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Allergy & Asthma Associates of Northern California
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9 reviews for Allergy & Asthma Associates of Northern California
I have been a patient of Dr. Torrano's for about a year. He has always been answered all of my questions and been very thorough. When he thought I needed to see an ENT he referred me to one. I ended up with Bronchitis a few days before scheduled to have surgery with my ENT. While Dr. Torrano was out of the office that day, they got me in to another Dr. right away.
I had the flu and a sinus infection a few weeks ago and called and spoke with one of the nurses. They were very warm and ended up calling in an Rx for me. They have always been extremely accommodating and I would recommend them to anyone!
My daughter and I see Dr. Torrano. He is personable, clear, and knowledgeable. I appreciate his always answering my questions and being there for our family.
In response to Greg's review about hidden fees, I'm not sure that's the doctor's office responsibility unless a patient asks about fees - as fees you will pay is based on the insurance coverage, so it varies from person to person. My son and I both got tested last year and I don't recall it being more than $50 each...
So, the billing questions should be directed to the business office as the doctors are there to talk about medical issues, not fees.
I also get allergy shots once a week (two shots in each arm) and my cost is less than $3 a visit.
Perhaps their medical advice is sound, judging by the positive comments below, but be aware of hidden fees! Know what you are getting yourself into here.
I made an appointment with Dr. Goldsobel for allergies, he arrived an hour late and then sent me in for some allergy tests. My appointment lasted about 1.5 hours (well 2.5, since i spent the first hour waiting). The billing for this appointment was over $1,900!!! Insurance covered most, leaving me with a $360 bill...no one made me aware of the magnitude of the costs for these simple allergy test....pretty unethical and not a way to earn referral business in my book...i think a considerate doctor will describe the tests in advance, the costs and the options.
First visit:
I made an appoint to see my doctor and i went to my appointment date, but guess what? it was never SCHEDULED! I drove from fremont to san jose .. pretty far, and basically just filled out my new patient information. BUT the 2nd visit went much more smoothly! I actually was able to see the doctor that time!
Scratch Test:
this is an AWFUL test to do if you didn't realize you're allergic to every TREE, GRASS, WEEDS, and other misc ... within 30 seconds of each scratch, my back was inflamed, and i sat there for 15 minutes to get conclusive results, can you say OUCH?
Phone:
its really hard to get in contact with someone, because it seems like there is only one nurse taking care of calls. After my scratch test i was in need of some cream to alleviate the itchiness, which lasted 3 days, and in 3 days i finally got a prescription for my cream .. which was no longer necessary. But partially my fault, i was busy with school + work , so i couldn't get the phone when they had a question on where to send my rx.
Shot station:
Best place to go for your allergy shots, they are so organize, and friendly! the office is new, clean, and spacious. If you are wearing a shirt that isn't sleeveless, there is an area that the nurses can take you in the back, so you wont feel so violated. (but its easier if you're wearing a sleeveless or a tank!)
I've been visiting Allergy and Asthma associates at Moorpark every week for the past month, trying to determine the cause of my kick in the butt allergies, chronic hives and asthma (yes, I'm a mess)
So far, they've done the grid test on my back and have drawn 10 vials of blood. I even had to blow into this wacky medical device that measures your breathing ability. The first time I did it, I was kinda having an attack. You face this computer monitor which has tons of candles on it (a virtual birthday cake) and you blow into this phallic tube and try and blow out all the candles. Anyway, I inhaled and wheezed into the tube while the nurse shouted "Blow! Blow! Blow!" I could only image what the people in the waiting room thought we were doing... and you know what was already in my mind at that point.
EEW!
Anyway, I wasn't able to blow all of the candles out - first, because I couldn't... and second, I wanted her to stop yelling "Blow!"
Overall, I would reccommend paying them a visit if you are experiencing wierd allergy type symptoms. They are very thorough and will do what it takes to find out what it is that is causing your allergies.
I came here for allergy testing. They drew a grid on my back with a Sharpie and went to town, poking droplets of weeds, grasses, trees, and animals (not a vegan activity, in case you were wondering) under my skin to see how it would react. It hurts a little, but it's definitely worth it if you're not sure what the source of your symptoms is (mine was dust mites). The staff was friendly and professional, and I could imagine them being good with kids.
I have been going here to the shot station since July 2008, about 6 months. The people that work there are very helpful, especially when I go on Wednesday nights. Nurse Melissa is very excellent with people, and always makes me feel at ease about getting a shot. I noticed that she is also very good with children, seems to me that they forget that they are there to take a shot. She has a very good memory for your name and your face. This makes people feel comfortable about going there. Nurse Sue is also very nice, and she has a quiet confidence that is very reassuring.You feel safe when you are in the care of these two competent professionals.The other nice thing about this shot station is that they are available on Saturday, and also open late on Wednesday. Dr. Torrano is my doctor, and his instructions to me are clear and easy to understand. I highly recommend to go here to take care of any allergy or asthma problems you may have.
I have been going here for several years to get allergy shots. I have never had a problem with my shots. The wait tends to be short. More importantly my allergies are much better. It used to feel like I was allergic to practically everything. I could either be sneezing all the time and feeling disgusting or I could be druged up. Now I rarely sneeze and I am rarely drugged. I couldn't be happier.
If you don't get it right the first time, try and try again.
I saw two other allergists before I found my way to Dr. Wolfe. I will write separate reviews on the other awful and more awful allergists some other time, but for now, I am happy to report on a most excellent experience with Dr. Wolfe.
One of the other allergists told me I didn't have any allergy problems and gave me a long winded, big worded, nonsense explanation that it was basically all in my head. Turns out he didn't do the allergy tests properly.
Dr. Wolfe's office (Allergy and Asthma Associates) retested me (much better testing procedures!) and found I was Ultra-Allergic to just a couple things and that is what makes me suffer seasonally. Dr. Wolfe explained that I would be *the most* allergic person out of a thousand people that have Elm tree allergies. And that he had never seen such a severe case as mine. (I used to have four of the same species of Elm tree in my yard that would dump pollen on everything for 5 months out of every year. Apparently, that is what caused the snot to pour out of my nose, my eyes to go bloodshot, teary and itchy, my skin and ears and throat to get red and itch like crazy, my energy to drop to zilch, my mood to become dull and dazed (like you just want to sit and stare at the wall as your nose goes drip drip drip, etc etc). Okay, you get the idea and if you have severe allergies, you already know what I am talking about.
Yay! now I know what causes my allergies and I have been progressing with allergy shots at Dr. Wolfe's Moorpark office for several months! They have it set up to be pretty convenient for those twice weekly allergy shots. There is a separate entrance for the "shot station" with nurses standing by and ready to poke!
His practice is pretty big by comparison to the others I visited. It is also the cleanest, and the most well staffed (The Moorpark office is new). He has several other doctor's working with him and they have several offices around San Jose.
