Family Care Specialists

You read correctly, I was denied services for being 15 minutes late.
I hate going to the doctor’s, and I will only go when I have to go. And this time, I really needed to go because of a random injury on my right wrist.
I looked up on my insurance’s providers website and wanting to switch because I hear nothing about horrible things about clinics in my area. Problem was, I would have to wait until the first of the month to go to said new place. Instead of fighting the pain, I decided just to try out Family Care Specialists, just because I saw decent reviews on here.
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Scheduling was a bit of a hassle, the person who picked up had a really bad attitude about me trying to schedule a physical and trying to get my wrist checked out.
I work around LAX, and it’s kind of my own fault for not gauging the Friday afternoon traffic, it taking longer than an hour to get here. I did call them around 3:15, letting them know that I was going to be late. Rachel, the person who picked up said it’s up to the doctor if they want to see you or not. I was kind of shocked to hear this, especially coming from a place that takes insurance. Even with all the times I went with my mother to the busy clinics and waited hours upon hours, just to see a doctor, not one did they said, «it’s up to the doctor».
Instead of trying to fight it, I just tried to drive as fast as I could, and made it 15 minutes late. The receptionist, who might have been Rachel, said that she’ll ask the doctor. Looking around, the place wasn’t too busy, waiting for people to see the doctor, maybe an elderly couple, a family who just got shots, and a gentleman who walked in, saying he also has an appointment at 3:30.
I waited 15 minutes, and the receptionist said that the doctor isn’t going to see me and that I need to reschedule. Instead of trying to make it happened, I just told them I’m going to switch. I have never experienced a place that would a) deny someone who made an appointment, running late and had called saying that I was running late and b) a receptionist with an attitude that really doesn’t give a damn whether or not you made it on time or not.
Please take down that Unilocal sticker on your window, because I really don’t think this place deserves to have it up any longer, especially with a person who answers the phone that doesn’t have a positive attitude. And I will be letting my provider know about this as well.

This review is primarily for Dr. Sulam. It’s so nice to see a doctor who’s been at the job for as long as he has and still emanates fresh enthusiasm for the job each time you see him. His problem-​solving mind seems active and clear and he takes the time to listen to what you’re saying while providing clear, pertinent responses and keeping the pace of the visit so that the next patient (who is sometimes you) doesn’t wait too long. He also seems to genuinely care about prescribing the treatment plan that he believes is best for you – not just whatever is easiest for him. I definitely feel very fortunate to have him as my primary care physician.
The nurses and front desk staff have always been courteous and competent, as well.

My family went here for years, and left because we changed insurance providers. After four years with Kaiser, we had enough. We quit Kaiser, and went back to our old health plan in part because we wanted to return to Dr. Pacheco. We’ve only had positive experiences with all of the doctors there, and the staff is friendly. I would recommend this office to all of my friends.

This is my primary doctor, and I never thought I would ever rate/​leave a review for any practice but these people are truly amazing. I have encountered some of the best doctors ever here who actually care about their patients. They are kind and very helpful, most of them really go out of their way to console me when ever I feel bad. So genuine and so kind.
The ladies up front are also very sweet, have never given me problems and are always helpful.
I knocked one star down, because the only negative thing about this place is that you have to call at the time they open (830am) to make an appointment for that same day. No just walking in, or making an appointment for next week. That part is kinda annoying, but I’ll deal with it because it’s a small price to pay for when the staff is so great here.

I was denied service, they would have received a one star but referred me somewhere… Not even a nearby spot, they expected me to drive to Glendale while I’m in pain. Disappointed.

My family & i have been seeing Dr. Sulam for over 20 years and i have to say that the Staff is friendly polite & caring. The facility is a bit weathered but very clean. Now the Doctors My primary is Dr. Sulam and he has been wonderful caring concerned & patient. I have also had the need to come in as a walk in & seen by other Doctors & i have to say Again that they are Extremely professional & if something isn’t quite clear i will be sent to a specialist. I’m a firm believer if not broke don’t fix it. I will continue to come to Family Care Specialist.

I have been going to Family Care Specialist for over 20 years. My doctor is Dr. Sulam and he truly a doctor who cares.

I give this place a 4 simply because of customer service was wonderful. At first, I hesitated in picking this location as my primary medical group (I mean just reading the reviews) but it is close to me. Once, I arrived I was not received warmly. In fact, I was turned away. I explained my asthma emergency and they quickly made time for me. I guess if you have a real emergency is hard to turn you away right? Overall, the nurses were super sweet and extremely supportive. They wanted to make sure I felt okay. That to me is the 4 stars…

My Doctor, whom I had for 40 years retired and a friend recommended FCS and Dr. Sulam. I consider myself lucky to get such a caring doctor and such a great facility with a fine staff. If Dr. Sulam is not available all the other doctors and staff are wonderful. I have even gone in for problems without an appointment and they will try to work me in.

Dr. David Sulam is wonderful. My family has been seeing him for over 20 years now. He has been my daughters physician since birth. His patience and willingness to discuss any medical concerns over the years have instilled the confidence we feel when we go due to ailments or our wellness check ups. My daughters, now as young adults, are fortunate enough to know they have a knowledgeable, caring and patient doctor who understands their medical concerns. Dr. Sulam knows how to tactfully handle difficult conversations with adolescent girls. As far as my husband and I, we appreciate his professionalism and know that he has our well being as a priority when suggesting any lifestyle changes. I feel fortunate to have Dr. Sulam and this facility. We continue to be patients even though we have moved. It’s worth our time and effort :)Btw he is bilingual. So if you prefer Spanish, he can fluently discuss any concerns you may have in Spanish or English.

I came for an urgent check-​up from TX a little more than a year ago and was very happy with their service and how they treated my daughter. I decided to continue with them since my daughter thought the «Dr was really nice» and requested to have her. If a child states they want a particular Dr then any mother will be happy to comply in order to continue to make all visits comfortable for our kids. So I continued.

Always excellent service here from EVERYONE I encounter here! Can’t say enough about this office! The Docotors, PAs, medical assistants and office staff are amazing! Warm family oriented environment! Highly recommended.

My initial experience here was very positive. I came because I’m on an extended trip in LA and I’m having issues that are really effecting my quality of life. I felt a bit embarrassed, but the demeanor of the woman I saw really put me at ease. She referred me somewhere else that she said could help me. I left feeling a lot better.
I went to the place she referred me, and they seemed really confused as to why I was referred there. They did a full review, but said that it wasn’t something that they really dealt with and that I should go to my primary care provider. They also gave me a list of other clinics that «could hopefully help me».
I called Family Care Specialists again, as I was told to once I visited this other clinic. They told me that I should go to the other clinics that I was referred to, although they never asked which clinics they were.
It’s disheartening because I went to (and paid) this clinic to help me, and I feel as if they’re blowing me off. I can’t afford to have my time wasted being referred to clinics that don’t even deal with my condition.
I can see how this might be a good place to go if they were your primary care providers. But, my impression is that they don’t want to help you if they’re not.
I really can’t afford to continue this wild goose chase, so I’ll do my best do deal with this on my own until I go home in 5 weeks and can see my own doctor. As I said, it’s disheartening.

I went here on Presidents’ Day for my first office visit. Very professional from the jump. The receptionists are very lovely women. I did wait a bit but that was due to how crowded it was. Once I was seen, they apologized for the wait and led me back.
Once they took my vitals and what-​not, the time between the vitals and seeing the nurse practitioner was less than 10 minutes. Again, she apologized for the long wait. As she was doing her intake, she made total eye contact with me, asked me detailed questions, and gave me tips on how to improve my health.
The nurses are very nice and funny and they made me feel like I’ve been a patient there for years. I highly, highly recommend this place. You won’t be disappointed.

This medical office is the only reason I’m keeping my HMO! :)
I’m (fortunately) not one to get sick very often, and didn’t want to shell out $$$$ on a PPO plan. So I went with the HMO and was assigned to this location as my PCP. I was really impressed with their customer service and friendly staff. The nurses are always very nice, and the wait isn’t very long either. Everyone also speaks Spanish, in case you have any family/​friends who need a bilingual practitioner. I’ve seen Dr. Pacheco, who was very kind and attentive, as well as Cristina Rosales (PA) who is AWESOME! Cristina is so easy to talk to, and is willing to do anything she can to ensure a great health outcome.
This location also has walk-​in hours on Saturdays, which is really convenient if you have a tight work schedule.

I’m not sure about relying on Unilocal for doctor rating, though it’s pretty tough to get good information from any other source. I didn’t plan on writing a review for FCS, but wanted to counter the odd and negative reviews with some real information.
When I chose these folks, I’d been in LA about 5 years and was never satisfied with my doctors and, oddly, no friends or family had any good suggestions. I felt lucky when, at a recent job, my insurance web site had detailed information about this clinic and its doctors. I first chose Dr. Zuniga, but she no longer works there. I looked at Dr. Sulam’s credentials and chose him. Aside from being Board Certified, he also teaches. My wife followed my recommendation a couple of years later, and we both find Dr. Sulam intelligent, thoughtful, a good diagnostician, and someone willing to take the time to explain an issue, or to follow through on a diagnosis. Just to note — both my wife’s parents were physicians, so I feel her judgement counts for a lot.
This is not a pretty suburban clinic in a strip mall (I lived in Minneapolis for 25 years, so I know what I’m talking about). But it is a CLEAN, well-​run office, with efficient staff. I visit almost every month because of a test I have to do, and the front-​office staff has not only been polite, but friendly and helpful, as have all the nurses. They’re also scrupulous about privacy, and respect all HIPAA regulations.
This is a busy clinic and, if you just drop in you’ll likely wait for some time (I do, as my test only requires a nurse; and I wait only 15 minutes most times, though longer on bad days). But they’re very honest with how long you’ll wait if you ask, and have won awards for customer/​patient service. The two TV monitors in the waiting room have patient information programs running constantly. There are hand sanitizer pumps available at the reception desk for those who are concerned about cleanliness.
I trust FCS and Dr. Sulam to provide the very best of care.

The only thought that comes to mind when I think of this place is «DISGUSTING»!!! The ONLY reason I ever went to that filthy place was because my stupid employer chose my medical group for me and I had to wait a year until open enrollment to change… anyhow, I had to go to the doctor twice in that year and had to take my son once. EACH AND EVERY SINGLE TIME we went, and had to use the bathroom it NEVER had any soap!!! How disgusting is that?! (Luckily I always carry soap in my purse!) The first time it happened I thought it was an oversight, however, each time after that was the same, and there was no soap in ANY of the sinks in the rooms we were seen in. The place was always run-​down looking and had a «dirty» smell. I grew up going to Kaiser, so I expect a certain level of cleanliness from my healthcare providers, and these low-​income «neighborhood» clinics just don’t cut it for me! The doctors didn’t seem too interested in providing healthcare to patients who actually KNEW something about anatomy and illnesses and seemed to brush off my educated questions. If you are a complacent, naïve patient who trusts in their healthcare provider 100%, without ANY questions then go right ahead and walk in to FCS, otherwise, go to a better, AND CLEANER clinic.

I have read a few of the reviews here and I feel that they do not reflect exactly what this medical group is really about. I would like to add our history with them and experience.
My parents and grandparents have been patients of this medical group for at least 15 years. Many years ago this location was not very different from the other medical groups in the area. We had been trying to find a good fit for my parents and never felt we received the attention we deserved as members of this community. I understand that Highland Park has people that are «rough around the edges,» but I personally feel every human being is entitled to decent healthcare, regardless of background, financial status, education, etc.
As we became acquainted with the doctors and nurses at this office we felt more welcomed. My family has been very pleased with Dr. Sulam, Dr. Pacheco, Dr. Hurtado, Stella, the girls up front and their manager, Lorraine. These people have helped my family feel like they received REAL, «personal» care. They know my parents by name, they seem genuinely happy to serve them and are attentive to their needs.
Things have not always been perfect, but the effort in providing the best care possible has been evident since day one. At times I have witnessed issues with other patients, but the staff and manager have done a wonderful job to help out those patients, who are obviously uncomfortable with their respective illnesses, with their individual needs. (Due to my background, I know It is not easy to please or comfort the sick if they are not feeling well.) I know that these people’s needs are taken care of because I see them repeatedly in the office, in the community and at other places in Highland Park; I am always able to strike up a positive conversation about FCS.
Over the yearsr we have seen many positive changes. The inside was painted and remodled, the outside received a new coat of paint and the service has gotten noticeably better. We have gotten to grow with this medical group and feel it treats us with respect, care and special attention, when needed.
I have also had to call upon the girls up front and the manger, and they have always been very gracious in attending our needs, despite of how busy their office is. They are sweet ladies and I would not trade them for anything.
We feel blessed to have such a professional and caring medical group in our community. It makes us feel like we matter.

I have been a Patient of Dr. David Sulam Since I was child. MY Daughter is Now His patient as well. We usually see him for her Wellness Check ups, Since his Schedule is really busy. But I have a great Re pore with Cristina Rosales PAC she has been with FCS For almost 4 years and is great. Rachel at the Front Desk is Awesome and she is very helpful. I know that there are a handful of CLINICS in HLP that make people wait for hours to be seen and Frankly are given «Get out the Door» Care but that is not what you get here at FCS. As long as you are on time and Here’s a tip make your Appointments early in the AM you are seen in a timely manner. As for Patient /​Client confidentiality, I Have never had a problem… At FCS there policy on Walk Ins /​Call Ins are first Call First Serve!!! To Avoid over booking of the Doctors and that is Great!!! I love FCS and they have Given us Great care…

I have been going here for 10 years… Dr. Cynthia Zuniga here at this facility is the BEST…
People if your looking for a new PCP in the LA area… this is your gal!
She’s a family specialist and the best…
This facility is nice… assistants that work their are very friendly and kind.
If you have an appt they will see you on time.
If you show up for urgent care they will see you no later than an hour… which is good for urgent care.
The doctors there are great… when my doc is not able to see me I’ve seen most of them there… and are all cool peeps.
I totally recommend this place!!! Kids /​Grandparents/​adults…