I've been trying to reach the billing department for a while, and no one picks up the phone. I'm not sure how else I'm able to resolve a billing issue I had...front desk people refuse to speak about billing matters. read more

A-1 Experience for my elbow surgery in late 2022, after an injury. Janet, my retired nurse friend, testifies the same after accompanying me throughout (except surgery itself). PRE-SURGERY My Surgeon, Dr. William Montgomery, earned our trust and confidence by explaining everything-- respectfully, patiently. His drawings helped too. Add extensive experience-- thank you. DAY OF SURGERY Efficient, professional care from the entire team. Beyond Dr. Montgomery, the warm greeter with my COVID test and paperwork. The nurse who helped me change into a gown-- having a less-than-ideal morning, herself, but still doing an awesome job. Another nurse checking for any allergies. All answering every question I had. General anesthesia worked perfectly. With no grogginess after! POST-SURGERY Top-notch too. P.A. Elizabeth Andrews answered my questions thoroughly. Another P.A. helped too, whose name slips me now-- excellent too. The Nurse who wrapped my elbow and removed my stitches-- with a much-needed sense of humor! And the X-Ray technician. And office staff. All professionals. Pain was easily manageable. I took my prescribed pills for only 2 days following surgery After that, the P.A.'s home therapies sufficed (elevate, rotate, keep fingers moving, and more). Temporary, mild discomfort, yes. Pain problem, no. PHYSICAL THERAPY My only complaint-- that out of all many P.T. referrals I, HealthWell on Gough St., SF, was not on their list. I needed P.T. that incorporates Feldenkrais, a leading approach that helped me years before. The only P.T. offering that, in SF, is HealthWell--that I could find, at least. Awesome job. Plus, they keep a library of books on root causes of diseases, food as medicine, and more. Check out my Yelp review of them too. Final elbow outcome from PHSC and HW-- excellent. I'll definitely be back to both as needed, if my insurance plan OKs. read more

I had a spinal surgery here recently, and was very impressed with the experience and thankful for the staff at this center. Not only the staffs were efficient, they were also very friendly and constantly reassuring you that they are there to take care of you. The center was bright inside and spotlessly clean. Would recommend this center to anyone needing surgery, even the out of network facility price is quite reasonable. read more

I had a knee scoped here. The whole team just seems to have the process very dialed in. And they seem to care as well. Reassuring, competent, efficient - those are some of the other adjectives that come to mind. All this was scheduled relatively last minute too. Agreed to a Friday surgery on the preceding Tuesday. And they were able to make sure everything was taken care of, including accurate cost estimates, questionnaires, etc. Also, as for COVID, they seemed to handle that quite well too. I literally did not see another patient my whole time (even though I heard at least one other), including reception, pre-op, and post-op. Lastly, cost. Do your research, your mileage may vary. But, based on my experience, I'd guess these guys are actually very competitive compared to other facilities. read more

Professional, knowledgeable, caring staff. Everyone made me comfortable and informed every step of the way. Thanks to you all, front office staff, nurses, anesthesiologist, and of course Dr. Lang. Highly recommend this center. read more

When my surgeon told me where to show up, I was skeptical of having knee surgery performed at a small, non-hospital location, but I was pleasantly surprised by my experience. I waited no more than 20 minutes in the non-sterile (figuratively speaking) waiting room, and then spent the remainder of time before surgery talking to / being prepped by extremely friendly nurses. Everything was thoroughly explained to me, and the facilities were surprisingly comfortable. Finances: although I was out of network, PHSC charged me the in network pricing for the portion not covered by my insurance. Further, they could not have been more friendly / helpful in setting up my bill to make it as feasible as possible for me to pay my portion. read more

Extremely efficient pre and post-op follow through. Friendly, professional and competent staff who makes sure you are completely informed of every aspect of your procedure. read more

My significant other just had shoulder surgery today with Dr. Lesley Anderson and we must say the staff/MD here is AWESOME!!!! Very professional efficient and made you feel comfortable. read more

This place was so great! The staff members were all so nice and make you feel very comfortable. If you need surgery this is the place. It wasn't crowded and chaotic like hospitals, and it was very clean. read more

I've received surgery in the hospital and this surgery center. This place rocks! The service is amazing.... you will feel like a VIP. From the moment I arrived to the moment I left the surgery center I was treated like I was the only person there. Every single person who was going to help out with my surgery introduced themselves and answered all my questions. I felt very welcomed and at ease. Highly recommended. read more

I had a outpatient surgery and was charged hundreds of dollars because they didn't get approval from my insurance company for medical equipment that I needed- even though this center is considered 'in-network'. TIP: DO NOT SIGN THE FINANCIAL LIABILITY FORM if you come here. You have the right NOT to. Reach out to the surgery center in advance to make sure they give you an estimate or invoice for your surgery. The surgery was fine. my complaints are with the pre-surgery process & communication (or lack there of) and the post surgery communication and billing. Here's what went wrong: on the date of my surgery I was asked to sign a liability form implying I was responsible to pay whatever the surgery center charged me whether it was covered by my insurance or not. This was alarming to me as i know it should be covered. I was put on the phone with their 'billing department'. Problem: 1. their billing department is a contracted to Medbridge and are completely separate entity. When there are billing issues, as there was in my case, the surgery center, the billing department point their finger at each other and give you the run around. it took 4 phone calls, speaking with the director nursing for the surgery center and the MEDBRIDGE billing departmtent manager to get any real help. 2. The medical billing rep from medbridge told me that if i didnt sign the liability form I could not have the surgery. this was NOT WITHIN HER RIGHT to state this. it was false information nor did she have jurisdiction to leverage my eligibility for surgery to get me to sign a legally binding document. in addition, the contracted billing rep reassured me that it wouldn't cost more than a $100. she has no right to promise this- as she was completely wrong. I later found out from the director of nursing both these maters should have been a matter I discussed WITH MY SURGEON on what my medical needs would be and them to inform the surgical center on what to provide- not some stranger from a far off billing company to dictate. The director of nursing also informed me that I was well within my rights to NOT sign the liability form if I didnt want to. this enraged me that I felt like i was misinformed which landed me with a medical bill of hundreds of dollars. Where was she when the date of the surgery? 3. There is a separate medical equipment contractor that this surgery center uses that bills your for any medical equipment post surgery. (ie. brace, crutch, ice machine etc). The medical billing department does not handle any of this. The surgery center seemed to know that the medical equipment was provider was not under contract and that I would be billed at market rates. That is why they wanted me to sign the liability Since it is the surgery center that selects who they contract to, it's their responsibility to take ownership of any mishaps or misinformation. I was told by the insurance company as well as my nursing office, typically a case manager will contact my insurance to ensure that my care is covered. The surgery center did not offer a case manager. They did not get my medical equipment approved and now I am billed hundreds of dollars without medical coverage bc the proper approvals and process was not followed. The ownership may seem ambiguous, but the fact is that the surgery center provided me medical equipment that was not covered by my insurance and made sure that I was liable to foot the bill or take it up with my insurance. read more

I recently had a tonsillectomy done here and it was a very smooth and awesome process. I was very nervous the night before but all the staff at Pacific Heights Surgery Center made me feel comfortable and I was definitely able to relax. The front desk girl who helped me check in was super sweet and walked me through all my paper work. All the nurses in the operating room and recovery room were friendly and made sure to check on me every couple of minutes. I had snacks and was able to stay hydrated after the procedure. Dr. Johnson was super amazing and the procedure went by so quickly with the nurses and staff being quick on their feet but super thorough. It felt like I was in and out before I even knew it. On the way out, everyone greeted me and wished me a speedy recovery! I would definitely recommend this center and I am definitely requesting this location for any other procedures I might need in the future. read more

I just had a knee replacement at the Pacific Heights Surgery Center and I could not have asked for more. The staff, from the moment I entered to the moment I left were wonderful, caring, efficient and anticipated my every need, even before I did. They were the perfect addition to my talented doctors who did my surgery. I also had a first hand view of their exceptional professionalism as they went the extra mile to care for their patients, not simply administering to their present needs, but ensuring that their future concerns were addressed as well. They truly exemplify the best of our first responders and I was lucky to have them care for me. read more

I went in yesterday for an epidural injection in my back. My experience wasn't very ideal & actually somewhat miserable, BUT it was not the staff or doctors fault. I chose to be sedated for the procedure and it took over an hour to get an IV in me. My veins kept collapsing (probably due to dehydration needing to fast.) 4 nurses, 1 doctor,12 pokes (even in my feet) later and they finally got one. I don't do well with needles so this was an uncomfortable & painful process. I was pretty hysterical, crying and all, but no one made me feel embarrassed (even though I was). Everyone was patient and comforting.The nurses were literally wiping my tears and holding my hand through the process. The procedure itself was more painful than expected and my heightened anxiety from the IV experience is probably why the sedative didn't help much, but again, no ones fault. Dr. Bathia who did the injection is very professional and thorough. I've had my fair share of ER and doctor visits and I've never had a group of medical professionals treat me with such compassion. Despite a bad and unfortunate situation, that was out of everyone's control, the staff and doctors were wonderful. If the staff reads this, thank you very much! read more

I just had my knee surgery last week at the Pacific Heights Surgery Center. First good impression was they worked with me on the facility cost since I have to pay from my own pocket. But to be honest, I was kind of skeptical at first because it is a small facility but this is also the reason why my doctor likes to do operations there. However, after the surgery I've completely changed my thinking toward them. The facility is small but very clean. They gave me complete full attention. There were total 3 different nurses plus an anesthetist doctor came to talk to me and confirmed with me the part of my body will be operated on to ensure that there are no mistakes. They were all very nice and very clear about of what they need to tell me. One of them put a warm blanket on me, I felt comfortable and confident about the operation. After the operation, I woke up without any discomfort from the drug. Another nurse went through some items with me, but they also go over the same things with my friend who went to pick me up, just in case I forget what they said to me. In addition to, they put all information on paper for me to read when I get home. It was a smooth and pleasant surgery experience for me and I know for fact that I can never get such a wonderful treatment from a hospital. read more

This place is the Ritz Carleton of surgery centers. I just had my knee surgery yesterday and I too was a bit skeptical of having it at a center and not at a hospital. But my fears were unfounded. Everything about this place was luxurious--from the amazingly friendly one-on-one nursing staff to the heated (yes I said heated) hospital gown, heated socks, and heated blankets. After going here, I never want to step foot in a crowded and hostile hospital again. Can't speak to the price, as my insurance covered everything, but I have to say, it would have been worth the price. . . read more

I second Morgen's review. I am now six days post-surgery and could not have had a better surgical experience in every way. (Yes, I really did say that.) Everybody at the Surgical Center was just terrific, especially the nurses in recovery. I can't say enough good things about my experience. If you have to have surgery and your doctor wants to use this place, I hope and expect that you will be able to write a similar review. read more

Rather not have surgery than go back. I switched surgeons because of this experience. I need to start with, I don't do well with needles. I've had 2 previous knee surgeries at another hospital that both went well. Zero complaints beyond the fact that the pre-op area was packed with people. Last fall I went to PHSC for knee surgery. I thought it was clean and most of the people were pleasant. As soon as I was ready for surgery, it all changed. I tried to explain to anyone that would listen that I freak out over needles. NO ONE WOULD LISTEN TO ME! I asked if they could knock me out before I got stuck, they said no. I began to panic sweat and shake. I could not control myself. The pretty nurse kept saying, "it will just take a sec and that I need to relax", because I was making it hard for her. Then I was left alone to relax... in a cold curtained-off waiting area... without anyone to talk to. NOT RELAXING! So once I calmed enough to not throw up she stuck me. I felt sick and couldn't stand. A few minutes later they took me in for surgery. Waiting in the surgical area with nurses, my Dr and whoever else, a woman grabbed my arm and started wiping it with alcohol (very cold) and it startled me so badly that I freaked out. I remember thinking that they were going to give me another needle. I can't remember if I yelled but I remember trying to get away. To say my experience wasn't pleasant would be an understatement. I need another knee surgery for my other knee. When I was told I was going back to PHSC, I got another Dr. read more

Amazingly happy staff who welcomed us with a smile and great positive energy! Very impressed so far!!!!!

I attribute my quick healing from hand surgery to the amazing Dr.Bickel as well as the wonderful staff at Pacific Heights Surgery Center. RN's Brian & Trina - from the front desk to surgery, everyone there helped me relax (because of course you are nervous). Just a great experience from start to finish. I had zero complications and was well-taken care of. read more

Overal the experience was ok, but I'm not happy because I was not aware that the facility was out of my insurance network until the day of the surgery. It is too late to do anything about, because I have planned on being out of work and rearranged my life around the surgery date. So instead of paying 10% out of packet, I will be paying 30% (~4000 compared to $1600) more than I was supposed to pay if I went to a facility in my insurance network. When I asked the receptionist she told me they mailed a letter explaining everything, but I have not received no letter till today 07/30/2015, almost 2weeks after?? read more

The Entire Staff here be any more professional and friendly! I had an awesome experience from the time I came in all the way to my ride out. Everyone greeted and treated me with a smile and assured me I was in good hands. It's been two days since surgery and I feel great, knee is in pain but I'm trusting the process! Thank you Dr. Halbrecht and everyone else who was involved with my Surgery! Thank You! read more

The entire staff at Pacific Heights Surgery Center is first rate. I just had knee surgery there, by Dr. Akizuki, and from the time I got there until I was being driven home, everything went smoothly and they did an excellent job of making me feel comfortable and well cared for. I recommend them highly and if I ever need surgery again, it'll be at Pacific Heights Surgery Center. read more