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Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Rating Details »
Categories: Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Optometrists, Family Practice [Edit]
3200 Kearney St(between Liberty St & Paseo Padre Pky)
Fremont, CA 94538
(510) 490-1222
- By Appointment Only:
- Yes
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Edward E. Manche, MD
- 12 reviews
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- Palo Alto, CA
"There are maybe a handful or less of doctors who specialize in LASIK or PRK surgeries and are Jedi masters at their craft (and I mean across…" read more »
33 reviews for Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Like most people, I hate dealing with anything medical in nature. But this place makes appointments, labwork and billing so seamless and simple. Love the ease of a central appointment desk for all of the represented doctors, and love receiving my test results online. The lab runs smoothly, and they have never kept me waiting more than ten minutes. All staff I have encountered, from doctors to nurses to clerical employees, have been exceptionally competent and pleasant.
It is such a relief to have this top-notch facility in my neighborhood. Let's hope I don't need to visit too often, though!
Five stars all around!
I've been here almost everyday for this last week. First is to see my Dr. for a referral to a ENT specialist, they got me an appointment within 2 days! Then a schedule for a ENG for next day! WoW! I'm impressed!
Thanks for getting me through this in a speedy manner and all the kind people here at PAMF! You rocks!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/18/2008
This facility is great. They have in-house lab so you don't have to go to those other places and… Read more »
Excellent medical facility. They're set up so rationally you'd think you were in Canada!
- online test results
- $70/yr option to email your doctor
- clean facilities
- easy enrollment
- docs use centralized patient history system
- automated appointment reminders via phone
- urgent care clinic with extended hours so you don't have to sit next to gunshot victims if you have a bad stomach flu
I went for a vaccination for my daughter and saw Dr. Sally Sinha. Since we were travelling abroad, she advised against vaccination and ultimately issued a counselling code for which the insurance co didnt pay and I had to chill out $164 for 20 minutes. Till this time I didnt have a bad experience with the hospital.
Sally Sinha is the Worst.
I've been going to PAMF in Fremont for years, and have only had positive experiences. The doctors and staff are friendly and professional, and they have all of the services I've needed in one location (give or take a building right next door). They also have a web service that has been useful for everything from refilling prescriptions to getting back test results, etc. So convenient!
i get a new doctor every time, because id rather get in quick than wait, but i can honestly say i trust whom ever they give me, they have all been great! 5 stars!
I love my regular doctors too!! I had used PAMF for YEARS. Then my insurance was changed at work. I left for 3 years... and was so upset because I had a great relationship with my doctor. But when our company changed insurance again and PAMF was on the "list". I whooped for joy!!!
My doctor had closed her practice to new patients but she made exceptions for returning patients and their family. I was SO glad. She said when she saw my name on the list asking to come back she said she would be proud to continue taking care of me!! That statement itself tells you what the people in PAMF are. My husband loves going here too. He used to avoid doctors ... " the place smelled like alcohol," "it's dirty.."... "I don't like the doctor"... With the new Dublin office, we can have our lab work done closer to home... There are new CV offices, but we want to stay with the Fremont group.
I will make this short...
I came to this PAMF Facility to have an ortho specialist look at an MRI.
I was late by 15 min. to the apt but had called ahead of time to make sure that I would still be seen as the drive from where I live to this Fremont facility is over 30 min. I was told that my apt. would be kept and to just come in and check in at the receptionist desk as usual.
In the end - I checked in. Then I went to the waiting area.
2 totally unprofessional RN's or whatever they are called - they thought they were the best thing ever put on this earth to tell you whats up and belittle you- anyway - they came over and yelled at me and my husband - they said that I was late and that I would not be seen - They didn't care if I had called earlier - I actually left in tears.
I wrote letters to PAMF but nothing, no response - in fact weeks later - they sent me a letter asking me to donate money to their hospital.
Can you believe this?
I am going elsewhere now - What a waste of my time!
I've been going to PAMF since 1997 when I switched from Kaiser (who misdiagnosed a torn ACL and let me hobbled for 5 years). They are among the best medical groups in the Bay Area.
The facility is modern, clean, comfortable, and very friendly. They have been growing fast due to the good word-of-mouth. They just built the 2nd building in Fremont last year and opened an Urgent Care unit (although they've had urgent care for years by making appointments with available doctors).
There was a time a couple of years ago when they didn't have good back-office support in the billing dept. They kept submitting the wrong code to Blue Cross. We finally spoke to a Blue Cross specialist at PAMF who was able to figure out what was done wrong. It took a year for them to correct it and they screwed up again on the exact same issue the next year. So apparently they had some unqualified people in the department who should be let go.
Also, there are a couple of medical assistants that are less than competent. We recently spoke to one that couldn't do simple additions and didn't seem to have much common sense. She quoted us "cash prices" instead of insurance prices right after she contacted our insurance to figure out our coverage. Hello?!
Other than that, the medical care has been great! The doctors are friendly, well-educated, and knowledgeable. They have advanced online system that gives you access to your medical records, test results, as well as making and canceling appointments. There's also an optional feature to email your doctor directly ($70/yr).
I'm making sure my employer's medical insurance plans allows me to continue to go to PAMF.
Beware of their charges. They charge whatever amount for their treatment.
I took my daughter for wart removal, the doctor didn't remove the wart and still I got huge charge for the visit. She called us to come again. So, we went again and this time she tried to freeze the wart; it didn't work, but later on when we got the bill the charges were done for a surgery.
Beware of their charges.
Confession: I LOVE my doctor!
Dr. Sandra Wong is the best doctor I've ever had! She is so nice and makes me feel comfortable. She always asks questions about school and work, and she actually remembers things I tell her, which makes me feel special. She can usually diagnose my many, many, many, skin diseases (kidding) just by looking at it and is almost always correct. She never lets me leave empty handed and constantly makes sure I have enough refills. I am just so in love with her!
Palo Alto Medical Foundation - PAMF - is the best medical facility I've ever been in. Most of these reviews are about individual doctors (who are fantastic) but my true enjoyment of the place comes from how very state of the art it is. Our charts are electronic. They are fully on their computer system and any doctor, any specialist, can see your whole chart at any given time. If I go to urgent care, they've got all my records. If I go to my ENT, he's got all my records. There is no searching for a chart or other messy paperwork. Best of all, I can see my own test results online. The whole thing is very modern.
I'd love them for being able to use the internet if nothing else. However, PAMF has many types of doctors, a laboratory, a radiology department, ultrasound machines, weird things I've got no idea what they are called but stick down your nose and look at your throat, etc. They've got EVERYTHING right on site. No needing to go to the hospital for testing. They even do several types of minor surgery on site. The convenience is fantastic. They are also pretty good about squeezing last minute appointments in. If they can't get you in, their urgent care has the same co-pay as their normal doctors if it is during business hours.
The only downside is that they are in Freemont. Ugh. But they are way worth it - I BART in from the city (PAMF is walkable from Freemont BART) just to have access to such an awesome place. Highly recommended.
I went here for consultation and guess what I can do my lab works too after. They had a great experience because everything is very convenient. My hubby and I went here for his med consultation and his orthopedic doctor was so cool Dr. Ben Halligan. Lots of parking, good customer service and really recommend the place and staff!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/9/2008
My doctor in Dublin location recommend me to go there for scan. I asked her why there, she said… Read more »
I went on a weekend day and Urgent Care is great here, just walk in - if need to, the doctor faxes to Walgreen for your meds, fills out a work release form, and prints loads of information /recommendations based on his/her assessment of your illness. One star off for wait time (but relatively little compared to Washington Clinic) and did not have ENT doctor available on weekends.
The Foundation is probably the very best facility in the entire Bay Area for general and specialist care. I have always been super impressed with the quality of care here and the specialists are some of the top in their fields. Being a clinic, all services are available at the facility itself...which is especially nice when you need tests, x-rays, or blood work. A clinic is great for the Docs too...they don't have to worry about the business of running an office...therefore they can stick to the practice of medicine which is what they were trained to do.
We moved to Fremont over 22 years ago and the practicing Dr's here were down right pathetic! A complete bunch of loosers! They didn't know how to run efficient offices...sometimes making you wait up to an hour or more...not to mention their medical credentials were poorly lacking....I have a few horror stories*...I am of the mind that this is due to the lack of a decent hospital here. All these problems were solved for us with the opening of the PAMF in Fremont. I was so very happy when the Fremont facility opened because I was still driving across the bridge to get proper medical attention.
Because it is such a fine clinic you sometimes have to wait to see a specialists...but it's worth the wait to get to the core of your problem from the start. They are so good you won't been messing around with any guessing...they get it right from the start!
It also a nice clean and relaxing place to visit with lots of parking and very little wait time. YES!!!!!!
* The toe nail on my right big toe is permanently deformed after a Fremont Dr...who was not a foot specialists...performed office surgery...I mean how difficult is it to do an ingrown toenail for God's sake???? I learned my lesson. I am ever so particular now!
I moved twice from Fremont, and now drive 40 minutes to get to PAMF. I've dabbled with local doctors in my new neighborhood but nothing measures up.
The online tool is great too - you can log on and check your past treatments, weight (!) etc.
Doesn't get better than this
I changed to this hospital after reading the great reviews, I guess any hospital is better than KP...haha. Anyways, the doctor I saw was suuuuuper nice and made me feel really comfortable. She didn't take my complaints lightly and did a thorough examination and tests. The service is great and everyone is friendly. I've yet to try the other doctors, so we'll see what happens. :) So far, good :)
One star less for no advice nurse on the weekends, however they just started urgent care, walk in on weekends.
One star less for the noise/shaking in the patient's room! I thought it was an earthquake, but it happened every couple of minutes. It may be bart or something...I duno...very freaky. They should warn people about it!
had an mri taken yesterday at 9am and got an email with the mri results at 1pm. btw, the results were negative...woot!
had a urinalysis at 2pm today and i got the test results from my md via email at 3:30pm...everything normal....woot! woot!
super freaken efficient.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/28/2008
our whole family are patients at the fremont clinic. all the doctors and auxiliary staff members… Read more »
I went to Urgent Care on a Saturday for IV fluids/dehydration/stomach flu during pregnancy. My Dr. called ahead of time so I only waited about 25 minutes. I was there for about four hours total. It took three different nurses and four pokes to get an IV in which was pretty frustrating. However, Dr. Milan Radojicic was very attentive and checked on me very often. He also took a lot of time to answer my questions and let me know about my test results quickly. The Dr. and nurses even kept checking my baby's heartbeat because it was inconsistent. They already had all my records in the PAMF computer system which was really efficient. All in all, the place was comfortable, clean, and the staff was attentive. The wait was short too compared to an ER.
PAMF is awesome, I've been going here since I was a kid and have no complaints. Dr. Kehl is the best!
Dr.CarlaReeves gets all the stars.
She's very funny and she knows her stuff!
I give her a A+
My dermatologist, Tatiana M. Grzeszkiewicz, M.D. , Ph.D., Dr. "G" as she's known, is in the Fremont office. I'll admit that the location is less than ideal, but the care and treatment that I've gotten from Dr. G is well worth the 880 ride. Dr. G is the bomb! I consulted a few dermatologists over the years, and never got anywhere, and had given up until my appt. with Dr. G. Within seconds of looking at my face I had a diagnosis and a rx being filled as we finished up our chat. AND, they even do laser skin treatments and laser hair removal. Whoo hoo, I cannot wait to exhausted my HSA funds here! ;)
The new buildings are NICE and I like the added parking in the new basement.
I see Dr. Kaveri Patel (family practice) and she is very sweet, knowledgeable and helpful.
All the doctors, nurses and staff I saw in the OB/Gyn department have been very nice too.
I always take a book or something to amuse me while I wait. It's a typical medical office... there is always a wait.
The on-line (http://pamfonline.org) system is great for making appointments and checking out test results.
I HATE having blood drawn, but these people make it PRACTICALLY painless. Not completely, but darn near close.
Update:
They send appointment reminders through email and I can check my son's medical records on line now too. Very convenient.
Update #2:
I've only had one billing issue here... they ordered and charged my insurance for a hearing/vision test for my son and he never had them done. I called them and they took it off the bill.
I like the fact that if my doctor is not in the office there is usually SOMEONE who can see me or my sons.
Doctors I've seen multiple times and liked:
Dr. Kaveri Patel (family practice) - great for my "normal" medical needs and those of my sons.
Dr. Neeta Patel (OB/Gyn) - AWESOME woman!
Carla Reeves (OB/Gyn Nurse/Midwife) - another AWESOME woman!
I've seen several other doctors when these three weren't available and they all seemed all right.
Gayle Fiock (Lactation Consultant) - AWESOME! A store of great information and help.
All of these women have a great understanding of their field and a great sense of humor. They don't take themselves too seriously and don't talk down to me. They're all willing to explain things if I ask.
I go to the Dublin facility (which I really like) but since we're in the Tri-Valley, we don't have all the specialists so our ears, noses, throats and feet must come here. It doesn't have that 'new clinic smell' like Dublin but it's not bad at all.
If only they had wifi in the waiting room, I'd lobby for SIX stars, but I rarely wait long enough to yearn for wifi anyway.
* Lots of specialists in one place or at least in the same network. Not only is this convenient, I'm sure it results in better health and fewer errors in the long run, since your doctors can more easily share information with each other.
* Urgent care (with waiting times listed online).
* Doctors Miller, Gersten, and Lee are all great. Dr. Tami Miller is my main doctor, and she's wonderful--personable, friendly, thoughtful, and very good at what she does. As the friend who recommended her said, this is really "whole person" medical care. Dr. Lee is great for allergies and Dr. Gersten is great for sleep apnea and other ENT problems.
* Nearly all of the nurses and technicians are super friendly and fun to talk to. The worst I can say is that once or twice I've gotten technicians who were perfectly polite and competent but not very chatty.
* On-site library with books and electronic databases.
* Shortest waiting times ever for tests and appointments. It's not that I never have to wait; it's just that I wait a lot less than I ever have with any other medical group. Showing up early for a test often gets me in and done early.
* Great online system gives you access to detailed test results, medication instructions, etc.
* Test results get online FAST.
* Optional subscription lets you send and receive messages for all those times when you're not sure whether you really need to call the doctor.
I'm tempted to remove a star because I don't think patients should have to pay for online message access to doctors--after all, it saves PAMF time and money. However, I'm leaving the star in to counteract the misinformed anti-vaccine reviewer, and because PAMF is still the best medical group I've ever had access to.
I'm very pleased that
I switched to PAMF recently from a private practitioner and I must say that their service defies all generalizations and cliches about medical providers. Here some salient points about PAMF Fremont:
1. Wide variety of specialties and medical services in a single location
2. Lots of doctors to choose from
3. On-site lab and radiology. Don't have to deal with the overcrowded Unilab locations across from Washington hospital. Technicians are very courteous.
4. Fast lab results, available online. e.g.: ~3hrs for lipid profile
5. Records are kept online and are shared between your primary physician and specialists. You can communicate with your doctor via email.
6. Prescriptions sent electronically to your preferred pharmacy
7. Walk in urgent care clinic 7 days a week. Wait times can be checked online before going to the clinic.
8. Spacious, roomy facilities and very friendly and helpful staff
I went for a flu shot on a Saturday morning. There were about 15 people in line. I was in and out in less than 10 minutes. The whole process was so well organized. There were at least 2 people at every point, guiding you to the next step.
Finally a medical service provider that treats you like a customer and has caught up with the times when it comes to service and record keeping.
Used the Urgent Care for the first time on Saturday. Overall a good experience. Less than 10 minute wait time to see the doctor. My husband injured his hand playing basketball so an xray was ordered. No wait for xray; upon returning to urgent care was called back to see the doctor in less than 5 minutes. Found out his hand was broken, so a temporary cast was placed. The RN who did the casting was obviously not an expert, but considering this was an Urgent Care and not an ER, that was understandable. The procedure room is directly across the nurses station, so we were able to hear the nurses talk about other patients (referring to them by name). For example- UA was positive for Mr. X in room 3, etc. (Violation of HIPAA?) But other than that, a fast visit and felt my husband was taken care of. Today he will see an orthopedic doctor for permanent casting.
many problems with how they handle insurance
1. they had my wife call the insurance company to hash out details instead of them doing it. it's their job!!
2. when things are sorted out, they sent a routine lab service to a lab NOT covered by our insruance, which is cigna. that means now we are being billed directly by the lab
simply put.... they suck
PAMF Fremont is the WORST, I repeat, the WORST medical provider in the world, no..not world, possibly in the whole universe...or galaxy!!!
I had terrible, terrible experience with them..
yeah, as usual, before seeing the doctor, they asked for my latest/current insurance card, I gave them, they recorded it and all.
Weeks passing by.. and one day I got a bill from PAMF; I was so shocked! almost had a heart attack, WTF...they billed me so fu**ing huge..so I called them; and had conference call together with my insurance agent... after long talk, turned out PAMF made the mistake of picking the WRONG insurance card/info...
PAMF agreed its NOT my mistake, and they claimed its "computer" mistake.. before ending the call, I asked them whether there's anything I need to do on my side, and they said "None", I just need to wait and they will resolve this with my insurance.... ok, I thought its cleared and solved...they should take care of this themselves..nothing from my end...
months passed by, and BAM!!!.... one day I got a letter from fu**ing Collection Agency..
yeah, they put the fu**ing claim on the collection agency..
with FU**ing INTEREST!!! YUP...You read right!...
WTF...I went to see a doctor for God sake...NOT buying a house (mortgage) or sign-up for car or credit card with interest!!!
Yup, now I had to fight with PAMF and their fu**ing collection agency almost daily... and they will NOT get any penny from me...NO WAY...I will fight with my last drop of blood !!!
I don't have much comment on the doctors there...but there's one, I wont say bad experience, but I luckily caught a mistake the doctor did on the lab test he's about to order for me... luckily I was "sober" at the time, and I caught his mistake on the lab order...and he apologized and corrected it ... though the lab test wont harm me, but its sucks if I had to go thru all the test which was not necessary.. and of course, will INFLATE the fu**ing bill on my insurance.
so BE WARNEDDDDD!!!
YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
PEACE...AND STAY HEALTHY!
With the new building... it is a GREAT medical facility; especially the OB /GYN doctors and NPs are super nice. Dr. Sarda, the department head delivered both my babies, she is an awsome dr. All the new processes she put in place, makes everything very orderly during the important 9 months. I had some problems during first trimester with my son, Carla (NP) was there for me whenever I need someone to talk to... She's the BEST!!! Rachelle, Carla's assistant is great, she's really good at calling me back with lab results, appointment changes and etc.
My primary is Dr. Doyle... I just LOVE her... she always has a lot of energy, giving me good advice on health and parenting.
My kids's ped is Dr. Yang, she's super nice as well...
The bottom line.. we really like PAMF Fremont.
I'd give it 5 stars, but I've experienced a lot of doctor turnover in the last couple of years (in the OB department) that can be a hassle. Overall, though, they've been great!
I'm pregnant, and currently being treated by Carla Reeves (midwife) and Craig Johnson (OB). Both are fantastic. Dr. Johnson is definitely the best OB I've seen there in terms of bedside manner. Most others are very professional, but kind of see you super quick and move on. Dr. Johnson really checks to see how I'm feeling, follows up on my diet/prenatals/general well being, and is just really friendly all around. Would definitely give him 5 stars! Carla is equally great, as are both of their assistants.
My general care physician is Dr. Patel, who seems fabulous, but I've never actually had to see her. Any time I've needed something, she's handled it by phone (since it usually required just ordering a lab or referring me to a specialist). Still, very nice and helpful.
Also wanted to note that PAMF is very, very convenient if you're part of an HMO. Referrals are a breeze, and with the lab and radiology departments down below, it really is a one-stop shop.
I have had a pretty good experience with PAMF doctors.But I was extremely disappointed with the Labstaff..I took my 11 month old baby in for a blood test(reccomended by her ped). Two ladies took charge, but the one who actually stuck the needle in botched up the job. Initially she tried on one arm and could not find the vein..so she shifted to the other.By then my baby was crying like crazy...well,that was still ok...then she stuck the needle in and could not find the vein so she kept putting it in and out into her skin about 3-4 times...then started drawing blood.Then halfway through she said it wont be enough and took out the needle and asked for a different lap tech.When the other lady came over, she did the procedure correctly, within a minute and got 2 bottles.She even told the other lady...this is the right way to do it..the the original lady says,Oh now they are holding the baby properly...its all about how you hold the baby! I just wish she could have admitted her incompetence and asked for the more experienced person before she riddled holes in my baby. I am writing this review for all first time parents..If you are in ANY doubt about the way these guys are doing their job,just stop them and confirm that they are experienced enough for the procedure. Don't let your baby suffer..I have learnt my lesson the hard way.
We attended their birth class and thoroughly enjoyed it. Barb (the instructor) is very knowledgable, resourceful and patient.
