I tried to make a new-patient ENT appointment with Summit ENT Medical Associates after a bad cold left me with ongoing smell issues and congestion. What followed was a master class in how broken medical access has become. First, I had to navigate a long phone tree with what felt like endless "if this, press that" options. When I finally reached a human being, I was told she couldn't help new patients and transferred me to a different department. Then I sat on hold for 25 minutes. When someone finally picked up, I was told I needed a referral -- despite my insurance indicating that no referral is required for specialists. Then I was told, somewhat confusingly, that I could go through a "self-referral clinic." So apparently I both needed a referral and didn't need a referral, depending on which sentence I was listening to. The person then took down all of my information, which took another 10 minutes. After all that, the earliest nearby appointment more than a month away. At that point, I hung up. To be clear: I can't comment on the quality of the doctors, because I never got anywhere near one. This review is about the new-patient access experience, which was slow, confusing, bureaucratic, and deeply frustrating. When someone is dealing with a health issue and trying to get specialist care, the process should not feel like a hazing ritual conducted by voicemail menus and hold music. Maybe the doctors are great. I have no idea. But the front-end experience made it extremely difficult to become a patient in the first place. read more

Dr. Li: 5 stars. Office: 0. I made an appointment six months ago, then took the morning off work for it. Today when I showed up, the receptionist asked if I knew it was canceled. Well, no: obviously not. She said they left a voice mail the day after we scheduled it. I have no trace of this, and they absolutely did not follow up in any other way. When the receptionist asked if I'd like to reschedule, I declined. Why bother? If that one gets canceled, too, no one's going to tell me about it and I'll end up standing there like an idiot again. Dr. Li is great. I won't be returning to this office, though. read more

I saw this doctors office yesterday after three months of not being able to hear. I saw Dr. Lewis, who I have no complaints about so far, and he diagnosed me as needing to have tubes put in my ears, which came as no suprise. I then had to get a hearing test and it took forever. Then, I had to wait to see Dr. Lewis again, and that took forever too. After seeing him again, he told me that I needed to schedule the tubes to be put in with the front desk. For the life of me, I do not know why every since medical secretary has a major attitude, but they always do. And this one was no exception. She let me wait for like 5 minutes before she even spoke to me, and then it was to tell me to sit in the lobby while she found an appointment. When she called me back, she told me he didn't have anything available and that she would call me tonight or tommorrow after talking to Dr. Lewis about his availability. I never got the call and when I called to follow up, the phone rang for about 3 minutes, and then I tried again, and got some message about the phones being down. I left a message and of course, haven't heard anything back. So, I am stuck, with no hearing. No way to get ahold of anyone who will help me, and I dont want to wait for another two weeks to see an ENT and get a new hearing test and then wait another two weeks to get tubes put in. Frustrating! read more

I am an overall fan of this practice! Although, I need to qualify. Dr. Simms-Edwards is the only doctor I have seen. SHE IS WONDERFUL - she listens, she is concerned, and she has a way of talking to non-doctors so that she explains it cleary without talking down to you. It is true about the parking. It is not easy to find parking in Oakland and there are meters on the street. Most of the office staff are very nice. There is one person who works the front desk upstairs who does not make eye contact and kind of acts like she is doing the patient a favor to help us. I simply think she just needs to have customer service training update. I would without hesitation recommend Dr. Simms-Edwards. read more

I went to the Oakland office and had an appointment with Dr. Li. My symptoms were that I had this protrusion or bump on my tonsil, that hurt when touched and I could constantly feel it in the back of my throat. I told him all this and told him that I have had a history of tonsil stones (caused by the bacteria actinomyses which are naturally found in the floral or our tonsils so it's not contagious). Sorry for the overload of information, just in case other people are frustrated with the same symptoms. Anyway, he proceeded to say that everything was fine, that tonsils are not smooth tissues. He said that the bump may even be there forever, It's just part of my tonsils, etc etc. I was a little annoyed that he wasn't taking me seriously. Also, since this bump was painful, I knew he was wrong and this wasn't some normal tissue growth of my tonsil. A couple of days later, I spit up some tonsil stones from that bump so now I've figured out myself why I have this swollen bump. Basically I wasted money on that visit where Dr. Li did not even try to properly diagnose my symptoms. Now I have to go see another ENT doctor to help me extricate these tonsil stones since they're becoming painful and numerous again. Another side note is that I waited 15 minutes in the waiting room and another 45 minutes inside the clinical room. I guess the only redeeming quality is that he's very nice and straight-forward with his advice. But that doesn't make him a great doctor. My advice is to go somewhere else. read more

Recently I had some sort of ear ache and infection, and after a week saw my internist (who I trust and have used for a quarter century). He couldn't diagnose, but suggested minimal treatment and referral to an ENT if it didn't improve in a few days. It didn't improve, so I checked his referral to Summit EMT. Apparently he refers patients there frequently. I'm a musician, so I don't like to mess with my hearing. I was put off a bit by the negative reviews, but could find no other service that could see me within a month. So I called Summit EMT, and their wait was only a week! I explained that I couldn't safely wait that long, so the phone receptionist checked for a while and was able to schedule me an appointment about 40 minutes later. (It would take me about 20 minutes to travel there.) I arrived right on time, and started to fill out the inevitable new patient forms. Only 25 minutes later, about 30 seconds before I finally finished all the forms, the tech/assistant called for me in the lobby. This was about perfect timing for me, although the tech had to wait for me those 30 seconds. Five or ten minutes later Doctor Li saw me, did an exam, cleaned the ear, diagnosed, had the tech do a full wash, then examined me again. There were small waits for all these steps, but nothing out of the ordinary. He prescribed a simple, not-very-expensive treatment for fungus, and said I didn't need to return unless it didn't improve. That was a week ago, and although I will continue treatment for another couple days, I believe I am cured. Medically this was perhaps a simple case, but I am thrilled and satisfied with the speed and effectiveness with which the clinic accommodated me. This is a very busy group practice, and there is a lot of commotion around the front desk, but they came through for me. I would have no hesitation to going back when I need them again. read more

I wish there would be an option of "zero, null, no - stars". I saw Dr. Drury. he is friendly - but that's it in terms of positive... and friendly alone doesnt make a good doc. bad experience - long wait, unfriendly staff, little explaining/ options, way overpriced! please go somewhere else. read more

Well, here is another 1 star review for Summit ENT. They were the only office where I could get an appointment within a week and now I see why. The day of my my appointment my ear was doing better so I cancelled it. They sent a bill for $25 for a cancelled appointment even though they didn't let me know during my two previous phone calls that would happen, and they made it sound like they were waiving that charge this time. If you need help right away go to urgent care, otherwise pick any other doctor in the area with good reviews and wait. read more

Dr. Simms-Edwards is a fun, happy, and very good doc. I enjoyed meeting with her to deal with my allergies. She is awesome at putting the dots together . I enjoyed meeting with her. Like the reviews mentioned below the wait can be long and I'm not to excited about that. Parking can be tricky but not impossible. read more

Go to their Orinda office. I've been to both the Oakland and Orinda locations. While the Oakland office was chock full of patients AND i had to pay for street parking, there was only one person ahead of me at the Orinda location AND they have a private parking lot. Also, make your appointment with Dr. Simms-Edwards. She is such a friendly doctor. I was preparing myself to feel embarrassed when Dr. Simms-Edwards asked me where I go to school and what I am majoring in because I can only imagine her thinking "What? Stanford student, majoring in Human Biology, and you don't know how to take proper care of your ears??" Instead, she took time to explain to me what probably happened to cause my two ear infections (yes, it was both ears, goddamnit), what I can expect during recovery, and entertained the silly questions I had about whether it was unhealthy that I liked to sleep with my face smothered in my blanket. She told me it was fine (see Mother, I told you so!) and shared that her husband likes to sleep with his pillow over his face. My experience with Dr. Simms-Edwards was one of the best experiences I've ever had with a doctor. Too bad she's just a ear, nose, throat specialist and not a primary care doctor. It's true that the final bill is on the expensive side though. read more

Dr. Drury is kind, thoughtful, thorough, attentive, with excellent bedside manner, complimenting his excellence in clinical assessment and diagnosis. I've been an RN for decades; I know what to expect from a medical provider. I have never had the slightest issue with any of his support staff. They have been responsive and professional as well. Patients need to take ownership and responsibility of how they address their providers. Respect is a two way street. read more

My experience with Summit ENT is to check your insurance and to find out what exactly is covered and what is not before you agree to a procedure. And also find out if they will waive fees if the insurance will not pay for all or part of the procedure so you won't get socked with a big bill. Basically Dr. Liu was okay with sinus/ear infections but gave me bronchitius after he looked at my throat with a scope (or maybe I had something minor but it turned into bronchitis the day after). The other thing is that I switched insurance midstream when I was seeing them and nobody told me that my insurance didn't cover everything, whereas the prior insurance had. They charge too much for procedures, and there's kind of a feel of low-rent to the clientel since they take welfare cases. I'd recommend finding another ENT or if you have sinusitis, go see an allergist first. read more

I had five procedures to improve my nasal breathing at Summit ENT medical associates. It seems that I am worse off now than I was when I began treatment, all things considered, although in some ways, my nasal function is somewhat restored. I first had a septoplasty with Dr. Li and a revision septoplasty with Dr. Li a year later because the first surgery failed. That my surgery didn't succeed was anomalous-- because this is mostly seen as a routine and simple procedure. After the second one I couldn't breathe through the left side of my nose, although the breathing on my right side improved. To try to improve the breathing on the left side, my turbinates were cauterized twice on the left side. This did not help my problem, since the obstruction was higher up. The function of nasal turbinates is to moisten the nasal passages when you breathe. Now my nose and throat are substantially drier. Next, I was referred to Dr. Drury for a nasal valve repair. This procedure didn't fix my primary problem. A month later, I felt as though little had changed or improved. High up in my nose, my septum flops back and forth in the back and completely closes the left side, especially when exhaling. This is painful and obstructive. Since I now have minimal turbinate tissue, I can look up there with a flashlight and a mirror and see the obstruction directly for myself. I was also billed extra for a procedure that was not performed with the nasal valve repair-- a submucosal resection. Summit ENT won't take the initiative to refund me for the second procedure that was not performed, even if the errant billing was their fault-- I had to waste my time. I had to call their outside billing contractor to take care of this. I talked to the doctor twice, the office staff twice, and called the billing people four times. This should be the office's responsibility not mine. At this office, there is no way to send a secure message to your health provider. If you have a problem, then you must schedule another appointment, usually a week or two out. The waits in the office are long-- 30 minutes or more behind schedule is typical in the afternoon, but if you schedule a morning appointment you won't wait long. Almost every morning I wake up and the first thing I am compelled to think about is how dry, painful, and obstructed my nose is. The doctors are kind and courteous, but at the end of all of this, I and my insurance were charged a lot of money, and I am not satisfied with my personal outcome. Helpful tip-- there is free two hour parking on 29th (or was it 28th) st. You learn these things when you go to a place over ten times. I just wish it all would have gone better. read more

Dr. Drury is amazing and helpful. But this one-two star rating REFLECTS HOW BADLY THEIR RECEPTIONIST ARE. THEY ARE RUDE RUDE RUDE. Their managerial staff needs to get new people who answers the phones because they make you feel unimportant and dismissive. Called their office four times and each time they are RUDE. Also, does they do not call their patients for appointment reminders. Seriously worst staff possible. Love Dr. Drury but next time I go there I want to see the person in charge of the nurses and receptionist. Their job is in the medical field so they should be considerate and polite not make the person on the phone feel like they are stupid and ready to be dismissed. And before I can ask a question they hang up the phone immediately... read more

I'm a little surprised by some of the very negative reviews here. I had an appointment with Dr. Li to discuss a surgical procedure yesterday and I was very pleased with the meeting. Dr. Li spent a long time educating me about both the procedure, the recovery, and the results I should expect. I found him to be both personable and caring. Some reviewers here have talked about the poor condition of the office and the unfriendly staff. I found the exact opposite to be true. The office is in an older building...so what. And the staff were absolutely delightful. As far as the wait goes, maybe we should be happy that these doctors are in such demand? Anyway, thanks to all at Summit ENT. read more

Some below have mentioned having to wait for their appointment, but I have an answer to that: Add together all the time it took me to go to 3-4 other appointments with other doctors, none of whom had an actual clue as to what was going on, and it's far far more than any waiting I might have done for Dr. Simms-Edwards, who "got it" pretty much immediately, and was so warm and clear that I wished I had just gone to her first. PS I love that old deco building! read more

Dr. Angelina Valencia, the doctor of Audiology, at this practice is truly an outstanding medical professional. Kind, compassionate, sensitive, caring, highly qualified, intelligent, capable, informed - I could go on and on about how impressed I am with her attention to me and my hearing loss-related medical needs. I have seen 3 other Audiologists for hearing aids and hearing tests. Dr. Valencia truly goes above and beyond to help her patients. Highly recommended for hearing tests, hearing aids and wellness related to hearing loss. Thank you Dr. Valencia! I am dismayed to see so many rants here about the practice on this yelp page. My needs have been met, overall, by the practice and I have never had any problems with the helpful, hard-working office staff. I have been a patient there for 5 years. read more

I went to Dr. Li twice and really enjoyed interacting with him. He's honest, funny, and personable. He laid out all the options for me as far as different procedures we could do, and what was involved with them and didn't really push any one option but left that up to me. One of the better doctors I've seen in recent years, for sure. The receptionists were friendly, helpful and competent. I give the place a low rating because of the stupidly long wait time. I waited over an hour and half for a 10 minute procedure. Maybe they should figure out a system where they can let me know realistically when I should show up? or at least tell me they're running late when I ask. Bring a book and expect to be late and you'll be okay. read more

Dr. Drury is fantastic. See reviews under his name, cuz reviews here are for everyone. He fixed my deviated septum and answered all my questions along the way, and I'm a high-information-needs guy, when it comes to messing with my face. I visited 2 other ENT's before choosing Dr. Drury. read more

I've had to come here several times to check on my ruptured eardrum because I couldn't find an appointment elsewhere, and the staff has always been really great! I have never had to wait more than 15 minutes to be seen (when I come a little earlier or right on time for an appointment). The doctors were also exceptional and gladly answered any questions I had. My first time coming here, I got hit by a car a block away and came in absolutely distressed even though not a lot of damage had been done. The receptionist picked up on it right away and had me see the doctor straight away even though I was late for my appointment. He examined where I had been hit, checked up on my ear, and then had one of the nurses walk me to the ER. The office truly has a great staff! Every other time I have gone, they still asked if I was feeling better. My only complaint is that the office is hard to find. I was expecting more of a hospital building instead of a personal-practice looking place. read more

The doctors might be OK but the office staff routinely engage in patient abuse. They will talk down to you, yell at you, cut you off, never return your call, put you on hold and never return etc. I am filing a complaint with Cingna and encourage prospective patients to find another clinic--these people are not interested in patient experience, much less providing quality care. Avoid. read more

I saw this group of doctors about 2-3 years ago and have not been back. I went b/c I was having chronic sinus and ear infections which I knew were from a broken nose from about 7 years prior. My sinus infections were monthly and I was on strong antibiotics about every 4 weeks. I asked them every time I went in to refer me to get an MRI, CT scans, x-rays, endoscopy etc. They just kept pumping me full of antibiotics saying I was a hypochondriac. When I went to Portland for vacation and my ears started bleeding when I got off the plane I called them and they didn't seem to think it was an emergency and tried to tell me that I must have stuck a q-tip to far in my ear. Two days later I was in the emergency room with blood dripping out of my ears. It was due to too many ear infections and scar tissue build up. The ER referred me to another ENT. After my 1st appt. with my new ent, they took immediate x-rays and a CT scan to find out that I had bone fragments blocking my nasal cavities and pushing into my ocular cavity under my eye. They scheduled me for surgery 3 weeks later. Now I have virtually no sinus problems and no ear problems. The new ENT also told me that it was pretty obvious without the CT scan that there was a major problem. And they also told me that my blocked passage was blue from not having any oxygen getting in there, and they had to remove polyps and dead and diseased scar tissue. In addition to lasering me a new nasal passage. Bummer that they wouldn't let me keep the bone fragments they removed. And no I never complained to Summit ENT. I just took my business elsewhere after my awesome ER visit for the bloody ears. read more

I didn't manage to see any of the doctors, because they expected a patient in severe pain with a nasal abcess to wait 10 days for an appointment. The brusque receptionist said the matter could be taken care of by a primary care physician. I guess that's why my PCP refereed me to Summit ENT in the first place? I'm just glad I got to experience the "personalized patient care" described while I endured the long phone hold. read more

The only stars this place gets are for Dr. Simms-Edwards and the nice woman who does the allergy testing. They were helpful and nice. However, the wait for other doctors is ridiculously long and I have to say not worth it. I would look elsewhere for allergy testing and/or an ear, nose and throat doctor unless you have unlimited amounts of time to sit in a waiting room. read more

Although it's hard to read a book by the cover I was a little apprehensive when I arrived at the Oakland location to see Dr. Simms-Edwards. The actual building and office space is old and not as swanky as the practice website presents. Also I had completed all the New Patient Registration, Health History Questionnaire on line, unfortunately it was not to be found in the data base?? Anyway all that aside the staff was professional and friendly. Dr, Simms-Edwards was professional, competent and caring taking her time to listen to my personal extensive, 20+ year, journey with my sinuses. This is the first time in many years an MD had taken the time to really listen and focus on my personal story. So the actual building, information technology, a flat tire and pouring rain the day of my appointment evaporated with this positive experience. It's always important to remind yourself the extra time the MD spends with you causes a delay for the patent's waiting but don't we all appreciate the attention when it's us the time is being spent with. The wait was minimal for my appointment but I know there were patients left waiting while Dr. Simms-Edward spent a great deal of time with me...Bring a book it's well worth the wait if there is one!!! Thank you Dr. Simms-Edwards you have your special place reserved!!!! read more

I am not a patient of this clinic, but my mom is. And I am referring to the clinic in Orinda. My mom lives in the East Bay, so it's a bit more challenging to go to the Oakland office, so she decided to get some paperwork signed by Dr. Drury at the Orinda location. My mom is very hard of hearing thus the reason why she is going to Dr. Drury. The office assistant was not helpful to my mom at all. My mom was even told to wait a few hours to "see" if the doctor would make it that day. When my mom asked if he would be at the Oakland office so she could drive there, she was told she could call there and see if he was there. Poor customer/patient service at this place. My mom really likes the doctor/patient relationship with Dr. Drury, but please, with your frontline people being rude and unhelpful, especially towards a senior citizen with a very challenging hearing defficit is unacceptable. I would have complained right there, and I was going to call the office to complain but I figure this will reach more people out there. read more

I would give it less stars if possible. First off the receptionist and the nurses are great. Super helpful and apologetic. Dr. Tsuan Li never arrived for my appointment(waiting over an hour in the exam room)No notice nothing. It isn't the nurses job to apologies for the doctors negligence. read more

Whatever you do, DON'T GO! I had a terrible experience this week. The receptionist was cold and rude. She would shut the window and start yacking to her co-workers while people waited in line to sign-in. I waited for one hour and was about go into the room when the secretary told me that Dr. Drury had to rush out of the office and if I didn't mind rescheduling--wasn't there anyone else in the office that could have helped? read more

Poorly run office. The doctors may be fine, but if you can't get an appointment in a timely manner it really doesn't matter. I had sudden hearing loss two weeks ago...my second occurrence (the first of time was permanent). With sudden hearing loss, there is some chance of regaining your hearing if treated aggressively immediately. I explained this to the receptionist, who couldn't work me in for 3 weeks. The literature indicates that treatment needs to start 7 days or sooner from onset. She was unmoved by my plight and made little attempt to help. I ended up going to a fancy practice in Palo Alto who grasped the urgent nature of my problem and got me in same day. Most well run practices, or at least caring practices, plan for urgent visits. Not this one. read more

I should have read the reviews more carefully about the wait-times. I figured at 2pm on a Monday they wouldn't have THAT many people waiting - instead I waited over an hour before finally giving up on my appointment completely. Scheduling is a difficult art, but other offices do it, why can't these folks? Won't go back. read more

I love these guys! I never have to wait long for my appointments. I've seen Dr. Drury as well as Dr. Lewis, they are both very nice and explain procedures well, and always answer my questions. The front office staff are very sweet and super helpful when I call. I just had ear Surgery with Dr. Lewis two weeks ago and have gotten great care before, during, and after. I highly recommend these guys!!! Thanks! read more

I saw Dr. Drury, I am a little nervous since I haven't received a bill yet. I have had about 6 sinus infections in a year, so I was pleased he sent me to get a CT Scan after my first appointment. Downside to my first appointment was an hour wait. I know that patients may run late, but every single review says that the doctors all run late. This is a sign that they are over booking, and I don't appreciate when the office does not treat my time as valuable as their own. As I write this I am on hold to make an appoinment and have been on hold for 8+ minutes..... read more

Don't attempt to see Dr. Drury unless you have plenty of time to waste in the waiting room. My first appointment was cancelled due to add-ons. When I tried again, I waited an hour and a half before even being shown to a room. The staff clearly couldn't care less about time constraints. Needless to say, I'll be looking for care elsewhere. read more

Terrible customer service! If I could choose zero stars I would. I have no issue with the Doctor I saw or the medical advice I received (overall very professional). However, the receptionists are completely incompetent and any kind of scheduling is a lengthy, difficult process. Every time that I needed to schedule a follow-up appointment or procedure it would need to be approved through my insurance (well understood), and the receptionists would assure me they would call me in a week or so to schedule. I never received calls back. I would call them several weeks later asking about my appointment. Each time my approval paperwork was "lost." On two occasions Summit ENT referred me out to a partner facility (NORCAL Imaging) for an MRI. Similarly, the paperwork would never arrive, and both times I made numerous calls to both offices asking them to re-fax the referral so I could schedule my appointment. Due to the lost paperwork and repeated calls I would need to make, each follow-up or procedure would take me a month to schedule. Summit ENT never apologized, never took any responsibility for losing my paperwork, and never offered to fix the situation for me. I finally became so frustrated with the process that I left, and will be looking for another medical facility to use. I was referred to Summit ENT through my workplace, and will definitely be letting them know what a difficult office this is to work with. read more

I'm giving three stars because Dr. Drury is AMAZING. I wish I could see him as my regular doctor! However, I am giving three stars because of his front desk staff. This is my fourth time visiting this office both upstairs and downstairs. The front desk staff is not personable at all. They are short with you and really seem as if they don't want to be there. This is the direct opposite of how you are treated once you are called to the back. The nurses and Dr Drury are really nice. Front desk not as much! Be sure to keep your smiles and your upbeat hellos in your back pocket. You won't need them at the front desk but will once you get to the back. Summit EMT I say if they don't wanna be there, give them another position. To have these front desk people greet you (or not greet you rather) makes the whole office look bad. I will return because I love Dr Drury but will save my kindness and not use it to greet the front desk. read more

I was referred to Dr. Li last year when I had a very bad bout of Vertigo which was later diagnosed as BPPV and Vestibular Neuronitis. I was very sick at the time and the doctor didn't even talk to me about what was going on. All he cared about doing was upselling me on a surgery he could perform for my deviated septum and suggesting a nasal spray which he obviously was promoting for a pharmaceutical company. I felt like he wouldn't even let me talk to tell him what was going on and thank god I knew well enough to seek out another ENT who was much more caring, compassionate and not trying to upsell me on surgeries. The other ENT also said that in his opinion the surgery Dr. Li was trying to convince me to do would be totally useless in my case. read more

Dr. Simms-Edward is an excellent ENT (ear, nose & throat) specialist. She was very warm and friendly and very easy to talk to.The exam was quick and without any discomfort. She was very thorough in covering my symptoms and medications. She also seemed to care about following up with me. I would definitely recommend her. read more

I was referred here from my primary doc. I had a perfectly good and professional experience here with an ear exam and hearing test. I didn't have any problems scheduling an appointment - I was in fact able to schedule two appointments for the same day (one to see the Doctor, one to get a hearing test). It did take some time on the phone to find a good time with the staff person, who seemed new - but she was perfectly willing to work to find times that suited my needs. Everything was handled professionally at the office, and everyone seemed nice enough. I found Dr. Drury to be pleasant and articulate, and answered all my questions to my satisfaction. Similarly, the Dr. of Audiology who gave me my hearing exam was nice and happy to answer questions. The waiting times were reasonable, on the order of 10 minutes. I asked the Dr. for a copy of my hearing test which she provided right away. read more

The first two visits with Dr. Drury and the audiologist across the hall (Dr. Heather Little) went smoothly, the follow up ones with Dr. Little went completely south. I was given an appointment a few weeks down the calendar, showed up, only to be told they had no record of it, they made me wait a whole hour only to tell me that she could not see me that day at all. I had to wait for a whole month for the next open slot and was assured that they would call me the day before to reconfirm, I waited until 4PM the day before for the call, since it didn't come, I called and got an answering machine, left a message. About an hour later, I get a call back telling me that since they are not part of my health insurance program, I should have my general practitioner doctor refer me to another office. Are you kidding me? Couldn't they figure that out before? read more

I saw Dr. Drury for a throat problem. Not only did he utterly fail to diagnose me correctly (instead offering such gems as: it could be a thyroid problem... you see, your thyroid is right there [pointing]), after giving me an unhelpful drug and telling me to call back and report on its effects (which I did), he has yet to contact me. AT ALL. For 1 month. This despite repeated calls to the office, begging for information, asking repeatedly for the referral he said he'd write. Nothing. It's like trying to talk to a brick wall. In what universe is it acceptable for a doctor to wholly ignore a patient in need for 1 FULL MONTH? not even a call from a secretary? Not to mention the letter he said he'd write? The Summit ENT Oakland office is pretty incompetent too. They lost my initial referral, entered my insurance information incorrectly, which ended up costing me major $$. And did I mention the part about not returning calls? I could never recommend Dr. Drury to any friend of mine, and unless you're looking for a doctor who seems to want to obstruct your health care at every turn, I wouldn't recommend him to you either. read more