Joanne J. Kim, MD

I cannot express enough my full on gratitude and trust with Dr. Kim. When i first found out i was pregnant, i knew i wanted a doctor that was very patient and understanding. I’m so glad that i found Dr. Kim. She really cares about her patients and treats you like family. The birth of my baby didn’t exactly go as planned, but Dr. Kim explained everything to me and was there every step of the way. She made sure that i was comfortable and she even delivered my baby. The day that we were discharged from the hospital, Dr. Kim made an effort to come and see us, give me a hug, and tell me that i did great. She wasn’t even on shift! I’m sad to say that i will miss my monthly and weekly visits with Dr. Kim, but if i ever do get pregnant again, i will be sure to come back and see her. My husband and i have both agreed that she’s the best doctor that i have ever had!

Updating my review to 3 stars after seeing some great follow through on my most recent visits. they help me a LOT to feel more comfortable there. As I keep seeing good work I’ll be happy to continue upgrading.
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Lowering my rating to one star after doctor failed to provide requested referral costing me several wasted hours & weeks before rescheduling.
Pay no attention to these reps replying here saying they’ll help. They won’t. «Darryl» is a paper pusher who sends you to yet another voice mail of some other paper pusher.
After 10+ years with this doctor, I am leaving due to the greed and atrocious office practices of Sutter Pacific, including their notoriously over priced services at CPMC. Their costs are 5−10x what I pay at other facilities in my insurance network.
They pay their executives exorbitant salaries yet pay no taxes. They are a blight on society and it’s a shame this fine doctor has aligned herself with them.

I get the sense that this place is an assembly line for routine pregnancies. That may be fine for you, but I experienced just how unexpectedly volatile pregnancy and delivery can be. It became very clear that this is not the place to be in that situation.
Most of my review and decision to leave reflect this protocols of this practice. This has a critical impact on quality of care and is much more important than if you like your OB or not. While Dr Kim may not have been the source of these issues, she also didn’t do anything to overcome them, nor did she take a personal interest in my level of care either.
In the end, I spent two months at Stanford Hospital following delivery and am lucky to be alive. I cringe when I think of what my outcome could have been if I hadn’t switched. My experience dealing with this practice on top of an extremely stressful pregnancy was so, so unnecessary.
I met Dr K as a low risk second pregnancy patient at 12 wks. I developed a complication and became a high risk patient, then subsequently became an extremely high risk patient. Throughout this time, nothing changed from their basic protocols for routine care. Ultimately, I found this lack of attention unacceptable and became genuinely concerned for my outcome and switched to a new practice at 31 wks. Ironically, the most proactive and responsive I saw this practice was in thwarting me from leaving. The additional stresses placed on me were extremely disappointing; I hope my review saves others from a similar experience.
1. Scheduling: They recommend switching between Drs since they rotate for delivery. Really, it’s because you won’t be able to get on the same Drs schedule for multiple appts. Dr K told me to book my next 2 months worth for every two wks. The next open appt with her was in 6 wks, they recommended I see another Dr. I was having complications and wanted the continuity of care of one Dr. I was told to leave a msg. It was disappointing that this was an exception and not standard of care when I required more than a bi-​weekly pee sample and uterus measurement.
2. Phone availability: Want to leave a msg for your Dr? The recording admits not to expect a response for 72 hours. Want to talk to a live person? HA! Their phone system does not allow it and «0» is not an option. Eventually I started highjacking the appt line and refused to hang up until they gave me to the function I needed (and no paging system instead of VM either).
3. Urgent Nurse availability: I was concerned I was having an incident and wanted to speak to someone. I selected the option for an urgent care nurse. I was connected to VM. I left a msg. I redialed with no change for the next half hour before I gave up to put all my faith in Dr Google. 45 mins later I got a call back. I expressed concern at the delay and was told they are busy and sometimes they can’t get the phone. I did get a same day appt, but the gap made me concerned, anxious, and ultimately, unsupported by my practice.
4. Disconnect between practice and diagnostic: I went to the CPMC Prenatal Diagnostic Center for my ultrasounds and labs (please also see that Unilocal review if you are still considering this practice). This is where my complications were discovered. They did share reports and general phone updates with Dr K, but I wanted to discuss with her, as my OB who I felt was primarily managing my care. Once when asking questions of Dr K she admitted that she hadn’t seen my ultrasounds and was working off of a two line text summary of my visit. I found that OB would often defer to diagnostic and vice versa. OB, diagnostic and I were never in the same room at the same time and I felt I was left to project manage my care and ensure that the functions were synced up and that I asked the right questions of each. This left me super stressed out on if the bases were covered.
At 29 wks I was diagnosed with the big complication and promptly left Dr K a msg. Via Dr Google I found that Stanford has a group that specializes in my complication. Before I received a return call from this practice I already had via Stanford an ultrasound, an MRI, and was arranged to be admitted to the hospital. 10 full days after I left the msg for Dr K, someone called to tell me she was out and would call me the following week. As a high risk patient, shouldn’t I have known she would be on vacation? And, it’s a group mailbox, so why didn’t they have another OB return my msg in 72 hrs?
The icing on the cake was that Stanford required a letter of transfer to accept me and it is against Sutter Health policy to refer for something they treat. I spent hours trying to get through to and pleading with administrative staff, office mgrs, and OBs. I was free to transfer care, but they would not refer me. It was a clash of protocols which left me, the patient, screwed. I ended up tracking down the since retired OB who delivered my first two years ago who wrote me the referral so that I could get the care I needed.

Dr. Kim is great. however, the office staff and reservation system is ABYSMAL! Dr. Kim, please get this fixed. I am researching new doctors because I can’t handle it. The same canned message keeps getting posted in here about calling member services with your complaints. These complaints have been going on forever and nothing seems to be getting better. Please, the doctors need to demand improvements, this is unacceptable.

My wife has been going to Dr. Kim and her practice since she got pregnant. It has been a consistent disappointment. She has never felt well cared for, and the staff has repeatedly messed up even the most routine tasks. They’re incredibly unprofessional, incompetent, insensitive and incompetent a second time. Don’t expect anything more than a business that is there to cash checks, because that seems to be the only thing this practice excels at.

I was recommended to Dr. Kim by a friend who just had her first child. I see a lot of rave reviews here from people who have used her for obstetric services, so I should preface this review and say I’ve never pushed a kid out. I have only seen Dr. Kim for gynecology. That said, in the three years I’ve «been her patient,» I’ve only ever seen her a total one one time since she never has availability. I have no problem with Dr. Kim, but it’s her office that is simply atrocious. Couldn’t give less stars.
After my insurance changed, there was an issue with one of my prescriptions. After being overly patient with them while they «sort it out» for 4 weeks (!!!) I was still without. It’s near impossible to get through the phone system and after you do they immediately put you on hold. They won’t let you ask for a refill over the phone — the pharmacy must fax a request in, but they also can’t accept anything that hasn’t been sent from an «analog fax machine.» What the hell does that even mean? Is this 1999? I have been a patient in the office for 3 years and they still have no idea who I am — when they leave messages they can’t even say my name right, and mind you it’s a pretty common name. People with a 3^rd grade education could pronounce this. And then, after one especially *helpful* phone conversation with them, they say they’ve lost my files. What the actual *uck.
I really can’t tell you how completely awful this organization, or lack thereof. ]
Will certainly be taking my business elsewhere. Pun intended.

While it’s a little weird to be writing a five-​star review for a c-​section, I feel I should tell everyone how wonderful Dr. Kim is and how much I am pleased with the care I got from her! She and John Fassett (my nurse-​midwife, see my review on him as well) were partners in the birth of my second daughter, and since the first was a c-​section after 9 hours of pushing, we weighed the options and decided that a VBAC was probably not the right choice for me.
The prenatal care was great, and the office is pretty much always on time so I could get in and out of my appointments pretty quickly. Also, the office is right across the street from CPMC which means that when they are called away for a delivery, they get back to the office pretty quickly.
Dr. Kim saw me for a few prenatal appointments when John was unavailable and it was obvious that they have a great working relationship because the care was totally seamless. During the day of the c-​section, Dr. Kim was so nice and walked me through the procedure every step of the way. The best part is that the incision is incredibly small & clean, healed super well, and I hardly had any pain at all. In fact, I went off the narcotic pain medication in a few days. I could not be more pleased with the care I got from Dr. Kim and would highly highly recommend her to any of my pregnant friends. I do feel so lucky to have had Dr Kim and John Fassett as a team for this pregnancy and delivery — it was truly the best experience possible!!!

Hands down the most incredible doctors I’ve ever had.
When we found out we were pregnant two years ago I went to an OB my PC sent me to and I was terrified. He couldn’t find the baby on an ultrasound machine twice (which I totally understand can happen) but then he told me because I didn’t see anything I must have miscarried. Two weeks later I did almost lose the baby (guess I was still pregnant) and though he did step up his game and help save our baby, I knew he could not be my doctor for another 8 months.
I have Lupus and the one good thing this other doctor did for me was to send me to a high risk doctor who I would see in conjunction with my regular OB. She saw how stressed out I was and scared and sent me immediately to Dr. Kim. Seriously, that day changed everything.
Dr. Kim was beyond there for us the entire way. She and my other doctor worked flawlessly together. I saw her every other week for check ups and ultrasounds the entire time and she was incredible. She was cautious and very through in making sure my labs and numbers were ok, the baby was growing and if I was sick I was taken care of as much as our baby was.
When we went to mexico on vacation she wrote up a letter for us to take with us, just incase I needed to see any other doctor while we were there. Luckily we were going to a american owned resort so we knew we were in good hands and so did she, but the fact she did it was so incredibly soothing and amazing.
The day finally came to meet our little guy and while naturally we were nervous we also knew we were incredibly taken care of. Dr. Kim and our other doctor made sure that they were both going to be the ones on call the night before we were induced, be on call the day we checked into the hospital and be on call the day after. No matter what they would both be there to deliver our baby and that meant so much to us.
As smooth as they made the whole plan, things did not go as planned at all. When my epidural slipped and started going directly into my blood stream Dr, Kim was there instantly to figure it out. Unfortunately there was not enough time to fix the problem and my son decided it was time to be born at the exact moment I had ZERO pain medication in my body so I would have an all natural birth (thanks alot kid) but Dr. Kim got me through it. My husband did too, but she was seriously a savior.
***VERY IMPORTANT***
When you pick a doctor you want to make sure you like them and get along with them and enjoy your meetings etc. However you really are making sure that when shit goes down they will step up to the plate and react in the best way possible.
SHE ACTED EXACTLY HOW I WOULD WANT A DOCTOR TO IN AN EMERGENCY
I will forever hold deep in my heart the moment Dr. Kim came over to the side of the bed, grabbed my hand and held it up and looked right at me and said «You are so brave. You are strong. You can do this. I know you can». I was in shock and terrified from having to do this all on my own and being in such sudden pain that I felt defeated and she literally got me to a place where I could safely deliver my child.
That moment when everything matters and your scared out of our mind and things are not going right is when you want THE best doctor by your side and I can assure anyone, she was just that. We sent her cards and delivered a thank you orchid at our first check up after the baby and she was just as amazing and sweet as she ever was.
We are now thinking of having a second and I can’t wait to see Dr. Kim after almost 2 years, which is what got me to write a Unilocal review today. There is no way I would ever go to anyone else, no way I want anyone else on our side and I will continue to refer countless friends to her over and over again.
Thank you so much Dr. Kim… hopefully we see you soon for this next chapter in our lives– Katie, Josh and Beckett

Dr Kim took great care of me. I had to switch practices late in my pregnancy and stuck with seeing Dr Kim for most of my remaining visits cause I felt like I received excellent care with her. I would highly recommend her and I’m staying with her for my general GYN needs and the next baby (if that happens).

Since my last review, Dr Kim was my obstetrician while I was pregnant with my first child and again, with her it was a wonderful experience from start to finish. Pregnancy /​motherhood, especially for the first time, is a very interesting time in one’s life. You’re excited, nervous, happy, and scared to death all at the same time. Having an obstetrician who is compassionate, smart, professional, and genuinely excited for you is SO important. Dr Kim is all of this and above. I even had a rare condition/​complication that put me at a higher risk towards the end of my pregnancy and though I completely scared myself to death by looking it up on the internet (Note to pregnant friends, stay away from Dr Google and trust your REAL doctor!), Dr. Kim made me feel safe and gave us several options on what to do that were in line with what I read. The result was a safe and pretty much perfect delivery of our beautiful baby girl.
Sadly, I had to say my final goodbye to Dr Kim recently, as my husband and I moved to San Mateo and it really isn’t convenient to be making the trip up to SF anymore (especially towards the end of the pregnancy with multiple-​week appointments). I would absolutely keep her as my doctor if we lived closer. I also loved the whole practice of OB-​GYN Associates, the front desk people were friendly and professional and the other doctors/​nurse practitioners I met were great.

Dr. Kim delivered all three of my children and is the first doctor I have ever had whom I really, really like (I have always had business-​like relationships with other docs). Every time I see her, I’m always impressed by her style: a great combination of professional and warm. The office is very efficiently-​run, but I never feel rushed. I recently moved out of the city and have switched all of our family’s other doctors /​dentists, but plan to still come to the city to see Dr. Kim. I have recommended her to at least two other people, both of whom also love her.

Dr Kim is great– but the admin at this office is really below average. Try calling during office hours for medical advice– you will never get a live person. Try leaving a message and never get a call back. I’m currently waiting for 3 hours. and counting… It’s particularly frustrating because when you’re sick, you want some help!
They just changed management and said things will get better, but it has been the same.

My husband and I had a horrible delivery experience with Dr Kim, the on-​call doctor who delivered our son at CPMC in San Francisco. Dr. Kim’s shift started shortly before I became 10 centimeters dilated. At that point, Dr Kim asked if I could wait a few more hours before delivering since she had other deliveries to attend to. That made us extremely anxious especially since our son’s heartbeat was dropping with contractions (and she knew this). The nurse tried comforting us by saying not to worry as there were other physicians on staff to help as needed. Dr. Kim disagreed with the nurse in a scolding manner and let us that there was not enough physicians on staff and that we would simply have to wait (not at all comforting!). After pushing for 3 hours without a doctor, Dr Kim finally returned to the delivery room and said that she would need to perform a vacuum procedure. She said they had to do it immediately since I had been pushing for 3 hours and the baby’s heart beat was still dropping with contractions. After I finally gave birth to our son, Dr. Kim began stitching me up without providing any information. It wasn’t until my husband asked what happened did Dr. Kim then explain I had suffered third-​degree tearing. Even after completing the stitching she seemed to be in such a hurry that she did not have time to talk to us about it. In retrospect, we wish she would have offered an episiotomy before starting the vacuum procedure to reduce the severity of tearing.
Although I was told I didn’t need a follow-​up doctor appointment until 6 weeks after delivery, I continued to have such severe pain and swelling that I scheduled an appointment with my regular OB/​GYN a little over a week after delivery. At that appointment, I learned that that my stitches had come undone. My doctor said she had never seen anything like this in her 15 years of practice and that this should not have happened. To fix it, the next day I had to go into surgery to redo the stitches. The whole experience was absolutely terrible. I suppose it is possible that Dr. Kim was having a bad day the day I delivered, but that still doesn’t explain her lack of professionalism in handling our delivery.

Dr Kim is absolutely fantastic. She is excellent at her job, very personable and I totally trusted her with the birth of my second baby. The pregnancy was not as smooth as I would like and Dr Kim kept on top of every little detail — even making sure I had great doctors at SF Perinatal when I had to go in for an extra ultrasound. She also made sure I had great nurses during delivery at CPMC. I think she is one of the best OBGYNs in SF and I also liked all of the other doctors at her practice. Dr Kim came highly recommended from other moms in a moms group and I’m so glad I found her.

Very friendly and puts you at ease.

I was referred to Dr. Kim by several coworkers and am so glad I took their advice. She was kind and helpful, and immediately put me at ease – I’ve never felt so comfortable at an OBGYN appt. Since my visit, I’ve referred several friends to Dr. Kim, all of whom had equally positive experiences with her.

Dr. Kim has been my doctor since I was 18 years old. I am now 28… you can do the math ;) Every single appointment has been very pleasant. She is very gentle. Every question that I have is answered with much thought and it shows that this lady knows what she is talking about. As I begin a new journey in my life with family planning there is no doubt in mind that Dr. Kim will be my doctor throughout. She is really great and I would gladly recommend anyone one of my female friends to her!

Is Dr. Kim fast? Yes, definitely. Do I feel rushed out? No, I can’t get out of the OBGYN office fast enough.
She is professional, quick, and painless, with a friendly enough but not overly personal bedside manner. Just my style.
She knows her different birth control options and can walk you through all the pros and cons. It’s doubtful I’ll go elsewhere even though she is now incredibly far (only a slight exaggeration) from my Oak-​town house.

Dr. Kim is the best GYN I’ve ever had. In fact, she’s the best doctor I’ve ever had period. No pun intended. She came highly recommended by a friend and I recommend her to every woman I know. She is well educated, smart as hell and is quick on the uptake. She instills confidence and goes about the uncomfortable business quickly and without pain, while taking the time to make sure that you’re ready. She always spends extra time talking to you if you need it. I never feel rushed with her, even though her office is fast-​paced. They also get you in and out quickly. The people at the front desk are totally professional and they know how to do the billing — no mess ups, no problems with my insurance company.
I’ve moved out of San Francisco but I plan to drive back to see Dr. Kim whenever I need to. And, it’s a pretty significant drive. She’s really that good. If I ever had a baby, I’d want her to deliver it. When leaving the city I even thought, if I have to move back here just to have her be my doctor during pregnancy, I’d do it. There is no one I’d trust more to take care of me during pregnancy and to be in the room during the process.
As for her personality, she always makes you feel welcome. She remembers not just your name, but who you are. She’s encouraged me to follow my interest in going to med school and talked to me very realistically about what I should expect from it. She’s checked back in on other things that are going on in my life. Really, I can’t say enough good things.
Bottom line: if you want an awesome doctor, go to Dr. Kim.

I came across this Unilocal page when I did a google search for my doctor’s office (needed a phone number). I was sorry (shocked, actually) to see a few bad and so-​so reviews for her, hence the reason for my post.
I’m not going to sit here and discredit other people’s negative experiences (believe me, I’ve had my fair share at other places), but I have to agree with my husband and say that choosing a doctor, especially THIS kind, is a lot like dating. You vibe with them or you don’t. And if you don’t, you cut your losses and keep searching.
I find Dr. Kim to be super attentive, quick (without ever making me feel rushed), on time (so important to me) and genuinely concerned about my well-​being. I think she has a great bedside manner that is sweet and comforting, and most importantly, I trust her (with my life? sure, why not.)
*Easy parking in this area, b/​c you can park at a meter and no, you will not get a ticket b/​c your time will not run out.