Malcolm Smith pulmonologist is a joke and I wish I had gone online to read all of the negative…read morereviews years ago as this office, in its entirety is abusive and combative. The front office employees hover over others with full blown conversations right in front of you, typical of UCLA, so there is no respect of privacy for the patient and very little to no regard for optimal patient treatment. Dehumanizing is certainly one way to put it. And not to mention some of their sour attitudes in both their verbal and nonverbal communications with you. When I tried communicate to the office manager, jasmine jack, about how inattentive and dismissive the doctor is, and how he really does not make much of an effort at all, all she did was to continue gaslighting me and defending her employees to her customers, even after this became an established behavioral pattern in the doctor, years after year. And UCLA wonders why people don't bother complaining to them! I wish I did not stick around for the several years that I did. At first I thought that maybe the doctor was having a "bad day" but the next time and next time and next time I saw this man, he would completely ignore me giving answers to his questions, even though I reiterated my answer to him - FOUR TIMES! Still ignored me! Complete Silence on his end, and again, established behavioral patterns. Yes, that's how Much this fella "cares." And yes, the office mgr still gaslighted everything. They do not try to help you, especially when you don't tell them what they want to hear, they rarely to never return phone calls, letters you wrote in the mail, etc., and if they do, depending on their various different mood swings, they are not helpful. They never leave their names when leaving messages and receiving incoming calls. One time, I tried to humor the office manager to set up an additional phone appointment with the doctor since his communication was inefficient the last visit. I ended up being transferred, put on hold numerous times, Long wait holds, etc., I spent more than an entire hour trying to connect with the doctor for a phone appointment, and never got to connect because this man does not listen and nor does this office. All this because this fella is inflexible with not wanting to do Doximity or zoom. Other doctors are Much more agreeable than this and when there is a problem, others will try to find workable Solutions, but not this doctor and not this office, for sure. Also, I cannot make an endless amount of doctor appointments just to get my basic questions answered just because the doctor failed to be communicative during all The times I already see him For follow up Visits. And especially when I already have 50+ appointments per month just to stay afloat and wait hand and foot on all these offices that really find no helpful solutions to incurable illnesses. Interestingly enough, my spiritual counselor commented on how at least four or five other clients of hers complained vehemently about the abusiveness of ucla to her within the same week I had mentioned all this office's abuses. These complaints and negative reviews of this doctor's office are some of their most accurate and honestly authentic accounts of having to deal with such abusive offices like this one. Adhering to the wisdom of these negative reviews is strongly advised if you don't want to suffer from its wear and tear of all this office's antics. This group, typical of ucla offices, has no shame, on every level of the word. And not a care in the world about us. When encountering the occasional employee that is respectful and trustworthy, that is a rarity inside ethe UCLA affiliation. Thankfully I am in much better care with a different doctor. But now this office does not want to send me a copy of my own medical records to me now too. Note Regarding signed authorization forms: When the patient provides the entity with his own signed authorization form to obtain a copy of records and go over policies like insurance coverage, communications, and the like, the entity is obligated to accept the form that the patient provides over their own forms. Any form of manipulation and coerciveness and pressure to sign their forms in addition to the ones you already provided them is unlawful under the Privacy Rule and these are bad business practices on their part. Under any circumstance, do not succumb to their abuses and intimidating tactics to strongarm you into al their phishing schemes to find excuses to know things about you that is none of their business and as they try to look for excuses to withhold sending you a copy of your own medical records to you. WE must be steadfast and persistent in knowing our rights as patients as these entities will stop on no account taking away what little rights we have in the first place, even when they are in the wrong. Report them to the Office of Civil rights but be ready to stay in the saddle with them for the long haul.

I have seen a few doctors within the UCLA family and have had nothing but good experiences…read more As a sufferer of severe RLS and CFS, I would give 0 stars if I could to this center in Santa Monica. Given the advanced stage of my Restless Legs Syndrome, I have been prescribed very strong drugs including Methadone. Without this medication, I cannot sleep and have to walk all night with pain in my arms and legs. This cascades into insomnia, which triggers migraines, which causes me to miss work, risking my high level job. As a highly controlled substance, I have to have the doctor call right around when I need a refill. Twice now, my doctor at this center has been impossible to reach and does not return calls in a timely manner. This week I had to call 5 times over 3 days to get my prescription taken care of. This is horrible patient service. When I asked why it took so long to get help, I was given a string of excuses about how busy he is. Then don't take on new patients if you can't do something as simple as fill a prescription or call your patient when she is having issues with her medication. I won't be going back to see Dr. Padilla and I advise you not to see him either if you need responsive care for your RLS. According to Yelp, the UCLA Westwood center gets poor reviews as well. I'm going back to my old doctor. The hour drive for appointments is worth it when refills are placed the same day and medication issues called into the doctor are returned the same evening.

5/15/26 Came to the office as a walk-in for a pre employment physical. First- the office is…read morebeautiful. Second- all three front office staff are very professional, friendly and welcoming. Third- the assistant who helped me through the process was very good and very skillful with the blood draw. And lastly, Dr. Ishaaya was great. If i didn't already have a primary care physician, i would definitely choose him! Great job all!

I saw Dr. Ishaaya twice after a CT scan ordered by another physician showed atelectasis in my lungs…read moreand I was referred to pulmonology for further evaluation. At my first appointment, Dr. Ishaaya did an initial evaluation and explained that I would need additional testing. We scheduled a follow-up appointment that was supposed to be the more extensive visit where I would complete multiple tests and get a better understanding of what was going on. When I called the office beforehand, I specifically asked how long the appointment would take and was told approximately two hours because of the number of tests that would be performed. After going through the scheduling process and insurance approvals, I arrived for my second appointment expecting that evaluation. Instead, I completed one allergy test and two breathing tests. Then I was asked whether I had already completed the more detailed CT scan. I explained that I had not because I understood that the testing and evaluation were what I was coming in for that day. I was then told I would need to schedule that separately. I left after about 50 minutes with no answers. My previous CT results, which I had brought in, were not reviewed or discussed in any meaningful way. My atelectasis was never addressed, and I did not receive any explanation of what it could mean or what the next steps should be. The appointment ended with me being asked whether I wanted a prescription for a histamine medication or paperwork to go get the scan. After two visits with a pulmonologist, I expected a clearer understanding of my condition and a plan moving forward. Instead, I left feeling like I had spent significant time, gone through unnecessary scheduling steps, and paid a copay without receiving the evaluation or guidance I was seeking. The communication from the office about what would actually happen during the appointment was also very unclear.

Amazing! Simply the best!!! Excellent doctor who…read morecommunicates, cares and spends time. Rare.

Dr. Schroeder was great. He was kind, patient, and very professional during my pre-operative exam…read more I felt completely comfortable and well taken care of. Highly recommend.

On their bills they list their number and a 4, which then leads you to a short menu of options,…read morenone of which actually helps you with your bill. Thank you so much. I redialed, then hit zero, which caused the number to ring until I got their their voicemail, which had nothing to say about whether or not you had the right number. I can imagine seniors get easily stymied. For all I know I reached their janitor. They claim they'll call back within ten minutes. I left a message, but I'm not holding my breath, something most of their patients struggle with anyway. Hey, maybe their lousy telephony is a sneaky way to get their patients to breathe more aggressively. It's working for me and I don't even have respiratory issues.

Ever heard Jerry Seinfeld's take on a doctor's office? This office embodies that little comedy bit…read more We'll examine the cons before wrapping up with the delightful pros. ALWAYS LATE. It doesn't matter if you've made an appointment months before the fact, you will most likely wait forever to be seen. Today, I was stiffed BIG TIME when my 10:20 appointment turned into an 11:45 appointment. The absurd reasons for this delay are too numerous to describe, but let it be said that the only reason I didn't leave was the non-refundable $12 parking fee that I had already spent. ((And we all know you don't pay the $12 cover charge without seeing the band play.)) Yes, everyone in that waiting room that was there before AND after my arrival went in before me. Nurses and admin chattered in a low voice, "This is such a clusterf--k... I can't believe this backup." Yes, we in the exam rooms CAN hear you... and it's only fueling our fury. It was so chaotic that I was herded into some doctor's personal office to make more room for the cattle--sorry, the patients--who were backing up in the waiting room. BUTCHER PAPER on the exam bench is classic, as Seinfeld noted. And having been already herded around like cattle, I was less than thrilled at seeing the paper on the bench. Nonetheless, after having my vitals taken, the doctor entered, stage right. DR. GILBERT KUHN is the only reason this place doesn't get two stars. His humor, knowledge, and ability to disarm even the most maniacally explosive individuals (such as myself) speaks to his credit; it's also likely to be one of the reasons was Chief of Medicine at the renowned St. John's Medical Center, in Santa Monica. He quickly tended to my needs without being the slightest bit dismissive. Thumbs up. All in all, an infuriating visit. If it wasn't for the graces of Sherry (Cheri?) at the front desk and Dr. Kuhn manning the guns, I would burn this place to the ground. Strangely enough, I went for the three stars... Only because Dr. Kuhn is pretty much at the top of a VERY exclusive list--he's one of the best respiratory consultants in the west. **ULTRA BONUS: He kicks down free samples like it's going out of style. He dumps them at the same rate they come in--overwhelmingly. Take advantage and never pay for a prescription ever again. :) * NO VALIDATION. Come early and look for parking (mostly metered) around the area.

The best doctor I've seen in years!…read more Dr. Wolf is a real kind-hearted, hands-on, skilled pulmonologist at Cedars Sinai medical center. (My favorite hospital.) The office is clean and professional, COVID 19 safety measures are in effect throughout Cedars Sinai medical buildings and offices, masks are required and worn, masks are available for patients who need one as well. Nice! I sometimes wish the whole world would adopt the mission statement that Cedars Sinai adopted a few years ago which helped Cedars improve their hospital ranking and save a lot of lives. -"Always put the lives of people first." This mission is why it should come as no surprise to me that I'd find another incredible doctor here. Lucky me for being referred here by another amazing Cedars Sinai doctor. Lucky you for following this friendly neighborhood yelper! Dr. Wolf took his time while reviewing my long (and sometimes pretty incredible!) medical history, he asked me a lot of questions and took notes about everything. Dr. Wolf ruled out a long list of potential reasons why my lungs are filled with fluid since February 2021, from heart failure to allergies, hereditary conditions and illness by reading and reviewing every test I've been given along with every medication which had no affect. (A lot!) If you or a loved one have allergies, asthma, emphysema, shortness of breath, long term COVID-19 breathing problems, or pseudo pneumonia for a couple of years, this doctor is for you. Breathing problems, chest pain and fluid in the lungs can be a sign of something serious, so get checked out! Dr. Wolf gave me the most thorough and thoughtful exam I've been given in a long time! Afterwards, Dr. Wolf ordered additional tests and gave instructions to his office who helped me get expedited tests and medical clearances. You will be in good hands here. I highly recommend Dr Wolf to you guys, my beloved family and community, the same crew who helped me get through my serious medical problems and life threatening health challenges.:) Many thanks doctor to Dr. Wolf and Cedars Sinai for spending so much time with me! (One million stars)

I'd give him 10 stars if I could. Been seeing Dr. Wolfe for many years…read moreand can't imaging seeing any other doctor for my COPD.

Good and honest with you... just what you need. I guess some people want a lot of extra care. I…read morejust want what's needed!

Here you'll find the Old School bedside manner you're looking for from Dr. McGowan, and which is…read morevery important to me, too. I've been coming to this exact same office, on this floor, for over 25 years! Dr McGowan has never rushed me about anything, quite the opposite; he's been the voice of calm and reason. His medical equipment is all brand new, and Apple Store white. As far as losing it mentally goes, when I saw him in April of 2021, Dr McGowan had no problem jumping from screen to screen on the UCLA Health computer. He easily pulled up my test results from previous years, and showed me where I can view them myself online, whenever I want. I see other UCLA Health doctors too, and he had no problem pulling up my checkups, or test results, from any of them either. During the pandemic I've stayed in for the most part, and had a couple of Zoom calls with Dr McGowan instead. Now that I'm going into the office again, all Covid-19 precautions are taken very seriously. About the 1 star reviews; these people must normally pay a concierge service doctor, one that charges thousands to come out and treat them at their mcmansions. Not surprised though; if you're looking to find a bunch of stuck up, sniveling complainers, Santa Monica is where they hang. In the real world outside SaMo, Dr. McGowan is awesome, and I hope he doesn't retire for a long, long time!

Like Terrie M., I highly recommend Dr. Defren. He's the only pulmonologist I've ever seen, and I…read morecan't imagine a better one. As Terrie said, he's highly intelligent and very caring; he also treats you as an equal. He takes so much time with you at each appointment (up to 45 minutes - 1 hour in my case): summarizing the results of the last appointment, doing the exam, and explaining future options / plans etc. His nurse told me that on days that he was in his office, he never scheduled more than six patients! He likes to spend considerable amounts of time explaining lung function, using interesting metaphors to make it easy to understand. Unlike patients with chronic lung disease, I was OK in the lung department until 2007. I became totally exhausted due to the fact that the company I worked for moved so far away, I had to commute a total of four hours to & from work. After about eight months of this commuting I came down with what looked like regular pneumonia, diagnosed by my internist via a chest X-ray. I went to the hospital for five days to get intravenous antibiotics. I met Dr. Defren towards the end of that visit. Since I no longer had a fever, he explained that the active infection had been killed off, but there was still lung damage. He said that I would need to rest at home for a month, then my lungs would heal themselves. This would have been true if it had been regular pneumonia. I went to Dr. Defren's office a month later for a follow-up. Listening to my lungs, he said that they were no better, they were actually a little worse. I only had 68% lung capacity, based on a breathing test where you exhale into a machine. Because of the way the chest X-ray had looked, he thought I might have a rare lung disease called "bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia." The bronchioles are the next-to-the-smallest airways deep in the lungs; they get clogged up in "organized" looking rows. Since the treatment for this condition is a steroid drug, it was necessary for me to have a surgical biopsy of bits of my lung tissue to make sure that I really had this condition. He recommended an excellent thoracic surgeon (Dr. Clark Fuller) who did the biopsy surgery. Sure enough, the problem was what Dr. Defren suspected that it was. He explained that this condition is so rare that no studies have ever been done about how to treat it, since there have never been enough people with the condition to study at any given time. There are only a few medical journal articles by doctors who had one patient with the condition. Based on these, Dr. Defren planned a six-month treatment protocol with a steroid medication. I started out on a high dose and gradually reduced it. During this time, I kept seeing him for follow-ups. After six months, I was totally cured as was shown by a perfect chest X-ray. Dr. Defren said I was fortunate I got this particular disease, because there are 100 rare lung diseases, and some of them are death sentences -- people take steroids but never get better. After I was all better he said that the breathing test showing I had only 68% lung capacity had "really scared" him. I was touched by this statement, because many doctors may have similar feelings about very ill patients, but never admit it to the patients, wanting to keep "professional distance." Dr. Defren is very professional and very caring at the same time. My lungs have been fine ever since; I decided to retire at that time so I'm not exhausted & stressed out anymore.

I have been seeing Dr. Defren for a couple of years now. He is amazing. Such a great doctor,…read moresuper intelligent, but caring, too. He really knows what those of us who suffer with severe lung disease go through every day. He does everything possible to improve our quality of life. I understand that he has another office in Beverly Hills. If you have lung issues, he is the doctor to see. I drive all the way from Acton to see him, and wouldn't even consider changing to someone closer. He is worth the drive for me. He makes me feel safe, he helps me to understand how to make my life more bearable. I don't have enough good things to say about Dr. Defren.

Dr. Naraghi is a highly knowledgeable and caring doctor, but he and his staff don't respond to…read moremessages sent via the portal.

Best Doctor I've been to. Solved my issue with one office…read morevisit. Wish all doctors were as through and knowledgeable as Dr Naraghi. A true gentleman

I have had nothing but bad experiences with this office…read more I had a sleep study and the technician was rude and inappropriate- I also have called MANY times with no return phone call. The office works with a third party supplier and on all occasions the office has not contacted the supplier in a reasonable amount of time and weeks have gone by while I waited for the office to return phone calls. Vanessa, in particular, has not returned calls and the office staff follows suit. I highly recommend if you want to work with a sleep doctor you contact one that is organized, knowledgeable and returns messages - I find their behavior to be, not only unprofessional but inept. I am sorry to report this, but it's been months since I first contacted them and two months later I still don't have my CPAP equipment sorted out due to their unprofessionalism.

I would avoid this office. As a patient, I should not have to correct their billing errors. When I…read morespecifically asked the office if they had a "prior authorization" from the insurance company to do the study. I would expect their answer to be truthful. The truthful answer was actually "your insurance company doesn't require a prior authorization." That is NOT what I was told. Anyone in the industry knows that response is a canned response from the insurance company, and if the office does not get some sort of auth number, someone is getting billed. Years later, I am getting billed by Dr. Mostafavi for about 5K. I have repeatedly called and asked for the prior authorization document. Just this week (9/25/2025), I learned that there is no prior auth document. The office should have known this routine ploy by the insurance company. I would NEVER have had the study if they had told me that they did not have an authorization number. Don't scam your patients; it is not right. If the office messes up on insurance preparations and doesn't communicate with the patient, then that error is on Dr. Mostafavi and his office.