Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser is fine until you get really sick. Each doctor gets 15 minutes, and they want to get out quicker than that. If it’s just a cold, 15 minutes is enough. However, when Kaiser specialists are under time pressure, they prescribe meds to get you out the door and often don’t diagnose things correctly. We had one instance where the ER resident thought a family member has never seen a doctor, when she actually sees many Kaiser doctors. Because of the poor care, you’ll get to know the rooms in the ER and the triage area when they run out of rooms.
Bedside manner of many of the foreign doctors stink, but that’s true outside of Kaiser as well. But this is a problem for Kaiser since Kaiser likes to hire more foreign doctors than Sutter Health. Whoever said that they were unprofessional rejects is right, especially here.
And if you’re really sick (need surgery + skilled nursing home more than once) or have chronic debilitating pain, they are going to give up on you, spend as little money as possible like discharge you from hospital and nursing home fast, and primarily use the meds keep you from dying right away rather than go after the source of your pain, edema, etc. You’ll be visiting the ER here a lot as a sick person with Senior Disadvantage due to poor care. Remember, Medicare pays a fixed amount for every Senior Disadvantage subscriber, so there is an incentive to spend as little as possible.
Finally, there are actually a few good docs here in Kaiser San Jose, but they will often not let you cherrypick them anymore.

I give it 4 stars is because of the Famers Market they have there of Friday’s. The booth with the Shawarma’s is AMAZING!!!

Garbage medical services I’ve had them for over 15 years never really use them and then when I hit some tough times and has been nothing short of a mess they rush you in and out their appointments are times doctors simply do the least amount of care they can’t until you’re dying were very ill. They don’t like to perform imaging unless they really really have to or you are you for it I was sick and basically misdiagnosed for over a year and they still refuse to accept it even though I’ve paid for my own diagnosis from expert doctors I can’t wait for open a Roman to switch the worst place to go. Their physical therapy department is extremely bad especially Tonga and Kelly and they have no idea what they’re doing one is too young and has no experience and the other is old fashioned and basically works at a hospice and tries to use that care for her patients stay away from here get better insurance good

Seriously, this is the worst ER. We’ve been waiting for over 2 hours. The Dr. even said that she’s the worst patience and we’re still freakin waiting. They freakin suck, that’s why u don’t have kaiser anymore. They suck! 4÷22÷15

Today, April 22, 2015 i had an 11:15am appointment with Dr. Namrata Sajwan, MD and she was very unprofessional and very rude to me. She immediately stereotyped me and she said, ”do you have a job?”
i said, ”no.”
Namrata Sajwan: ”Why don’t you have a job??! You are old enough to have a job. Are you mental? You must be mental. That is very strange that you don’t have a job of your age.”
i then say: ”No, i’m Not mental !!! its very hard finding a good job. i haven’t had any luck finding a good job yet.
Namrata Sajwan says: ”That is very weird that you don’t have a job!!”
Then Dr. Sajwan gives me a dirty look.
She is very unprofessional asking me questions that is irrelevant to me seeing her about getting a mole removed. Just because I don’t have a job doesn’t give her the right to assume that I’m ”mental.”
This ignorant doctor Namrata Sajwan frowns on anyone who doesn’t have a job and she likes to stereotype her patients and to judge them so quickly and give them poor treatment.
i was so upset.
This is the 2^nd horrible experience with Kaiser. Seems like Kaiser hires mostly unprofessional rejects. I don’t understand how these Doctors get away with their terrible actions and behavior. it is unacceptable !!!

The Dr’s have terrible bedside manner at this location. I was all but laughed out of the facility’s urgent care today and told to contact my primary.
The on-​call dr, dr Marcus Chow’s first words were «you know I’m an ER doctor right and I’m not gonna be able to give you a different opinion than your primary did»? That set the tone cause I snapped at him for not taking my pain and complaints about it seriously. He ended up patronizing me and just writing me some prescriptions and referring me to a specialist. Have some bedside manner you prick, you weren’t even busy when I came in there was two people and your just sitting around pounding your puds (just rhetoric, I understand that Dr’s are busy people).
Why the fuck do I have to raise my voice to a professional dr and demand respect from him and for him to take me seriously. Fucking idiot I came into urgent care cause I was fucking feeling like a can of smashed assholes.
The nurse who took my vitals was a bitch too, sassing me cause I didn’t contact my primary first. Bitch I’m in serious pain, fuck what you think.
I hate this kaiser and have felt like they never take shit seriously unless you’re on deaths fucking door. Fuck this place and the Dr’s and nurses who are petty and feel like they can’t be bothered by your problems or treat you just like a number.
This facility and other kaisers have turned me off from the fantastic idea that is kaiser hospital.

Worst emergency room EVER!!! Horrible customer service and after spending 8 long hours in a hospital room I was sent home with unsigned prescriptions, that caused an additional 2 hours the following day.

My family has had Kaiser since 1975. We have always received prompt caring professional service. We have chosen our physicians and will continue being members of Kaiser.

Dr Celia Mercado is great. She’s very helpful with everything. Parking and wait times kind of suck though (especially at the injection clinic).

The pharmacy employees seem to think they work at a 1980’s era DMV, this is the absolutely worst Kaiser location, and THAT is a statement. I was told I «already picked up» my medication, nope I did not. And with one look at the computer screen, that was it. okay, they can’t find it on the screen, so nobody got it. No they were not going to look for it, no, how DARE I question the Pharmacological Overlords! Do not question them with what happened to your medication, because they will rain down hail on you! You are not allowed to know what they did with your medications!
No, I don’t sleepwalk, and if I did, I hope that I would pick something else to do than pick up medications at Kaiser. No, they don’t care that you need your medications-​how dare YOU for interrupting their nice little chats, this is not a job, this is a non-​virtual, virtual chat room! No they don’t care how many people are waiting! Let them wait! For they control everything in their tiny little domain behind the counter.
Do not question them, just accept that your medication went somewhere over the rainbow. If you can afford at all to go to a medical center that ACTUALLY TRAINS EMPLOYEES in how to deal with customers, how to take action not written on a computer screen, run do it now!
They do not care that they have no idea what happened, but, it is all your fault. If you keep asking them what happened, well, they will call security, because they don’t like being questioned, and they are tired of looking at your face!
Kaiser, teach your employees that «Members» are humans not privy to your brand of master and peasant. How bout, if you will not honor the automated prescription systems’ promise of medication refill, let us insignificant tiny little peons know so we can avoid the pharmacy overlords, and they can continue on with their chats in happiness.

Came in to drop off some lab work. The lady who was at the register on Saturday was a stinker… attitude problem. I don’t think she was a regular there because she told her co-​workers «you need to be more organized here.»
The lady on Sunday, forgot her name too, she was really sweet. There was an older man next to her and he was nice too! Overall-​meh experience.

I really can’t compare this location to the other kaiser locations considering that I’ve only been to this one, but I have been to other hospitals in the area due to having other insurance. By far, kaiser at Santa Teresa has my vote for the best customer service! I came here for a regular women’s check up and was able to pick my doctor online, request a refill on medicine, and transfer my meds to the pharmacy open later without any hassle. I really can’t stress how important it is for me to have a doctor, nurse, and customer service reps who are patient with me (since I’m slowly learning how all this insurance mumbo jumbo works!). Kaiser’s employees seem trained well enough to pass information along to individuals and actually seem to care about you. I know some of my other friends have had good experiences going to the Santa Clara location as well, but speaking only for Santa Teresa’s — you’ll be in great hands!
**just make sure to come early, some areas of the hospital might take longer to find parking.

Honestly, I expected to receive bad service from any large bureaucratic foundation. (that was the case at the Santa Clara location.)
I can’t say it enough though, people always voice their opinions when it’s bad and people hardly take the time to recognize excellent service. My review is for 1÷22÷2014 11am Flu shot clinic & the lab for blood-​work.
Compared to my last flu shot attempt a year ago at the Santa Clara Kaiser (see my previous review), I told my husband I’d never go back to that flu shot clinic again. Of course he convinced me this year (He simply said it is better than dying now that 65 people have died) and took me to Santa Teresa Kaiser.
I was pleasantly surprised with our overall experience.
LVN by the last name of Gill deserves all the credit!!! He is an excellent nurse!!! He is young, patient and kind. I explained that this was my very first flu shot and he kindly explained to me that he’d like for me to hang around for 30 mins so that if I have an allergic reaction (he also stated that is highly unlikely) I can come back and see him. The young lady who checked us in is also very friendly and sweet. On top of that, we did not have to wait in line at all.
We then headed to the lab center to get my blood work and found out my new Dr. never put in the order. The lady who helped us at the front desk did not turn me away at all, she took charge of the situation and did what was best for me as we had waited 30 mins. She offered to call my Dr. for me and said I could go get my blood test first as long as I call my Dr. later to ensure my blood work did not go missing.
On our way out we passed by LVN Gill again, he recognized us and even asked how I was feeling! All in all, this was the best experience I’ve ever received during our 13 years of membership from Kaiser :)

If I could give a zero to Kaiser I would. I have been with Kaiser since I was a little girl and it wasn’t until I was an adult that I noticed how awful they are. Where do I start, let’s see… from releasing me and my newborn daughter and me having to go back in to another Kaiser the same day and finding out my newborn daughter was severely dehydrated, that was one thing, but to misdiagnose my walking pneumonia and constantly just prescribe me medication to shoo me away, to finally telling me that I’m just stressed out but later finding out thru a holistic Dr that I have hashimoto’s, I would have to say that they’re track record with me sucks. I’m sure there are great Dr’s in Kaiser, I just haven’t found one yet. You need to update your Doctors with current medical breakthroughs and not just rely on prescribing people with medication. People like to PREVENT illnesses. But according to what I’ve been told my Kaiser staff, they wait to help you until you are actually diagnosed with an actual disease!

I have an extended history with Kaiser.
I recently had the option to choose a new health plan and stayed with Kaiser. My Primary Care Doctor is VERY good and has been my doctor since 2000. I have utilized many of KSJ’s departments (general health, dermatology, optometry, radiology, ER). MOST of the doctors care and usually I have a good outcome. I’ve had a handful of «misses» in my experience with this location, but the good outweighs the bad.

Pharmacy was open on Christmas Day to get my antibiotic prescription to battle a strep throat diagnosis. I was in/​out in 10 minutes — fast and efficient! Thanks pharmacy staff, you helped me get rid of the nastiest sore throat — quickly! Thank you.

I’ve never had a problem here at this Kaiser and always found a great parking spot. I never have to wait in a long line for anything so I’ve always had a great experience here which is why they deserve four stars. Easily accessible and so not confusing.

Kaiser (Norther California) is inexpensive and a great example of getting what you pay for… so when I stopped in to pick up a prescription at 1 North and received incredibly bad customer service… I was neither shocked or surprised — only annoyed…
The prescription was called in to the pharmacy in the morning and I went to pick it up in the afternoon. I figured that would give them a LOT of time to get the job done and it would be quick and easy. WRONG…
The young woman at the intake register scans my card and says, «Look for your name on the monitor» and proceeds to ignore me. Ok — sounds simple enough… 45 minutes go by and no name on the monitor. I get up and stand in the intake line again (another 10 minutes) and get the same slack-​jawed employee.
Me: «So, how long does it take to make up this prescription?»
She, after scanning my card again: «It was on the monitor — you must have missed it»
Me: «Oh right. I accidentally blinked a couple of times in the past hour. Why don’t you see what’s holding it up?»
She, looking at the computer screen: «I see that it’s right here at the front.»
She turns around and hands me my prescription…
*slow clap…

I’m not a Kaiser member, but my 2 year old was having her first asthma attack and at 2am it was the closest E.R.
The good thing was that they got her in fast and got the medicine she needed to help her breathe better upon entry. And they worked with me to transfer her to Lucille Packard at Stanford rather than Santa Clara Kaiser. (Thank God)
Now for the bad things:
1. She was misdiagnosed with pneumonia and given an unnecessary IV and antibiotics. Apparently the docs/​techs there don’t know how to read X-​Rays. I had texted my best friend (who is a resident) with my daughter’s symptoms and she responded with «asthma attack.» Who knows.
2. I was watching her O2 level as she was sleeping and it kept dropping to 84 and then rising back up to 89… where it was 95 when we got to the E.R. I always figure that someone is monitoring these machines from a desk and would come by if it was an issue. I kept trying to reposition her to help her breathe better… finally I peeked my head out and the doctor was coming in. He gave the nurse a look like — have you documented this O2 concentration? What are we doing about it??? OMG are you serious???
3. When they gave her the IV (after the nurse commented on how good her veins were) he messed up the first one and had to start again. We are talking about a scared out of her mind two year old. DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. And then the IV fell out and leaked fluid everywhere while she was sleeping the following night. !!!
4. After this IV incident, there was blood left on the bed and trash, etc. also I noticed they dropped some trash on the floor from packaging and things. Nothing got cleaned up. for a medical facility they were really sloppy and it made me nervous.
5. Finally when the Lucille Packard emergency team came to pick us up, they were misinformed about the medication being given to my daughter and it just ended up being saline when they thought it was something else to help her lungs. None of the EMT’s said anything but I could tell by the way they looked at eachother that this was not what should be happening. They promptly gave her the right medication in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
Long story short, next time I will drive the extra 10−15mins to get her to Good Samaritan.

Preface:
I have filed a complaint with member services and will be filing a formal complaint towards the Pediatric Pharmacy and the tech I encountered on Friday.
Since I’m new to the area, I went into the first pharmacy I saw, handed my card and ID to the tech and asked if I was at the correct pharmacy. She looked up my medication, explained that it would be ready soon at One North. I asked if this was One North and she said no, handing me back my card and giving me a map when I explained I didn’t know the area.
And when I say card, I mean singular. The tech either knowingly or unknowingly retained my ID, which I just happened to really need that weekend.
I headed to the other pharmacy, where I received slow service and was there until 6:30 at which point I realized the tech had not given my ID back to me. Three security guards later, I was sent home sans ID as no one on site has keys to the building and it closes at 6pm.
Had the tech had no idea where I went, I would hazard it was just an accident. But she could have easily called the other pharmacy and had it sent over. She did not due to it being Friday and she simply could not be bothered. She did however (as I found later) call my cell phone, which was turned to silent as per Kaiser Pharmacy requests. The fact that she knew where I was and was well identified with Kaiser hospital rules simply shows the utter lack of consideration for others that apparently runs rampant in that pharmacy.
Edit:
After speaking with the manager and getting the feeling he didn’t think much of the issue I explained that it was a two hour round trip for me to pick up the ID (as I needed it Thursday and didn’t trust them to mail it) and that perhaps better and more suitable training was in order. Sadly, I really don’t think he agreed.