San Francisco Women’s Healthcare

Whatever you do don’t TAKE LUPRON. This clinic told me there were no side effects and that I would feel better they ruined my life. Lupron is poison.
Dr. Shu is one of the most disrespectful doctor. I was having a miscarriage and I went to the ER and they made me wait 12hrs. When I told her this she told me you know you could of called us and you wouldn’t of had to wait that long. Well good for you I hope you liked the 12hrs she told me. She was so insensitive to me during my miscarriage. Plus all the time she was rude and wouldn’t let me talk.

I’ll be honest, the five star rating is for Dr. Cardellini. I love Dr. Cardellini! I have no experience with the other doctors in the office.
I stumbled across this clinic due to a weird chain of events. I needed to see a GYN immediately and my normal one was on vacation and her backup was sick. The on-​call nurse referred me here.
Dr. Cardellini and her nurse were wonderful. They were empathetic about my medical issue, caring, and gentle. My options were thoroughly and clearly explained to me.
Over the last four months, Dr. Cardellini has kept in regular contact with me regarding my medical issue. She even asked me to call her cell phone when we couldn’t connect during normal office hours! And, when I had surgery for this medical issue she met me in the pre-​op waiting room and gave me a hug. How wonderful is that?
My only complaint is about the office staff, with the exception of one fabulous receptionist at the California office and one fabulous scheduler at the Sutter office, the office staff was rude, abrasive, and inappropriately loud. As a patient, I don’t like sitting in the waiting room having to listen to a very loud personal discussion between various support staff. I don’t care about your kids. I don’t care about your mother-​in-​law.
If you go, see Dr. Cardellini. Don’t be put off by the office staff.

I went to SF Women’s Healthcare for my first pregnancy. It should have been a routine pregnancy, with some minor complications, but complications were not addressed so I am still dealing with their effects 2 years later. For most of my office visits I met with Dr. Chun and Mary Newberry. I loved Mary, but she was out of the country so I delivered with Dr. Chu, I was not a fan of her bedside manor while pregnant, but she was great in the delivery room. I never felt like anyone really took any of my concerns seriously. I wouldn’t go back for another pregnancy.
After I delivered my son I met with Dr. Chu about birthcontrol. I told her that I DID NOT want any birth control with hormones, she suggested a non-​hormonal IUD. When I went in to get it inserted I asked probably 12 times to make sure I was getting the non-​hormonal one, which she assured me I was. Two years later, I haven’t really felt myself since, but thought I was just adjusting to life as a stay-​at-​home mom. My husband and I were talking about it and we agreed it was like I was on the pill again. I did some research and all the articles for the hormonal IUD had similar symptoms to what I was feeling, so I called to make sure I got the right IUD put it and it turns out she actually gave me the hormonal one. Not happy. Not at all!

Do not let Rachel Shu come anywhere near your body or your baby. I have waited 7 months to write this review so that it won’t be angry or rash and I will just present my story as objectively as possible. Quick summary: Rachel Shu was a major contributor in thwarting my chances for a natural childbirth, she was rude to me, my husband and her staff, I ended up with a C-​section that was performed sloppily (very crooked scar, lateral uterine tear with tissue left behind that later had to be extracted) while she yelled at her staff in the operating room and my son ended up in intensive care unnecessarily for 3 days. I was a midwife patient at San Francisco Women’s Healthcare for the pregnancy and birth of my first child. I always saw midwives Mary Newberry and Jeanne-​Marie Crowe. They provided excellent care and were so much more attentive than other OBs I had consulted. I naively assumed that the affiliated OBs were also supportive of natural childbirth since they had two midwives in their practice. When I went into labor I called the office and Rachel Shu was on call. I asked for Jeanne-Marie’s cell phone number and she refused to give it to me and was hostile toward me. I went to CPMC once my contractions were 3 – 4 minutes apart. During my entire labor the midwife kept reminding me that if we didn’t get to certain milestones that she would have to «call Dr. Shu» which felt like calling the wicked witch of the west. I am so angry that the threat of Dr. Shu was always hanging over my head during my birth experience. I am also severely disappointed that my midwives did not warn me that the OBs had such significant oversight over them. Once I was fully dilated I was told to push even though I didn’t have the urge to push. After pushing for 4 hours, the midwife was required to call Rachel Shu (which nobody warned me about). Rachel Shu came in, did not speak to me or my husband and gave me the most painful exam that hurt more than most of natural childbirth. She then ordered an epidural so she could twist the baby. She then left to take her kid to school and came back at her convenience only to discover that my baby was in the right position and did not need to be twisted as the midwife had previously advised her. We then tried pushing some more but the baby did not come down. We then tried suction which is much more brutal then it sounds and I don’t recommend it for anyone. The suction popped off twice which results in an automatic C-​section (no one told me this either). Rachel Shu performed my C-​section and was yelling at several of the staff and created a very tense atmosphere. During the surgery my uterus tore. Given the way she treats people, I feel sick when I think about how she disrespected my body and my baby. After the birth I bled for over two months at which point they discovered that I still had tissue in my cervix which is not supposed to happen with C-​sections. Rachel Shu physically and mentally scarred me and I hope that this review saves at least one person from that trauma. Midwives Mary Newberry and Jeanne-​Marie Crowe have left this practice and I can understand why. I wish they had warned me to leave before this tragedy happened to me.

Dr. Rachel Shu is lovely. Her appointments are always smooth, asks adequate questions, heats up the instruments, gives practical useful advise and I can always get an appt. when I need one.

This review is about the most horrific OB/​GYN experience I’ve ever had. Dr. Rachel Shu. I thought a woman doctor would be a more pleasant experience, but NO. It was the worst experience I’ve ever had. She was completely rude, inconsiderate, and condescending. I visited her without my husband because he was working and this was a normal pap visit. I told her I had a history of an abnormal pap, but that was years ago and I’ve had a few normal paps before visiting her. I told her that my husband I decided for me to go off the pills because it makes me sick and that we are using condoms as an alternative. Dr. Shu instantly said my husband don’t know anything and that birth control pills are good for me and immediately starts to trash talk my husband. She continued saying «where is your husband now? He obviously does not care about you because he is not here»… etc WTF! Did she just try to shame me? This is within the first 10 minutes I’ve met her. She does not ask if there was a reason behind our choices. It sounds like to me (1) she hates men and that (2) all she wants is to be mean. (3) she is all knowing and that her words and judgement is absolute. (4) She loves to criticize and telling people what to do.
She made me feel very uncomfortable through out the whole time I was there. During the visit I told her that we are not ready for a baby till another year, and she said to me in a very condescending tone «not a chance, you will get pregnant within 3 months.» She was disrespectful and She spent the entire time insulting me (and my husband) and talking down to me. I am 32 and she talked to me like I was 18, dumb and ignorant. I am never going back there again.
This happened last September. I should of written something on Unilocal about her back then, but I just wanted this experience to be over. Thank god she was not my first OB/​GYN or I would be shocked to not ever see a doctor again.
OF COURSE The bill came a year later, it brought all the bad memories back. I was being charged for a out patient visit and not for a regular pap. I called the billing office and they were rude and unhelpful too. I was upset and confused, but I was not yelling. The lady on the phone insists that I was by talking over me and hanging up on me while I was still trying to ask a question; but not before telling me that Dr. Shu had to right to charge whatever she wants and my visit is a first time patient visit and because I’ve had a history of an abnormal pap that she had to spend time to consult me, that is why there is a charge for office visit and not a pap. I asked then why did I receive a separate charge for a pathology lab on a pap test? That is when she decided that I’m «yelling» and hung up on me.
So basically, I am paying to be assaulted by a doctor. It is a disgrace to have a woman doctor such as Rachel Shu to be an OB/​GYN. San Francisco Women’s Healthcare should take a another look and get rid of her. I was so distraught be her that I don’t even want to try another OB/​GYN in their office.

Let me preface this review by saying that this entire review is based solely on our godawful experience with Dr. Rachel Shu, and not with any other provider at this office.
My wife and I were trying to have a baby, and we were shopping around for an OB/​GYN to handle our prenatal care and, ultimately, to deliver our baby. Dr. Rachel Shu was one of the first physicians we tried out, on the recommendation of an acquaintance. We had an absolutely horrible experience with her. Dr. Shu has a horrendous bedside manner. She is rude, abrupt, harsh, and condescending, and she made my wife and I feel terrible. It blows my mind that this practice can sustain itself with the way they treat their patients. Perhaps they make all their money off one-​time only patients! I am going to just relay a few anecdotes from our interaction with Dr. Shu, but rest assured, our entire experience with her over 15 – 20 minutes was uniformly negative.
Our initial exchange was normal enough… for a few seconds. She asked us how long we had been trying (just started), how old my wife was (31), and how long her menstrual cycle was (30 – 32 days). Then she broke out with, «Oh. Well, you may not be able to have a baby then. Women with longer cycles may not ovulate.» We were both aghast at how blunt and matter-​of-​fact she was about saying that, and we are still puzzled by why she felt the need to say it to a happy couple, as well as the lack of medical/​scientific basis to justify her statement. It made us both sad at the time, since we took what she said to be true, she being a doctor and all.
This was also the time for my wife’s annual, and she had booked this appointment months ahead of time. Now, I understand that you shouldn’t typically do your annual during your period, but how were we to know, so far in advance, that my wife would be at the tail end of her period when the appointment rolled around? Dr. Shu seemed very upset about this, however. She insisted that my wife was just starting her period, even though my wife said it had been a few days, and that it was waning. To prove her point though, Dr. Shu went in with a stick to gather evidence, presenting my wife (and me) with the bloody stick, «See?!» Again, we were shocked by her behavior.
Finally, as we were wrapping things up, I decided to ask one last question. I asked, «Are there any emotional considerations we should be aware of during pregnancy, such as depression?» Her typically curt response: «Everyone gets depressed. Just deal with it.»
The second she left the office, both my wife and I knew we would not return. Thankfully, we’ve moved on. My wife got pregnant less than a month later, and we found a great OB/​GYN who’s taking much better care of her.
Don’t make the same mistake we did. Avoid Dr. Rachel Shu!

I saw Dr. Karen Chu over two years ago, with my first pregnancy, before she split from Dr. Pearl Yee’s practice. But, unfortunately, for insurance reason, I had to switch to UCSF at the end of my pregnancy and for delivery.
When I was under the care of Dr. Chu for the majority of my pregnancy, I have to say I was very happy. I have to say she was the best of all at Dr. Yee’s Associates. She was very knowledgeable, and although very young, she was very thorough and knows exactly what she’s doing. At my 7 months visit, she spotted some problem with me, that I didn’t even realize I was having contraction. She sent me to the triage and put me on bedrest immediately. Otherwise my baby would have been born prematurely. Things got stabilized and everything was ok. I am grateful of Dr. Chu’s expertise.
Now I have not visited her new office. But, I did refer my sister there, she liked Dr. Chu, but she didn’t like the rest of her colleagues and staff, so she was afraid one of her other colleagues would deliver for her whom she didn’t feel comfortable with. So, she switched back to Dr. Yee.
Oh, and my sister also did mention about the ridiculous wait time all the time.

Karen Chu listened to me and made me very comfortable, I came in with many questions and did not feel rushed at all. I got into my 11 am appointment on time and every person that I dealt with in the office was professional and polite.

UPDATE
I’m downgrading SF Women’s Healthcare. Today, I waited over an hour for my 9:30am appointment. I was the second appointment scheduled for the day. My actual visit with Dr. Shu lasted maybe 5 minutes tops. We would have left, but I needed a doctor’s note to fly & my medical records.
I understand that a doctor’s office gets backlogged, but this has been a reoccuring theme at SF Women’s Healthcare. No matter what time of day (or day of the week for that matter), I am guaranteed at least a ½ hour wait. Not a big deal, but just call me to let me know that my doctor is backlogged so my expectations are met.
ORIGINAL REVIEW
I used SF Women’s Healthcare mainly for convenience – the Union Square office (450 Sutter St.) is close to my work place & home. We were only going to be in SF for a little over 6 months & I didn’t have time to thoroughly research OB/GYN’s in the area, so I went with our insurance recommendation (CIGNA).
Since this is my first pregnancy, I can’t say that my check-​ups are not normal, but I feel everything is rushed. Every visit is standard – urine test, weight, blood pressure, doppler, & «do I have any questions»? Usually we’re in & out within 10 minutes provided we aren’t waiting for ½ hour past our scheduled appointment.
I’ve seen Dr. Rachel Shu, Dr. Karen Chu, & midwife Mary Newberry. Of the three of them, Mary probably spent the most time with us & was the most empathetic. Dr. Chu is good about providing information & she’s the youngest one. Dr. Shu is interesting; I told her about my latest symptoms & she assured me that it was all normal, which is fine, but shouldn’t she be a little bit more concerned?
If this is standard prenatal care, then I’m sure the quality of treatment is fine, but for some reason I was expecting more!