Orange County Heart Institute & Research Center

It looks like from reviews that this group is great.
However, it’s impossible to get an appointment scheduled. When you call the main number and ask for an appointment as a new patient, you get routed to their «scheduler,» a woman who NEVER picks up the phone.
You get a call back later in the day. But for those of us with jobs, you don’t know when the call may come back.
In the last five business days I gave it a good shot and went through five attempts and rounds of phone tag. On the third call I asked the operator about not being able to reach the scheduler. The operator essentially said sorry, but appointments have to be done through the scheduler.
This cardiologist group may be truly great… But I can’t get an appointment.
I called two other cardiologists. People answered the call on the first try for both. And I decided to go ahead and schedule an appointment with one of them.

Both of my grandparent visit Dr. Pan. Great office, staffs and doctors. The office is clean and organized, Staff are professional and friendly. We only go to their orange office, the only little down-​side is that there is only paid parking. Make sure you get the stamp on your parking ticket before you leave.

Great doctors terrible office! Extremely disorganized important papers get misplaced and don’t get to the doctors in time. Don’t expect to just drop a paper off for a doctor and not check up on it. You have to call back to make sure the doctor gets it several times or else they will never bring it to the doctor.

Seriously I absolutely love Dr Lawrence Santora. I have had a heart problem for 7 years now. I come in with lots of questions and concern. Doctor Santora always takes his time to listen to me and never rushes. He’s my dad Cardiologist and my mom as well. Having great bedside manners makes a huge difference in how you feel when you aren’t feeling too well. The staff is amazing and Joesph the triage nurse and Tony Dr Santora assistant are both very wonderful. Thanks everyone for being so wonderful when I come in or call in with questions!

Came all the way from Murietta to see Dr. Tucker on the recommendation of my niece was a healthcare professional also I couldn’t be more pleased with the care I received and I have to say Dr. Tucker is the best I highly recommend him

From the operators and staff to the doctors everyone was friendly and accommodating. They made me feel very welcome. Not to mention the great care I received from their practice. I highly recommend this group.

Caring staff went out of their way to make my visit pleasant and relatively efficient considering the number of patients there all the doctors were great specially Dr Santora

I was recently referred to this cardiologist after a pre-​surgery EKG came back abnormal. The office got me in promptly with Dr. Chan who was attentive and actually listened to me. My tests were scheduled for the following week, and this is where the true quality of this medical group stands out. Wow! The tests were done with such expertise and professionalism. Dr. Chan and his entire staff work together in such harmony. They immediately let you know that you matter and aren’t just another body. If you should ever find yourself in need of a cardiologist, I would highly recommend seeing Michael Chan, MD, Orange County Heart Institute, along with his outstanding staff. High praises to the front office staff, Physician Assistant Dr. Jill, and especially Cina and Debbie who took me through all the stress testing and scans. All of you are incredibly outstanding.

I honestly cannot say enough about what a wonderful doctor Dr. Chan is. I was referred to him after my PCP thought she heard a murmur. He was very thorough and referred me for an EKG. The receptionist made it clear that he likes to be there when his patients are receiving it, and not just leave it to another physician.
My EKG was done in a timely manner, and it was a relatively painless experience. He and the nurse did a great job of explaining everything.
A week later, when I found out I was pregnant I called to find out if I needed to do anything differently. He called me himself to say congratulations, and did not leave it to a receptionist like most doctors. He also sent me a card, which was incredibly thoughtful.
My follow-​up visit was great and I was totally cleared. I will definitely return whenever I need to!

Dr. Michael Chan and his staff at St. Joseph Hospital Outpatient are just awesome!!!
I’ve seen quite a number of Doctors and Dr. Chan and his staff are the best that I’ve seen in the health field in terms of knowledge, service/​care, professionalism, and personalities. I’m actually a HCP myself.
If you need a Cardiologist, definitely visit St. Joseph Outpatient on La Veta and Main.
The décor of the buidling itself is nice too and doesn’t smell like a hospital. There’s also Valet parking for $ 3 and regular parking (1 hr validation at MD’s office).
To be continue… will Unilocal more later.
Most of the time when you visit a doctor, they talk so fast cause they want to get you out the door, but not here. My experience was sooo great that I had to get to a computer and Unilocal about it right away.
I’m a fan!!!

First off, you’re probably wondering what reason I would have for visiting the Orange County Heart Institute. I’d like to say I was part of a research study for people with super-​sized athletic hearts, or those with a deep capacity to love all things cute and furry, but alas, neither of these traits was why I was a patient here this morning.
About two weeks ago, I was out for my usual run in my neighborhood, when I suddenly experience chest pain and palpitations as I was stopped for a light. I became extremely dizzy and fainted. I felt okay when I came to in what I imagine was a mere few seconds later, but I was scared out of my mind.
My doctor was equally concerned and ordered a series of tests for my heart, which became even more urgent since I’m going to Boston this weekend to run the marathon on Monday. All of the tests could be performed at my regular doctor’s office, except for an echocardiogram.
I called the Orange County Heart Institute on Monday and they were able to get me an appointment for the same week. The office is located in the St. Joseph’s Medical Center building and was fairly easy to find. The waiting room was very comforting, probably more so since I was the only patient there when I arrived. I got there a few minutes before my scheduled appointment and filled out the necessary paperwork.
Then right on time, I was shown to a room where I would be having an echocardiogram, an ultrasound for the heart, by Paul. Paul was very nice and friendly, and he kept talking to me throughout the procedure to keep me calm. A fellow runner, we chatted about Boston and running in general. When I’d had an EKG in my regular doctor’s office, I wore a paper gown which kept being opened and my boobs exposed. Here though I wore a cloth gown that tied shut, and Paul only moved the fabric aside here and there for the ultrasound, so I felt much more comfortable. Afterward he gave me a towel to wipe off the gel, and said he’d send the results over to my doctor today. Considering he said he’d look for me on TV in the marathon, I’m thinking positively that what happened the other day was just a weird incident and that I’ll be clear to run my best in Boston!