UCLA Health Manhattan Beach Family & Internal Medicine

If you have the money and you like the doctors here, then keep going. For anyone that needs a new doctor, I suggest going elsewhere. It is so expensive. I had a cough that wasn’t going away and I set up an appointment with Dr. Timmons and I was charged $ 340 with a $ 90 adjustment. I called to find out the reasoning behind the charges and was told that was the usual rate. Visits at this office range from $ 300 to $ 1000, lab fees not included.

My family has been patience’s of Dr. Austin’s for over 8yrs and every visit to him has been a good experience. When I found Dr. Austin and was so impressed that I pulled my three sons from their pediatrician to be in Dr. Austin’s care. It took me 10yrs to find a good GP and thank goodness we found Dr. Austin because he is the BEST! The staff is friendly, professional and efficient we don’t have one negative experience or thing to say.

Compared to the many medical practices i have been to in the past, this is one of the best. Never crowded, short wait, clean, fast prep service, blood work done lightning fast and empathetic, smart and caring physicians, Dr. Omidvar and now Dr. Timmons

Had seen Dr. Tran two times. (gave her a second chance, thought anyone deserves one…)
That was my mistake. I don’t even understand how person like that can choose medicine.
Was she helpful, patient, thorough, did she even let me express myself and my concerns. None of these. She hardly even had an eye contact with me, was literally shaking from irritation, didn’t let me ask any questions and rushed out from the room in exactly 3 min.
I felt shoked and couldn’t beleive this is possible. First time I thought maybe she had a bad day, second time I have realized she is just a worthless doctor.
I have hard time to beleive positive reviews for this dr.
Don’t go to her!!!
I am giving one star to whole group as a punishment for hiring a bad professional, not to mention a bill for almost $ 300 for the precious 3 min. with the worthless physician.

Long overdue. Originally my doctor was Thuy Bich Tran, and she was cold, unfriendly, mean, and late. I felt like she was friendlier and a lot more accepting towards certain ethnicities (the ones I’m not part of!). I switched to Dr. Laura Conley and loved her. Super smart, dedicated, caring, and fun to be around she just added wonderful energy to this place. She left to have a baby and never came back. She is considered to have a cult following and a lot of her former patients like me are bouncing around trying to find that great new doctor (who will just never fill her shoes).
In 2014 doctors kept leaving like crazy for other jobs or locations, the nurses (minus Lydia, she’s a sweetheart!!) are very mean, the place is understaffed and I got sick of the doctors coming and going every other month. The wait time is excessive too. With an appointment expect 45 minutes in the waiting room and another 30 – 45 in the exam room! Forget that nonsense. This place went downhill after Dr. Conley left and I tried my best to stay but overall I was very unhappy.

For those people who are so inclined to give Dr Tran a bad review… Keep in mind that as a Family Medicine physician, she is allotted 15min for each patient and has to be able to come up with effective care determinations within that time frame. Yearly or complete exams get a bit more time. She doesn’t make these rules. But she is bound to stay within them. So if you’re expecting someone to hold your hand and serve tea, go see one of your friends. Todays medicine Dr is extremely busy with so many cases and they must all be seen and all their problems addressed must be dealt with. They are doing a great job. Dr Tran is thoughtful, highly educated, experienced in the best medical institutions. She is a wonderful Primary Care clinician. She uses her best knowledge to handle each case, and is clearly able to spot vital areas that must be addressed. And keep also in mind, urgent treatment cases are always a priority in any healthcare setting. Dr Tran is my Dr and I’m very satisfied with her abilities and her demeanor. And one more word… in this era of the internet access… Don’t ever confuse what you «googled» with any Dr’s Medical training and degrees..

Still tried the Manhattan beach location after reading the reviews, based on my personal experience, I find the reviews about Dr. Tran a bit unfair. Is she short, straight to the point and honest? Yes. But what you have to really think about is whether this is the type of style for you? Because I also found her respectful and very empathetic. One of the few doctors I’ve met that has a strong set of principles in which she follows when practicing medicine. I can see where her direct style of communication and the way she practices medicine is not for all types. You have to be aware of your health and your ego, if you are not, then I don’t recommend Dr. Tran. Fortunately if you want a doctor that can sugarcoat things, the Manhattan beach office has other doctors that meet other personality types.
The only reason why I give a 3 star review is based solely on the hours of operation. Doesn’t allow for those who work to visit on weekends or after work.

I used to like the doctors here, but every 3 months they seem to leave. My latest experience with Dr Tran has been the worst experience I’ve ever had. Until they can keep qualified doctors who actually listen and care about their patients, stay far away from this place!

Called twice on a Saturday mid-​day since I needed anti-​nausea meds. I was told that the doctor on-​call would get back to me with no response still (it’s Monday at noon). I really like Dr. Tran, but I can’t put up with the lack of professionalism at this office. I’m done and switching primary care physicians.

**Update***
Whoa! I have to change my review! The second visit she was so condescending! I kept asking about my illness, she kept trying to write me about 5 new scripts!
Arrogant, Annoyed, Inconsiderate, Rude!!! The staff (except two people) were so arrogant and Rude I began to cry. Not the way to treat sick people! =(
Initial review was 5 star:
Yes, the parking is a disaster but, you can park across the street at Chase and walk over. Much easier.
I just started this week with Dr. Brining. So far so good. I was able to get a next day appointment, she ordered tests, and was a good listener. Let’s see how everything turns out… stay tuned…

I had been seeing Dr. Tran for many years but after my last visit, I will never go back. She’s great however the rest of the facility is very bad. The manager and billing office are extremely unhelpful. I reached out for help to work with my insurance and they refused to help me. I year prior to that, I dealt with incorrect bills for over 6 months! Unacceptable.

First of all, Dr Tran is a caring and patient physician. I have seen her for the past five years and appreciate her professionalism. If I could separate her from the institution she would get five stars.
UCLA Health is a para-​governmental organization. Run by the UC system, its nothing more than bureaucrats in charge of medicine. You know this because when you call for an appointment, they don’t want to look you up by your name, they want your medical ID number… (Bureaucrats love inventing new numbering schemes).
Secondly, only the most immediate and easy treatments are performed here. If you have a specific problem, you are referred to a specialist. Which is not a big deal, except they refer you to all the specialists within the UCLA system, which are all in Santa Monica or Westwood. When calling these specialist, expect the lead time to be weeks! Its like third world nation socialized medicine where people line up for a chance to see the one doctor…
Do yourself a favor. Stick with localized doctor and medical systems that can see you in the area and not farm you off to West LA and weeks and weeks delays…

I have been coming to UCLA Manhattan Beach for many years and Dr. Laura Conley was my primary doctor. However ever since she left I haven’t had any follow-​ups, until recently when I was diagnosed with bronchitis.
I made an appointment with Dr. Thuy Tran (whom was my default doctor). I showed up 15 mins early. I was in the waiting room for 45 mins. People kept getting called in that came in later than I did. I finally got up to ask the front desk to help. She went in the back and literally within 2 mins this crabby nurse came out. I don’t know what the deal was but whatever. She checked my blood pressure, temperature, etc. Then she took off and said the doctor was gonna be there very shortly. I waited another 45 mins. At that point I was beyond boiling… I stepped out and just told the front desk to reschedule me with another doctor.
When I asked what the deal was, they said that Dr. Thuy had a student with her and apparently was taking care of a really urgent «case.» I don’t know what that means. But unless someone was dying… more than an hour wait is not acceptable. I had to miss another appointment in addition to taking time off of work. AND I had chest congestion and was coughing profusely. I had to spend the weekend sick without any proper diagnosis or antibiotics.
I came back on Monday to see another doctor Yasaman Omidvar. This time everything went smoothly with zero wait time. HOWEVER… I told her all my symptoms, coughing and chest congestion. She prescribed me with Flonase. That was the last straw.
Luckily I found a better family doctor who is not affiliated with UCLA. I was later diagnosed with bronchitis and got proper treatment.
UCLA is prestigious with one of the the top doctors in the world… and it’s unfortunate that I will not be coming back to this location (at least not with these doctors).

Dr. Tran is amazing. I have never had a doctor spend so much time and care so much. She is thorough, great at getting back to me when I have questions or concerns. She spends time with me and is just an amazing caring doctor. She is the best. 5 stars for this UCLA doctor.
Kathleen Farrell

Dr Conley is a great doctor. Highly recommend.

For Dr. Tran I give a solid 3.5 stars. She’s knowledgeable, direct and tells you how it is which I appreciate.
For the overall experience at UCLA Manhattan I give 1 star. They rarely return my voicemails or questions unless I call repeatedly, wait times are horrendous and sometimes I feel like we are just a cattle call of patients.
Personally, I go to the UCLA Santa Monica group and the whole experience there is completely different. My doctor (Gloria Kim) really takes the time to sit with me, review my health and answer my questions. My calls /​emails are always returned promptly. However, I come to UCLA Manhattan when I take my parents to the Drs… and it’s a trying and stressful experience which is no fun when you’re already not feeling well.

Dr. Vinzon is awesome and amazing and i wish her company billing wasn’t so bad. While we loved her and her check ups for our kids the billing was never correct. My wife spoke with UCLA and the insurance company over 20 times to correct outstanding invoices. The finance team may be one of the worst.
However, if you want an amazing doctor go see Dr. Vinzon.

This office is conveniently located in Manhattan Beach close to home, that is why I initially chose to come here.
My main complaint is that it is sometimes difficult to get appointments here. I remember for my physical exam appointment last year I had to make it months in advance. I did not get a confirmation call close to my appointment, so I had to call the office myself the day before my appointment. That is when they told me Dr. Conley is not coming into the office that day. I was quite upset that they did not have the decency to call themselves to inform me. At that time, I chose to see Dr. Timmons since I didn’t want to have to wait another few months for my physical appointment. Both Dr. Conley and Dr. Timmons are so sweet and caring that I do not have anything bad to say about them. A few times both of them have made it a point to squeeze me into their busy days when I had minor last-​minute emergencies and needed to see a doctor.
I’m surprised to see this place has low ratings on Unilocal,must be due to the poor management. There was also some confusion with my plan and I got an unexpected bill in the mail 6 months after my annual «free» physical. I had to call my health insurance and then they had to call the office to clear it for me. It was just a hassle and waste of time having to make the phone calls.
People have high expectations with the UCLA name, so this office really needs to work harder to keep the patients that go there happy. However, I will still continue to come here since I like both Dr. Conley & Dr. Timmons :)

Called as a new patient and got an appointment to see Dr. Jennifer Timmons in the same week. She was great.
Super attentive, thorough, warm, and caring. Made a quick diagnosis and suggested alternative treatments. The office is new, modern, and warm. I guess I was lucky because I didn’t have to wait at all (my appointment was on a Friday around 11:45AM). I’ll add more details once the insurance/​billing comes back, but for now I’m really impressed. :)

My husband had a physical performed here by Dr. Austin and said he was a really nice guy. This review is about the UCLA Health System as a whole and not personally about Dr. Austin, whom I’ve heard good things about.
My husband’s physical was in May of 2013. We were covered by HealthNet insurance and our plan included a free annual physical exam for both of us without copay or deductible. He had his routine physical done, liked Dr. Austin, and we forgot all about it. Beginning in July, however, we have had nothing but a nightmare situation to deal with regarding this organization.
We received a bill in the mail for nearly $ 600 for my husband’s physical. This is crazy because A) the physical was supposed to be fully covered by our insurance that we provided the office, and B) a physical does not cost $ 600. We called the office and were told the doctor had incorrectly coded the routine preventative care lab work that was included with the physical. Because it hadn’t been coded as preventative, the insurance was diagnosing this as part of our deductible rather than as part of the physical. They apologized and said they would correct the coding.
Weeks went by and we assumed the matter had been taken care of. We then got a new bill in the mail, this time for just over $ 100. Hmm. I called UCLA billing to inquire what it was for and they said it was for the cost of the physical. I asked why they billed us rather than the insurance and they said they didn’t have the insurance information — yet the insurance information was listed on the bill itself. So I called the insurance company and got their address to send claims to. I called UCLA billing back to provide the claims address. They said they would take care of it and we were all set.
Another month passes and we suddenly receive ANOTHER bill from them, this time for the amount of the original bill of nearly $ 600. What?! I thought this matter had been taken care of months ago? I called billing and was given the initial story, that this was for the lab work. I asked about the $ 100 bill and they had no record of that bill. Seriously? Can you say POOR ORGANIZATION? I guess I imagined the entire bill! I then call the doctor’s office to have them correct the coding problem that had supposedly already been corrected. Conveniently, the office manager named Jeff who had «corrected» the coding error no longer worked there. They were operating without an office manager and told me to call UCLA billing. I explained I had already called them a million times. Everyone gave me the run around and pointed fingers at everyone else. They told me they would contact their old office manager and get back to me. They never did. I followed up the next day and the man who was supposed to get back to me was «busy» and couldn’t talk. They told me to be patient and give it another week. Only problem? This new bill was the «final notice» and due the following week! We granted their wish and waited a week before calling UCLA billing, who informed us the code had still not been corrected. After spending HOURS on the phone between UCLA billing and this Manhattan Beach office, we had given up. We finally said, you know what? This is YOUR job. Can YOU in the billing dept. call the Manhattan Beach office and work this out with them? That way they could stop giving us the run around and pointing fingers at each other. They never called us back, so my husband left another voicemail for the woman in billing. FINALLY she called us back a day later to say she had it corrected and would be sending us a letter stating so, and that our balance was $ 0. Who knows if we’re ever getting the letter, but we’ll be saving that voicemail as proof that we do not owe anything.
WHY did this physical from MAY cause an utter headache until nearly NOVEMBER?! A customer should NEVER have to spend hours of their lives, days and days, over weeks and months, working so hard for an error made on the doctor’s office’s end. Absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable. We will NEVER go to any UCLA medical center again. Their billing department makes the patients do all the work, and the doctor’s office does the same and doesn’t want to deal with their mistakes so they want the patients to do their job and work with the billing dept. to fix their mess-​ups. It is truly ludicrous and very frustrating. They are completely unprofessional and disorganized and I cannot recommend highly enough that everyone steers clear of such unnecessary stress! Talk about being bad for your health! To top it off, there was no apology given to us for the months of stress, headaches, and all of the time and phone calls we had to put in to correct their big mistake.