Hwang Yenjean MD

I have had several ID doctors and she is at the top in terms of diagnosis, personality, prescriptions and understanding a patient’s pain levels. I will not get into the details of my problems, but must say she is experienced, thoughtful and does follow up. I have been to specialists, so-​called gurus and practioners with vast letters after their names, but she remains at the top. She has made efforts that have gone beyond what other doctors have done given my medical circumstances. She doesn’t work at her office but twice a week now, so getting in and seeing her can be tight. This would be my only complaint, but that is her business how many days she works. If you are concerned about office setting, such as beautiful digs and lots of fancy equipment, then maybe Dr Hwang is not for you. There is decent parking available which is nice. Highly recommended.

Dr. Yenjean Hwang has been my Infectious Disease doctor for about twelve years. By the time I finally got to her, I was a very sick person and did not have a GP — only my dermatologist. Many tests were run, but my diagnosis was very elusive. During this time, whenever I had some strange health problem on top of my usual problems, Dr. Hwang got me in right away. She has found many things that no other doctor could figure out; for instance, she found that a medication my neurologist was giving me was building up in my blood and I had something like 17 times the amount a person should have. This caused all sorts of problems, including a rash nobody else could identify. She has solved SO MANY mysterious health problems for me. She is the best diagnostician I have found in private practice.
I became permanently disabled and there was a mountain of paperwork. Dr. Hwang waded through all the paperwork as if it were nothing — and she was VERY effective. She also waded through a ton of insurance challenges to medication and treatment plans, and she won every challenge.
For the person who is unhappy that Dr. Hwang is only in her office two days a week: She works in the hospital the other days. I was in the hospital a little over a week ago and Dr. Hwang came by to visit me. She returns all calls promptly and does not appear to be in a hurry to get me off the phone (unlike most doctors).
I feel very lucky to have Dr. Yenjean Hwang as my doctor. She is incredibly good at what she does. And she also considers my psycho/​social well-​being and encourages me to hold on to the resources I have. She has called me at home to discuss this as she knows I am depressed about my physical situation.
She has the most delightful and easygoing bedside manner. She is an invaluable member of my team of doctors.

Reviews here on medical doctors tend to emphasize a ‘popularity’ contest, of both the doctor and their staff. The ‘Feel Good’ vibes emitted by the practice are what dictates the score, not the physcians’skill.’ And actually, since most folks are ‘healthy,’ then all they have to really rate a doctor on IS their charm and communication skills.
But what if you need a really good, experienced and currently well-​read diagnostician? That is where an Infectious Disease specialist MUST shine, and frankly, Dr. Hwang is indeed one of the very best. Five Star; top of her game.
So why the weak rating? Answer: She’s a soccer mom first, a doctor a very distance 2^nd. She only works 8 hours a week: Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. She has NO juice with the almost full-​time office staff she subcontracts with, (which is a ‘staff’ that is worthless, and will ‘drop’ most messages for her. Messages for her by phone will likely be dropped or diluted, and written messages or chem reports will be buried or lost. When Dr. Hwang is ‘in’, the phone lines are overloaded, and you can’t get through.
She has extremely weak connections with either the Sutter Health medical system (although she’s a member); and less connection with John Muir (although her husband is a principle there). Sutter Health has a dynamic on-​line connection with patients (messaging, appointments, medical/​lab result postings, intra-​doctor communications; etc.), yet Yenjean is not included.
You can’t get great care when you are ill IF there is not easy and relatively fast communication with your attending doctor, and it’s ultimately the Dr. s responsibility for this, … even for a highly skilled Dr. that only work 8 hour per week.