[Review #721] 2023-007…read more I haven't been maintaining/checking my health since COVID-19 lockdown 3 years ago so I'm wayyy past due for a physical or routine check-up. One of my required exams is a retinal photo as part of the annual diabetes eye screening to examine eyes for signs of diabetic eye disease, including diabetic retinopathy, as well as other eye problems, such as glaucoma & cataracts. It was almost a month ago from the initial screening & left my PCP's office will a very long "after visit summary." Out of habit, I filed it away before my calendar alert pinged me that my follow-up appointment was coming up & I didn't complete any of the listed exams. ＼(｀0´)／ Luckily, the retinal photo takes 10 - 15 minutes & appointments are easier to come by. Good thing was a South Bay location so I didn't have to trek up to Santa Monica, Century City, or Westwood (gulp!); I can't imagine driving that distance for this quick exam. I called UCLA Health South Bay Endocrinology & was able to get an appointment before my PCP follow-up. I initially wanted it on the hour but the receptionist said to check-in 15 minutes early, & I didn't think I could make it on time so took a 2:20 PM slot. I arrived just after 1:45 PM & could have made the earlier time; I ended up sitting in the reception area for 30+ minutes when there was no one ahead of me. (ノ__ヽ) I did get called right on the dot. The technician (think his name was Cuong?) was friendly & patient, explaining the process & what I'm suppose to do. He also assured me that the equipment was cleaned so I can confidently place my eye on the bulbous part of the scanner. It took me awhile to position myself/right eye to see the "green" light, then standing still to maintain the green light. It was faster with my left eye because I knew what I was doing. Whew! LOL Not counting the lobby wait time, I was done in under 10-mins. What is endocrinology? It's the study of hormones, which are essential for our everyday life, controlling our mood, stress, growth, temperature, sleep, etc. The doctor - endocrinologists - diagnose & treat conditions like diabetes, thyroid diseases, infertility, growth issues, metabolic disorders, osteoporosis, some cancers, & disorders in the hormone-producing adrenal glands & pituitary glands. I needed to look up endocrinology because the other facilities were aptly named diabetes or health center; I wanted to make sure I was in the right place. Other than the check-in "waiting period," it was a fast & smooth process. UCLA Health South Bay Endocrinology is located in Madison Park Medical on the 1st floor. The medical center has 2 entrances; one off PCH, which is strange since there's no street parking, & the other is on the back, entering from the parking lot. There's plenty of parking spaces on the east & west sides, with the north end mostly filled since it's closest to the entrance. The facility was open, bright, & clean. The reception area's flatscreens showed serene images but it got my 7 YO son worked up, asking a laundry list of questions about the displays. Why are there aquatic life in the flowing stream? Is that mountain that you can climb? Why don't they put on a show to entertain me? Yeesh! ;-) Still, I recommend UCLA Health South Bay Endocrinology for all your hormonal needs.

I recently visited Dr. Navabi for help managing my Hashimoto's/Hypothyroidism after a long journey…read moreof self-advocacy, research, and appointments with multiple doctors. I went in prepared with a clear idea of the care and testing I believed would help. Unfortunately, my experience was disappointing. From the start, many of my requests were dismissed, and I was told I didn't understand my own condition. When I mentioned my struggles with weight loss despite being in a calorie deficit, he responded with frustration, saying I should only eat one meal a day if I wanted to lose weight. This felt dismissive and insensitive, especially given the complex nature of hormonal issues. An assistant was in the room taking notes, and her discomfort was noticeable; she wouldn't even make eye contact with me. It seemed she, too, recognized how extreme some of his advice sounded. When I asked for lab work to explore further, he refused some of the tests, stating they weren't necessary. Overall, I felt unheard and unsupported, which is the opposite of what I was looking for in a specialist. I would like to add that if this was just a review of the office and its staff (outside of my experience with this Dr), my review would be 5 stars.

Don't waste your time ... in fact, you don't have to worry about bad service since their office is…read morenever open, and nobody ever calls back from any voicemail you leave. I'll be reporting this to the hospital network, since there's absolutely no reason to keep this office in their network.

I needed to see a nephrologist, so I was referred to Dr. Ahmed Khaja. Both times I visited him, he…read morereally listened to me, didn't rush me and went over everything very slowly, and asked if I had questions. His office is on the smaller side, very basic. But for me, I prefer a good doctor over the look of the office. Luckily, all of my labs turned out normal, so I won't have to see him for a while. But if you need to see a nephrologist, I most definitely recommend seeing Dr. Khaja. I felt good leaving his office instead of having that puzzled confusing feeling when I leave other doctor appointments. Thank you, Dr. Khaja, for being a good doctor and listening to your patients. We need more doctors like you!!

Was here for my family member's post hospitalization follow up. Although I had communicated with…read morethe Dr. on statuses and updates during the course of my family member's hospital stay, this was my first time meeting the specialist in person. Really wonderful, knowledgeable and compassionate. Grateful that my family member moved from Norwalk to Torrance. With nephrology, the quality of care in the South Bay/Torrance Memorial Medical Center is top notch. The office staff is great too and they did a great job with decorating the office.

Dr Semerjian is a great Dr. He treated my father for many…read moreyears, and I know he gave him extra years to be around his family. Thank you Dr semerjian and continue to do what you do so well.

Dr. Cam is an all-around outstanding doctor. He is very academic and rigorous in applying his…read moremedical knowledge. He does not fail to get back to you when you try to contact him. The wait in his office is minimal with easy fee parking. And he's a great human being. I recently was hospitalized with a kidney stone. Neither the urologist nor my PCP had any interest in treating the underlying cause of my kidney stones which is that I was secreting too much uric acid. Dr. Cam got me on a preventative regimen which effectively eliminated further pain and suffering. Thank you, Dr. Cam!

My PCP referred me to Dr. Cam to keep an eye on some periodic peaky issues with my kidneys. The…read moretime with Dr. Cam for a 1st consult was one of the most thorough & insightful visits I've ever had. I appreciate his patience and attention to detail. I'm really pleased to have him on my medical team. I0/10

Dr. Maxey is a great physician. My mom has been a patient with him for over 30 years and she use to…read morework with him. Her being a former RN, she was one of his toughest patients. The only complaint I would have would be the wait time but I get why! He didnt just push you thru like a number but he actually took the time to speak with and explain what is going on, why and what he recommends! When my mom was in the hospital he took the time to come an visit with her all three times at three different hospitals! He will be missed. He gave his notice for retirement! He deserves it! God Bless Dr. Maxey and his family during the new endeavor of Retirement! **Office is closed**

Dr. Maxey is great, the former physician Dr. Caldron was good also, but Dr. Maxey is a physician,…read morethat really understands you. HIs knowledge is awesome. Dr. Caldron made a great choice to who he handed over his practice to.

The staff is very friendly, all are very professional and thorough. It was a pleasure working with…read morethem. I appreciated their attentiveness.

I am writing this because I am tired of having my time treated like it doesn't matter…read more This is now the THIRD MONTH IN A ROW that my appointment with Dr. Fishman has been changed or canceled because of his schedule. The first time, I was told my office appointment was canceled because he would see me at the dialysis facility instead. Fine. I accepted it. The second time, my appointment was canceled because he was on vacation. Again, I accepted it. Now, for the third month in a row, I get another phone call telling me that my office appointment is being changed because he is going to see me at the dialysis center instead. No. At some point, enough is enough. I am a dialysis patient. My life already revolves around treatments, medications, lab work, and medical appointments. When an office gives me an appointment, I arrange my schedule around it. I expect that appointment to be honored. Patients are expected to show up on time, keep their appointments, and respect the doctor's schedule. Why doesn't that same respect go the other way? When I questioned why my appointment was being changed again, I was suddenly offered a virtual appointment for a later date. That immediately raised another question: if a virtual visit was available, why wasn't my original appointment simply kept or converted instead of being canceled? I'm not going to guess why this keeps happening because I don't know. What I do know is that it has happened three months in a row, and that is a pattern. Unfortunately, this isn't the only reason I've become frustrated with this dialysis center. Too often I feel like patients are expected to accept whatever happens without question, even when it repeatedly disrupts our lives. Respect shouldn't only flow in one direction. Dr. Fishman may be busy. I understand doctors have demanding schedules. But patients have lives too. We work, we have families, we arrange transportation, and we organize our entire day around these appointments. Our time is not disposable. After three consecutive appointment changes, I no longer feel that my time is being respected. That is unacceptable, and patients deserve better.

I came here for a physical that I needed for work. The service was quicker than I expected, Bianca…read morewas friendly , yet swift with the blood draw and overall service. The other worker, Eva was also quick with the shots. Didn't feel them.

My family and I have been going to Walk in Medical in Artesia and Long Beach for over three…read moredecades. Over the years, we let things slide because of the founder Kailash Dhamija. However, enough is enough. This review is about Open Access Medical Care, which is run by Dr. Mehtab Bhambra Dhamija and the Instagram ladies at her practice. So, what happens when an 84-year-old goes to this practice and is notified that her lab reports, which have abnormalities, do? According to Ruby (we don't know if this is her real name) - it is the patient's job to review the results, note the abnormalities, and then schedule an appointment with the doctor. That is the office protocol. OK!!! So, when is the first available appointment for an 84-year-old who has an infection and abnormal reports? Five weeks after the test results came back. "May I speak to the Practice Administrator? " - I request. "Please wait!" 14 minutes later. "She is busy with another patient!" says Ruby. "I will wait" After 44 minutes of waiting, the phone goes quiet. No call back. Could it be possible that the ladies are busy making videos for Instagram? Apparently, there are tons of videos with the doctor and ladies on social media selling cosmetic procedures online. An 84-year-old's life is more precious than making dancing videos. Next stop - medical board of California and the insurance company. Sorry, Dr. Dhamija. 30 years of patronage hold little value at your clinics in Long Beach and at Walk In Medical Clinic in Artesia. That will be another post someday.