Women’s Health Center

I was left in the care of «doctor» Angie while my real doctor was on maternity leave. I had a high risk pregnancy from the start but a healthy 1^st and 2^nd trimester.
I told Angie I had felt my baby move less and less when I had a routine check up May 4^th. I asked for an ultra sound because I was worried about my son and his lack of movement. She held the microphone to my belly, heard he had a perfect heart beat and said he’s fine.
May 14^th I was checked into the hospital because my son had passed away at 33 weeks. I gave birth to him and he was only 2lbs and 11 ounces. My placenta was small. My son was in distress, not getting the blood flow and nutrients he needed.
The 3 times I asked for an ultra sound it was denied because it was «unecessary» if I had the ultra sound. We would have caught it early; and delivered safely.
Angie didn’t even call me too give condolences. I put me entire life, and our future, and trust in her hands. And instead of having a baby shower I planned a funeral.
Mothers: if you sense something is wrong, do NOT take no for an answer. Nobody should have to live through when I went through. Get second opinions. See other doctors. I put all my faith in this center. And I had to bury my son.
Angie: please next time listen to the women sitting on your table that youre supposed to be taking care of. Don’t let this happen to someone else.

The Women’s Health Center was a wonderful experience for me. The staff knew me by name and treated me as an individual and not as a number. The Women’s Health Center has a special website that you can email your doctor for all questions and concerns. My doctor was everything I wanted in a doctor and more. She answered all my questions and gave me great tips to help me through my pregnancy. My doctor shared her experience as a mom, which made me feel like I was talking to another mom and not just a doctor. Towards the end of my pregnancy I had systoms that were not normal and I developed pre-​eclampsia. The nurses and doctors were calm and professional when I needed to be rushed to the hospital. My doctor was very knowledgeable on Women’s Health, educating me on each step that needed to be done. Dr. Linh Nguyen made sure that my baby and I were healthy and safe. My surgery was smooth and quick. I have a tiny scar and still able to where a bathing suit without showing my scar. I feel very grateful for the Women’s Center and Orange Coast Memorial for the care and love that they have showed me.

Adding physicians does not fix the inhumane treatment I underwent! Since this review it has been pointed out by a REAL professional OBGYN that I should have had MAC anesthesia or conscious sedation at the very least! For shame! I was WIDE awake for the procedure.

I have been a patient of Dr. Sansone for 17 years now. She has delivered all 3 of my children (including coming in on the day she returned from a Hawaiian vacation 16 years ago because I was a stressed out 1^st time mom who begged for her Dr. to please come in on her day off) and we consider her part of our family. She is the best! Dr. Sansone is so caring and always takes the time to listen and explain any concerns I have ever had. I have also seen NP Angie in this office and love her! Angie is so friendly, sweet, and caring. Follow up is always fast and over 17 years, I have not ever experienced anything but friendliness, compassion, and caring from everyone there.

Dr Tracy and Dr Nguyen delivered my 3^rd baby boy via C-​section at Orange Coast memorial. My delivery was fast, and I felt so secure and at peace knowing I was in good hands. Dr Tracy was great with the follow up at the hospital, making sure my incision looked good. She also made sure I was feeling emotionally ok due to my post partum depression history. That was very important to me because my previous Dr that delivered me didn’t bother to see how I was feeling. I would recommend the Women’s health center to anyone who is looking for great medical care.

Been going here for over 15 years. Never had a bad experience. The doctors have all been compassionate and helpful.

I just had my first ever ultrasound with Mary and I love, love, love her! She was super informative about the process and is extremely nice. Such a positive experience!

I had a great experience with Womens Health Center. I went here for my pregnancy and received very good care. Dr’s and Nurse Practioners are highly professional and nice. I also really like the fact that they have an Ultrasound Tech on site. I would highly recommend this practice.

I had a great experience with Women’s Health Center for my first pregnancy. The staff is efficient and friendly. I had Dr. Nguyen and Angie Mikhail for NP. Both were excellent and I always felt really well taken care, especially in comparison to the care my friends received at other places. I plan on having Dr. Nguyen for my next pregnancy. She really goes above and beyond.

I really like this place! I came here before I got pregnant and now I keep it as my primary care during my pregnancy. They always call me with all the updates of my test results or with any other information. Also, prior to my first visit, I went to their website, printed patient forms, and was ready for my visit. Actually, they advised me to do all this. So in terms of paperwork — it is all very convenient. Also I love using my chart page. When I ask questions regarding my test results or any general questions, I get a response in 12 hours or so. Also I like that all personnel are females there. Parking is also free and always available. My insurance also covers most of my visits. I would recommend Women’s Health Center.

I want to start by saying that I am a high risk patient. I have had several miscarriages and a failed round of IVF (I’m 38), plus I have RA so I am the kind of patient that has lots of appointments. Dr. LePorte was my GYN while we were trying to get pregnant and is now my OB. She is amazing. When I called to make my first appointment (very early, I was 4 weeks), I explained all of the above to the nurse. That this was a natural pregnancy after so many miscarriages and failed IVFs. She put me on hold and got me in two days later. Most doctors won’t see you till 8 weeks, but not here. They were awesome right front he start.
Dr LePorte is a dream OB/​GYN. She is patient, she listens and we have never ever been rushed out of her office, and when I have seen the Nurse practitioner Angie, I have been equally as impressed. These women genuinely care about each patient. My emails get answered super promptly, the women behind the counter are always so friendly and courteous and Daisy is the best nurse EVER. EVER. Seriously, if you have tough veins and experience a lot of discomfort during blood draws, these nurses are for you. They are the vein whisperers. No bruising, no poking… just super proficient at what they do.
I have had 6 ultrasounds during my 16 week pregnancy (again, high risk) and all but one have been with Mary. She is lovely. So smart, knowledgeable and soothing. She always prints out loads of photos for us, and let’s us listen to the heartbeat for as long as we would like. She is very gentle and considerate and always smiling and patient.
I get that some people hate to wait, but seriously, those people are unrealistic. It’s an OB/​GYN, you are gonna wait. Every patient deserves the awesome level of care these women give and everyone should get as much time and attention as they need. If that means I have to wait a little bit so that someone else gets to have the same experience, then I am more than willing. Anyone complaining about the wait at a Doctors office is seriously being unrealistic and childish.
I have had one other pregnancy and birth treated by a very exclusive Newport Beach doctor (the kind that won’t see new patients and that only sees you if you have the fanciest possible PPO) and he doesn’t hold a candle to these women. I wouldn’t consider going anywhere else if you want a truly devoted experience. They deliver at Hoag as well so that’s a big bonus!
I have read in older reviews that there are front desk issues, but I have so far had none in the 1.5 years since I started being seen there (it is worth mentioning that I am a high risk patient so I actually have far more appointments than the average patient). Everyone tries really hard to be accommodating here and they are seriously so invested in patient care.
Edited to add: Dr. LePorte has left this practice to move to Northern California and she did so about two weeks before I delivered, so Dr. Tracy ended up ushering me through the end of the pregnancy and delivering my baby. All the things I said above about Dr. LePorte are absolutely true for Dr. Tracy. She was awesome, diligent, very patient with us (we were overdue) and totally on top of things during my delivery.

Dr Linh Nguyen and the staff is the best ever. I am really not sure the bad reviews I’m seeing are based on multiple visits because they are reviewing on maybe one bad experience. ??
She sat with me and explained in detail all of my lab results. She was my second opinion and saved my ovaries that my other doctor overlooked some labs and the other doctor never went over with me. She wanted to take them and I would have goned into medical menopause.
Dr Nguyen went over every result and took so much time with me. She asked me if I had any questions and made certain that I had all the information possible.
She performed my Hysterectomy and I had no bleeding after and hardly any pain. Everything went smooth and she called me twice to check on me.
Her staff is kind and very courteous.
I never waited more than maybe 5 to 10 minutes in the waiting room and even in the exam room for the doctor.
VERY pleased with this office and with Dr Nguyen.
My sister and Niece also see her and have had nothing but spectacular experiences with her.
Yes, you may need to wait longer for a first appointment, but that only means that it’s because she is a good doctor and in very high demand. I think I would rather wait for a great doctor than be seen the next day at a doctor’s office that is not busy enough because they have no patients due to poor service and a doctor that overlooks results.

I have nothing but good things to say about my experience with this office. I was an OB patient, and got transferred here at about 28 weeks pregnant after my insurance changed. I was hesitant to change doctors at this point in my pregnancy, but Dr. Laporte and the nurses and the staff welcomed me in and took great care of me. I was diagnosed with GDM so I required extra doctors appointments and every time I went in I had a great experience. A couple times I had to wait a bit but isn’t that true about almost any doctor? Most times though I was seen fairly promptly. I thought all the front desk people were friendly too. Dr. Laporte tries really hard to deliver all her patients babies. My labor just happened to be super fast, that she didn’t make it in time. In fact Dr. Nguyen, the on call doctor, barely made it in time either! All in all, I had a great experience!

I love the staff at the Women’s Health Center. They have always been so kind and helpful. They made my experience as an Ob patient so much more special by their helpfulness and willingness to let me know I will get the best care. They are quick to respond to any questions I have and are always helpful when I need some information. All the office staff were great but Lily always made sure to say «hi» to me every time I came in. When the office staff acknowledges you by name, it makes that experience that much more special. Definitely too bad that the reviews that are posted are all negative because I don’t think that truly reflects what this office and the staff are really like. I have not had any negative experiences in the years that I’ve been going there. The doctors, office staff and nurses are wonderful. They are a very busy office because they are so good. It does take time to get an appointment because they are a very patient friendly staff in that yhey spend the time needed to make sure the patient doesn’t feel rushed or unimportant. That’s why I’ve chosen to continue going there because of the care you get. My sister and I continue to be patients of this office because of our wonderful experiences.

This facility deserves no stars at all.
It was my first time here and I was asked to come 30 mins early to fill out paperwork. I arrive at 2:30 for a 3:00pm appt. It is now 3:45pm and I haven’t even been called. Please don’t ask me to come early if it doesn’t benefit me in anyway. And the Asian girl at the front desk… No manners at all! As a receptionist or someone at the front desk who is suppose to greet and welcome new clients/​customers/​patients, please smile and say hello. If you don’t want to smile or greet people, then please go find another job where you do not have to interact with anyone.
UGH, I am never coming back to the Women’s Health Center. Ever.

My OB was retired, so I was referred to this office to see Dr. Nguyen by my co-​worker. When I called to make an appointment, I was told Dr. Nguyen is really busy and I can’t get in to see her until 7 – 8 weeks later, so I agreed. However, 2 weeks later, I got a phone call telling me that I have to re-​schedule my appointment with another Dr since Dr. Nguyen is not accepting any new patient. I was not very happy, but still think it’s understanding. So the girl recommended me to see the practitioner nurse instead of another dr if I want to get in in a week. I wish I’ve read all these reviews before I actually walked into this nightmare place.
The office is nice and modern, but the people is a different story. My appointment was at 3:30pm, and I was asked to come in 15 mins early. Since I work in Irvine, and the traffic is unexpected, so I left work at 2:30 just to be safe and I arrived there likes 30 mins early. My paperwork has already done from home, so all the front desk girl had to do is to make copies on my IDs. I was sitting and wait until 3:45, nobody called me in yet, then I asked the front desk if she can help me to check. She was just too busy to chat, all she told me was «the nurse already has your paper, so just wait». I waited for another 10 mins, still not my turn yet, so I asked the girl to check for me again then she told me the nurse is running a bit behind today. I thought it would nice if she told me that before I approached her to check. I noticed the office wasn’t that busy, but I don’t know why they just let the patients sit and wait. It’s 4:00 when the nurse came and got me. She’s very nice (wish I got her name). After putting me on the scale, and measure my height, briefly went over my record …, she introduce the nurse to me. 5 mins later, the practitioner nurse came in; She seems pretty friendly, but OMG! this was the worst experience I’ve ever had with my Paps at any OB office. She’s rough (worse than my retired male dr.). It hurt so bad, and I was bleeding after that. She’s supposed to give me some samples of the lubricated cream, but she completely forgot about that in 5 mins.
I dont think I’d go back to this office and never refer anyone to visit this place either.

If you are a first time mom please read this.
This review is based on a visit we (my husband and I) had with the ultrasound technician at the WHC, Lori Johnson.
I arrived 15 minutes early and checked in. I was still waiting for my husband when the tech, Lori, called me in. I asked if I could wait for my husband and she said, «no, there is only a short period of time for her to do the ultrasound and she had other appointments.» I was ok with this but felt she was being extremely pushy and just trying to get the ultrasound over with.
This was my VERY FIRST ultrasound so I had no idea of what to expect. I asked if I should remove my skirt because she gave no directions except to sit on the bed. I texted my husband to let him know we had to start the ultrasound early. He arrived exactly on-​time for my appointment and she had already begun. What was suppose to be a memorable experience for us became awful at this point.
When my husband entered the room, lights were turned out and she didn’t even greet him. She told my husband that there was no videotaping and asked him, «didn’t you see the sign?» No, he didn’t. She then said, «I don’t know what you do for a living but that is just wrong.» She proceeded to talk about downsyndrome and had us extremely scared. She asked who our doctor was and not at one point did she reassure us that the baby was ok.
To top off our experience she places the pictures of the ultrasound on a chair next to my husband, doesn’t even hand them to him. This woman is awful. No bedside manner. A rudeness I’ve never experienced with medical personnel. She obviously does not enjoy her job.
Please go elsewhere for your ultrasound services. If you must see Dr. Laporte or another doctor at WHC ask that a medical assistant be present in the ultrasound to observe this woman’s rude behavior. I hope no one has to go through the same awful experience we did.

With much regret I had to make the decision to no longer be a patient at this practice. This review doesn’t reflect Dr. Laporte or her nurse Cindy, both of which are wonderful and fantastic health professionals. I left because the office staff is incompetent and rarely picks up the phone.
Their lunch hours are two hours long but beware, they don’t tell you that or leave that information on the voicemail so how are you supposed to know? If you don’t call first thing in the morning you may never get through and God forbid you are an OB patient with an urgent question… don’t bother, they don’t pick up the phone or return calls.
I left a message several times to reschedule appts or with a question and not once did they ever call me back. The medical records team is slightly more competent but when I asked for a copy of my entire medical history only a portion was sent. Was part of «entire medical history» did they not comprehend. Unfortunately I am not the only one who feels this way but I have a feeling that all of these poor reviews are falling on deaf ears as they have done nothing to change their front office.
What a shame because Dr. Laporte is a wonderful OBGYN.

I really liked Dr. Laporte so this review has no reflection upon her as a doctor.
For years, I have come to the Women’s Health Center for my annual checkup without issue or major opinion. Not really needing much from them outside of that checkup, I had no idea what was in store for me as a pregnant woman.
First off, when you call, rarely do you get directly to someone. This is the same to make an appointment, speak to a nurse, etc… Around six weeks pregnant, I found out I had been exposed to shingles and called the nurses’ desk and left a message. Two days later, I still hadn’t heard back and called again only to leave another message. Six days passed before someone called me back to let me know what I should or should not do.
Since I had experienced a previous miscarriage, I wanted to ensure the baby was viable at my 8 – 9 week checkup. No one could guarantee an ultrasound check to ensure there was at least movement or a heartbeat by doppler. In stark contrast, Dr. Rapoza’s office one floor down, checked me and the baby right away on our first appointment.
One last attempt to give this office a chance, I called to ask what the precautions around travel should be. Again, I got a voicemail at both the nurses’ desk and the front desk. Four days later, someone called me back and by then, I had already scheduled with Dr. Rapoza. His office answers the phone right away, he will take calls if you require his input, and appointments are informative and efficient.

Dr. Nguyen is ‘ok’. She is nice, but not super friendly. She does not ask you if you have any questions and does not go out of her way to make you feel like more than a patient. It is hard to get an appointment with her and most of the time I just settle for the nurse practitioner.
The office’s staff is another story. They are extremely unorganized and sent my pharmacy the wrong prescription. UMMMM??? Really?