Hal L Rappaport, MD

I have been going to Dr. Rappaport for at least ‘5 years and think he’s terrific! He has always been very kind and caring. I enjoy the way he has to get every detail right. So what if he writes down everything I say — that’s his way of getting all my information down.
For all of these years, he’s helped me to control my pain. The front office staff is wonderful! I can’t say enough for the way I’ve been treated.
Pat P

I am a physician (Internal Medicine) practicing in the Seattle area and have known Dr. Rappaport for 15 years. He has an excellent reputation among his peers, including me. I have sent many patients to him for evaluation and treatment and his care has always been supurb. I am very surprised and confused to read Lady G’s review — it is totally antithetical to the Hal Rappaport I know.

I was referred to this clinic and i was treated with disrespect and the time worth this «professional» was cold, harsh, and unfortunately not welcoming.
I was in and out of the assessment in record time, not the 80 mins that was billed to my insurance.
The medical transcription was judgemental, bias, and unfriendly. I was shocked to read the Unilocal reports while sitting in the lobby waiting to see the doctor. I thought… «these negative comments couldn’t be true»…given i was there from the referral i was given. Yet i am going to have to agree with just about everything i read on Unilocal that day. I wish i would have checked Unilocal or
, which is even worse ratings, that other physician’s rate thier fellow doctors.
I’m disappointed in the lack of front office knowledge, followup and the fact the most pressing issue was where they were going order in for lunch.

I’m sorry I have to give one star, but my treatment at this clinic was not OK. I understand perhaps Dr Rappaport works with older women and not younger women like myself but it’s still not acceptable behavior. I’d like to warn other women going to this office. I did see the mixed reviews on here, but I saw that a lot of them were about the dog/​administrative issues, so I decided to give him a chance.
I went in to see Dr. Rappaport for migraine treatment on a very hot day, reaching the 90s, so I was wearing a short skirt and tank top. He saw me carrying an umbrella and asked me why on such a hot day. I said that my skin was sensitive and I use it as a parasol to stay out of the sun. He replied, «Maybe if you were wearing more clothes, that wouldn’t be an issue.». I thought that comment was deeply inappropriate, and I actually suffer from severe body image issues, so it was even worse for me to feel that someone was judging my appearance. In addition, he dumbed things down when talking about medication, despite me knowing a lot about the medications and their neurochemical mechanism of action.
I didn’t know how to process things when this happened so I made another appointment, but things weren’t sitting well with me so I called in to cancel, and make my complaint. The person I spoke to at the office’s reaction was basically, «Ok, Ok, I cancelled your appointment. Is that it?» and refused to acknowledge the complaint in any way. This bothered me to the extent that I filed a complaint to the state health board and also went to write this Unilocal review.
I really think Dr. Rappaport would benefit from some sensitivity training. Unless you’re very much his target demographic, or perhaps a man, I’d be really cautious about seeing him due to this inappropriate treatment I suffered.

I have been waiting for quite some time to write an update, hoping that things would improve. Four years in and my original problem has not been resolved. Medication seems to be his only answer when things aren’t working/​improving, and I finally got tired of having to forge my own way in thinking about possible solutions. After having near immediate success with a specialty clinic, I’m just sorry I did not listen to my instincts sooner. (The gobs of medication I was given turned out to be the main problem.)

I worked down in Ballard for many years and was referred to Dr. Rappaport for my carpel tunnel issues. In the beginning, he was a bit harsh but kind. Eventually, I grew to really like him. Now, I have been a patient for several years and have no insurance. He still makes sure I can get the medical care that I need. I no longer work in Ballard but will drive to Seattle to keep being his patient. Great doctor!
P.S Being an animal lover, the sweet dog in the waiting room is a nice touch.

It’s always kind of scary going to the doctor .
But I’ll tell you when you need arises you want to find one that’s trusting and you know is totally interested in your care. I’ve went to him for over 10 years now. It’s going to be hard for you to find someone that is more dedicated professional kind knowledgeable then this one. As soon as you meet him for the first time, You’re going to immediately know exactly what I mean. Parking at the office is easy. The office staff has always been pleasant, friendly and helpful. The Seattle metropolitan area is so fortunate to have this dedicated Doctor to call on when the need arises.

Great doctor, super front desk staff and comfortable setting. Ample free parking and none of the hassles typical of seeing the doctor. Diagnosis was accurate, treatment was easy and (for once) I finished my course of therapy for chronic pain without protracted medication or consultation.
When my medical issue had been resolved, I was free to get off the ‘appointment treadmill’. Dr. Rappaport was happy to tell me that he didn’t need to see me anymore. How often does that happen?
Overall, a great experience.

My husband canceled his appointment prior to his visit and we have been getting a $ 20 no show fee. He’s explained this to the office but they are relentless and will not waive the fee.

Why I am no longer a patient:
1. He discussed my confidential medical information with me in the waiting room, with other patients present. he talked about symptoms, what I might expect to experience as side effects, when I might hope to get better, etc. This is completely unacceptable.
2. The first appointment, I got prescribed a migraine preventer and a breakthrough medicine. The bottles both said «up to» so many a day, and I chose the wrong one and wound up taking the breakthrough as a preventative (just for a day), which had some pretty strong side effects during a a critical time at a new job. Something in writing for patient education would have been nice. I understand that some of this is up to the pharmacist, but having brochures, or even just writing down drug names would have been nice.
3. The next time I got a prescription, it was wrong. I was prescribed a breakthrough medicine and right there on the bottle it says «take 1 tablet by mouth three times daily», rather than the correct dosage of «take as needed». I still have the label. This leads me to #4.
4. He uses a paper script pad. He’s old school — no electronic scripts and doesn’t accept debit cards. He doesn’t call in scripts, and has a clock in the waiting room that doesn’t have numbers on it. It was set wrong by several minutes and held me to it, so gave my appt away to someone else thinking I was late. Which leads me to #5.
5. He is fanatical about the time. If you walk in the door 1 – 2 min past you appt time, be prepared to do some explaining. I called in an hour ahead to say I would be a few minutes late because I had to take a bus unexpectedly, but they didn’t check their messages, and still gave me a hard time about it, and didn’t apologize for not checking their messages. He’s comes across as condescending about it, and even the receptionist says that he’s VERY particular about the time.
6. He has a dog in the office. I have no problem with dogs in general, but I don’t want one in my health care provider’s office, and I have some allergies — enough said.
7. They called me to confirm my appointment and I canceled due to moving. I guess they called a couple of hours shy of the 24 hour mark, so they charged me a $ 20 fee. Also, I told them that I was moving, and was not able to talk at that moment, but requested a call back to discuss next steps — referral to another doctor, or maybe one last appointment to figure out where my treatment stands. They never called back.
8. They changed my dosage, and when I went to refill it, it was done wrong. When the pharmacy called them, they didn’t have any record of the change. Why is that? Probably because of the lack of computer records.
While I appreciate the fact that Dr. Rappaport took a methodical approach to my migraines, tried a few different medicines until we found a preventative that worked for me, and now they are stabilized, I was not pleased with his overall office experience. I was ready to move on before I moved from Ballard to downtown. I will be looking for a migraine doctor in downtown, but for now, my GP is refilling my prescriptions.

Looking at that one star review just illustrates to me how not all practitioners are for all people. It is the nature of patient/​practitioner relationships, really. Finding someone who clicks for you is important. However, in my experience, Dr Rappaport has been open to some new ideas and even supported me in a rather alternative approach (a choice I had made and he was willing to read up on when I brought the idea to him). I was impressed with his willingness to step outside the box and explore something new with me. So, I tend to chalk that one star review up to personality conflict. I know a number of people in the medical field here in Seattle and I haven’t heard one negative thing about Dr Rappaport from other professionals. In fact, I was referred to him as «a Neurologist who is open to Chinese medicine»… and THAT was a huge plus in my book.

Dr. Rappaport’s office is very charming and the front desk staff are nice. However, I was misdiagnosed by him and I would not recommend him to anyone.
Dr. Rapppaport ordered the correct tests but either did not read the results or read them incorrectly. He gave me a clean bill of health. When I continued to have problems I had my records and test results forwarded to a different neurologist who properly diagnosed me. I was started on treatment but this was six months after my visits to Dr. Rappaport. I often wonder how much better my prognosis would be if I hadn’t gone those extra six months without treatment.
I also did not appreciate his dog being in the room with us while he was going over test results with me. Some people may like this but I didn’t appreciate the distraction of a dog while I was hearing whether or not I had an incurable, disabling neurological disorder.

I too was surprised to read Lady G’s review. Not the same Dr. Rappaport I met. I do agree with her statement about the staff though, they were helpful, funny, and caring. The Wheaton terrier is a hoot as well.
Dr. Rappaport has an outstanding reputation among the other Dr’s I’ve seen (physiatrist, orthoped, GP), and I found him to be professional, well spoken, empathetic, and honest. Treatment is ongoing, but I see every reason to have complete faith in him.

Dr. Rapport has cared for my disabled adult sibling with a seizure disorder for some years and has always been caring. He is an excellent doctor who takes his time and has always been smart and kind. I didn’t hesitate to see him myself when I had an issue requiring his specialty and would recommend any friend or family member go to him first. His office is in a converted house and his staff is terrific. A+

Finally a caring provider! It has taken a decade in Seattle to find a doctor who truly is passionate about his patients, thier families, and the treatment he feels will be treat his patients.
Upon more than one occasion, Dr Rappaport went to bat for me in dealing with an insurance giant (to be unnamned to avoid being hunted down) to get me the best treatment. In my delaing with other local doctors, the doctors are usually too busy to face the insurance company. It was a refreshing change to find a doctor and his staff that will do whatever it takes to get the best treatment… even if it means standing up to the insurance comapnys who find any excuse to deny proper care.
I have been a patient for almost two years and recommend Dr Rappaport to anybody who needs a caring doctor who does all he can to offer the best care available.

I discovered Dr Rappaport several years ago and I recently needed to see him again and discovered that he has since moved his practice to a new location which is actually old and charming (more on that later). Why do I recommend him? It has to do with what matters in medicine.
Experience: He has 20+ years experience and if he feels he shouldn’t treat what’s ailing you, he will gladly refer you to those that he knows should and he is well acquainted with a vast number of other specialists in the region. He takes the time to provide a thorough examination and take a detailed history — listening and recording everything. He’s not in my neighborhood but he was good enough to recommend a quality physical therapy group that he’s worked with that was near my home thus minimizing my commute for PT during recovery. But that’s just the quality medical care part.
Bedside manner. This is an all but lost quality in today’s medical world but not here. Dr Rappaport has a great personality (including a sense of humor and active listening skills) he possesses actual compassion, and has the cutest dog you’ll ever see in any medical clinic).
Medical Management: He has two very capable staff managing his medical information and billing and I had no problems with billing or referrals.
Ambiance: Wait, did you just read the word ambiance in regards to a neurology clinic? This isn’t a restaurant review but when a neurologist converts a turn-​of-​the-​century charmer residence into a current technology neurology clinic, he gets high marks for ambience. No downtown traffic, no getting lost in a huge building that’s separate from the underground parking. His clinic has a parking lot out back but I had no problem finding a spot on the street.
The experience, the personality, the atmosphere, the convenience and, of course, the cute pup all make what would normally be well, a trip to the neurologist, a much better experience than you could imagine.

I was really unsatisfied with my experiences here. Dr Rappaport doesn’t listen to you and he just wants you in and out. He nearly laughed in my face when I asked for a specific test that my GP had recommended. He rolled his eyes as I described my symptoms! It was one of the most unpleasant manner I’ve ever encountered. His office staff is very kind, though.
Edited to add: I talked to another Dr about Rappaport, and he asked me why on earth I went to him. It turns out he has a bad reputation among other doctors. Just another reason to stay clear of him.