you might be having. She is extremely personable and intelligent. Thank you Dr. Connolly! read more

New patient here. Have Assurant insurance. Called on Monday and had to leave a message (yes, a message). No one called back (what a shock). 2 days later when I finally have time again during the workday to call I wait for over 15 minutes for someone to answer. I inquire as to whether they accept Assurant, which is a subsidiary of Aetna. She fiddles around placing me on hold several times, really having no idea if they take the insurance or not. She asks "Is it under Covered Cailfornia?" which we ALL know is Obamacare/ACA and I state emphatically that it is not. That it is a private plan which I pay $1100/month for and it is a PPO. That I am fairly certain they take it because I can pretty much go wherever I want. She puts me on hold again and then states "No, we can take it only if it is under an employer. We don't take independent plans that aren't under your work". ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I called Assurant and this Doctors office absolutely takes my insurance. But now no way am I going to an office that doesn't have their crap together. Know what insurances you take and don't. Learn what PPO means. Don't openly discriminate against people(not me) that have Covered California. Educate your staff. read more

Dr Connolly has been a phenomenal Dr to have on my team while dealing with multiple tough GI diseases and treatment plans. I recommend her to anyone that is looking for a great GI. She's very knowledgeable about modern medicine and options. read more

If you need a phenomenal Gastroenterologist Dr. Lynn Connolly is it! She is the most caring and knowledgeable doctor I have ever gone to. She knows so much about how our system/s work, and is always exploring new ways to approach each person's particular problem. My husband and I have been going to Dr. Connolly for 3 years and she has helped both of us so much. Without even going into the horrific problems I have with IBSC seeing doctors endlessly in Los Angeles and New York where I come from originally,, she has solved problems that no one else could have!. I am not 100 per cent but that would take a true miracle. The closest to it would be this doctor! I thank you Dr. Connolly for who you are as a caring person and the doctor you are in taking care of me and others to the best of your ability. I also thank my husband for sending me to Dr. Connolly because he was the one who introduced me to her. I know you will be better seeing Dr. Connolly. So good luck everyone! read more

Dr. Lynn Connolly is one of the most sincere, approachable, and considerate doctors I've had the opportunity to work with. She's super warm, friendly, and really sympathizes with her patients. She allowed me, as a patient, to partner with her through the process of figuring out what was going on in my digestive system. One of the most important qualities I look for in a doctor is someone who is willing to take the time to listen to my concerns and partner with me to find the best solutions. Doctor C did this and more! There was even a situation where I was having difficulty with my insurance approving a colonoscopy- Dr. Connolly was patient and helped talk to my insurance company to help resolve the issue. One of my fav doctors by far! read more

I am so glad my GP referred me to Dr. Connolly. I felt like she really cared about me and listened to my concerns. We discussed my problems while she entered them into the computer. That is better than doctors who enter notes after they have seen tons of patients after me. She was very friendly at our visits and very business like in the procedure room. She had everyone stop and she read the orders and confirmed the info on my bracelet. I don't think my prior doctors did that. I highly recommend her! read more