Joanna Cooper, MD

–1 actually. The very worst of the numerous neurologist I’ve seen throughout the 20+ years of needing regular visits.
Rethink this one!

She created my disability. Her text book practice and improperly prescribed medications was the worst possible care, everyone is not the same. I went from having a job to needing home care because her prescribed medicines produced various health destroying side effects. The medications confused me for years, I didn’t know better. I understand, respect and appreciate health care. Her statue at Alta Bates is large, but her care for patients is extremely insufficient misguided and misused. I took medicines for many months, my health and pain was getting worst each month. She would not listen to my problems, questions or any suggestions. Another patient said she was going through the same problems with this doctor as well. Also, Dr. Cooper said «God isn’t gonna help you its the medicine I give you that will help you.» Her license needs suspension for the safety of patients life.
Part 2.
Her associates challenged my truth. Dr. Cooper gave subliminally messages to manipulate the mind into danger. They told me i have to be on medications and «I get to choose»? But all her medicines done under research is proven to not work for me.. These medicines are being pushed on patients for «end of life care,» to benefit the doctors, medicine and insurance companies. I was a lab rat being experimented on with poison to the doctors… THEY HAVE STATISTICS ON PERCENTAGES THAT WORK. BUT THE WEAK JUST DIES. LOVE YOU GRANDMA

Dr. Cooper is fantastic. Yes, you’ll probably have to wait, because she is constantly running back and forth between her office and the hospital, but it’s worth it. I recently was diagnosed with MS and she and her NP, Lynn (who visited me in the hospital several times to make sure I was okay during the course of my initial diagnosis and is a wonderful and lovely person), have been so wonderful in getting me started with treatment. She’s on top of all the research and gives you all of the information about treatment so you can make the best decision for yourself. She doesn’t sugarcoat but that’s important when you’re dealing with brain issues. Her office staff operate in the same way– maybe not the friendliest, but efficient! I would recommend her to anyone that needed a neurologist. Quite a few medical professionals have described her as the «MS guru!»

I never thought I’d be giving a doctor a one star review, but Dr. Cooper has earned mine (and obviously many other people’s) negative opinion.
I saw her on two occasions for evaluation to rule out MS and other neurological disorders causing tremors, weakness and some other symptoms. At our first visit she had me do some hand movements, follow her hand movements and asked me a question about my vision and said I didn’t have MS without doing further testing. She also harped on me about my weight (I have a serious endocrine disease which causes this) and gave me advice that was a. not in her area of specialty and about which I had not consulted her and b. contradicted what my endocrinologist had told me.
My second most recent visit was extremely distressing. She clearly did not even look at my chart, told me results of a test that told me what I’d already known and not asked about and told me I needed to have surgery for it. When I asked if surgery would help with the tremor in my hands she said, «what tremor?» She also went on an angry rant at me about my having MediCal as my insurance coverage (um, I’m severely disabled, I don’t get a choice) and that, because of that, there was nothing she would do for me. She was hostile and rude. My caregiver, who was with me, was stunned. The final icing on the cake? Her visit notes show that the reason I came to see her was… my weight. Which we never discussed. However she appears to be somewhat obsessed with it. I’m not sure why
Yes, she’s clearly very smart (and knows it and thinks highly of herself for it.) I had heard she was excellent with MS and thus went to her for diagnosis when the possibility came up. I did not expect to leave her office in tears. I will not be going back to see her again!

Though, as a favor to my internist, Dr. Cooper «squeezed» me in and was smart and knowledgeable, referring my for a sleep study for apnia. After I was diagnosed by the study done on June 15^th, I was unable to get an follow up appointment from Dr. Cooper for an interpretation and referral for a CPAP. Dr. Cooper was not available until SEPTEMBER!
Finally, I saw a nurse practitioner on July 11^th. It is now July 30^th and I have been unable to get an appointment for a machine from the outsource CPAP provider APRIA because they claim not to have received the appropriate signed and dated chart notes and referral forms! I’ve followed up with Dr. Cooper’s office who now see me as a pest BUT Apria as of this posting has no appropriate notes from my Doctor and can’t give me an appointment for a machine. Sleep
Oh, by the way, Dr. Cooper’s website is still currently ACCEPTING NEW SLEEP PATIENTS! As far as I am concerned, given this experience, accepting new patients for sleep… take your chances.

Dr. Cooper, who seemed tired and out of sorts at end of day, gave me a cursory exam, where I was to flip my hands and such, and pronounced that I do not have MS.
Sorry, but that won’t do. She had in front of her my MRIs, which show abnormalities, but watching me walk across her small office gave her the diagnosis. That won’t do either.
Third – she left no notes or followup on my chart, which another doctor noticed and was scandalized. I guess that isn’t done. Time to retire?

So, she’s an academic and super bright and even friendly. I didn’t find her extremely bold with her approach to my husband ms. I also found her and her office super hard to communicate with, even after the death of my husband, ironically. That being said my husband liked her but part of that was personal and a lack of knowledge that there was soooo much more available to him to try. My advice is if you’re looking for an academic approach, a safe approach ie your husband is not dying and you have plenty of time on your hands for theories and handshakes and academic frou frou, then yes go. Also you have to have a pretty avail schedule because some appointments had to be made three months out!
It felt like an old professor I had who was good at writing papers but had lost the urgency that: hey peoples lives are at stake here, what are all my options even if you think he’ll say NO, at least tell him! She also was limited in knowledge of clinical trials which by the way, are accessible to everyone on the web. I also felt like she talked down to me a lot because she made certain assumptions about me that were incorrect ie. no medical background. She was quick to push over and over again a certain medicine that made my husband tired and he kept saying no, and hardly anything new was offered!

I was referred to Dr. Cooper for sleep apnea evaluation by my primary care doctor. My wife works in health care and told me that Dr. Cooper is very highly regarded by her colleagues. I disagree completely with the previous negative reviews. Dr. Cooper is brilliant, communicative, and thorough. It may bother some patients that she isn’t a «hand-​holding» type of physician, but I don’t need my hand held. When she saw an abnormality on my first sleep study she immediately referred me for another study. Simply put, she doesn’t mess around, and I think she is extremely competent. She reminded me of me, which is possibly why I like her.
As to Sutter Health, I agree with the other observations about the low-​level employees. Maybe you can’t expect much of an over-​crowded urban waiting room where the employees have a «who cares» attitude. After all, you get what you pay for, and Sutter is most likely hiring from the bottom of the employment pool. I’d give Dr. Cooper 5 stars, but have to deduct one just because of the staff.

So surprised to see negative reviews! Dr. Cooper is one of the most caring, most thorough and knowledgeable neurologists we have ever seen. Daughter diagnosed with MS over 6 years ago, and seeing Dr. Cooper past 6 years Seen other Neurologists in and out of state and its easy to say she has provided consistently superior care. No doctor is always on time, but there were times she spent the extra time with our daughter when she was in a medical crisis. I’m sure subsequent patients ran late, so when Dr. Cooper is late, likely its because she has spent extra time with someone who really needed it — next time maybe you! We HIGHLY recommend her!

Joanna is the fourth doctor I have had since been diagnosed with MS. She is the first who is truly an expert on the subject and I chose her because the other Sutter doc had very little knowledge of the ailment. Also his office staff screwed up my prescription multiple times. I don’t blame them too much as I know form my profession haw shabbily treated Sutter workers are.
As for Joanna when I was having vision issues that my Ophthalmologist thought were glaucoma-​related she stood firm in insisting I get infusion. yes she was belligerent with me when I wanted to delay it for a few days but she was administering tough-​love. She certainly provided me with more info on MS than I’d had in the 16 years since diagnosis.
Sutter’s no Kaiser but Joanna Cooper is a cut above the normal profit-​driven Sutter bean counters.

Very disappointing. I went here on a referral from my PCP’s office for my frequent headaches/​head pressure and dizziness. I’ve had headaches all my adulthood, but these were different, and I even ended up in the ER once. I am not a person who enjoys going to the doctor’s (but then again, who is?), but when I do go, I usually leave with helpful information, a diagnosis, a treatment plan, or at least reassurance. I got none of these with her. Her conclusion after her exam: She didn’t have a definite diagnosis for me, which I understand because I do realize now how frustrating headache patients are for MD’s, but her «discussion» with me did not leave me reassured, comforted, or with a plan of treatment (other than her flippant suggestion to take Excedrin with Migraine, which I had already told her did not work for me). She left me with no helpful suggestions, and I was very disappointed. She kind of treated me like I was wasting her time. I had waited 2 months to see this doctor and had thought I could finally get some kind of answer but what I got was condescension and an obvious lack of caring.
So I ended up going back to my PCP, who is wonderful, my headaches continue, and I’m still trying to find the answer to these headaches and a way to get better. The one person I thought who could really help me with this turned out to be such an incredible disappointment.

If managed care is what you’re looking for, keep looking. My mother had some tests done after her stroke and we did not hear back from Dr. Cooper. The days of doctor’s providing followups is dead. Now you have to fight for your own health and well being and stay on top of the doctors. Still waiting for a call back.

My wife is an MS patient and she loves Dr. Cooper. Dr. Cooper also used her intelligence and connections to both get a correct diagnosis and then for the best surgeon to treat my wife’s aneurysm. She basically saved her life and her health. Dr. Cooper uses s a computer right in the exam room for additional information. She’s very smart, creative, direct and even has a sense of humor. Very responsive to emails too. Once she responded to my wife’s at midnight,

My husband arrived on time for his 9am appt. Heard Dr. Cooper on the phone in the next room for over 30 minutes loudly discussing «compensation.» When she finally came to see him (50 minutes after his appt time), she was furious that he did not have a referral (which is not required, according to her appt person). Then went on to say there was nothing she could do for him, even though he told her he has increasing constant pain in his hands that advil will not relieve. She told him that he had to go back to a primary physician before she would see him. Nice.

Saw her a couple of times. She came into my room one time unprepared, stating that she didn’t have the report in front of her, but that she remembered that my EEG was abnormal. It was normal. She is very distant and uncaring as a Dr. I felt treated as just a name and not a person. At a time in my life when I want someone to care and understand, I didn’t get it from her.