Richmond Harvey, MD

People are often hasty to complain before they compliment so I feel like I need to take a moment and tell you all how AMAZING this doctor and his staff are.
From the moment my fiancé and I met with Dr. Richmond we knew he was going to be our doctor for the delivery of our first child. He took his time and explained the entire process, the appointments, anything and everything. He’s very warm with a great bedside manner.
The staff are just as great! His lead nurse is a gem! When she did my initial blood draw I didn’t feel a thing.
My second appointment had to be pushed back a few hours because the doctor was called into ER surgery. Unfortunately I didn’t get the message due to the phone number being written incorrectly. Oh well. I was more than happy to come back when the doctor was out of surgery. These things happen!
To those complaining about insurance… Know your coverage. I work in healthcare and know that 90% of people don’t know or understand their coverage. Don’t expect the doctors billing coordinator to do it for you and don’t jump down their throats if something isn’t covered.

I would like to show my appreciation to Wendy she has been very resourceful and helpful in regards to my billing issues and Dr. Richmond did a great job on my surgery thank you

Let me start by saying that I have theeee worst luck with my pregnancies with morning sickness and I am at times overly emotional and a worry wart. Dr. Richmond is great at listening to my concerns and addressing them. The office is great at calling me if there are issues with my health and to follow up. I delivered my first son in February of 2014 and it was the best experience ever! I had tons of people freaking me out about how my delivery would go, but it was everything I had hoped. My husband, against my wishes watched the whole thing and was equally impressed. He loved being part of the experience and Dr. Richmond answered all his and my questions during the process. I am now pregnant with my second, and receiving services from him as well. I wouldn’t trust anyone else but Dr. Richmond with my babies. As far as what other Unilocalers have mentioned, parking fees are not a reflection of his services (but seriously Cedars, get it together!) insurance issues happen more often than not with any provider… It’s not their fault… And Teresa and Wendy are the best! I remember he first time I called and mentioned I had taken a million pregnancy tests and they were supper supportive and scheduled an appointment the next day. They explained everything I needed help with as a new time mommy.
As far as a wait time… Things happen! Come prepared in case you need to wait. What if YOU had an emergency that required more medical attention. You would want your questions answered and issues addressed. This kind of stuff happens everywhere– welcome to the real world. Also, he is an ob/​gyn — which means he can be called to deliver at any time… Be prepared as it is a possibility. If it were you in labor, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind him canceling an appointment for you…

Gentle and caring.
Nice office.
Warm staff.
Deliver on time.
Flexible with insurance.
Always on call and rerun promptly.

Dr. Richmond seems like a kind guy. But my review has to do with the doctor’s ignorance of modern birth control practices and his failure to be a facilitator and an educator in his practice.
I went to Dr. Richmond because I wanted an IUD. I’m 26 years old and married, have never had children and never want any children.
I was immediately met with the usual response — a knowing look, a «you’re too young to know what you want», a silly smile. I apologize, but I really don’t care at all whether you think women’s choices are cute. When I go to a doctor, I’m not there for a life lesson. I’m there for medical advice. Dr. Richmond told me that since I hadn’t had any children, an IUD would probably not be something that works for me. He showed me the Paragard IUD and let me know that it’s only for older women who have had at least one child. I let him know I still wanted it. He was confused, looked a bit hurt. He told me to contact his office to make an appointment for the insertion.
Went home, did some research on the Internet. Medical research on the internet is THE WORST, by the way, but at least I found out about Mirena and studies that have proven childless women in other countries have IUDs by the MILLIONS without issues. I really should’ve gone to a different gynecologist at this point, since Dr. Richmond seems to be alright at delivering children… but since that’s exactly the experience that I’m attempting to avoid… forever…it should’ve clued me in.
I called the office to inquire about Mirena. The people who worked at the office were so extremely nice and sweet and helpful, but I still needed to get Mirena from a different place and have it shipped to the Dr’s office, which took around two weeks of calling the pharmaceutical company and the Dr’s office every single day.
My husband came with me the day of insertion. The Dr. had given me no information about what the process would be like. There was no talking, no empathy, no cervical cap, no advisement to take pain relief before or after. It was one of the most painful experiences of my whole life, for which I was not mentally or physically prepared. The doctor has some trouble fitting the Mirena properly, which he acknowledged saying that he had never «done one of these before». As soon as he was done, I was told I could leave. No explanation of what would happen later. He even looked very frustrated from the experience, and was ready to leave without another word. I felt a huge amount of shame from the procedure. As soon as I got outside, I cried. My husband called a cab and I spent the next two days in bed in excruciating pain with my hot water bottle.
I never got a call for a follow-​up. The doctor didn’t even make eye contact with me as I left his office.
I don’t blame the doctor for the pain, since with a procedure of this kind I expect there will be at least some discomfort. But I do blame him for the lack of curiosity for his patient’s wishes, and for the backwards attitude toward a woman’s right to choose what’s best for her.
I’m now looking for a Doctor who actually takes into consideration what’s best for their patients, and who will give me a thorough explanation of medicine that is made for women. At least my experience has been helpful to other friends of mine, also childless, who now have IUDs that were fitted on them by respectful doctors who knew what they were doing.

I loved my other dr and he didn’t take my new insurance. i was referred to Dr. Richmond and as a person coming from a happy obgyn situation, i was hesitant to like another Dr, but my husband and i both liked him immediately. he is cautious, thoughtful in his words and a good dr. so far so good. Even though we didn’t want a new dr, we are very happy with him and like him as much as the previous obgyn. I’m glad our dr we really trust recommended him!

I had a wonderful experience with Dr. Richmond. It is always nerve racking to test out a new doctor, but he made me feel very comfortable from the second he walked in. His nurse, Theresa, was equally as wonderful. They are a great team and I am feel more relaxed going into my follow up appointments.

How can I not give him 5 stars? He helped deliver my precious handsome son, Liam. He is now 13 months. …Dr Harvey is compassionate and more importantly very knowledgeable. THe other Ob i saw prior to him pretty much encouraged me to have a c section. I was determined to deliver vaginally and Dr Harvey helped made that possible. I am in my mid 40s and having an expert OB is critical. His staff are nice as well. I recommend Dr Harvey.

The receptionist is rude! And I waited over an hour to see the doctor on lunch break. Wouldn’t recommend going if your in a rush or not in the mood to be talked down to.
Parking is $ 2.00 per 15 minutes… so expect to pay $ 15.00 for parking.

His staff is rude. When I told them their info was not updated on Unilocal,they were so rude, combative (all the while giggling to each other) and not very helpful. A couple of weeks later, I discovered they suddenly «lost record of my insurance» and now I’m getting billed. They charged me a co-​pay at my visit! The doctor himself is nice, but there are other nice docs, so you mind as well save yourself the headache and stay away. Read the other reviews about his staff. They take that catty office staff stereotype to another level.

Dr. Richmond delivered our first child in August and he was fantastic! His bedside manner is great and took the time to answer all my and my husband’s questions. Dr. Richmond also performed the circumcision on our son in the hospital after he was born and did a great job. He made sure our son didn’t feel any pain during the procedure. He and his staff are warm, kind, and caring. I would recommend him to anyone.

Great first impression! The phone staff was kind and helpful booking my appointment, the intake when I arrived was quick and easy with hardly any delay like at most doctors offices. Once in the room the nurse helping out was super friendly easy to talk to and understanding of all my special needs. Then once Dr. Richmond came in he was kind and warm demeanor :) very important when picking a gyno. He’s exam was quick and painless (and usually I’m a wuss at these things). Dr Richmond also took the time to review my health conditions and go over all of my questions and concerns. I am very much so looking forward to my follow up!
Thanks Dr Richmond & Staff!

Dr Richmond performed the circumcision for our son Milo. He came highly recommended from our OBGYN Dr. Arie Schwartz. We had absolutely no billing problems, and the staff were lovely and attentive.
The reason I am leaving this review however, is not to comment on the other two negative reviews, but to relate my experience to anyone considering Dr. Richmond to perform circumcision for their son.
Our experience was great. As a new Dad, I was apprehensive about the operation, but my wife was adamant, and after weighing the options I decided that for health reasons it was a better way to go. Dr Richmond explained every step of the procedure beforehand so I knew exactly what to expect. I was told that many Dads/​Moms actually pass out during the operation, or find it incredibly hard to be in the room while the baby is screaming. Expect your baby to scream — prepare for it mentally and you’ll be fine. Dr. Richmond explained that its actually the rolling back of the foreskin that babies find most objectionable, and not the cutting. the baby feels little or no pain once the anesthetic is applied.
I chose to stay in the room to support my son, and make sure he felt safe and secure. I knelt next to the operating table and put my head against his, cradling his head with my hand, and talking to him through the whole 5 minute operation. I simply focused on him, and didn’t watch, which worked for me. No passing out or dizziness.
The next week went exactly as expected. Dr. Richmond directed us on how to care for Milo at home, and what to expect in terms of scabbing, redness, etc. After about ten days, he was completely healed. Everything looks good down there, and Milo doesn’t remember a thing.
Dr. Richmond deserves better than a 1 star review because of some billing problems. If you live in California, then you gotta get used to the fact that office staff are not always going to get it right. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Dr. Richmond, and had no problems with the office staff whatsoever.

I have to completely agree with the woman above. I wish more people would come forward to speak about what a HORRIBLE, disgrace this office is. They are completely negligent and have made so many mistakes that my head is spinning.
All I can say is PLEASE do yourself a favor and do not, I repeat do not make the same mistake I did by leaving your health in the hands of someone who is so incompetent. His staff is worse!!! If you want more information send me a private message and I will tell you the experience. In addition feel free to check but he has been written up for negligence and had disciplinary actions taken against him. STAY FAR AWAY!!!

This review is mainly against Dr. Richmond’s staff and not him (although I also question his practice, which I will explain later). However, I think a staff is just as important as the doctor. If they are not doing their jobs, records can be misplaced, mistakes can be made, and billing can be totally screwed up. I experienced issues with my records once, but it didn’t end up being a disaster (thank God). What I’m most upset about is their billing process. I was in their office over 1 year ago for some testing and procedures. At the time, I was on HMO and it was explained to me that each procedure would be paid for in total. I was in his medical group at Cedars Sinai, and it was all good.
Today, I open my mail and receive a bill from his office for over $ 800 for procedures that happened OVER 1 year ago!!! It wasn’t a past due statement, all the charges were listed as current. Which means, they were just getting around to processing items from that long ago!?! Whoever heard of such nonsense? Normally, a doctor bills the insurance, and within a month (2 max) they know whether or not it will be covered. The difference is then billed to the patient. That’s how it works people, in any normal medical office! You don’t wait over a year to collect billing! It’s just BAD BUSINESS.
I called to discuss with their billing lady (don’t know her name) and was very patient at first, describing that there must be a mistake because I had HMO and it should have been a $ 0 balance, and even if it weren’t a $ 0 balance I should have been billed long ago. She was absolutely no help, and gave me the typical «call your insurance, it is an issue with Blue Shield, you are not in the correct medical group, blah blah blah». At this point I became very angry and told her it was ridiculous how they were running their business and that I would NOT be taking care of this, and I would NOT be paying it.
I’m anal about my finances (I’m a CPA for goodness sakes). So, of course I was bluffing and I called Blue Shield ASAP. They explained that yes, I was correct that I should have paid nothing. They referred me over to the Cedars Sinai medical billing department. The lady I spoke to here was VERY helpful. She knew it was mistake and immediately called Dr. Richmond’s billing (I assume the same lady I just yelled at 30 minutes before) and came to the conclusion that yes, it should be a $ 0 balance and their billing people screwed it up and will reprocess.
So basically, Dr. Richmond’s staff is completely unreliable and unprofessional and I would NEVER recommend anyone give them their medical business.
Back to Dr. Richmond, the procedures mentioned above were done based on his recommendations. I recently went to my new lovely OBGYN (Dr. LaTanya Hines in Pasadena) and she told me the procedure wasn’t necessary for my condition. It was an extreme choice to make by the doctor. I hated to hear this, especially since it was quite painful and took awhile to recover from. Knowing it wasn’t needed? Wow, I’m so glad I left his care. Never again!