Westside Family Health Center

try to avoid this place its not good at all. people who work here are kinda slow. i think who ever could find a job applied here and got a position.
today i came here 3 times just because the nurse was not in and they told me to come back at 12:45 and then 2:45. so basically my day just was wasted traveling coming here.
and if you wanna make appointment the sooner would be in a month.
so all that said i dont like this place.

Wow!!! 5 STAR!!!
In this world that is all about «Serving Ones Self «and constantly only being concerned about Profits… it is so incredibly heart warming to have some genuine human concern and kindness for another persons well being. Organizations /​Institutions /​Business’ like WESTSIDE FAMILY HEALTH CENTER are just that. They hold no prejudice against whatever your Finacial situation or circumstance may be. They care!!! They follow up with you to be sure YOU are taking care of yourself. WOW!!! Someone that cares. PRAISE GOD.
Thank you for caring unconditionally.

There are some rude incompetent people who answer phone calls and hang up phone on patients. They told me they will send my MRI result to my orthopedic doctor’s office and they didn’t. When I got to orthopedic doctor’s office the result was not sent. I had to call them because otherwise the doctor would not accept visiting me, and that rude irresponsible person kept hanging up the phone on me 3 times because I had to stay on hold at 4:30 while the doctor was about to leave. She wouldn’t even let me to explain what is happening. I will find out whoever she was and file a report against her.
IF YOU DO NOT LIKE YOUR JOB, LEAVE !!
patients need care and if you cannot provide it you are not capable of working in a health center.

Awesome staff… My 2 children have been patients here for over 5 years… Doctors and Nurses/​staff are friendly and great with children… and a special thank you to the front desk girls who are always helpful!

George M.
The Westside Family Health Center in Santa Monica is BURSTING WITH PRIDE!!!
Distilled to an encouraging and impressive essence, Dr. Rebecca Rodriguez, who is Medical Director, and Laura Garcia, who is Clinic Manager, should be heralded for their professionalism, efficiency, and courtesy.
Displaying a high level of affability and care, they delivered proper attention to my wife Ada with deliberate and uncompromising attention to detail. It almost seems as if they were singing off the same sheet of music.
Dr. Rodriguez displays a sagacious and principled approach. She is verbally facile and exemplifies a clean, fluent vision of how to resolve medical issues.
Ms. Garcia displays unyielding and tenacious dedication to navigate through the headwinds of salebrosity that defines the complex bureaucracy of the health care system.
My wife and I also take pleasure in recognizing Ms. Marie McKinney, Chief Operating Officer, who very aptly orchestrated our initial introductions to Dr. Rodriguez and Ms. Garcia.
George M.

Love love this place.

Nothing worse than asking about services offered and front desk «help» puts you on hold multiple times for 15 min. to find out what services are offered at the place she works at. Also, being put on hold by the same person who picks up your call and asks what you are calling about. No amount of «low pay» excuses can justify these poor work skills and lack of training.

Well Like an IDIOT I made another appointment, and I sat for 2 hours, and I finally just left, they didn’t even know I was missing for 30 minutes. There was 3 other people in the office and they were helped, but not me. I sat there like an idiot, wondering if I was going to get parking ticket… ONE hour parking only! So… what’s worse, is I might have to try this again… Oh nobody know the trouble I’ve seen, nobody knows my sorrow… lol

I have been waiting for 2 hours and a half for simple lab work results. The waiting room is too small and too crowded. Everything looks old. Don’t come here if you can avoid it!

I find them Lovely people, they give great care. I truly Consider them my primary care doctors. Thanks you for everything.

Absolutely dreadful. I’ve been to free clinics before and this one is by far one of the worst. I showed up on time with my mom who also had an appointment but instead was told that the practitioner I was assigned to wasn’t there that day. No one called and rescheduled. I asked if it were possible to see someone else because I was presently in the building, but they said no I had to reschedule for another day. Because that’s appropriate for a health center? The lady at reception was very rude. When I politely asked her why I couldn’t see a doctor that day she said «I don’t know. I’m just reading what’s on the computer.»
The actual doctors and nurses that my mom saw were polite but at the same time, that should that be expected at the least.
Altogether, I don’t think it’s worth wasting your time and energy here.

If I could give this place negative stars I would. Awful Awful awful!!!
This past year I had to get my own health insurance and decided that since I am a healthy person I would just go for the cheapest insurance out there. I looked for the closest doctor to home and found one at Westside Family Health Center that took my insurance.
I had driven past this place many times and although it looked run down from the outside I did not expect it to be so bad on every other possible level.
I was having pain on the right side of my rib. I made an appointment and they were able to schedule me in within a couple days. How quickly they were able to schedule me in was nice but when I got there on time I had to spend 2 HOURS waiting in a disgusting crammed room for my appointment.
I filled out the paperwork while I waited and they had some very odd questions such as «Are you homeless or a migrant worker» AND YOU HAD TO CHECK ONE OR THE OTHER.. . REALLY!!! This should have been my first and only sign to get out of there but I was concerned for my health and felt I urgently had to get in that day.
I asked the staff a few times how long it would take and they would just keep saying 20 minutes, which was not true. Finally they get me in, the nurse checks vitals with very outdated tools and then has the «doctor» see me. I walk in tell the doctor I have pain on my right side of the rib. She touches it where I show her I have pain and tells me I should go to the ER because it might be my gallbladder.
I left so upset. I spent 2 hours waiting for this woman to tell me to go to the ER.
Well of course I went to the ER because at this point I am very concerned. The ER doctor tells me that there is no way it is my gallbladder. If that was the problem I would be in severe pain, which I was not in. He also told me the pain would not be on the right side where I was pointing but more towards the center. He said where I was pointing to was just muscle and it would go away. Luckily he was correct and I was fine.
After this experience I immediately changed doctors. Although I still have the same insurance I was able to find a doctor close by with a nice clean office who looks for solutions rather than sending his patients to the ER.
If you can avoid this place I suggest you do.

This place was pretty great. I don’t understand all the negative reviews.
Here’s what I experienced.
1. Lobby waiting area is cold and very institutional. It’s a clinic not a typical doctor’s office. The reception was a bit standoff-​ish at first but they warmed up quickly to me. They even joked. I was a little worried at first with their demeanor but they do have quite a bit to do. Don’t let this leave you with a bad impression.
2. Filled out a lot of paperwork. Took about 20 minutes. Waited for about 50 min total to move to clinic area (outside and another entrance to building)
3. I was there for annual pap/​std testing. The other room was small with a couple people waiting. It’s an old building and it looks a little worn. They gave me more paper work then a nurse called (3min tops). Nurse was very thorough, took weight and vitals. Sent me back to waiting room. 2 minutes later I was called back in and sent to exam room. Typical pap/​prep. Undress, paper apron, etc.
4. 2 min later Nurse practitioner Sharon Stroll spoke to me about my history and we went over BC options. The office was a comfortable temp and although the cabinets could use a fresh coat of paint, it was really clean, and had lots of educational references.
5. Pap was fast and the breast exam was thorough.
6. Stroll spent a lot of time with me going over my history/​options and was extremely thorough. She was great and comforting.
At the end of everything, this isn’t like going to an OBG/​GYN but it’s a pretty good little clinic and if you need an appointment fast and can’t wait for your OB/​GYN, this place is a good option. Everyone should also remember this is a non/​profit so they skimp on the office frills to provide great service to those who need it.

I have been dealing with this clinic for a few months now to get an appointment it take 6 – 8 weeks. Earlier today I had asked to be seen as I am a diabetic and have a severe sinus infection. They had given me prior treatment 15 days ago for a sinus infection. I asked for an appointment and I had one scheduled Febuarary 9^th and I said I am diabetic I cannot wait 10 days, as I am a diabetic.
I asked if they could not see me and make an appointment if they could refill my perscriptions and they told me they would get back to me before closing hours to to tell if Dr XU would fill me perscription or not. 3 minutes before closing time I called them back to have them pick and hang up with no one returning my call and the weekend ahead. The emergency on call physician tells me I should go to an urgent care or the emergency room.
I do not have thousands of dollars to spend on an er visit or 178 $ to go to the local urgent care. This is the second time they have done this to me the other time it was with my insulin. While my sinus infection is not bad now, waiting till Monday may change things.
I see numerous reviews and would like to know if anyone would like to sign a petition for ethical and responsible Health care from this provider.

I found this clinic while searching for where to get a TB test for a new job. I called ahead of time and they told me «yes, we give TB tests. All you have to do is come in; it’s open hours right now for walk-​ins.»
I go in, and am asked to wait until another woman returns and opens her window. After about 20 minutes, I go up again while they’re there chatting and laughing, window closed, and am asked if I have insurance. It turns out that they only accept certain kinds of insurance, and only offer services for these few companies and if you DON’T HAVE INSURANCE at all. Since I had some that didn’t cover the walk-​in, they wouldn’t see me.
None of this was mentioned on the phone, and an hour of my time was wasted. Next time, whoever is in charge of the phones should be clearer about this. Irresponsible, and disrespectful of others’ time.

ZERO STARS… I got assigned this clinic through my crappy insurance. Dr. Shu is the physician/​owner of the clinic. This woman should not be in charge of running a hot dog cart, let alone people’s health. If you have a choice of going to see your neighborhood Curandero or seeking medical care from Westside Family Health Center, go see the Witch Doctor, I’m sure you will get better care.
So, after calling the office a dozen times and getting the run around about when I could get an appointment, I get a call from a very annoyed Dr. Shu. She asked me why I needed to be seen ASAP? So, I go into great detail with her and and explain about my 3 trips to the ER over the past three weeks, because I have had such a hard time getting an appointment with her clinic and her reply to me was, «well what do you want me to do?»… she should be disbarred instead of getting 1 starred!
Go to this place if you must but don’t say you have not been warned.

ZERO STARS.
my friend is currently suffering from a very severe ear infection. he does not have insurance, and has very little money to spare. the Venice Family Clinic is not accepting new patients and referred him here. after trying for ~3 hours to reach them by any means possible (calling every phone number and extension on their website and Facebook, sending emails to every email address, Facebook messages, Facebook reviews, even sending a fax) we decided it was best for him just to try walking in, since their website (which I VERY thoroughly read) implies that this is the only way to get a same-​day appointment anyway, and there was just no way he could wait. he took a bus and walked several blocks to get there, despite being dizzy and lightheaded and oh yeah, bleeding from one of his ears. he found a piece of paper taped in the window stating that they are closed today, and will not be open again until Monday. no explanation given. nowhere was this posted on their website or Facebook. this is unacceptable. it would have been ridiculously easy for whoever printed the sign to cut and paste that information onto their Facebook page or website or for someone to change their voice message to say that they would be closed on this date (instead of saying, «We are now closed. Our office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5 o’clock pm and Saturday from 8:30am to 2 o’clock pm» — hours we called during) but no, instead someone who is in very great need of medical assistance had to waste his precious time, energy and resources to find this out. THIS IS ABSURD AND INEXCUSABLE.

Never actually received service from them.
Tried repeatedly to call for an appointment (as instructed by their website) but could get no one to answer any of the phone lines I could find for them. We tried reaching them via email and facebook as well. (A friend was/​is very ill and needs medical attention close by to his home.) He finally resorted to going there to get assistance…
They apparently had closed up shop for the day (6 June 2014) but had failed to post this to any of their sites — VERY unprofessional!!! Yes, they failed to actually inform anyone in writing of their closed status… save for a notice taped to their front door that a person in need of medical attention does not see until after they’ve dragged themselves across town to their facility! :-(

After enrolling for the Affordable Care Act/​Obamacare (very simple to do) on
, I visited Westside Family Health Center in Santa Monica to «cross my T’s and dot my I’s.» There, I was helped by a very knowledgeable and friendly person by the name of Lavinia Mitroi. Lavinia should be the model for Customer Service representing both Covered CA and WFHC!
Thank you, WFHC/​Lavinia!
Vincent

I’ve been around healthcare/​worked in healthcare/​was raised by doctors and nurses, so I guess I know how to navigate health centers, because I had a really good experience here.
I called on a Thursday and was able to get an appointment for the following Monday, which for free clinics is pretty much unheard of. Took about 10 minutes over the phone to set up.
That Monday morning they gave me a ring to re-​confirm my appointment, and two hours later I was in their first office filling out paperwork. The waiting room was clean, brightly lit, and they were playing Cars 2, so no complaints here. I was there for approx. 15 minutes, and then they called me up to the window and had me go next door.
The MINUTE I walked through the door of the clinic my name was called and I did my pre-​visit vitals. I even got the ~bonus~ of peeing in a cup, aka everyone’s favorite medical activity.
After that I was placed in an exam room, and a (I THINK, don’t quote me here) NP came in shortly afterwards. I explained my issue to her in depth, and she walked me through what procedures she’d do on me, and gave me options for what I could do if my test came up abnormal.
~redacted for privacy~
So, after my exam was finished, the NP ran my culture through a microscope and couldn’t find anything. They sent my cultures off to a lab just to double check, and it’s been over a week, so I am assuming I am in the clear! Yay!
tl;dr — I was in and out in an hour, it was completely free, and they were kind and efficient. awesome. the only downside is the lack of parking.