Robert B Odell, MD

I think Dr. Odell is a highly intelligent man and I’m sure had a great career as a physician. He is nearing retirement now and has very limited hours but unfortunately the progression of his office as a result has yielded less than stellar healthcare.
When seeing Dr. Odell, you will only be examined by a nurse practitioner and a nursing student. In fact, I think the student is the only one who even did the exam while the NP played doctor. They are both very nice and pleasant but they are not physicians. It’s just plain not the same thing seeing a nurse as a physician and it’s a shame medicine is going this direction.
The NP had never heard of a few of the diseases and viruses I was concerned about (I was quite ill) and they were common enough that it’s unacceptable. The NP has a domineering personality and was the sole communicator with Dr. Odell and controlled the communication so I don’t feel like I had the best care. Her answers to my valid health concerns were mostly homeopathic: juicing, taking walks and probiotics. Again, not a typical physician response and at the time, we’re not even useful to me. It is borderline patronizing being told to take probiotics when there’s something seriously wrong. It’s almost pseudo science.
The most dissatisfying aspect of the way the office is run is that the secretary communicates lab results to Dr. Odell over the phone which relates in miscommunication and error.
Everyone in the office is very nice but they really need another doctor to help as well as Dr. Odell transitions into retirement. A student and a nurse can’t run the office to the standards of a physician.

Negative stars! Do not go to this doctor. At first, I was pleased. It is such a difficult process to find a doctor. Then, the first red flag was that they wouldn’t let me choose an obgyn outside of the office, I had to use the doctor’s wife, who also works there. Then, the doctor wanted to prescribe a med. that he knew could cause breast cancer, which was in my family history. When I raised concerns, he said that it would be okay if I got breast cancer because he would catch it early!!! Then, there was the billing. I was billed innumerable times for bills that I had already paid. Even a year after I had left their office, I was rebilled for something that I had paid, verified with my bank, and had let them know. Then they charged my insurance a second time for something that had been settled a year prior. Now, they won’t send my files to my new doctor. It doesn’t get much worse than this.

Thorough but to the point. Very good physician. I have been to multiple docs in the area for the same problem and Dr. Odell was the only physician that took the time to really investigate and get to the bottom of it.
After we discovered what was going on, my pain could be managed and now, I am completely pain free.
Thank you Dr. Odell!!!

No offense to Dr. Odell, but I went and saw him twice, and it was very clear that he needs to retire. He may have once been an excellent doctor and had a splendid career. But I went and saw him today and we talked for a fairly long while and he said things that were illogical and contradictory. He had previously suggested a drug that gave me severe and unusual side effects. I’m not going to blame him for that, even though his suggested dosage was well beyond what the label said. Still, that’s unpredictable. But when I told him how the side effects had been worse than the original health problem, the conflicting explanations and suggestions that he came up with clearly had a lot to do with his own age and feebleness (he really looks like he should be going to a doctor). I don’t know what the screamfest was about before I came in between he and the nurse, but it sounded like the nurse won. Again, I don’t mean to offend Dr. Odell, but prescribing drugs to people when you are not in a good way yourself, can be dangerous. I want to make very clear that this review in no way reflects on Dr. Odell’s wife, who is also a doctor in the office and who I saw.

I love Dr. Odell. I recently signed up for Covered California and one of the things that played a big factor in deciding which insurance plan to go with was having Dr. Odell in my network. I’ve never had to wait more than five minutes to be seen, the staff is extremely helpful, especially, Jessica, and Dr. Odell and his graduate student (s)(Ann?), are extremely knowledgable. I definitely recommend going to Dr. Odell.

Went to Dr. Robert Odell’s office the other day. Office was easy to find. Parking is easy to find too since it’s right across the street from Huntington Memorial Hospital. Really easy to get an appointment. Jessica in the front desk was nice and helpful. She’s good at drawing blood in the office for lab tests so you don’t need to go to the lab in another building. Dr. Odell is a great doctor. He is very knowledgeable about medical conditions and medications, and he really cares about his patients. He has taught me a lot about my health. I will be coming back next time I need to see a doctor.

I just got from his office … I will never go back, and next time I will be more careful in choosing our physician. Here is why:
1) My wife and I were there for over one hour, examined by Ann, a nice graduate student that work there, and after this time, Dr. Odell came to us for only one minute, saying to us: Listen to what Ann says? Drink more fluids and go to the pharmacy and buy one two three of the medications she told you!!!
I thought we came here to see you not your grad student … 60 seconds only for a meeting!!! … and What to tell me things that I can simply go to any pharmacy and ask the pharmacist about it (I even know it and don’t need to ask) …
2) Dr. Odell offended me when I asked him to write a prescription for me and my wife illness. He said you can buy it… It’s CHEAP … May be 5 or 6 dollars for each one … In addition we can’t write prescription for those medications. It’s not allowed!
I was offended because I didn’t ask him a prescription for the money… I simply told him IT’S NEVER BEEN ABOUT THE MONEY !!! with a big question mark on my face !!! Does this guy really think I asked him to save this amount, while hundreds of my salary goes to ATENA to have its highest insurance type!!!
I can simply say I went off from his clinic as the same condition I came in… With no clear medical explanation that a primary care doctor should provide for a person who feels cold, illness and upset stomach. I came looking for some professional medical treatment, not for 60 seconds meeting Dr. Odell, and sorry for saying this, but please don’t ever think any patient will ask you for a prescription to save couple of bucks!
Giving me quick advices with telling me what I should buy, with no clear explanation! I can find this in Rite aid, CVS, or even my grandmother!!!
I feel sorry for ATENA. They will be charged for nothing!!!