Betsy E Blechman, MD

What is wrong with your office staffs? Bad attitude, Rude. Wrong billing all the time.

I was very impressed with Dr. Blechman. She was very thorough and explained what was going on with my eye. I loved her attention to detail and positive energy!

My 1^st review is for Dr. Blake Crawford who is a really likeable doctor and he knows his stuff. His young looks threw me off at first since I like my doctors to have a lot of experience behind them but Dr. Crawford knows what he’s doing so he had completely earned my respect & admiration. He gets 5 stars.
My 2^nd review is for the office temperature. This office is kept at a constant 50 degrees so make sure you bring your down coat and winter wear. I can’t stand coming to this office because of this alone. Negative stars for the office temperature.
My 3^rd review is for the office administration. Each time I come here my wait is no less than 1 hr to see the doctor then its an additional 10 – 20 minutes to check out at the front desk which is quite miserable in a freezing cold office environment. This is a two star rating.

The worst!!! Staff is rude. There’s no apology for delays or running over 30 minutes late for scheduled appointments. Avoid at all cost. Highly recommend finding a different optometrist.

Just have to say that it is monumentally rude to chew gum and talk to patients at the same time. Someone please inform your front office staff. I should have read the reviews about the ridiculous wait times, came half an hour early and it was all for nothing. They didn’t even speak to us until 15 minutes after our appointment was scheduled

I had to wait over a month to get this appointment and now I’m waiting over an hour to be seen. If they would have just told me on arrival to come back in an hour then I at least could have gotten lunch. Each time I’ve asked how much longer I’ve been put off with a «let me check» and then no response. This is the worst waiting experience I’ve had at any doctor’s office that I can recall. I’m not sure what’s going on here but it is the opposite of efficiency or good customer communication. I should have gone to Costco — this would have been done over a month ago.

They are very helpful and polite. I had a reasonable wait time. They seem knowledgeable and competent.
The only complaint is price. 175 for a normal eye appointment for glasses and contact prescription. (Without Vision Insurance)
It is much higher than other places.

Cataracts & age conspired against me. With the help of Dr. Crawford, Dr Blechman and the whole team, I won the battle. Yes, cataract surgery requires multiple appointments, exact instructions and a change to daily routine — — but it is only for a few weeks. For the first time in my life I am legal to drive sans corrective lenses. (That’s 43 years of driving, if you like to count such things) Dr. Crawford is calm and unhurried and he is determined to provide the best care and superb outcome for each patient. The whole team here likes to smile!

Had a great experience here seeing Dr. Crawford with an emergency abrasion on my cornea. The front staff was very helpful and they worked me in knowing that I really needed to be seen. The exam was very thorough and I felt very well taken care of. I will definitely be making Dr. Crawford my regular eye doc from now on.

The front office staff is nice over the phone, not cold and nasty as some offices can be. The doctor’s assistant was very kind and put me at ease (I dread doctors in general). Dr. Blechman is great! She’s knowledgeable and she makes sure, along with her assistant’s questions, that they have a complete health history going back several generations. The wait is long so bring a book. And the best parking is two blocks away on Watscka Ave. in the public lot with two free hours. I highly recommend Dr. Blechman — she cares and you’re not just another number to her.

Dr. Crawford is okay. He kind of poked my eye in one the tests and it hurt. That has never happened with the other eye doctors I’ve been to. Yikes! Lauren the assistant is very nice.
The office staff is kind of incompetent. They mess things up like billing and what type of appointment you need. I had to go back to finish my appointment. At least they didn’t charge me for the return visit. I’m not going back here, no thank you!

This is NOT for Dr. Blechman, but for the office front desk and for their professionalism. I decided to make an eye exam appointment with Dr. Blake Crawford and asked for the first morning appointment at 9 AM. I waited over thirty minutes before I saw someone and asked the receptionist several times about when I was going to see the doc. The receptionist is a real B face… there are several, but it’s the girl sitting down by the window. She said it was going to be soon because my chart was next. What does that really mean when your chart is next? Does it mean two minutes? Ten minutes? Twenty minutes? I was finally called but I saw someone named Lauren and not Dr. Crawford. She must be Dr. Crawford’s assistant. She ran the whole appointment and I saw Dr. Crawford for about ten minutes. If any of you are planning to see Dr. Crawford, you’re not really going to see him… you’re going to see his assistant mostly.
Today I went in for a follow-​up lens fitting appointment. My appointment was scheduled at 8:45 AM. Last week they told me it would take only fifteen to twenty minutes and guaranteed that I would be seen at the given time. I got to their office five minutes early and waited. Then waited some more. They took twenty minutes to see me. They said the appoint would take TWENTY MINUTES!!! Why would they book me for 8:45 and tell me they would see me at 8:45, but see me twenty minutes later??? They finally called my name and the whole appointment took ten minutes with the same girl Lauren who I complained to about their professionalism. She actually had the nerve to blame it on the recent flooding and therefore couldn’t see me on time. How does that even make any sense?
Oh yeah. I have insurance, but the contact lens fitting cost $ 51.00 in addition to the reasonable $ 15.00 co-​pay for the eye exam. To add insult to injury, parking across the street cost $ 8.00 because they were late in seeing me.
I am never ever ever ever going back to see Dr. Crawford again!
I heard Costco is great.

The wait is a little long, but I will say that these are one of the most friendly doctors I have ever met. The assistant was also very courteous and friendly to me, and they really do seem like they understand what my needs are. I am a diabetic, and they answered all my questions which made me feel comforted. They let me know additional information for my eyes and regular health and what to tell my doctor. It was great.

I was referred to this office by my primary physician and my physician couldn’t have chosen a better place. Originally, I was assigned to Dr. Blechman, but due to my last minute travel plans, I saw Dr. Crawford instead. He is such a wonderful and competent doctor that I have already recommended him to friends and colleagues. I would recommend this office and Dr. Crawford to any and all. He truly provides individualized care and attention. He has a great personality and definitely makes you feel at ease. Bedside manners A+. I seriously haven’t had so much fun at the ophthalmologist in years. Thank you!

Dr. Blechman is the kindest, most caring physician I’ve worked with. She truly cares about her patients and understands that each person requires individualized care and attention. It’s more than just the latest technology in contacts and cute eyeglasses – she’s concerned about the health of my eyes. Plus, she’s great to talk to!
Her office is extremely busy – this is a testament to her talent and expertise. I’m happy knowing that I’ve gotten the medical care I deserve.

Dr. Betsy Blechman has failed to disclose to her patients that she does not perform any of her surgeries. My mother was to have Cataract surgery and was not informed that she would not be performing the surgery. There is a Dr. Gonzalez who actually does all of her surgeries. I immediately confronted her with this information and the next thing that happened was that my mother received a certified letter from Dr. Blechman dismissing my mother as a patient and requesting her to find another ophthalmologist. Is this the type of doctor you would entrust with your life? Where is the full disclosure. I would never recommend Dr. Blechman to anybody in this lifetime.

So sad.
I wish i could give Mr. Ishibashi 5 stars, he is great, really. the thing that puts this business back to one star is the EXTREMELY incompetent staff and receptionists. Ive been going for 3 years, but i just switched opthalmologists, i literally had the last straw. It seems like everytime i make an appointment or call them for information, they screw up the appointment, then call me back a week later to tell me they accidentally booked over yours, and that they cant make another appt until another 3 months, or if i call back they cant find my appointment. or they have diffuculty telling my what my rx was? they just need to get their S$%T together! and theyre excuse is «oh Im new here» well. ive been going for three years. all the receptionists sound the same, they might as well be the same person cuz they all keep making the same fuck ups. Phew! done ranting!

The reviews looked great so I called for an urgent appointment on Tuesday morning. It’s Thursday, and I still haven’t received a call back. Got voice mail all three times I called (during office hours) and left two messages. Ended up getting a next day early appointment at another doctor’s office. Poor business practice!

I am only offering ONE star b/​c it does not allow me to offer zero.
My review is not on Dr. Blechman and Dr. Chang but their office staff. Specifically a staff named Erica. I had a scheduled appt at 1pm. I arrived few minutes early to complete the paperwork. I was there to see Dr. Chang but never got to see her. First I was greeted by the most rudest person name Erica who happens to be the office manager! I was told right from the start when I handed her the parking ticket that they don’t validate. I suggested that it might be nice to inform the customers/​patients on the phone. She said in a very rude tone of voice «we tell everyone they can park in the building!» Her tone of voice was so sharp and rude that it really annoyed me. I reply to her simply that it would be a nice gesture to let them know that the office does not validate. She started arguing with me and then completely ignore me for 15 minutes. I approach her and asked how long the wait would be to see Dr. Chang considering I was seeing her during my lunch break. The reason I made the appt at 1pm and waited 5 weeks to make the appt at 1 pm is so that I would be the first patient to see the Dr after their lunch hour of 12 – 1. Anyway, she Erica said maybe a minute or two or more??? what is that mean… more? I waited and waited until it was 145pm and I no longer could wait. I asked Erica to that I cant wait any longer and I dont understand why I had to wait such a long time and that I didn’t appreciate her rudeness. I am not going to lie, we argue back and forth for few minutes. All I know is that I refused to be mistreated at a doctors office. I understand at times things happen and you have to wait but you should also be informed of what is going on. I will never visit the doctors office ever again as long as Erica is working at the office. She should quit her job if she is so unhappy with it.

I’ve been seeing Dr. Betsy Blechman for years.
When I first started seeing her, she was my only doctor — and she is terrific! But at some point I was shifted over to Dr. Cathy Mui.
At first, I was kind of upset by that, but Dr. Cathy is one of the nicest, most caring, personable, gracious and competent doctors of any discipline I have ever had the pleasure of whom to be a patient. Dr. Blechman remains my main medical eye doctor, but Dr. Cathy is my OD and I love her.
However, when I called to make an appointment today, I was told she’s no longer there — and the front office staff-​person said she doesn’t know where she went — I find that really hard to believe.
I have never been a fan of the front office staff here — they’re curt and not really on their game, they are mismanaged (eg. they regularly overschedule: guaranteed you will wait at least 30 – 45 mins past your appt time before you get into a room) — but I’ve always put up w/​those things b/​c Dr. Blechman and Dr. Cathy are fantastic … but
DR CATHY, WHERE ARE YOU NOW???
I really don’t want to start over again w/​a new OD.