Breast Center Long Beach Memorial Medical Center

The newer location is at 2810 Long Beach Blvd at Todd Cancer Pavilion. It is a gorgeous facility. I have HMO insurance with Regal LA med grp and it never wants to let me go to the Breast Center. Being a cancer (lymphoma) survivor, it is important to me to have the best possible when it comes to any cancer screenings. I have been to 2 other venues in recent yrs for mammograms due to my insurance-​neither compared to the Breast Center. I have paid cash the last two yrs because the Breast Center is that good. You are treated very professionally and compassionately. The techs are top notch and the equipment up to date. This year they did my yearly screening mammogram and used a special, more diagnostic machine because my breast tissue is very dense. My results were back in less than a week, which helped put my mind at ease. Special kudos to Martha, my tech this year. She was very sweet, professional and had my mammo done in just a few minutes. It is well worth the $ 5 cash to park.

Pretty building. That’s about it.
Be prepared to be there a looooooooong time. Ton of paperwork to fill out in the lobby, none available online/​ahead of time. Then a SECOND paperwork session in a small room. They claim not to know what/​how much your insurance will pay for — really? Or how much anything costs — really? And to top it off, you have to pay for parking. Many, many facilities can do what they do. Nothing special and no patient convenience in mind.

I have used the LBMMC Breast Center since 2000. I started yearly mammograms and in 2009 I was diagnosed with breast cancer because of the thorough workup that I received. I had my mammogram, ultrasound and core biopsy on Tuesday and Wednesday and I had a diagnosis by Friday. I was on the fast track to recovery because of the aggressive work of the breast center. After being told the results of my mammogram I didn’t care what my insurance would or wouldn’t pay. Thank you Breast Center, for being awesome and a huge thank you to Melanie Leach for being MY Breast tech.

This Breast Center is absolutely outstanding. I think the previous bad reviews are from people disgruntled by the medical system in general. I have been having my mammograms here for years, and I can testify that the staff, technologists and radiologists are extremely warm, caring, and professional. When you arrive, the front desk staff is quick and professional and get your information with discretion with a smile. The technologists are very sensitive to the fact having a mammogram can be a bit uncomfortable, and they take every measure to calm you and get it done quickly and efficiently. I also appreciate the fact that the radiologists are specialists in their field. Other places have general radiologists working there, which means that they are not trained specifically in breast imaging! They recently moved, and the new center on Long Beach Blvd. is gorgeous and feels like a spa.

They have moved to 2810 Long Beach Blvd, LB.
Long Beach Breast Center — you have a beautiful new facility, but come on — patients have to pay for CASH ONLY for parking. Wake up, you are loosing patients rapidly and I will not be back.
Thank goodness for a very kind soul that paid for my parking, but as it turns out I did not need it and paid it forward for a senior lady’s parking who also said the same thing.

parking! $ 5! cash only!

Because I wanted something convenient, I made the mistake of going back to the Breast Center Long Beach Memorial Medical Center after being gone for two years. They have a spiffy new building and what I thought was new management. Big mistake. If I could give Breast Center a zero rating, I would. When I arrived at my appointment, I gave the receptionist my doctor’s order for a screening mammogram. Last week I got a bill from the Breast Center asking for the difference between what my insurance paid and what the Breast Center billed. I called my insurance company and was told the Breast Center billed the procedure as a diagnostic mammogram. I called the Breast Center and was told that, because I had an abnormal mammogram in 2011 that turned out to be breast cancer, it was protocol to have diagnostic mammograms for two years afterward. How dare they change my doctor’s order without telling me or my doctor before they did my mammogram! I called my insurance company back and told them what the Breast Center had done. I asked my insurance company about the so-​called protocol I think the Breast Center made up to get more money out of me. My insurance company didn’t know anything about that protocol. Fortunately, my insurance company — Blue Cross of California — is willing to help me straighten this problem out. Stay away from the Breast Center Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. They will do things behind your back that weren’t ordered by your doctor without telling you or your doctor to get more money out of you than they should. Find another place to get your mammograms, a place that respects you as a person and is up front about what they are doing.

Today I took my aunt for a breast biopsy friendly staff. But one of the ladies made a mistake she had the wrong chart and after that my aunt didn’t feel confidence. The radiologyst named Debbie was very kind she treated my aunt really good shes so kind and caring. The procedure took about 2 hours. I gave them 3 stars because of the mistake they made with the chart

1) the location has moved to Long Beach Blvd. Call & double check. Do realize they don’t validate for parking (and they never have) .
2) I find that sometimes it takes a LONG time to get the procedure done. Waiting for no reason or others being taken in before me though I showed up earlier does make for a not so great feeling– but then other times I have been taken in quickly
3) the bone density is a piece of cake.
4) do ask as many questions as you possibly can
5) make sure you know your MD’s fax number so that they can fax results over ASAP. waiting for a written report is ridiculous
6) by now I would have gotten a postcard from them saying it was time… why I didn’t get one now makes me wonder what is going on but I will write it off to their recent move in July, 2013.
do book early — meaning at least 1 month in advance to get the timing down so you can get the time of appts that you want.

FYI: find out ALL of what they will do to you if they say they need to do a biopsy. Especially ask if you are going to have a titanium (or other) marker inserted in you. They did not tell me until I was on the biopsy table, half nude and all set for the biopsy. You don’t want to make a decision about having a foreign body put in you without researching it first. I don’t know if it was their intention, but I feel as if I was scammed so they could get the close to $ 8,000 they got from my insurance to put the marker in and do the biopsy. I feel as if I was manipulated at an vulnerable time (on the table in a darkened room as set for the biopsy). I feel I let myself be talked into it fearing cancer. Problem is now I live with ²⁴⁄₇ pain and illness in the EXACT site of the biopsy and marker. When I called to ask about it, they said it has nothing to do with what they did, though again the pain and rashes are exactly over the biopsy site and started exactly the day of the biopsy. Also, one young doctor contradicted herself multiple times when speaking to me trying to deny any connection between my pain and their inserting the marker. (The doctor who did my biopsy didn’t return my later calls so I went in person to get answers.) Again: ask them BEFORE you get there what they’ll be doing in full then research it yourself and see how common the problems and chronic pain are after the marker is inserted.
On a side note, they screwed up the billing codes with my insurance. It took a few months and many many calls to clear up.

Friendly staff who make a not so fun procedure tolerable.
I have a theory that you can determine your wait time in a doctor’s office by the quantity, quality and the age of the magazines to read. If there’s nothing worth reading or it’s seriously outdated — you’re in for a long, long wait. Well — they have a variety of magazines — mostly up to date AND they never give you enough time to read them!
Once you get to the second waiting room it feels like you’re waiting in a spa.
Only downside is the parking — nothing on the street so you have to pay for parking. No validation. And, bring cash — they don’t take plastic and they don’t have an atm either.

Overall service with their reception, counselors & technicians was fine. However, this facility are a bunch of greedy bastards and are trying to gouge extra money out of me even though my insurance paid them the remaining balance. Oh, and the statement they sent me is now saying that I’m past due on my account when it was my insurance company who fucked up in the first place! I now understand why there is a need for health care reform… it’s because of the CEO’s who run the insurance companies and medical facilities — THEY ARE ALL JUST A BUNCH OF GREEDY BASTARDS… Especially those who are running the Breast Center, Long Beach Memorial Med Center!!!
Next time my ob/​gyn tells me I have to get my boobs checked, she’s gonna have to give me a different referral because this place sucks ass!

BOOBIES! (.)(.)
(now that I’ve got your undivided attention, this is a boob care resource review)
It’s a little hard to find though the exterior looks sleek and modern so unlike the faded, aging interior with a hopeful elevator (no, I’m not talking about your tatas). Nothing can make this part of a modern woman’s health care comfortable, nothing short of say a magic wand that a radiologist waves in front of your boobies to see what’s inside. That being said, I went through the process and again faced the same Hologic Selenia machine I did two years ago (
).
The procedure itself is a private screening with just the female radiologist and your boobs. My tech had obvious experience as she treated my babies like she’d handled a million of them and moved them into the correct position for the best Annie Leibovitz shots (
) though I doubt any of mine will end up in a major New York exhibition. Since the bottom panel is made with carbon-​fiber material just like my favorite surfboard, I imagined myself surfing naked in Costa Rica and it seemed to make the process shorter. From reception to the parking lot, it took about 30 minutes, with appointment.
Mammogram guidelines change regularly but women who have breast cancer in the family should get this done routinely (
) Take care of your boobies and they’ll take care of you!
Now, I’m going surfing (with a full suit)(and healthy breasts).
P. S., I’ll discuss our other parts, (Y) in another review.
Oh yes, and men can get breast cancer too so give it up… www.yelp.com/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2­Fwww.ebaumsworld.com%2Fvideo%2Fwatch%2F804029%2 °F