I had been seeing Dr. Magnano for 10 years, and my condition was stable, so when she moved to concierge medicine, I stopped seeing her. Then, of course, I developed a new condition. After seeing three doctors for my "new" condition and not getting to answers, I decided to go back to Dr. Magnano. In one office visit, she had a hunch about my new condition that none of the other doctors considered. Within two weeks of being a concierge patient of Dr. Magnano's, I had a diagnosis and a treatment plan. As a concierge patient, she called doctors to squeeze me in for testing, she helped me get an MRI and 3 Phase Bone Study within days, and I had her number so I could text her updates, so we could make moment by moment decisions as we received the results of tests. It turned out I have a rare condition that left other doctors confused; however, Dr. Magnano moved with vision. I felt as if I had just handed off to her all the thinking about what my condition could be, and it was up to her to figure it out instead of me. What a relief! If you need a doctor who is smart, knowledgeable, compassionate, and goes the extra mile for you, then don't hesitate to become one of Dr. Molly's patients. read more

Dr. Molly Magnano is so very knowledgeable and masterful in her treatment and care. Several precision cortisone injections to various parts of my body were very effective, as well as almost painless - particularly compared with prior experience with other practitioners. She takes the time to address her patients' concerns in complete detail and beyond. Words alone are insufficient to express my gratitude for this empathetic and exceptional physician. read more

Here's a pro tip if someone in a position of temporary power is not fawning over your presence, if eye contact is limited and words sparse it isn't about you. If a busy bartender looks up silently asking what you want and the only words spoken are none, just change for the $20 you dropped you go off in a huff? Come read more

I am a new patient of Dr Magnano's. My former Rheumatologist closed her practice abruptly. I am so grateful that this happened and that I found Dr Magnano. It turns out that I was not being treated appropriately for my autoimmune issues. Dr Magnano discovered this right away and I am now on the path for more appropriate treatments for my disease. Dr Magnano is affiliated with CPMC and also UCSF rheumatology which is ranked 7th in the nation for rheumatology. Because of this, I know that she will be on top of the best new research and treatments. Grateful to have her as my doctor! Susan read more

I have been a patient of Dr Magnano for over 4 years and am surprised at the negative reviews for her and her staff. My experience is so positive I have actually taken business cards for friends. I find the Dr.to be very warm, friendly and willing to listen. She has helped me to work out a med routine that works for the pain in my hands and has suggested a grant opportunity for more expensive meds that I couldn't afford, and my insurance company doesn't cover. Jasmine is also very helpful and knowledgeable about med trials and grant opportunities I can also add that I have never had to wait for my appointment more then 10 or 15 minutes, and even that is not the norm I would highly recommend the Dr. read more

I've held off from writing this review for a while now. I wanted time to reflect and think carefully about my experience with this office before I committed anything in writing. I agree with the one stars. This practice is terrible all the way from the bottom to the top. Let's start at the bottom: front desk staff are uniformly harsh, rude, and rather be mean than professional. Perhaps they are taking the lead from their office manager-Yasmin. Yasmin is dismissive and talks down to patients and from what my friends and I have seen, is also demeaning to the staff that she supervises. I guess in turn the staff then take it out on the patients. Don't believe me? Try calling them. The two doctors that I know of that my friend and I have had to deal with are also not nice either. Okay, maybe you feel that the doctor that you may have to deal with doesn't have to be nice, How about if they're dismissive with an undercurrent of "cold" and "mean?" Okay, I understand that if all you had to do was to deal with them "once or twice," it could be bearable, but what if you have a chronic problem that makes this professional relationship into a lifelong unbearable experience? When I tried to find someone else, I finally understood why this office is the way they are. They're about the only game in. town. There aren't a lot of rheumatologists floating around this town and this office knows it. So they feel very comfortable in sashaying around feeling very smug that they can treat their patients any which way they want. Maybe if they read this review and the other one stars, someone hired/trained to smooth over the rough edges will respond to this review with some soothing glossed over pablum like:"We're o sorry that you feel this way. We will definitely look into that. And that is not how we advocate for our employees to act;, ( you know the drill and they don't mean it, they just don't want to look bad on this site.) The office staff and doctors may change for a short while, but they will snap back because the "mean girl" culture is too ingrained and besides, they're too old to change. Good luck if you decide to go there because there's no where else to go to. I hope that you can plow through the "chill." read more

I, unfortunately, can confirm the negative reviews on here. I would strongly advise against using Dr. Magnano as your rheumatologist. I've seen many many doctors over the years, and never encountered an office that's as frustrating and disorganized. Here's why: * Her office staff is absolutely terrible. Its difficult to reach someone. And if you need a refill, good luck. I've actually had to drive the 1 hour to her office and go her office to get them to send an electronic refill to the pharmacy on a medication that had run out. * If you ever need any documentation or communication on your behalf for your insurance, your insurance will never be able to reach Dr. Magnano or her office. You will literally need to start over with a different doctor. * Prepare to wait from 0.5 to 2.5 hours past your appointment time. Dr. Magnano routinely runs late. * Dr. Magnano's office staff is very disgruntled. While in the waiting room, its hilarious to see the things they say about her and Dr. Birnbaum. If you can reach them on the phone (good luck!), then they will give you the run around. They are comically terrible. * The office has a strange policy that if you change - yes change (not cancel) - your appointment time twice, then you pay for the appointment and are unable to make another appointment until you do so. I've never seen a more draconian policy than this. As an example of this office's disfunction, I was waiting approximately 1.5 hours in the waiting room. I was in the corner somewhat out-of-sight. Two of the office staff named Yasmin and Ingrid sat around the corner at the front desk. They apparently were annoyed by Dr. Magnano for some task they had been assigned and, assuming they were alone, began making fun of Dr. Magnano. They switched to making fun of a patient currently being seen, then returned to Dr. Magnano. Most of the sharpest comments surrounded aspects Dr. Magnano's "overpriced" clothing. I walked up to the counter to remind them that I was still there, then sat back down. The chatter immediately stopped. In sum, I strongly recommend avoiding this office. read more

I love my physician, but not the office staff (except the infusion nurses). I have been a patient for three years, and have yet to have the front office staff or MA address me by name. (I remain "you.") The woman at the front desk never looks up from her computer screen when she says, "checking in? Name?" Really? After three years you can't actually greet a patient by their name? The MA is always wearing baggy, wrinkled, dirty looking scrubs, with a big, filthy hoodie. Are there no longer standards for cleanliness and appearance in a medical office? She sits with her back to the patient, facing her computer, asking rapid-fire questions while vaguely listening to responses as she mis-interprets what is said to fit the software boxes. All so VERY unprofessional. Managing staff may want to invest in some basic customer service skills. read more

She's very thorough and actually listens. I have been telling my doctors for over a year that I thought I had fibromyalgia, and they had been very dismissive. Dr. Magnano saw the potential immediately and we came to a diagnosis within two appointments. She also figured out some other health issues that were plaguing me that no one else had even thought to look into. read more

Unfortunately, I found Magnano's style of relating to me akin to that of an arrogant teenager. I returned a 2nd time for input re: recent blood test, X-rays, etc. I won't be back. After about 5 minutes with me, Magnano headed for the door but in passing, suddenly, without warning, she pressed down HARD on my right hand/fingers. I cried out in pain. "Yeah, arthritis," she commented before breezing on her way. (My injured hand/fingers are because of a recent bicycle accident--- which I explained during my 1st visit.) read more

I was referred to Dr. Magnano to rule out rheumatoid arthritis, and I saw her three times. I find her to be very, very smart -- she gave me insight to my osteoarthritis condition that no other medical professional has ever offered. The good news is that I don't have RA; the bad news is I've left the Bay Area and no longer see Dr. M. While I was under her care, I appreciated that her office has onsite lab services, so she was able to test my liver function before prescribing a certain drug to me. If you are the kind of patient who requires a calm, soothing, slow bedside manner then you may not be happy here. If however you can roll with a highly professional, efficient, and busy medical office -- and if you want to get diagnosed and treated successfully for your arthritis -- then I highly recommend Dr. M. read more

Stay a way from this chop shop of a Dr. office they are a joke when it comes to patient care. They will waste your time. I don't know how many times I've waited 2.5 hours for s Dr. to come back for lunch or come for my appointment and the whole blood work lab team is gone to lunch and you have to wait 1.5 hours for anyone to return. I've had a bad experience with every Dr at this office from They charge for parking !!! Handicap or not! But the biggest problem is the team of doctors are careless not proactive and generally hate what they do. Anything with getting your medications approved to the BS exams they preform in 5 min flat. Last time I checked you need to put on a robe to see someone's joints , they don't seem to think so. How can you treat my joints if you never look at them. plz save your self the time and energy go to anyone els you will do better then Dr. Kaye , the bald one and Molly the bitch .. read more

Dr. Magnano is very knowledgeable. I came to Dr. Magnano for my second opinion and I have been extremely pleased with her work. She went beyond my first rheumatologist (diagnosing me with fibromyalgia w/o doing any testing). Magnano took x-rays, more blood tests, and ordered an MRI due to my blood results. Magnano came back with information and helped me understand my diagnosis. Dr. Magnano is really knowledgeable at her specialty, following up with a real description of why it's occurring and how I (the patient) can help myself feel better. I highly recommend Dr. Magnano!! read more

I rarely write reviews but felt the need to do so on behalf of my dearest friend, who is suffering from severe neck pain. After an MRI, Dr. Magnano's report to my friend was that if she did NOT have surgery (or even with surgery) there was a high probability that her condition would leave her paralyzed from the neck down. As you can imagine, hearing such a report from a doctor was staggering. Staggering! Thank God my friend contacted other neurologists and neurosurgeons in the Bay Area who knew how to review her scans and to counter Dr. Magnano's careless practices. Do not see this doctor. read more

I've written so many reviews about the fun places like restaurants and bars, and the must-have services like laundry facilities and mechanics, but this is easily the most personal post I have written. Dr. Magnano is a godsend and I can't thank her enough for helping me recover speedily from a Lupus flare. By the time I walked into her office a few weeks ago, I was having trouble getting out of bed, much less functioning like a normal person, and needed a doctor to diagnose and treat what was making me feel so low. I actually thought the woman at the front desk was really friendly and helpful, and this is the only waiting room I've ever been to that actually offers hot chocolate packets. How did they know that hot chocolate is one of my top five biggest weaknesses? It was comforting on a bad day. The nurse who brought me into the exam room was really sweet as well, and introduced herself to me rather than just cattle calling me and dropping me off. We made some small talk as she got my vitals and entered my info into the computer there. I also didn't have to wait long for the doctor to come to the room. I have a history of Lupus, but haven't had a flare in years, so rather than make assumptions, Dr. Magnano sent me for a full round of tests, including tests for Rheumatoid Arthritis, to make sure that the disease hadn't mutated. (Luckily, I think, it seems that nothing has changed. Just Lupus, which I already know how to deal with.) I cried in her office. I've never done that before, but I was in so much pain during my initial visit and so weary about the whole thing, that I just started to sob these big wet tears. She wasn't overly warm, but she gave me some consoling medical words. She did a thorough examination of my joints and muscles, recognized where there was swelling, and prescribed me the right medication dosages to effectively knock out my flare...in a matter of a day. By the next day, I was back to my normal, bouncy happy self. It was the best decision I have ever made to visit her office, and if you suffer from an auto-immune disease, you'll find yourself in good hands with Dr. M. read more

I referred to Dr Molly through my PCP Dr for some on going neck pain , I had a great experience with her . She is very patient and listen to you, and tell you where going on with your issue. She was kindly answer all questions I ask her through their website , she took time to write back to me all my questions. I highly recommend her. Thanks read more

As much as I wanted to like this doctor, her lack of care and compassion towards me has made me look at this office very unfavorably. Multiple occasions she has had me decide how much and which medication to take. That is not what a doctor is for. Plus when I switched medication I was in IMMENSE pain. I called trying to get some solution but she was on vacation or something for several weeks and my calls were ignored by the nurse. Extremely frustrating as I have had psoriatic arthritis for over 15 years and this is the first doctor that has ever made me not want to go to the doctor for treatment and instead just deal with the pain. read more

I saw Dr. Magnano for finger joint pain. She seemed very competent and was able to diagnose what I had wrong almost immediately. That was a huge relief since I had been dealing with this issue for months. Dr. Magnano seems very knowledgeable and even though she was pressed for time (they were running late), she took the time to discuss all of the questions I had and offered good advice. As far as the office staff, I found them to be quite friendly and very helpful as well. I needed directions to another office and they were more than willing to help me out. So it was an all around good experience there. read more

Dr. Magnano was very dismissive of any dietary or lifestyle interventions when I raised these possibilities to her for my autoimmune disease. She said "I get at least one question per day about leaky gut, but there's no scientific evidence to support it." She is 100% wrong about that. There's ample scientific evidence if she ever bothered to spend time on PubMed or in non-rheumatology academic journals. Happy to say I didn't listen to her, and I've been managing my disease, symptom-free and MEDICATION-free, with the autoimmune protocol diet and acupuncture. Don't waste your time with a doctor who is just a pill pusher. I will say though, she was very responsive to messages via Sutter's online platform. read more

I had a negative experience with Dr. Magnano and will be seeking treatment elsewhere. As the visit progressed I felt like she wasn't listening to me and I had the impression she might be reading the referral material while pretending to listen to me. She dismissed the previous doctor's diagnosis and said I might have fibromyalgia. I thought we would then discuss treatment options, but instead she scheduled me for an in person visit. When I inquired about this I found out it was to do a kind of physical exam for fibromyalgia that I know has been determined to not actually be necessary, so I canceled that appointment and I have therefore received no treatment; my visit was a waste of time. In addition she had a flippant manner. When I told her how debilitated I had gotten and had had thoughts of killing myself if I didn't improve, her reaction was "Wow!" I thought this was immature and kind of unprofessional. When I canceled my appointment with her her sole response was thanking me for canceling in advance. read more

I have nothing but positive things to say about Dr. Magnano. After almost three years of being diagnosed with an "unspecified autoimmune disorder" by a Dr. who had written me off as a person who, in his own words, was "making my symptoms up", I switched to seeing Dr. Magnano. From the first time I saw her I could tell that she was extremely knowledgeable and experienced in the rheumatology field. After two visits, she diagnosed me. She continues to be an incredible doctor to me and I have not felt as good as I do now in many years. I highly recommend her. read more

Dr. Magnano is an impressive doctor in terms of knowledge, efficiency, thoroughness, communication and follow up. She accomplished more during my initial office visit than other doctors have accomplished over several visits. She listens and immediately assesses and acts on what she has gained from your presentation. Her knowledge is vast. I was relieved to find out that I did not need a Rheumatologist, but am disappointed that she will not be my doctor. I would recommend her to anyone needing to be seen by a Rheumatologist. read more

I have been seeing Dr. Magnano for about 3 years for RA. I have been helped by her smart, sensitive and highly informative treatment: starting with ordering appropriate blood work, a definitive diagnosis and changing medications when my reactions were undesirable (we've had to try several). She is a very good listener and collaborative in her approach. I have a lot of confidence in her and that is not something I typically say about care providers. I also very much appreciate her responsiveness; she almost always returns my calls at he end of the same day that I place them. I find her very pleasant, personable and committed to her work. I think all of the support staff is kind and efficient. I really like this practice. Waits are short. Waiting room is clean and comfortable (bring your own reading material) and everyone I've dealt with has been helpful and "real." I truly can't recommend Dr. Magnano enough! read more

Dr. Magnano diagnosed my rheumatoid arthritis 10 years ago and has been treating me successfully ever since. She moved to S.F. recently and since I respect and like her, I followed, even though I live across the Bay. She is super SMART, and committed to being the best in her field. Beyond that she often notices things that others do not. For instance, she noticed some pre-cancerous skin problems and I got treatment before they got worse. She is so knowledgeable and listens to me, offering great advice. Because of her successful treatment I have no worrisome symptoms of RA anymore! I am a very lucky, happy patient! read more

I can't believe the earlier bad reviews for Dr. Magnano! She is great and has helped me tremendously. I have an obscure condition that had gone untreated for a decade because of its difficulty to diagnose. She listened to me, ordered tests, and was honest that she needed time to go though my long medical records before concluding anything. She suggested these things hadn't been tested for before, but on my return visit said they were- showing she had actually looked at the 50+ pages I brought in! Although the tests were again un-definitive, she decided to treat how I felt- my symptoms, no only my test results as many doctors do. I felt better within weeks. I wish I met her years ago. After my positive experience, we brought my husband in for a second opinion. She used the computerized medical history (alta bates) to see his test results and what the other dr prescribed. (this would probably be a great benefit for the elderly or forgetful.), She printed out and showed us the test results another rheumatologist had lied to us about. We could have filed a malpractice suit against the other DR! We were relieved she was able to take him off a few dangerous medications without diminishing his health. The Office & Her time: On some days she is a bit rushed, but I do always feel that she pays attention to my concerns. I've never waited more than 30mins, in the wr & exam room combined. He office staff is pretty good. Every few months they seem to have updated something so you have to sign more forms. (I partially blame the government for this). They are digitizing more so check-in and payment is quick. The Telegraph office is shared by several Drs on a number of health plans. It's easy to call in for prescriptions, or to leave a message for the dr or a nurse, and get a call back within a day read more

She's been horrible. I went to see her for chronic muscle pain and she recommended taking Gabapentin for the pain and to start doing muscle strengthening exercise. Obviously she's never experienced chronic pain as it's hard to even function in daily life. It was me who suggested maybe my sleep disorder and the lack of sleep over the past year after the birth of my daughter might be the cause. She cautioned me against using the only pain medication that actually worked Soma/Carisprodol which my regular primary care was fine with me taking. She's been so slow about my increasing my dosage of the Gabapentin for the inflammation which isn't helping so for at 900mg three times daily due to concern of it causing drowsiness. The increase to a possible high dosage of 2,400mg per day will take 3 months at this point of increasing one 300mg once per day every week. read more

I waited 4 months for an appointment with Dr. Magnano. She came into the treatment room 45 minutes after my appointment and spent all of 4 minutes with me. I found her to be arrogant, abrupt, and completely uninterested in my medical issues. I don't think she read any of the extensive records I was asked to bring from my other doctors. The appointment was a complete waste of time and money. I was surprised to see the other positive reviews. Maybe she's only invested in certain types of patients and sized me up on sight to not be worth her time or interest. read more

I have been seeing Dr. Magnano for about three years now and I adore her. I initially went to Dr. Magnano for steroid injections into my arthritic thumbs. (When Dr. Magnano does this, she gets a wistful look on her face and talks about how she does it for her mom, too. I think I remind her of her mom!) My favorite visit was our first visit: She was going through everything I'd written in my history, asking questions, and then began a hands-on kind of exam. She had me stand and do this or that - and then started pinching me and it HURT! I began trying to avert her pinches, sprinting around the small office as best I could, but she'd corner me and pinch away. Finally, she stopped pinching and diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. The first few times I was in her office, we did not chit chat too much - she asks a lot of questions and she's getting medical history out of you, but she makes it fun. But then once we got to just talking, she had a lot to say on all sorts of medical topics. She is one sharp doctor. She can take one look at me and tell me where I may need some kind of treatment. And she has a good sense of humor. She is one of my favorite doctors. read more

I was sent to Dr. Molly Magnano by UC Berkeley SHIP because they don't have a rheumatologist on staff. Dr. Magnano is friendly and seems good, but the staff at the front desk is frustratingly incompetent. I needed a letter faxed to my insurance office requesting authorization of a third visit. Not only did they not do it, they didn't tell me that they didn't do it. Then I asked again, and they didn't do it again. I've asked a third time and the appointment is tomorrow :( read more

I had been seeing another physician at this office to receive cortisone shots in my knees. The physician I was seeing had a nearly pain free way of administering the injections. Unfortunately, two years ago when he was on vacation, I was forced by a time frame to see Dr. Magano . Upon entering the room, I felt instinctively that she didn't like me, and she'd never even met me before! She proceeded to sit me down and stab my knees with the syringe. When I complained that her manner was very painful, compared with the doctor I usually saw, she just said that there was more than one way to administer an injection. She proceeded to infiltrate veins in both my knees by her hasty injections, and I was left with large, dark black and blue areas on both knees that took a couple of weeks to disappear! I would never, ever, see this doctor again. read more

I have seen several other doctors for my arthritis who basically told me to buck up & I've seen worse, Dr Magnano is able to think out of the box and has helped me quite a lot. She is not patronizing and is quite empathetic. Mike read more

Dr. Magnano is a great doctor for me: straightforward, practical, expedient, a good listener and "warm enough". I'm grateful I found her.

Short and sweet...Dr. Magnano is a highly competent doctor and is always kind and resourceful. Being that Fibromyalgia is especially difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to treat, I have found that she works with you as a partner to achieve the best results. The reception staff and nurses/aides are always friendly Anf helpful. read more

Dr. Magnano is one of the best doctors I've seen - she's thorough, curious, listens carefully, follows through with post-appointment questions and very easy to speak with. She quickly zeroed in on the correct diagnosis (after a few misdiagnoses from other doctors) and has provided care over the past year that has dramatically improved my quality of life. I highly recommend Dr. Magnano. I've also had entirely positive experiences with the office staff and also appreciate the SEB patient care portal which lets met track my test results over time. read more

Transferred to Dr. Magnano from Dr. Ellman after he retired. She takes patient concerns very seriously and listens well. She is current on new medications and diagnostic tools. While Dr. Ellman was conservative (start with low doses and mild treatment, wait and see) she is aggressive (more frequent imaging, consider newer drugs). I initially was concerned she would push stronger treatment than I thought I needed (and the side effects that may come with that), but after getting updated imaging, she agreed that my current treatment is appropriate until I feel it's no longer being managed. Glad I found yet another doctor in this practice that will help me manage my care. I believe they are still looking to hire a replacement for Dr. Ellman so her appointments are booked far in advance while they manage his former patients, but she is worth the wait if you need someone who listens. read more

I had an appointment to see Dr. Magnano at 1:45 I called to let them know I was a little late, 10 minutes and they said get here by two and the doctor would see me. i arrived at two waited behind one person ahead of me, got to the desk at 2:03 and was told the doctor could see me but only had 15 minutes. i was a new patient going in to talk about a dx of Lupus. 15 minutes really.. I have no idea if Dr. Magnano is a good or bad doctor, but her office staff is horrible! read more

Truely, Dr. Magnano surpasses other MDs in resolving my issues of pain through her magnificent ability to interpret that what I am experiencing is real. Her assessment of my condition is right on target and Dr. Magnano has tremendously improved my life with her knowledge of osteo arthritis and fibromyalgia so to prescribe appropriately. I can't thank you enough. I agree with Kathryn, you are truely a godsend. read more

I have had ongoing undiagnosed rheumatological problems for the past year. Dr. Magnano was the first doctor I came to see who not only misdiagnosed me, but also insisted that her misdiagnosis was correct after I came back to her when the first medication she prescribed didn't work, only to put me onto a different stronger medication for a week (which didn't work) and I didn't hear from her after that. I was so let down that I didn't go to see another rheumatologist for a couple of months but had to once I began getting a serious flare up. I went to UCSF Rheumatology, and while they still didn't figure things out, they said that they would of never have put me on those medications and that I clearly did not have what she previously diagnosed me with. I think if you have cut and dry symptoms or are previously diagnosed, then she may be your doctor, but I really felt as if she wasn't able to second guess herself or consult with other doctors which I think is a dangerous attitude for a specialist. Plus, she was seeing other patients and looking at her other appointments while talking to me! read more