Kaiser Permanente Vandever Medical Offices

I made a Unilocal account just to talk about how disappointed I am in this Kaiser. I had always been a big fan of Kaiser until I started at this one. Never have I had a convenient, pleasurable, or satisfying experience here. I’ve switched primary care doctors six, yes six, times because the doctors either switched locations or only come in two days a week. I had one consistent doctor, but she was rude and passive aggressive when I tried to assert my needs. I am a big supporter of being your own health advocate, but these people make it a stressful experience. I’ve waited more than 40 minutes after my appointment time to have questions answered in the most vague and broad of terms. I now drive 20 extra minutes to go to the Carmel Valley location, and it is a world of difference. Go to a different Kaiser.

Radiology in particular Efrin if you’re scheduled to have a ct scan and you need an IV call ahead of time and see who is working if it’s him RESCHEDULE, he’s a butcher!!! I was told he has 10 years experience and he’s great by the. Lady took me back, he dug the needle so deep in my vein, it was hurting I screamed OUCH he kept going deeper!!! He complained about my vein I have blood taken every 3 months the lab doesn’t have a problem!
Maybe Kaiser needs to have a lab person insert the needle and let him only do the scan! As I’m laying there so uncomfortable with my arms bent over my head for so long, he then tells me the machine isn’t working properly and to put my arms down, why it took him so ling to tell me who knows! Considering you need to drink 32 oz of water, having a full bladder only to be kept waiting and waiting all the way around I would suggest another facility all together.
Horrible tramatic experience!

This is our local clinic that helps us maintain good health. Our primary care doctor is on the 3^rd floor, eyeglasses on the 5^th floor, labs and pharmacy on the 1^st floor. A parking building is connected making visits easy. The facility is well maintained and clean. Kaiser Permanents is known for efficiency and quality of care with Vandever no exception. We have over 25 years experience and highly recommend KP.

Yup, I am a fan. They definitely have their act together. I have never had a bad experience at this facility. It is well designed. The staff is quite efficient and friendly enough. I guess you could say, this set of medical offices (all housed in the same building) runs like a well oiled machine. Ha.
On one recent visit I saw my primary doctor, had blood work done, 5 x-​rays check and even walked out with a new prescription, all this took place in about an hour. Now, my primary care appointment was at 8:15am, I am quite sure that helped with the quick in and out of my last visit here. The service I received, none the less, was very impressive.
Parking, I have never had a problem. There seems to be enough of it.
One complaint, I think the pharmacy check-​in line could be labeled a little better walking in or then again, maybe it was just me yesterday, that could not figure out, if there were indeed two separate lines.

I have never been so bothered to come to a hospital in my life. This place is absolutely atrocious. Make an appointment, well it doesn’t really matter because you’re still going to wait an extra 20 min. So don’t plan on being able to get back to work on time. The pharmacy is a joke, nothing works, you’re waiting 40 minutes for a prescription you’ve already called in 2 days ago. Its filthy. The doctor that I HAD there (I switched because I was tired of being ignored) was a total dolt. I would tell her things and she would either completely ignore me or change the subject. My medical record was never corrected, she tried to call in medications I had just filled leading to more confusion. Never changed the years I had been smoking or the medications I was or was not taking. Again, she never listened to me, brushed off everything I said and basically treated me like I was a waste of her time and she had much better things to get on to. She’s also not in the office more than she’s in it and try’s to get her patients to do phone appointment. Honestly I’d give her name but I can’t remember it. I try to not care about people who clearly don’t care about me. I hate Kaiser, I hate them. Why? Because their negligence gets people killed and every hospital is a MRSA breading ground. Place is disgusting.

I went here once, years ago. The doctor told one nurse to give me a certain medication. She then changed her mind and told another nurse to give me a different medication instead. I ended up getting both medications and was seeing colors and hallucinating. The doctor had the nerve to yell at the nurses, when she should have only given directions to one nurse. I’m sure I was kept there a lot longer than I would have been had I not been a potential lawsuit. Every time I moved someone would run over to check my vitals.

Should you be considering changing from any other health insurance to Kaiser, you really need to rethink your motives. My employer mistakenly changed me to Kaiser from Blue Cross of Illinois. There was nothing that can be done for the first 6 months of the year so I’m stuck with Kaiser. The change has been the worst inconvenience I’ve ever experienced. Kaiser is the Walmart of healthcare and they just don’t care. Having had a PPO where I could go to any doctor I chose, I am now forced into using everything Kaiser. It took me over 6 weeks to get an appointment with a primary care physician. I get to the office and wait, and wait, and wait for over 2 hours. I know, my time isn’t important when I’m dealing with doctors with a god complex. Strange, I never had to do that with my other doctor though my PPO. The Kaiser doctor was clueless and didn’t care, didn’t even want to see my health records which I brought with me, and took maybe all of 3 minutes to examine me. I handed this bozo a list of my prescriptions (I’m diabetic), he looks over them and tells me I can’t have 2 of the drugs. What! I’ve been taking them for over 10 years without any question. Nope, can’t have them because they cost Kaiser too much. This is where it’s really a good thing that I didn’t have a weapon of mass destruction with me. He refused to even write the prescriptions so I could get them from another pharmacy and pay for them out of my pocket. Remedy? I called my former physician and he called them in to Walgreens. The Kaiser doctor did manage to send two of my other prescriptions down to their own pharmacy which I was to pick up later. Next he ordered blood tests which are done in the building. Then I’m dismissed like I’m in line at the DMV waiting for another line to stand in. I didn’t feel like I was human. I’ll never see that dick again.
OK, so now I have to find my way to the lab. I get there and the place is packed. Not just a few people, but over 25. The wait is going to be a couple of hours. Really? I can’t come back? No. This isn’t personalized care, this is a factory assembly line with robots telling me what to do. After 2 hours and 20 minutes, I pee in the cup and get my blood drawn by a total incompetent that missed my vein twice. Twice! I could hardly wait to escape this concentration camp atmosphere. Next it’s to the pharmacy to pick up my two prescriptions. What? The wait is how long? Oh, another couple of hours or so. The place resembled a refugee camp where starving people are waiting for a bowl of slop. It ended up being 90 minutes for a 30 day supply which just isn’t going to cut it. At this point, it’s «I can’t do this for another 4 months.» I currently have an appeal in with my employer, which I’ll probably lose and I’ll pay for my own doctor appointments and prescriptions out my own pocket rather than put up with their madhouse of uncaring and unprofessional employees.
I seriously hope that I don’t have a serious injury or illness during this time until I can change back to my own doctor, have my choice of pharmacies, hospitals, and an on site lab where I don’t have to wait forever and I’m treated like a human being. In the real world of choices, I spent at most 45 minutes in my previous doctor’s office with on-​site lab and my doctor actually spent time with me, gave me a thorough exam, and asked how I was doing. Nothing at Kaiser was like that.
If you don’t have a choice and you’re assigned to Kaiser, I wish you well. I hope you have all day for a visit. If you do have a choice, don’t do it. After reading up on Kaiser, should you have anything major wrong with you such as cancer or you need to go to the emergency room, you might as well just die right now. It will save you a lot of time and you won’t be subjected to a long and painful time in your life.
Kaiser equals low quality, they don’t care, they don’t have to and they show it. I’ll be willing to bet that they don’t have even one doctor that graduated in the top 10 of his/​her class. I’m counting the days until I return to my PPO.

Overall I have to rate KP 1 star. Every attempt to get an appointment has been a frustrating disaster. I am constantly told «there is nothing available» but they’ll put me on «the priority list». In 9 months I have never once received a call back with an appointment time. I have only been given appointments after dozens of calls and then escalating to a supervisor or member services. It doesn’t matter what kind of appointment you’re trying to get; it is always like this EVEN POST OP FOLLOWUPS that would normally be made BEFORE you’re discharged! I’m still waiting for a 4 week followup appointment and it has been exactly 7 weeks since surgery.
All of the people you’ll interact with face to face are awesome but good luck being allowed to see them. I’ve never felt like part of a spreadsheet before but I always do here. This is not health «care» this is accounting and everyone is just a number; including the staff.
If you like challenges and being ignored… KP is for you.

Although I’ve heard many mixed reviews about Kaiser Permanente,
I decided to give them a shot anyways.
Yes I am new to Kaiser.
I scheduled an appointment for an examination.
The phone operators were decent. They have to personally contact the doctor and then you have to wait 24 hours for someone else at the clinic to call you back for an appointment.
They answered whatever questions they could.
NOTE: If you are NEW to Kaiser and is booking an appointment for the first time, you are now allowed to book on the weekend.
They have a very large parking structure and it was surprisingly easy for me to find my way around, especially when I have no sense in direction.
Family doctors are on the third floor.
Check in at the front desk right when you get to the third floor.
Check in was fast and easy. They have a pretty spacious waiting room.
I only had to wait about 10 minutes or so before I got called in already which is super fast, in my opinion.
A nurse recorded my weight, my height, and asked further questions that was needed.
She was very nice and friendly.
Then I met my new doctor, Mia Hosaka.
She is extremely laid back and easy to talk to. She made my whole experience comfortable, being my first time.
Overall, I had a great first experience and was in and out of there within one hour.
Thank you Dr. Hosaka and Nurse Duong (i think) lol.

HORRIBLE CARE; HORRIBLE SYSTEM. Avoid if you can. I’d give zero stars. There has never been a medical group less interested in the wellbeing of its patients. THRIVE??? What a joke!
This place is a total mess. The doctor I chose, Juliana Gazalo, is a freaking clueless princess who thinks so highly of herself. Earlier this year she confidently told me she was able to do a simple procedure she, it turns out, was not able to do. Fast forward several months (during which I avoid Kaiser as much as I can going as far as paying for care out of pocket), I needed a prescription medicine refilled. I ordered it online and seven days later, nothing. After calling about 5 different numbers (no exaggeration, there’s a different number for everything but you never ever reach who you need!) and getting zero answers, I finally was able to speak to a nurse at Dr. Gazalo’s office. The woman told me yesterday that the prescription had just been shipped. Fast forward two more days, still nothing. Frustrated and sick, today I drove here. I was told by pharmacy my medicine NEVER shipped! I CANNOT wait to leaving Kaiser Permanente for life. What was I thinking when I chose to ignore all the bad stories and choose them as my HCP???

I want to love Kaiser with all of my heart. Their beliefs are aligned with mine about wellness healthcare, treating the whole person. We have a lovely pediatrician and haven’t had any issues, but I believe this is because my son has literally never been sick so I haven’t needed to fight to get him into any appointments.
My husband, on the other hand, is having a stomach issue that just doesn’t seem to go away which is intrinsically stressful, since it basically hurts every time he eats, no matter how healthy the food. I’m having some major communication issues right now with Kaiser. When you call, the representative leaves a message with a nurse who then needs to message the doctor, so a lot can get lost in translation. You also feel very confused as to where to call and who to talk to.
Today I spoke with 1 representative and 1 nurse who both may have had a long day. However, I am a very reasonable person, and as frustrated as I feel for the extreme amount of money I pay for healthcare for it to not be accessible, I think I did a good job of keeping calm. I was cut off a few times, and felt like I was angering these people by trying to get across my problem and find a solution.
So far, we have been told by the doctor (purely through word-​of-​mouth from messages) to either wait out the pain, or go to the E.R. Last time my husband went to the E.R. they told him his condition wasn’t urgent enough to be seen. We feel very stuck and not sure who to turn to. Like I said before, we are paying over $ 400/​month for healthcare because we trusted that Kaiser was the best. On top of this, we still pay co-​pays and partial payment for most services.
We have an appointment with a different doctor for a second opinion this week, and I hope that we are given a chance to see a specialist. Otherwise I’m not sure what to do. Kaiser, if you are listening, please evaluate your communication process! We want to stay with you, but if it’s not possible to get our basic healthcare needs met then we are out of options.
UPDATE: I was able to get a second opinion from another doctor who explained everything to us and helped my husband with his problem. I really do love many things about Kaiser, so I’ve given it more stars. My son was diagnosed with Autism and has gotten wonderful service for this so far. My issue with Kaiser is mainly still making communication better and giving us a way to contact someone who knows us instead of only an 800#. Also, if a patient has a issue with the way they were treated or the info they were given they should ALWAYS been given the option to get a second opinion with another doctor instead of told that there’s nothing they can do for us.

Fast, and curteous Dr. Checkin– new Doc is excellent, smart and young.
Staff have all been professional and the facility is modern.
Glad I’m with Kaiser now.

I am giving not just this facility, but Kaiser the Insurance Company, a one star rating. If I could, I would give them a zero. They are hands down the most incompetent company I have ever had to deal with. I am not sure where I should even start. When I first signed on to be insured by Kaiser, their online system was not accepting payments, so I could not pay my first invoice. When I tried calling them, their did a «courtesy disconnect» on me because their call center was overloaded. I should have heeded that as a warning sign. Fast forward to today. I moved about 5 months ago, called covered california and Kaiser to tell them of the change of address. Both changed the address in their system, yet 5 months later I am still getting my mail at the wrong address. I have called Kaiser 4 times about the issue in the past 5 and a half months, and have spent about 2 hours of time I will never get back getting transferred from department to department. A month ago, I decided to go for a physical, because under the ACA that is covered by the policy and is free. So, I made an appointment through a doctors office at Vandever. Made sure it was a physical by specifically requesting it in writing. went to the physical, did the physical, which really amounted to talking to a doctor, then got a $ 60 invoice. When I called (another 30 minutes of my life) to get the bill waived, the billing department confirmed that the invoice was sent in error, and that the bill would be zeroed out. What do I see on my statement online (since I still dont get physical mail for reasons above), another invoice for $ 60. My Wife, who I had the misfortune of also covering under kaiser, also billed her for tests that they told her were free.
In short, my experience with Kaiser has been so horrible, that I would tell anyone I come across to get insurance through anyone, except Kaiser.

Back in August of last year (2014), I went in to THIS Kaiser facility for minor knee pain. I am a runner and lift pretty heavy weights, so I was doing my due diligence to make sure it wasn’t anything potentially serious. The doctor had told me that it was nothing serious and I just needed to give it a little rest. He printed me some materials on stretches and exercises I could do to alleviate any pain and then also handed me a knee brace. This knee brace came out of a cabinet where there were several other knee braces marked «small, medium, large». There was no mention of a cost associated with the knee brace. The brace «fit», but not very well. It was too tight in the quad, too loose in the knee (the area it was designed to provide support) and was just overall uncomfortable. I only wore the brace twice before retiring it to a cabinet in my bathroom.
Fast forward to two days ago, I receive a call from a collections agency that informed me that I owed Kaiser a total of $ 318. What? I never received a bill for that amount of money from Kaiser. I know they had the correct address on file because when I had my policy with them, I was receiving billing statements, appointment reminders, and various promotional junk/​newsletters. I never once received a phone call from Kaiser regarding this supposed balance… why was I now receiving a call from a DEBT COLLECTOR?!
I called Kaiser to find out WHAT I supposedly owed them money for. The representative tells me it was for a «CUSTOM orthotic». CUSTOM? This brace was about as «custom» as buying a pair of pants from Kohl’s. This knee brace is what I supposedly owe Kaiser $ 318 for.
When I asked the representative WHY a doctor would hand me a knee brace that was valued so high without telling me that it would cost this much money, the justification was that «the doctor has no way to verify what your insurance covers.»
Oh, but he knew there was a cost associated with the item, otherwise he wouldn’t have documented it on the visit. He just didn’t know WHO would be paying for it (me or the insurance).
In the past I had gone in for wrist pain and they would give me wrist braces and never once did I receive a bill for these items. So, it never occurred to me that I might owe money for the knee brace. When I have needed «equipment» (or medicine) that had a cost associated with it, the doctor would write it as a prescription to be filled at the pharmacy. This is EXACTLY what they did when I needed a blood glucose reader. If the doctor is not able to verify what my insurance covers and something is valued that highly, it should have been written as a prescription and sent to the pharmacy where a representative there could have told me how much the item would cost me. NEVER have I ever walked out of a doctor’s office and said,” PUT IT ON MY TAB!”. That just DOESN’T happen. And if it is happening without telling me I owe money… that’s a problem. A major problem.
Larger problem is that they never ONCE contacted me about this balance. If I had known the brace was going to cost me any money, I would have inquired the cost and reconciled it the day of the appointment. If I had known that my «nothing major» knee pain required a knee brace, but the one the doctor was handing me cost about $ 300, I would have declined taking HIS knee brace and purchased a much cheaper one (that would fit about the same) at CVS or some other drug store… I would not have walked out of that building with the item in hand. Instead of informing me, instead of being diligent about it, they waited months and then sent my account to a collections agency, to which this is now reported to my credit.
I have filed a dispute regarding this charge, but it should be known that this isn’t the first time Kaiser has done something like this to me. There was another time where they charged me for an emergency room visit that I never had because I waited so long in the waiting room, I cancelled my place in the queue and left. Apparently sitting in the waiting room is an automatic charge of $ 100. They did the same thing by never sending me a bill, but being very proactive in reporting to a debt collector.
That being said, I am now «in collections». I have filed a dispute about the charges, but the process takes about 30 days to complete. I have not received ANY contact since filing this dispute, and I was told that I would not receive a case number until someone contacts me about the issue. So, I have no way of knowing if this is actually being actively taken care of. And until it is resolved, I will still receive phone calls from the collections agency.
I no longer have a policy with Kaiser and I will not go back to them. EVER. Avoid this HMO and their shady practices.

Kaiser has taken good care of my health.
They provide great service from making an appt via phone, checking in with the receptionist, checking in with the nurse and lastly seeing my doctor.
They always make me feel comfortable with whatever I may have going on with my health. They suggest the right prescription (if any needed), I always feel healthy and normal after seeing my doctors.
They all take their job seriously and care for their patients.

Kaiser is declining in service quality, despite policy cost and copay costs going up. No complaints about my dr or any of the other staff, but ACCESS to CARE is definitely lacking since they shut down «urgent care» at Vandever. The «ask a nurse» program is of little help for urgent problems, due to long waits on hold and lack of useful advice.
In December. I got poked in the eye by a branch while gardening… Urgent care needed, right? Was told to go to Otai Mesa or San Marcos «walk in» clinics… no «same day» appointments at Vandever. 20 miles to Otai Mesa– expected 40 min drive at that time of day, and no guarantee I would be seen promptly; Vandever is less than 3 miles– which is why it’s my «home» clinic, and part of why we bought a home where we did. Ended up going to the Zion ER– thankfully my husband and I have a «Cadillac» plan from his work, so the co-​pay was affordable.
Late Monday night, my adult son «wiped out» on his scooter. Tried all day Tues to get seen at Vandever– «no appointments available», was told to go to Otai Mesa– how was he supposed to get there? He doesn’t have a car, couldn’t drive anyway because of his injuries, couldn’t get there by scooter even if he and the scooter were «operational”– but can and has walked to Vandever. Can’t afford to go to the ER– the last time he did (sent there by a PCC doctor), he was sent a bill for $ 750, and he didn’t even get treatment there– the ER doc just sent him to another clinic (which charged another co-​pay). He finally got seen today (36 hrs later), but won’t know if he has any broken bones until Friday because it’s not «urgent» for radiology to read the Xrays any sooner. Needless to say, he won’t be a Kaiser patient much longer.

VERY nice doctors individually, but a big hassle for scheduling. It’s almost been a year since I’ve started trying to figure out what was wrong with my hip and have been going from this doctor to this doctor to this doctor and still have no answers. And my hip pain is getting worse as I wait.
The going from doctor to doctor wouldn’t be so bad either if they were all back to back visits, but the wait between each appointment has been 2 – 5 weeks.
Like I said though – all of the individual doctors I’ve met with are all very nice and knowledgeable.

Time to change doctors and locations. My doctor seems to be too busy for me. Doesn’t respond to my messages, but instead has random people call me with no info on their voicemails, just ‘call us back.’ When you work in a cubicle environment, you can’t make or take personal calls during the work day. We have no conference rooms and I shouldn’t have to run out to my car to call them back.
Been with Kaiser for about 9 years and since I moved from OC to San Diego, the quality of care has gone downhill fast. All my prior KP doctors responded to my emails WITH an email. Not sure why that’s so hard. Effects of Obamacare?

Kaiser impressed me on my first contact with them. I I had just joined Kaiser, having just transferred from a different insurance plan. Unfortunately, some of my prescriptions had run out before I could get in for my first appointment, but the doctors office worked it out so I could see the doctor the very next day.
Not really being a fan of going to the doctor, I was really happy to find how convenient parking and various services were to locate throughout the facility.
It was a breeze to find my doctors office and didn’t take long to check in. I only had to wait for a few minutes before being called back to get my vitals done. There is hardly a wait at all before the doctor came in to visit. The doctor took his time during our initial visit and I didn’t feel rushed or pressured to hurry through my concerns.
Picking up my prescriptions was also quick and painless. I waited about 10 minutes or less with an option to come back later to pick up the scripts. I also had a few labs to complete and they only took about 5.
Not a bad start.

I have to say Kaiser Urgent Care took good care of me. (
) I woke up with a swollen eye lid, which I later learned it was a sty. After paying my copay and spending no more than 30 minutes at the urgent care, I was out with a prescription in my hand for some antibiotics and some good advice to reduce the swelling.
They treated me very professionally and put up with my sense of humor. The doctor I had was knowledgeable and very sincere. The nurses were funny and helpful. They seem to have a good system down to get people, prioritized, and then service.
Must fix eye quickly… so I can continue to Unilocal