I have been with the physician for 25 years and I am very grateful for the support, he has been giving me every time I have issue with my health. Kudos to him and the team.office staff are very respectful and professional. read more

I was a patient at this clinic for 4 years. I finally made the ultimate decision to switch to UW after my last appointment here. The ARNP I used to see left the practice awhile back and since then it has gone downhill IMO. There seems to be a lack of empathy & compassion and it seems more of a "textbook" type of care than before. I have been suffering from headaches for over 20 years. I've always been brushed off by doctors and told it's because my eyes are bad (I do wear glasses) or that I am dehydrated. I realized the last year they have gotten worse and I am taking Tylenol twice DAILY. For perspective, I got a Costco sized bottle 6 months ago and it's nearly empty. Anyways, I came in to see Dr Minh Dao fully expecting to be referred for imaging. Instead she made an "expert" assumption that it's probably stress, tension, dehydration, and lack of my intake of vitamins. Told me my symptoms weren't concerning and that she doesn't feel it necessary to order imaging yet. Then prescribed me muscle relaxers and told me to continue my daily intake of Tylenol and made a follow up appointment for 4 weeks out. I left the appointment and cried in my car. Frustrated that I'm being written off when it took a lot to come into this appointment for fear that ANOTHER doctor would make me feel stupid or uneducated about MY body. This seems to be common practice with doctors and I wish I could understand why. I sent a MyChart message enunciating my disappointment with her advice and lack of empathy. And requested I be sent for imaging. Fast forward about a month, my imaging showed signs of a rare brain condition in which she then referred me to neurosurgery and I am scheduled for brain surgery next month. I wrote this review to say, in hopes she and other crappy doctors will see this - listen to your patients. Just because you have the degrees in education does not mean you know everything about someone's body and it's ok to admit that and refer them out to someone who may be able to help past your knowledge window. It is no sweat off your back or your paycheck to refer patients for testing to rule things out. It hurts nobody!! Had I not advocated for myself, I would not know what I do now. Do better. read more

I called today (in pain) to appoint with my primary care physician. I haven't seen any doctor in over two years as I haven't needed to. A little over 2 years ago i got second opinion with another primary care physician. It was suggested by the front desk that "I go see the other provider" cause "in their eyes since I established with another provider the relationship ended." The receptionist told me after 3 years of not being seen, I'm considered a new patient. The problem is that it HAS NOT been 3 years. This is patient abandonment! I was not even offered another appoint with another provider. Since when am I not allowed a second opinion? I was never made aware of of these policies. A letter close to the time of "ending a relationship" is standard practice. Even when legally dismissing a patient a certified letter is required. At the end of the call I wasn't given an appointment. I was told I would get a call later today from the triage nurse. The receptionist was rude! I found it weird that she was telling ME who I considered to be my Primary Care Physician. Update: After hearing nothing for 4 hours I called to follow up, only to find out from the front desk they are suggesting I go to Urgent care! She said the clinic is booked up for weeks. I'm beyond pissed. They could've told me this from the beginning instead of wasting half my day when I'm sick and in pain. Emily was not only rude but spoke over me when expressing my dissatisfaction over how how everything was handled. read more

I saw Christopher Etzkorn for an annual physical. I have seen a lot of bad reviews for him for not being compassionate, but I don't know what all the fuss is about. I went there for a reason and it wasn't for a hug. He was very to the point and efficient. My interactions with everyone there were pleasant. I also appreciated that there was nobody in the waiting room. They make a point to bring you into an examination room promptly to limit your exposure to other people. The only things I didn't like were getting my temp taken twice with a contact style thermometer to the forehead. Also, the parking is EXPENSIVE. They comp$5 of the total. But I didn't want to find that I was there for 2 hours and out of$20 for parking so I opted for street parking. Overall, my experience was better here than at other locations. I would certainly go back. read more

All appointments need to wait 4-6 weeks. No guarantee your appointment won't be canceled one week before the date due to provider's personal issues or other stuffs, then you need to wait another 4-6 weeks. Keeps going this way. More difficult than getting an appointment with a specialist read more

I love Dr. Elaine Roe. Same day appointments!! Phone calls returned quickly!! Dr. Roe definitely makes you feel at ease and will take her time to understand the issue, take necessary tests and create a treatment plan. Highly recommended. read more

Swedish Downtown Seattle Primary Care - Internal Medicine Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I visited Swedish for the first time last December and saw Dr. Karmali for a general checkup. Dr. Karmali is amazing and I wrote a review for her separately. As for Swedish at this location, it's pretty great. I used to work in the Safeco Plaza building, but now I work in a separate location about five minutes away (walking time). I don't think I waited more than 10 minutes between checking in and being taken to the back by a nurse. After she took my vitals, I think I waited a good 15-20 minutes before Dr. Karmali entered the room. She gave me more than enough time to change. The entire appointment started on time, but seeing the doctor was quite a bit later than my scheduled appointment time. I think I got out about 45 minutes after the estimated end time, but maybe that's because I was a new patient and Dr. Karmali was so attentive to learning all about me. Going back this December to Swedish to see Dr. Karmali again! read more

Tried to make an new patient visit, waited for more than an HOUR on the phone to schedule then finally gave up. There was a voicemail option yet I truly needed to make an appointment today for administrative reasons. Unbelievable. The providers may be competent yet, if access is so limited for basic needs, why bother? Believe the reviews, there are other options for decent providers AND support staff. read more

If you're simply looking for a new primary care doc, look elsewhere - they apparently are not interested in preventative care. This place seemed perfect on the surface - close to work and good reviews from colleagues. I called to make an appointment and a miracle happened - a doctor was accepting new patients! My excitement was short- lived; I was informed that their doctors don't do physicals on new patients and that I could only make an appointment if I had a known issue or problem. Excuse me!?! How am I supposed to know if something is wrong with me if I can't have a baseline check up done!?! Ridiculous. read more

My review is for my primary care doctor, Elaine Roe. I've been seeing Dr. Roe for nearly 3 years now and I have always been impressed by her professionalism and bedside manner. I feel comfortable asking her questions and she gives feedback and advice without coming across as being judgmental or negatively authoritative. I hope to continue seeing Dr. Roe for many years to come. I have also seen Dr. Karmali for a few emergency appointments when Dr. Roe was not available and I was impressed with her as well. I have never had a problem getting appointments with her and have even gotten in on the same-day I've called on occasion. read more

I hate going to the doctor and will avoid it for any reason until my face is about to fall off and they can't even staple it back together and even then I spend like six hundred hours Googling whether or not I can staple it at home or what. When I entered my 30s I realized I wasn't made of a world made of steel made of stone, and I should probably start getting physicals with some regularity. I looked around for a good doctor and through the reviews on Yelp (thanks!) and some word of mouth from people I know, I chose Dr. Roe. Dr. Elaine Roe is such a super cool doctor. She sat with me for some ridiculous amount of time, like 20 or 30 minutes, asking me what I was concerned about and talking about my lifestyle and offering suggestions for blood tests and other methods of following up. She offered to do my annual exam, though I'd just had one at Planned Parenthood, but now that I know she can do everything I'll probably just go to her anytime I'm not lured in by the convenient location of Zoomcare. The other people in the office are nice, although the last time I went in for a foot thing and had to have one of the x-ray technicians take a break from her lunch to do my x-ray and she was pretty obviously totes bummed about it, though I don't blame her. The doctor more than makes up for it and has never failed to be available to me and be helpful and kind and she even answers my dozens of weird emails about whatever I can think of without taking a million years or ignoring me like I might do. The only downside is the busy downtown location and the parking that literally costs one hundred million dollars for 45 minutes. They'll validate a little but not everything, so I suggest taking the bus. Also, is it weird to anyone else that this office seems to be in a basement with false windows and huge ceilings? It's weird. She's great, though! read more

Well, it has become increasingly hard to get an appointment here. This just means that people have read my review and are flocking to get medical care from the best, right? Still, it is annoying. Still love Dr. Roe, though. My review is based soley on Dr. Elaine Roe. She is the BEST primary care doctor I have ever had. She really cares, takes the time to listen, relate, and find the root cause of the issue. Most of the time, same day appointments are no problem. Her office ALWAYS calls prescriptions in when they say they will, always return phone calls, and are always very polite. I can't say enough good things about Dr. Roe though. She is the best of the best! read more

I must say I had a great experience at the Swedish physician office downtown. I am new to the Seattle area and selected a doctor based on Yelp's review. I couldn't have been more happier with my choice in Dr. Karmali. Dr. Karmali is very personable, knowledgeable, informative, and a great listener. Dr. Karmali was on time for my appointment and didn't rush me at all. This office is very professional and clean and I enjoyed talking with the nurse there as well. I was very nervous about selecting a new physician being that I am from out of state but am thankful to God that Dr. Karmali was at this clinic. I am proud to say that Dr. Karmali is my new Primary Care physician and Swedish Medical is simply the best! read more

I like this office because I get to see Rolando's smile and pleasant attitude every time! Dr. Klein is an awesome doctor, I highly appreciate everything she recommends for me! Parking is expensive but where else are you going to park in Seattle safely! read more

i'm not sure if it's safe to say that a clinic being "delightfully quirky" is a good thing or not, but, well, that's what it was. the "delightful" part is kind of subjective. i came in because of chest pains - CHEST PAINS! - and the triage nurse wasn't listening to me - "how long have you been having this pain?" 30 minutes. "2 or 3 days?" 30 minutes. half an hour. "a couple days, you say?" because i was lightheaded and shaking, they deemed it necessary to make me bend over and take off my shoes and check my height and weight. i'm 5' 6.5" - i know that info is vital. when they took my blood pressure, it was 110/88 and the nurse asked if i'd been feeling a bit stressed lately. "yes! chest pain and freaky adrenaline rushes are really stressful! in fact, i'm feeling stressy now!" at this point, i'd lost all hope. so the doc comes in and pokes and prods and yes, the left side of my chest is really sore and my breastplate is sore and my stomach/diaphragm areas are all tender and so she sends me off for an x-ray. the x-ray technician was busy talking with a patient about jam recipes or some other non-medical thing and i was sitting there in my pretty pretty hospital gown for about 5 minutes. some other tech lady hands me a sheet of "holiday eating tips" that's all "avoid carrots, go to the party with the rum balls instead." um, ok. i finally got my x-rays done and everything looked good. "congratulations, you do not have pneumonia." supergood! i looked over the doc's shoulder and checked my x-rays for alien pod babies, but i didn't see any of those either. so the next order of business was blood tests. i wandered back to the tech area and the anti-carrot/pro-rum ball gal took my blood while the x-ray tech was still chatting with the other patient. rum ball gal said that my shirt reminded her that she needed to stop at old navy. what?! it's been 2 days and i still haven't gotten the results back. when i called the nurse line to check, she couldn't figure out if i was calling to see if the test had been done or calling to check the results. i'm still not sure what she wasn't understanding, but i still don't have my results. i just asked her to ask the doc to call me, because i was getting absolutely nowhere with her. i don't really feel comfortable or confident about the care i got, and admittedly, i was too lightheaded and dizzy to be a good self-advocate. even though i kept saying i was having chest pains, they didn't even ask about my family's history of heart disease, my own stress level, or offer an ekg. sigh. read more

I like this office, not only because I love my doctor and have been seeing her since 2004 when I started working in the building but because the staff and nurses are just organized and do what they need to do. Granted they may fall behind occasionally, but hey part of going to the doctor's office. Also it's clean & I don't have problems getting an appointment. If my main provider isn't available I'll see her partner. One thing I have learned is the new MD's fresh out of school.... If you're new of course the office is going to push you towards the new MD so they can build patients. Well my doctor wasn't available once and I had to see a newby. Seriously I think the big ego thing goes for all doctors and lawyers fresh out of school, but anyway I had a sinus infection and at the time I got them so chronic I already knew what the problem was. Oh the allergens in Seattle that I'm allergic to -- trees, pollen, grass. I so live in the wrong city and I know it. So anyway about new doctors... they think they know it all. She was lecturing me about taking antibiotics and how it would effect me in my old age and giving me... no preaching to me textbook info bla bla bla. Well that may be true, but I'm still sick and here for medication. Otherwise, I would have kept my butt at home in bed. Next time I saw my regular physician I told her the story and she was very kind and politically correct and said fresh out of school doctors tend to go by the book because they don't have the experience yet to see the gray areas in treating patients. Well wasn't that the truth. I was so annoyed. To all newbies, stay humble. Anyway, parking. Now that I no longer work in the building parking is flat out expensive even with the $5 validation I am paying roughly $12. It's in a secure lot and can be confusing for some to get in and out but there are signs. I had to help some people out of the building once. They kept going in circles apparently. read more

Upon yelp reviews chose this clinic. This doctor I chose for my father Dr. Etzkorn b/c he had diabetes mngmnt specialty. No people's skills unwelcoming at all. His suggestions come off as demands. His MA is a gem, very sweet and sincere. I hope the doc or his boss sees this. Very sad being responsible for ppls health with no compassion. read more

I had a very distressing experience here. The doctor I saw seemed to want to get rid of me as fast as possible. He hardly ever made eye contact and had no facial expressions, let alone empathy. I told me I should see a specialist - at least he knows that his skills are limited, I guess. I voiced my concern about the time I'd have to wait to see a specialist for my problem. He told me in no uncertain terms that I would be able to see a specialist by the end of the week with his referral. Of course the next day when I called the specialist he referred me to, they didn't have an appointment for another 8 weeks, and the doctor who gave me the referral cannot be reached - I called the clinic 4 times. I don't know why this doctor was so dishonest and unprofessional. If he doesn't care about patients, he's in the wrong profession. read more

I saw Dr. Karmali and she has to be one of the best doctor I've ever met. It felt like I was having a conversation with a friend instead of a doctor. She was very personable, engaging, had excellent listening skills and provided good information, diagnosis and recommendations. She sees children as well. They are part of a large network of doctors, almost like a hospital. They can easily refer you to other physicians. The office policy states if you're waiting more than 15 mins to inform a receptionist. I waited about 10 mins total. And the location is great if you work in or around downtown, making a lunch appointment very easy. read more

I've been coming here since 2008. Dr.Wang's nurse lost a client for the clinic today. The way she talks to someone who needs medical attention is unacceptable. I'd much rather pay extra and go to urgent care today than have someone talk to me as if I had no common sense. I don't understand the reason she called me today - she had absolutely no solutions for me. She practically forced me to look for a different doctor, which is exactly what I'm doing now. I found someone closer to home and hopefully won't be treated like a complete idiot just for having concerns about my own health. read more

I have been here 2X, the second time it took them 5 minutes to figure out who I was in their system and my appointment! The DR. always seems rushed; I requested a certain test the first time I was there because of past history and they said they would test me. I was never sent the results . I never knew this test was NOT performed so I believed everything was okay. Turns out 6 months later I still felt bad and found out they never tested me! Now I am waiting almost 2 months for another test result that was "lost" They never called me with the results of the other tests that were not lost so again I assumed everything was okay. I am extremely angry because I could have been feeling better 6 months ago!!! read more

The one star I gave is for the lovely reception staff. Dr. Etskorn, however, made me feel like I was a waste of his time. He insulted me. He rushed me. He refereed me elsewhere and couldn't even accurately explain why. He was smug and rude and, by far, the worst experience I have ever had in a physician's office. His bedside manner was one of hate and judgement. I honestly felt like he HATED me. Not just indifferent. He should not be practicing medicine. I have filed a report with the Washington State Department of Health. People like him are the reason that people are scared to see doctors. They are afraid they will be treated the way he treated me. He also saw my wife and her experience was exactly the same. Shame on him and shame on Swedish for keeping him. read more

Difficulty resolving billing issues between clinic and insurance provider. Unable to getting Swedish billing staff on the phone after multiple attempts, Swedish isn't responding to e-mails (I was told this was their policy) and can't get a return call. A couple of years back, I also had a cash co-payment that was never applied to my account; months later billings started appearing in my mailbox. Ending up having to pay it again to avoid a ding on my credit report. Happy with the doctor I see, just billing issues keep arising that are difficult to resolve. read more

I work downtown, in a building across the street from this clinic at 4th & Madison. I understand that it is not meant to be a "walk in" clinic, but recently I fell and hit my knee, hands, and face on the cement sidewalk on my way to work. My hands were bleeding and full of gravel, my nose was broken, my lip scraped and bleeding. Since this clinic was right there, I went in to see if someone could at least clean the gravel out of my hands and maybe check for concussion? The young man at the reception desk was pretty rude and cavalier about the whole thing, saying it didn't look THAT bad, that they were NOT a walk in clinic for just anyone off the street, and suggesting that I take a bus up the hill to the emergency room or to their South Lake Union clinic which IS for walkins. (2 miles away, 20 minutes by bus). Compassion is not their strong suit. (oh, and I do have great health insurance, so money wasn't a problem) (and I was dressed professionally for a day at the office with client meetings, so it was obvious I was not a street/homeless person if they were concerned about keeping out the "riffraff") Would not recommend this clinic to anyone. Caring and compassion seem like a given for a physician's office - it seems to be missing here, at least at the front desk. read more

I had the worst experience ever. I made an appointment at the Swedish downtown Seattle location and saw Dr. Etzkorn today. I was told pretty much immediately that I shouldn't use the clinic as an Urgent Care (it had been 1-2 years since I was seen). I was also told that the physician who saw me last didn't consider me a patient? I felt completely shut down by the conversation, found myself stuttering, and babbling, which totally isn't me. Although the doctor checked me out and prescribed allergy meds, I didn't feel welcome there and I can't see myself going back or even walking by. read more

I had a negative experience with Deb Klein. She made assumptions/judgments about me that weren't true and was immediately authoritarian and directive about what would and wouldn't happen with my care. She didn't even ask me about what I wanted in being there, what had worked for me in the past, or what I was comfortable with in relation to my care. I might as well not have been in the room. I am easy-going and usually give people several chances if I have a negative first experience, but within the first 5 minutes I knew there was no way I was coming back. I felt really judged and shamed. I actually left and cried. Hopefully others have had a better experience. But I personally will not recommend her to my friends. read more

Having read reviews here and elsewhere concerning Dr. Etzkorn's demeanor, I was nervous about my appointment with him for my annual physical. While I admit he doesn't smile much, I found him friendly enough, and much more importantly, professionally competent, well-organized and efficient, and quite attentive to my concerns. I'm not looking for expensive chit chat - I want an expert doctor to help me maintain my health - and that's just what Dr. Etzkorn delivers. Overall, my experience at this office was superior to any of the half dozen or so I've visited in the past fifteen years. Uncrowded, quite clean and new, with absolutely no waiting. read more

I agree wholeheartedly. Dr. Karmali has such a great way of explaining things and is very dedicated to her patients. I was recently diagnosed with a stress fracture and she called me four times to discuss the results of my tests and future care. She is awesome! read more

I'm very happy with the Swedish Downtown Clinic and staff. My physician is Dr. Jennifer Lin, DO. I've seen her for medical and osteopathic treatment and she always has time for thorough diagnosis and offers clear advice for what I need to do. Let's face it, stuff happens, but we're the one mostly responsible for the shape that we're in. If you have neck, back or structural issues and never tried osteopathic treatment, I'd suggest you give it a try. Gentler and "lower velocity" than chiropractic treatment, it can offer an effective option for joint or muscular issues different from what a MD or Chiropractor might propose. For the record, I use Chinese foot and body work, chiropractic and osteopathic to keep from feeling my age. The clinic's lab techs are fine and can draw blood painlessly. While some folks give the Dynacare lab contractor a hard time, once you learn to use "My Chart" on the Swedish website, it is easy to see lab results online. read more

Feel holy terrible and sick for the hospital. Doctor disregards patient's life and only pay attention to money!!! First, I need say that I choose this hospital coz I saw some good reviews on Yelp! And right now, I looked into those review again and found that nobody comment on the doctor I looked for today. So I know that never made appointment with Doctor Moen John, the one I made appointment today, he is kind of person who really ignores patient's life and he shouldn't be a doctor. I made appointment at 11am with Doctor Moen John, and I made a call at 10:58 saying that I need five more minutes to park the car(hard to park car in the building). The representative told me that the doctor might not allow him to wait me and asked me to reschedule. I don't know how poor the doctor is so that he couldn't wait for 5 minutes though I had informed him earlier. I drove one hour to the hospital and did nothing because of one word of Moen John - 'Reschedule'. For people who would like to waste your time on waiting for Doctor Moen John for over 15 minutes and also could bear the condition of the small hospital, I think you still could choose it. For people who have precious time and might arrive the hospital on time, I suggest you choose other hospital coz the Moen John or the hospital representative will never wait you for even one minutes for any excuse. Poor Hospital and poor workers there. I think they must need earn money for their life! read more

It's not just the physicians who affect your health but the staff and administration of their offices. This is one of the worst run offices I've ever experienced. Here's just one story. My doctor at Swedish refilled a prescription for me that I had taken for many years with excellent results. While the brand medication is excellent, the generic has many problems. I specified to my doctor not to allow a substitute. But 5he nurse who called it in to my mail order pharmacy ordered the generic. Certain rules will not allow returns, so my insurance company would not pay for a refill of the brand. And the physician refused to pay for a refill of the appropriate medication - which would have been the fair thing to do. This is only one example of the sloppy way this office is run and the lack of concern for patients. Combine that with the arrogance typical of Swedish, and you have a dangerous situation. read more