Our PCP made a referral for an electrocardiogram, and we made an appointment here through Scripps…read moreAncillary Scheduling -- easy phone call with the visit scheduled for three days after referral. The Center is located in the Shiley Pavilion which is between Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines and the Hilton Hotel. Paid parking in the lot adjacent to Shiley or at Scripps Clinic and take about a 5 minute walk. The staff is professional and pleasant. Check-in was easy. Waiting area is comfortable. Quality of care was very good. In fact, Amanda the electrocardiogram technician was exceptional! Facility itself is somewhat dated.

I appreciate the opportunity to commend someone who was absolutely wonderful, in all respects, as…read morehe spent a couple of hours with me, during the testing process. His name is Robert Sanchez, a nurse with the Integrative Medicine Center. Robert was so kind, understood I was very nervous, and explained everything I would experience. His compassion was really sincere, and his knowledge made everything he said completely understandable to me, a layman. By the time Robert explained each and every detail, I was feeling more settled. He had a great presence that I found very comforting and helpful, and much appreciated. Robert has excellent teaching qualities, as well as his nursing abilities. He is excellent at his job, and is a definite credit to Scripps, and an absolute blessing to me. Well done, Robert, and heartfelt thanks for helping me thru the experience! I believe we are quick to complain, but not as quick to praise, and I didn't want to pass up this chance to say how much I appreciated Robert and all of his efforts. Thank you for the opportunity to give credit to someone I felt went 'over and above' in what he did for me. Scripps is definitely the BEST, and employees such as Robert, are what makes it the best! Thanks and blessings to all of you!

Over the last few years, my mother's health has drastically declined. After much deliberation, she…read moreagreed to move closer to us and also invest in her health by finding all new doctors. We've probably been to 5 recent appointments and seeing Dr. Bagheri was one of them. I was so pleased with how kind yet honest Dr. Bagheri was with my mother and also with me since I was inside the room with her. From the front desk staff to our respiratory therapist, I cannot applaud this team enough for their professionalism and wonderful "bedside manner". Than you all so much!

After a vist this last March where I paid my copay in person I was sent an additional bill for $20…read morethat contained no explanation of the additional charges. I called the office for an explanation and they said they would have someone call me. A month later I get another bill, again with no explanation for the reasons for the additional copay amount requested along with a threat to turn the account over to collections. On top of that, when I finally got ahold of accounting, they said they don't accept any form of electronic payment. Cash or check only. WAKE UP! ITS 2022. ONLY SENIOR CITIZENS STILL USE CHECKS. I HAD TO TAKE A HALF HOUR OUT OF MY WORK TO GO TO THE BANK AND GET A $20 CASHIER'S CHECK AND PAY $5 FOR IT. I LOST $40 OF BILLABLE WORK TIME BECAUSE OF YOUR MISTAKE WHEN COLLECTING COPAY. TOTAL COST TO ME IS NOW $65 BECAUSE OF YOUR MISTAKE. TIME TO START USING MODERN BILLING AND PAYMENT SYSTEMS LIKE EVERY OTHER COMPANY HAS HAD FOR THE LAST 30+ YEARS.

I have been a patient of this primary care practice for 32 years. If you want to receive quality,…read morepatient-centered care, this is your spot. The office staff are all kind and attentive. Dr.'s Safi, Klein, and Merkes are amazing providers and humans. Take it from a picky nurse.

Dr Safi is an excellent doctor. He is caring, knowledgeable, and personable. His receptionist,…read moreMadison, incredible! She is on top of things and always gets answers to your questions! His medical assistant, flawless! Highly recommend this medical team!

I can't say I would recommend this business since I haven't had any service completed at this time,…read morebut I will say they have the best customer service with this Young Man by the name of Abdelrahman Y. Talk about patient, knowledgeable, and extremely polite... If I had my own company, I would steal him just due to his demeanor. Truly an asset wherever he goes. I will review the actual company after I have my appointment fulfilled.

I am sharing my experience with Family Health Centers of Escondido in the hope that it encourages…read moreimprovements in patient care. My sister passed away in April 2026. Despite notifying the clinic multiple times of her death, I have now received three calls attempting to schedule follow-up appointments for her. That alone reflects a concerning lack of communication within the organization. Unfortunately, this was consistent with our experience while she was alive. My sister had multiple complex medical conditions, yet obtaining coordinated care was unnecessarily difficult. Communication was poor, medication lists and diagnoses were often inaccurate, and correcting errors in her medical record proved extremely frustrating. Some examples include: Her chart repeatedly listed coronary artery disease and hypertension, neither of which she had. I had to continually request that the Primary Care Physician removed them from her chart. An incorrect fax from her primary care office led to her life-sustaining Midodrine being discontinued at her memory care facility, resulting in a syncopal episode and urgent medical evaluation. Her gallbladder surgery was delayed after surgical clearance was withheld for mildly low potassium. While waiting for another appointment, her biliary drain became dislodged, requiring emergency surgery at another hospital. When hospice became appropriate, the referral was sent to the wrong agency despite prior discussions, causing unnecessary frustration during an already difficult time. Throughout her care, messages often went unanswered, and communication seemed focused more on administrative processes than resolving patient needs. I worked as a Nurse Practitioner for over 30 years and understand that no healthcare system is perfect. However, accurate medical records, clear communication, and coordinated care are basic standards. In our experience, those standards were too often missing. We remained with Family Health Centers only because appointment availability was better than many alternatives, which was critical given how medically fragile my sister was. I sincerely hope the organization reviews its processes and improves the quality and coordination of care. Based on our experience, I cannot recommend this clinic.

Excellent care. Excellent staff. Very professional and makes you feel comfortable. Easy to…read morecommunicate with you. Always gets back to you.

I recently consulted Dr. De La Vega regarding an ongoing medical issue. He has been highly…read moreinformative and very sensitive to my concerns. He ordered all the necessary imaging and tests and I was able to promptly confirm and diagnose the issue I was having thanks to his expertise. He is very easy to communicate with and made me feel confident about what was happening with me. His front office team was great. What stood out to me was how Dr. called me the same day I had my MRI done and gave me the analysis the same day. This can be rare in the medical system.

Dr. Bennett and his team at the Sleep & Apnea Breathing Clinic have been truly exceptional. From my…read morevery first visit, I felt heard, understood, and supported in a way that I haven't experienced with other doctors- and he does so in a very direct manner, which I really appreciate. Dr. Bennett takes the time to thoroughly explain everything, ensuring I understand my treatment options and feel confident in my care plan. If you're looking for a knowledgeable, experienced, and patient-centered doctor who truly listens, I highly recommend Dr. Bennett and his team.

I'm leaving this review based on my experience as a potential patient trying to coordinate a TMJ…read morereferral. My referral was originally sent to Dr. Chase Bennett's office on July 22. When I called on August 3, I spoke with Megan and was told the referral had not been received. I provided my information by email and contacted my primary care provider's referral department to have it resent. Megan called me again and told me they still had not received the referral. She also said their benefits office could not see an authorization from TRICARE and that my provider's office had not sent one. I explained that my patient portal showed the referral as authorized and that I had also confirmed the authorization directly with my insurance. At that point, I was genuinely trying to understand where the disconnect was, especially since the referral had already been faxed twice. I asked whether Megan could contact my provider's office so the two offices could determine what was happening. Instead of helping me troubleshoot the issue, she told me I was "not listening" to her and proceeded to explain how the referral and authorization process works. When I asked if she could call the office, she corrected me by saying, "I can't call the office, but I can talk to the referrals." Because I felt dismissed rather than helped, I asked if there was someone above her I could speak with. Her response was, "You can talk to my manager, but she's just going to tell you the same thing I'm telling you." The tone of the conversation felt unnecessarily condescending, especially when I was simply trying to figure out why an authorized referral that had been faxed twice was not reaching their office. I ultimately called my primary care provider's referral department myself and explained what had happened. Their representative contacted Megan directly. During that conversation, Megan explained that the office is not currently accepting TRICARE patients for TMJ and is only accepting TRICARE for sleep apnea. My provider's office was then able to move forward with redirecting my referral. After that conversation, Megan left me a voicemail apologizing for the miscommunication. She explained that she had thought I was seeking an oral appliance for obstructive sleep apnea and clarified that their clinic is not currently contracted with TRICARE for TMJ. She recommended that my referral be redirected so I could be seen elsewhere. I appreciate that she ultimately called to apologize and clarify what happened. However, that clarification also highlighted why the earlier interaction was so frustrating. I had been trying to understand exactly what was preventing my referral from moving forward. Instead of asking questions to clarify what treatment I was being referred for, I was told I wasn't listening, had the referral process explained to me, and was told that a manager would "just tell me the same thing." The issue ultimately wasn't that I didn't understand the referral or authorization process. There had been a misunderstanding about the reason for my referral, and the clinic was not currently accepting TRICARE for the TMJ care I needed. Had that been clarified when I first contacted the office, my provider could have redirected the referral without the repeated calls, confusion, and unnecessary stress. As someone managing Stage 4 cancer and other chronic health issues, coordinating medical care already requires a significant amount of time and energy. I understand that insurance issues and misunderstandings happen, and I don't expect front-office staff to control those circumstances. What I do expect is respectful communication and a genuine effort to help someone who is trying to access care. Being spoken to as though I simply wasn't listening when there was, in fact, a misunderstanding on the office's end was particularly upsetting. I never became a patient of this practice, so I cannot speak to the quality of Dr. Bennett's clinical care. I can only speak to my experience trying to become a patient. While I appreciate the eventual apology, the way the initial interaction was handled left me feeling dismissed rather than assisted.

OVER BILLING: Kara their billing coordinator will not take responsibility for billing issues and…read morehas alienated me over $50 because she won't fix their issue with Aetna. Aetna pays NCFMG over $500/visit and each visit I paid my PCP copay of $20. Yet the billing went through as if I saw a specialist ($45 copay) and I only saw a PA, plus North Coast doesn't have specialist they only do Primary Care. This was all because the doctors were listed incorrectly on the bill sent to Aetna. So I called Kara a few times, and I called Aetna a few times and then I put them on a conference call together, and then I followed up with Aetna several times to make sure they were fixing the issue. So after about 4 hours of my time and Kara blaming Aenta and Aetna blaming her I had to give up. And I had a final call with Kara and said there is no way I am paying the $50 because this was billed wrong, just on principal I can't and won't pay it. I can't believe I am ending a 10 year relationship with NCFMG who gets paid $500+ every time I visit over $50 I was wrongly charged for, that is brilliant customer service and a fantastic business model. Note for NCFMG if you even read these reviews: PA Noel and PA Morrison are setup incorrectly with Aetna. They had 2 profiles, one with UCSD and one without. Aetna billing uses the one without which makes them unrecognized so they bill as a specialist. So why don't you call Aetna and fix it before you have more patients leave you over erroneous billing.

I hadn't seen my PCP, Dr. Amy Kakimoto, in over a decade, but I was so happy to find out she's…read morestill at North Coast Family Medical Group. Life happens, and I'd put off routine check-ups for far too long, but I recently decided to schedule an appointment for blood work and had a list of questions, along with a need for some advice and recommendations. Scheduling was a breeze. Their patient portal is user-friendly, and the response time was surprisingly quick. Despite my last-minute request, they managed to fit me in. In the past it would take me months to see my PCP. This was a big improvement. Everything, from lab work requests to accessing clinical notes and instructions is automated in their system, so there's no hassle. On the day of my appointment, I was pleased to find plenty of parking, even on a busy weekday afternoon, which is always a plus. The clinic looks amazing and they've clearly made major renovations. The space is bright, modern, open, and spotless, with an inviting atmosphere. The staff were professional, warm, and attentive. From the receptionists to the medical assistants, everyone made me feel welcomed. During my appointment, Dr. Kakimoto addressed all of my questions and concerns with patience and detail. Even though the visit lasted only about 30 minutes, I left feeling reassured, informed, and optimistic about my health. I also love the reminder texts and emails! So helpful especially when you have so much going on. All your clinical notes are available in their patient portal app for easy access as well as all your medical records, tests, and more. I highly recommend Dr. Amy Kakimoto and North Coast Family Medical Group to anyone looking for quality care.

I saw Dr Bench for an inguinal hernia repair. The hernia was small but causing me pain and kept me…read morefrom playing with my kids and exercising. At our consultation, Dr Bench said we could wait on the repair but suggested that having surgery would allow me to get back to my active life without pain. The day of surgery was phenomenal. The nurses were so kind and helpful and Dr Bench was there to set my mind at ease as well. It felt kind of like a spa. When I woke up, there was a bit of pain but they got me out of the hospital quickly and home to rest. Recovery had ups and downs. The first four weeks went as expected and I was feeling all better. But I seemed to have aggravated the mesh site soon after my initial followup. This resulted in a cycle where I'd feel better, then go on a bike ride or do some gardening and I'd have a week of pain... back and forth. Dr Bench was gracious throughout. Even 5 months later when I was still getting pain, he assured me the repair was "solid" and explained that things were still healing. Apparently, I'm a slow healer. Now it's almost seven months after my surgery and I feel like my old life is back. I'm throwing my kids around, digging holes in my garden, and working out again. Thanks Dr Bench and team! Even though recovery was a bit rocky, I'm so thankful for your professionalism, expertise, and empathy.

Dr. Bench and his office assistants, medical staff and surgical team members were exceptionally…read morefriendly, caring, calming and experienced in their care of my medical situation.