Attenello Frank J MD

I have gone to Dr. Attenello for 22 years. He was referred by my brother in law who said that Dr. Attenello found an Aortic Root Aneurysm that had been missed by multiple doctors including a cardiothoracic surgeon. He credited Dr. Attenello with saving his life. Dr. Attenello has been the best doctor that I have ever gone to, he is extremely knowledgeable, very thorough in his examination and the most kind and compassionate physician that I have gone to. I highly recommend him to all my friends.

I take my daughter to Dr. Antenello. He has been great. Always very through and takes him time. Recently I tried to call to get a prescription refilled and the number is disconnected. I drove by and it looks closed? Really strange. Anyone know what happened?

Dr Attenello has been our family Dr since the mid 1980s. We were so lucky to have found a Dr like him. When we moved to Orange Co. in the 1990s, we still kept him as our Doctor. We knew we weren’t going to find anyone better to be our Family Doctor. There is no Doctor out there that cares more for his patients. The staff is great too. Janet, who runs the office, is just the nicest person and she gives each patient the time and care they need.

Dr. Attenello is a very good doctor. He’s all business, no bedside manner. He knows his stuff. Don’t go to see him if you like your hand held. He is as blunt as they come. However, he is not consistent with his comments from appt to appt. He asks me if I smoke every time I see him and I never have. Then he’ll say something that doesn’t quite jive with last time. He apparently sees so many patients that he can’t remember a thing about you. He looks at his notes and goes from there. You get maybe 5 minutes with him if you are there to get prescriptions refilled. The other reviews about being referred elsewhere are spot on. I’ve met some of the best doctors Long Beach has to offer through Attenello’s office.
The worst part is the staff. The head nurse there will tell you one thing and later tell you something else. She is as evasive as they come. The billing has been totally screwed up for me a couple of times. The doc told the old woman to order a pneumonia shot for me. She never did. She won’t let you make an appt with another doctor you’re being referred to, she does it and you take what you get. Once you’re in, you can do business yourself.
I stopped going to Dr. Attenello because of the overall experience, not because of him. Maybe your experience will be better. But, he’s close to 70, so take that in consideration before choosing a long term doc for your care. Won’t matter to him as his calender is full. He only works in his office half days in the afternoons averaging 4 days a week.
Update: Dr Attenello has not been in his office for several months. Th office is closed and the sign is down. I would like to say thanks to him for 10 years of great service. BTW, to the person that said he sent patients to other specialists, this is good. It’s how Medicare wants it done (Original Medicare). This doctor assumes the role of the Primary Care Physician and he did a fine job of that.

Awful front office – and you know that’s half the battle. It took me TWO MONTHS to get an appointment. You mean to tell me that no one cancelled, or he can’t see me for 15 minutes, or??? Coming from a more comprehensive HMO, I didn’t know what to expect.
Once I got an appointment, I am still displeased with the front office. We run on paper only, making more room for error and loss (mm-​hmm, happened to me twice from the first visit). We’re nosy. This is not the doctor’s private office; this is the reception area. «Why do you need to know that now?» Now I’m just permanently ticked with the service, and can’t shake it.
The doc is knowledgeable. He’s Harvard-​educated (I’m pretty pedigreed myself…), but I don’t believe we share the same values – which matters. He’s a pessimist; I’m an optimist of faith. He makes the appropriate diagnoses, explains it, refers out. He does his job – but the vibe isn’t right.

I have been a patient of Dr. Attenello’s for over 3 years. He is thorough, extremely knowedgable, and very personable. Dr Attenello is the first family physician that I have felt was focused on my total and comprehensive health care. I trust his judgement and find him a man of integrity.

I have a friend that I have been taking to Dr. Frank J. Attenello for years and in December he will be 83 years old. Not only has he probably saved his life more than once, but he has gotten my friend some of the best therapy & in home care. One time my friend was out of the country on vacation and over the phone he determined that my friend had a stroke and had him get on the next plane back. One Saturday morning my friend had a «TIA» (transient ischemic attack) and that was determined by Memorial Hospital emergency room and his office had us an appointment on Monday afternoon to see him. As for the office staff I find them to not only very professional and very pleasant. The nurse was not only very thorough but took notes on everything I told him as explanation of the systems and what happen. As for the review by Mechelle W. from Canoga Park, CA it sounds like your problem is with your insurance company and not with the doctor. I can only wish that I had a doctor like Attenello taking care of me!

Ive been a patient of Dr Attenello’s since I was 7 years old, I am now 38. I am writing this in response to the previous negative Unilocal
If i have a problem with my lungs, he sends me for chest xrays, he refers me to my yearly diabetic assesments with the opthamologist, podiatrist and qaurterly blood tests.
In other words as a small private practice Dr in a residential neighborhood without a million dollars worth of diagnostic machinery in his office, he does what he is supposed to.
If you want everything done in house, join an HMO where the Dr’s are turned down every time they want to see if something is wrong with you.
Dr Attenello is a busy Dr with a lot of patients, unlike an HMO you do not have to wait 3 to 4 weeks to see him, then show up and get seen by another Dr.
Dr Attenello is a Family Doctor, when you go to his office your seen by him, if you have a problem he refers you to a specialist who can answer your questions.
Great Dr, great nurse, great office staff.
If I had any complaints at all, its that his air conditioner is usually set to low. but thats just me.

My husand and mother in law were patients of Dr. Attenello for several years. The actual time Dr. Attenello actually spends with the patients as opposed to the numerous referrals to various specialists is considerable. I dont know if he is in kahoots with these specialist or is just afaid of a possible malpractice law suit that he refuses to actually make a medical decision. You can be sure that your insurance will be billed for numerous unnecessary expensive tests and that you will be paying a considerable amount of co-​pays due to the many office visits to Dr. Attenello and the referring specialist.