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Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
Rating Details »
Category: Internal Medicine
Neighborhood: Back Bay165 Dartmouth St
#10
(between I-90 & Stuart St)
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 859-5000
- Nearest Transit:
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Back Bay (Orange)
Copley (Green)
18 reviews for Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
I just went in to see Dr. Shrinath for a regular check up. I havent been to a PCP in soo long that I figure I am almost 30 ( 3 more years! YIKES) and this is a good time to see if I have anything wrong with me.
I had blood work a week prior and my glocose was high..oops! i am guessing it was from the margaritas I had the day before..no worries, I just come in again in a month, just to make sure its normal and I dont have diabetes. It doesnt run in my family, so I was not really that concerned.
Whats great about Dr. Shrinath besides being a PCP, she also did my pap which saves me the trouble of having to go to the gyno.
Her nurse Donna was really nice.
I also needed to get a tetanus boost shot and the lady who gave me that was soo delightful, it makes getting shots fun! i didnt feel anything although right now my arm is sore.
They also have MyHealth, which you can registered online and are able to see lab results. The leviates waiting or getting that phone call and usually are postted within a few days instead of having to wait 2 week for results in the mail. You can also email the doctor on this and make appts.
convenient location next to back bay station.
reception desk is very nice and friendly.
overall, a good experience at the doctors.
I've been going to Dr Ross for nearly ten years and now go to HVG. Shes the bestest.. I cant even begin to tell what she has done for me. Its the all around holistic sort of , medical, life approach...
weird to rate my pcp on Yelp
I was a patient of Harvard Vanguard for about 5 years. I was satisfied with them mainly because I was healthy and never had to go there! I recently got sick over the summer with something that was hard to diagnose - well actually it was easliy diagnosed once I left and found another doctor (private practice). I can't tell you how many visits and tests I had. I ended up leaving Harvard Vanguard for numerous reasons, but mostly because I was one of the ones they were not able to help. I wasted A LOT of time and money going there. Big lesson learned for me. These big medical pratices aren't for me. While convenient that they have labs and specialists within the network, it's their big selling point and it didn't do me any good.
My primary care physician is great. She is helpful, sweet, and I'll probably see her again. I had lots of questions for her and she helped answer them. Cool! (I have no idea what her name is. Sorry!)
My ob/gyn sucks. I went in for my first appointment with a gynecologist ever and she was in no way helpful or caring. It just seemed like she wanted me out of the room. She also made me take a pregnancy test, even after telling her that there was no way that I was pregant. Thanks?
My main gripe with this place is that having a prescription filled is a NIGHTMARE. The pharmacy I use never receives the order and everything is always horribly confusing. When I switched my address, I didn't think I would ever receive my birth control pill again. So annoying.
I just switched to this office with Karen Wood as my PCP and so far I have been beyond impressed with her and the office. You have to wait a while for physicals but for check-ups and meet-and-greets they can get you in promptly. I went here based on yelp and some friends who went here and others that hated the Kenmore office. And chose Dr. Wood because she was accepting new patients and her online bio said she specialized in women's health, I figured hey, physicals and birth control refills - why not. While there I was very impressed to find that she was pretty well aware of all of my stomach issues, medicines and tests I've had done and also offered to serve as my gastroenterologist, so now I have three doctors all in one!
The office is very professional, it's easy to get through when you call them, it's clean and well run. They even have a pharmacy with rediculously cheap allergy medicine generics (generic zyrtec for $9.99 for 90 days).
I'm sold and sending everyone else I know there too.
I called Harvard Vanguard about five days ago with a bad case of hypochondria. Without being all TMI, I had a 'feminine emergency' and was convinced that I'd need a hysterectomy and would never bear children. They politely and calmly gave me an appointment, which I had this morning, with absolutely no problem considering I had never visited their offices before.
Before mentioning anything else, I've gotta say that I was completely surprised by the offices. They are really clean. I really like the layout of the offices, so that instead of traveling to different floors for different areas of care, you walk down a corridor and pop into the very clearly-labeled rooms within. The decor is warm, as others have mentioned, so you don't feel that you're in a super-sterile hospital environment. The individual waiting rooms are nice and quiet, and I didn't even have the time to flip through the abundance of magazines because they saw me so quickly. Note that I got there about 20 minutes early.
The nurse that saw me was awesome. She totally put me at ease and made me laugh, which was a feat, as I was completely nervous about what would happen next.
I had Dr. Baer as my GYN, and he was amazing. Before discussing anything, he wanted to know who I was and what I was up to so that he could put a personality to a patient. He kept chatting with me through some really uncomfortable moments, which helped. In general, he kept me at ease, talked me through everything that was going to happen, and explained the science of what was going on with my body. Not once did he talk down to me or dumb things down; he treated me like an adult, which is rare of doctors in a city filled with students.
Overall, they did everything right. I booked appointments in advance with PCPs there, and look forward to (hopefully) positive experiences with them as well. I completely recommend them!
Dale the travel nurse - you rock my world. and trisha who organized my appointment - you are also super awesome!!!
I went here on the recommendation of allix to prepare for my trip to china and it was THE BEST most informative useful non-waste-of-time appointment I have ever had.
they really know their stuff and have a very sensible approach to travel - not overly paranoid, but informative and practical.
thank you so much for preparing me for my trip and giving me information I never in a million years would have known otherwise.
if you need to travel for any kind of international trip, this is the place to go! even the people at the front desk are so nice and helpful. I am very glad I went to this location.
Ugh, downgrading to two stars. I had yet another issue having a prescription filled yesterday. Same deal -- nurse said she'd call in a refill, I went to CVS the next day, they never received a call.
This was after I arrived at the office for a 3:20pm appointment, to be told that my appointment was actually at 3:40pm. (I *know* the receptionist said 3:20 on the phone.) And then I sat in the waiting room until 4:15.
I am not impressed.
Edited 11/17/08 - ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I just called to get the results of a pee test from last week (because god forbid someone should call *me* with the results) and the nurse cheerily informs me that I'm not pregnant. And while that's great, I 1) didn't go in for a pregnancy test and 2) was having my period that day, so no kidding I'm not pregnant. I have to cart my ass back over there this afternoon to fill another cup with pee so they can maybe run the *right* tests this time. Lovely.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/9/2008
My experiences at Harvard Vanguard have been spotty. My original PCP here left the practice and I… Read more »
For a big medical group, these guys are well organized. I've been a patient for a few years now and I feel very different in this place than other medical places I've been a patient in. They seem to have a good system going. They had some turn over a couple of years ago and that was frustrating when they keep changing your PCP but they seem to have become more stable now. They have the lab and the pharmacy there too. Their doctors and staff seem caring.
There is a shortage of physicians in this town, and to make matters worse, every primary care physician my friends recommended said they were not accepting new patients. But it seemed like everyone they recommended was at Harvard Vanguard, so I thought I would start there. I was seeking an internist to be my PCP so I made an appointment with Dr. Bryan Bordeaux at their Copley Square office. I was looking for a male physician (though friends have questioned this choice and I can't really provide a good answer) and I was somewhat impressed that his degree is in osteopathic medicine (basically MD plus an education in holistic medicine, minimal reliance on medication, etc. Wikipedia has a pretty good summary.)
This was my first visit to Harvard Vanguard, but registration was quick and painless. I had to wait about a month for my appointment, but considering the doctor shortage and that I was just seeking a routine physical exam, that's understandable. I showed up at the time of my appointment, paid my copay, and was seen almost immediately. The staff was very friendly and polite.
Dr. Bordeaux seemed knowledgable and showed an interest in learning about me and my lifestyle. This is important in a PCP. He did the standard brief exam and everything was fine as expected. He said he doesn't believe in running all sorts of tests, but sent me for some basic blood work (cholesterol, etc.) He also suggested HIV testing "just to be safe" which I appreciated. Minus one half point for acting astonished and blurting out my age when I mentioned my upcoming vasectomy, but plus one whole point for responding very positively when I said I'm vegan.
Harvard Vanguard has set up a web site where I can view office visit reports, lab tests, etc. and email my doctor. I think this is very useful and will allow me to periodically seek advice from my PCP without scheduling an appointment or trying to reach him by phone.
Overall a good experience. I haven't made it to the lab yet, but I'll update this review if I have any problems.
The one thing that makes me unhappy is that HV is a large corporation, and I'd rather see an independent physician if I could find one accepting new patients.
Harvard Vanguard as a whole is fantastic. My PCP is located at Copely, but i have also gone to the Quincy, Braintree and Kenmore branches for urgent care.
i have had a good experience at each branch, and i'm a terrified of doctors! the reception staff has been wonderful, friendly and accomodating. the doctors were all pleasant and made me feel comfortable.
there have been a few times where i needed to get in to see someone ASAP and they were able to do that for me no problem. very much a relief when i had strep throat and they were able to get me in within an hour after i called!
After receiving better care at a local free clinic than at NEMC, I decided I had to do better for myself (and for the $400/mo I was paying for insurance). By Bridget M's recommendation I switched my PCP to one at Harvard Vanguard. I just can't get over how I am paying exactly the same amount for service that is just incomparable. Going to NEMC at its worst was dehumanizing and at its best was unpleasant and unhelpful.
At Harvard Vanguard they treat you like a human being. It may sound cliche, but there are so many little things the friendly staff do to make you feel like they actually care about your well-being. Imagine that!
Where I once spent about ten minutes with my PCP before he'd grope my testicles, made me feel guilty for asking too many questions, and whisk off to his next slab of meat as quickly as humanly possible. Now I have doctors who genuinely seem interested in my health, who will take the time to answer my questions and even spend time getting to know me as a human being - not just as some meatbag in need of maintenance.
Healthcare in America is one giant greed-ridden clusterfuck. But if you go to Harvard Vanguard you might never know.
This place makes me bat-shit crazy. I am the anti-hypochondriac, like I would probably die of something before going to the doctor. However I force myself to go to the girly doctor once a year to get poked and prodded and also to get whatever prescriptions I need and then I get the hell out of there. Here's the deal, though - I've been going here for four years, and each year I have to change my PCP to some new doctor because the last one has quit, so every year I have to get naked for a new stranger. There are apparently good doctors there but you have to schedule appointments approx. 3 months in advance to be able to see them.
So I went to see my new primary care physician this month, and we couldn't do everything in one appointment (not her fault) so I made an appointment to come back. Then someone called me and said that the doctor would be out that day but a nurse would be able to do everything I needed ("a nurse can do everything that a doctor can".... oohh really). Then the morning of they tried to cancel that appointment because someone called in sick (and I feel like I'm so far down the pecking order that there's no one left to see me except for the receptionist). So the doctor is now out of the country until February and I keep getting pushed around from one nurse to another to get this stupid crap finished once and for all.
I feel a little bad for the one star rating, just because some of the individual doctors and nurses there are very nice. They just work in a big clusterfuck of a doctor's office, which I'm sure sucks for them as well. The receptionists aren't usually nice and some of the lab people aren't either... but hey, it's healthcare in the new millennium, it is what it is. Also, getting a prescription correctly called in to the pharmacy a whole 100 yards away is like pulling teeth.
The location is great, and I'm sure for people who need a whole portfolio of doctors that having them all under one roof is great... however I would prefer to just find myself one decent doctor to stick with, and this is not the place for that.
This happens to be the Harvard Vanguard I go to most often but I have also been to the Milk St. location and had good experiences there too!
I love Harvard Vanguard because:
1. Many different types of doctors in 1 building = convenience.
2. They never double book and I am always seen within 5 min. of my appt.
3. I never feel rushed, the doctors answer all my crazy questions patiently and take the time to ask me about myself too.
4. Even though I only see the docs every 6mos-year (knock on wood) they always remember me- and not just my chart but where I vacationed in December.
5. My OB is very careful to ask me about my lesbian sex life (hee hee) and asks questions specific to being gay- having kids etc.
6. The place takes many types of insurance, not just Harvard.
7. When an ex of mine had an OB problem, her regular doc sent her to "the expert" at Harvard Vanguard!
8. My doc refills my script for Valium over the phone whenever I have to fly without making a big deal over it (yes, I hate to fly)
I only don't give 5 stars because one time my OB forgot to give me a boob exam!
I love this place. Many medical specialties under one roof, diagnostic tests can be done on-site, they have a web based application so you can keep in touch with your doctor online, It has a great private practice feel to it as opposed to the anarchy that sometimes takes place at the teaching hospitals...I have a chronic illness and to date I have never had a problem getting an appointment with my doctor. Plus, she listens and she cares. It's fantastic.
The staff are friendly and calming, the offices are clean and well decorated. In general it is just such a nice change for me after having been a patient at Beth Israel for 5 years.
"How cam'st thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?
The orchard walls are high and hard to climb"
It wasn't Juliet I was trying to get to, and I'm certainly not Romeo. However, this is what it felt like to get an appointment here. Be warned, they're booking appointments 3-4 months in advance. Blame the HMO for pressuring doctors to take more patients to make more money, if you like. Blame the dumb asses that sue for every little thing driving up the cost of malpractice insurance if it makes you feel better. But that's the reality. Even once I had my appointment set, I received a letter saying the doctor had to cancel that day and to call to reschedule. I did so, but was told to call back as the woman who was squeezing in the canceled patients was out that day and the best the person I was talking to could offer was in another 3 to 4 months. wtf. Finally I remember to call back. I almost have to pick another doctor or wait, but I gently remind them that it was the office, not myself that canceled. I was placed on hold. When she came back, I was offered an appointment in a week. Sold!
Difficulty in getting an appointment aside, I really, really like this place. The doctors, nurses and all medical staff have been nothing but friendly and helpful. They have a pharmacy, lab, pediatrics, obgyn and internal medicine all in the same place. I may even be forgetting a doctor or two. This may not seem like a big deal, but when you feel like you're days away from death, not having to walk to CVS to get your prescription before heading home is wonderful. Oh, and there's a problem with your prescription? Well, we work with your doctor, let's just get her on the phone. Need blood work? You don't even have to leave the building. Your internal medicine doctor can do some of the lady doctor things so that annual check up is all inclusive.
My doctor, Dr Ross was wonderful. She was very nice and sweet. Asked questions about various aspects of my life and listened attentively. She didn't judge anything I said and answered questions well. Never once did I feel like she was rushing or stressed.
The facility itself looks clean and new. The colors are wonderful, very warm and gender neutral. They used a lot of interesting design elements to keep the place from feeling too sterile and doctor-y. A reception desk where you check in a pay upon entering is easy to find. The large signage visible from down the hall helps direct you where to go.
Like most offices, they keep appointments available every day for those of us that suddenly wake up and don't feel well. Just call when they open and ask for an emergency appointment. No waiting 3-4 months when you have strep or some such.
I really, really do not like going to the doctor's. I put it off longer than I probably should, so calling 3 times for one appointment was like torture for me. I wish that process had been much easier. However, once there, my experiences have been lovely. (or as lovely as they can be at the doctor's)
Services: 5 stars all the way!
Dealing with the bureaucratic stuff: 2 stars (both for the same day don't let me die on my couch appointments)
I'll leave the average at 4 stars since the services really are that great.
My PCP and gyno are both located at this office and they are fabulous. I really can't say enough about either of them. General appointments and check-ins require a lot of notice as the practice is very popular. I see Dr. Francine Monahan for primary care and Dr. Elizabeth Buechler for lady-related issues.
I like Dr. Monahan because she's no-nonsense but friendly at the same time. And she's one of a few doctors who has been frank and open when talking about my veganism, prescriptions or other health issues.
As for Dr. Buechler? She's amazing--if you've ever been scared or anxious about going to "that" doctor, you won't be after a trip to her. She handles things with a lot of poise and ease but also enough of a sense of humor and honesty that will keep you from panicking about almost anything. Plus she's, literally, quick and easy.
They've also got a staff of great midwives and nurses on hand who can help out in emergency situations. AAAannnd, they have an inhouse pharmacy--three months of prescriptions at one go...
My only beef has been with some of the receptionists not calling in prescriptions for me or being rude, but it's enough to get over.
i recently switched to this harvard vanguard and i (mostly) like it. it's fairly convenient to have several specialties in one building --plus it's located adjacent to back bay, which i like. they also actually review your files in advance and in advance of my appointment they sent me a letter telling me lab work i had that was due and they had already put in the orders with the lab so i could stop by at my earliest convenience. definitely the most hassle-free lab experience ever. the only problem? they told me to stop in a "week before [my] appointment", but sent the letter 2 days before. and did i mention the lab is only open 8-6? d'oh.
the gyn appointment i had here with an NP was okay -- just OK. i was actually kind of disappointed by that because i chose the NP specifically for her interests in women's health so i thought we would chat more about my health in a sort of holistic way, but we didn't. my appointment with an internal medicine NP (sigel) was better - we spent a long time going over my history and although the physical exam was short we were able to discuss a few things that were on my mind that weren't worth making a whole appointment for, which i appreciated. getting appointments with NPs is generally much easier here than getting appointments with MD's (i'm talking several month waits). i don't mind because i prefer to see NPs, but just FYI in case you call looking for an appointment and need one earlier.
my biggest problem about this place is the waiting to be seen. especially since it never seems all that busy. i waited for 45 minutes to get blood drawn and while you're fasting that seems like an ETERNITY, especially since i had bought coffee for after my appointment that just sat there tantalizing me. and when i finally was called back it didn't seem busy at all - just disorganized. i also had to wait around 45 minutes for appointments with clinicians for no discernible reason. once i arrived at 11 for an appointment, didn't actually see an NP until 12 and didn't leave until 12:30.
otherwise, i can't complain. like i said about the other harvard vanguard, it's the lazy person's medical paradise. and i can use my new ma health connector health insurance here, score one for the previously uninsured!
