Wiesner Kenneth B, MD

I give Dr. Wiesner 10 stars, his office staff a few less. They don’t always have it together. But I don’t mind, because I KNOW I’m in great hands with such a hard working, dedicated physician like Dr. Wiesner.
Yes, I’ve waited over 3 hrs to see him. I don’t care. He gives me as much time as I need when I’m in his exam room. I spent almost a whole day there last year. I had developed excruciating, debilitating pain in my hips (or so I thought). I figured my PR was taking a turn for the worse and dealt with it until I could see him for my regular appointment. He’s been my doctor for well over a decade, so he knows me. One look at me and he immediately sent me for x-​rays down the street, with instructions to hand carry the images back ASAP. Once I returned I was sent back into the exam room again and he carefully looked them over. Fortunately it wasn’t my hips, but a back issue, which could be fixed.
He CARES about his patients, he truly wants to help. Yes, his workload is enormous, a LOT of sick folks out there, but I consider myself fortunate to be able to see him every 3 – 4 months, or more if needed. I don’t know what I’ll do when he retires. I’m one of the younger patients, but certainly not the youngest. My heart (and his too) hurts for the babies/​children he sees. I became ill at age 19, I’m now 43. He has always listened to my concerns, educated me and expected me to educate MYSELF (self-​responsibility people) on my disease and how to help me help him. It’s a two-​way street.
Anyone who whines about the wait, go to Kaiser, see what kind of treatment you get there! I had to go there for a year… ONE visit with their rheumatologist (who could hardly speak English) and I literally left in tears and paid out of pocket to keep seeing Dr. Wiesner that awful year. I’m a very loyal, loving patient of his. He deserves respect, not condemnation. I actually saw him early this morning, Saturday. Amazing physician.

Dr Wiesener is amazing. I am a medical zebra, not a horse. He promised to not give up on me. He sent me for the right tests and to the right other specialists. Out of all the doctors I see he is my favorite. He is caring and compassionate. His wait only means he is not rushing you out the door and giving up. He is well worth the three hours I spend every 4 – 6 months I see him.

I can’t believe anyone would rate Dr. Wiesner with anything less than 5 stars. You know why the wait time is long? It’s because he is such a wonderful doctor that he is booked out 6 months in advance. When my son was diagnosed with JRA, he had to visit the doctor every 3 weeks (not possible with a Dr. booked 6 mos out?) Well, his office made it happen, he cares so much about helping, that he makes time. He had essentially cured my son with no lasting deformities or side effects. My son was 12 when he was diagnosed and he walked like a 90 yr. old man and had horrible swelling to his joints, it was heart wrenching. Now… my son is 17 and plays club volleyball year round and has grown to be almost 6 foot tall with no issues. He’s in a medicated remission and we owe it all to Dr. Wiesner. You know why his office isn’t fancy, it’s because his rates are insanely reasonable. Another thing, people talk about the office being behind by hours early in the morning, you may not realize this but he starts treating patients as early as 5am on a Saturday morning. I am very busy too, so this is the time slot my son and I choose to avoid the long wait time. Dr. Wiesner obviously cares about his patients and I for one, and relieved he hasn’t retired already. Thank you, Dr. Wiesner. We love you!

People rave about Dr. Wiesner because of the amount of time that he spends with each patient. However, I find it ridiculous that 5 out of the 6 times I’ve seen him, I’ve had to wait more than 2 hours to be seen. The Dr obviously overbooks himself and it is rude and inconsiderate for those that have to take time off of work or utilize such a large amount of precious time off waiting. I write this as I am getting ready to leave after waiting 1 hour 40 minutes. I am no longer able to entertain my 3 yr old daughter even by bringing multiple activities to entertain her with.
In addition to the wait time, he seems to makes health assumptions, and lead you to believe that you will be worse off in the future. For example, I don’t have lupus, but he said I’ll get it, and be just like my grandma with her host of ailments. I just don’t get why his patients think he is so amazing, maybe because he gives hugs freely.

Is it okay to write a review for your husband? Speaking as a cancer patient, I have a LOT of experience with doctor’s offices so I feel qualified.
My husband’s primary care doctor called him recently, concerned about something he saw in my husband’s neck after a routine x-​ray following a traffic accident. He thought it was arthritis and referred my husband to Dr. Wiesner.
Let me detour and say my husband’s brother has a very serious arthritic condition that caused him to break his neck when brushing his teeth.
Really.
So, we are slightly concerned.
Today was the day of the appointment. My husband waited 2 hours, but never got to see the doctor. Not only that, after a 2 hour wait, he was still not first in line to get in. Had he not walked out, he would probably still be there in that waiting room, five and a half hours post-​appointment time.
If you are going to see a surgeon, or an OB, you might expect something to occasionally interfere and create a long wait. Car accidents happen, surgeries go long, babies get born.
A rheumatologist? What happens? Somebody gets an emergency case of gout?
Hubby reports to me that the office staff seemed unconcerned about this wait, acknowledging that it was always like this, but that «once he got in he would get all the time he wanted with the doctor.»
Since he wanted about five minutes, the wait to time ratio was a bit too high.
That is horrible office policy and a bad way to run a business. And yes, folks, medicine is a business. Of course, it’s nice that the doctor will spend a lot of time with a patient. But, what if you just want to get in and out? Why should you be subjected to a three hour wait?
Why even pretend to have appointments?
The office staff seemed uncaring about my husband’s time (and he is a high-​level IT manager it is is hard for him to be away from work for nothing.)
Not only that, but when he’d had enough and decided to give up and go, they were «unable» to process the refund for his co-​pay when he left. They had absolutely no trouble taking it, of course, but couldn’t give it back.
If you are a 90 year old who has nothing to do and doesn’t mind spending 3 or 4 hours in an office waiting room so that you can talk to a doctor for an hour or two about all your ailments, than by all means, this practice is for you. I have no idea of the doctor’s competence or incompetence. He might very well be the best rheumotologist in all of Sacramento.
Maybe he’s the best one in the entire world.
But, we’ll never know, because we are normal people with lives, and can’t camp out in his waiting room to find out.
If you are the kind of people who make appointments and expect to be seen, you know, around the appointment time, keep in mind that the office staff admitted this is the way they do things. It was not a fluke.
I hope my husband’s neck doesn’t break tonight when he brushes his teeth.