Valley Women’s Health

I don’t even know how to rate my experience because everytime I go to see Dr. Jeffrey-​starr, she’s never there! Think I need to find a doctor that’s less busy and makes time for her patients :/

Can I just say, being a young person and not used to having someone «down there» is pretty uncomfortable. I’m so thankful, however, for doctor Starr!!! She has this natural calming affect. Now, my husband and I are having our first baby and she has been literally a life saver. I’m not the type of person to worry about every little thing but I have had to call with a question here or there and the office staff is quick to call back.
I’ve referred her to my mom and a co worker and they too have also really liked her as a doctor. They both had dr oliveria before who left so they are thankful to find doctor Starr as well!

As with a previous reviewer, the doctors are great. But the front staff can be very rude a lot of times. They do speak to you like they don’t want you to be there, and they also hung me up abruptly when they don’t want to talk to me anymore about whatever concern I have. I’ve been hung up twice. Whatever their reason to hung up on me, it is unacceptable customer service.

Allow me to state upfront that my rating of this practice has nothing to do with Dr. Jeffery-​Starr. Both times I saw the doctor, she was courteous, warm and friendly. She has excellent people skills and she made me feel comfortable.
That said, her front office staff has abominable customer service and has proven to be extremely frustrating. After my first checkup, I schedule a follow-​up appointment to have a procedure performed. I came for an appointment and was advised at that time that my $ 30 copay was due. At that time, I chose to reschedule for unrelated reasons (the doctor I was scheduled with was not a woman). I went home and called back to reschedule.
On my second appointment, the front office worker was a different lady who advised me that my $ 30 copay plus 50% of the procedure was due. Since I was paying with an FSA card, I requested an itemized receipt. The receptionist refused to provide a receipt, claiming that «we can’t do that». I explained that I needed it for the FSA as a requirement to having the claim approved and then asked her why I’d been told something completely different the first time I came in. No satisfactory explanation. No itemized receipt. However, she did give me a billing phone number to call on Monday, as it was a Friday. I followed up with the billing company on Monday and they had no record of the transaction, and again the next Friday. Still no record of the transaction.
During the next week, I received the request from the FSA for the itemized receipt. The following week I contacted Dr. Starr’s office manager who persisted in telling me «we don’t do that» or «we can’t provide that» in response to my request for an itemized request. I asked why I was told different things by the front office receptionist on the two visits without receiving an explanation that made sense. I also asked how they were able to determine the amount to charge me in the first place if they don’t have the information. (They do, there in their computer, it was just too much of a bother for them to type me up a receipt.)
Over the next week, I called the billing company twice, my insurance company, the FSA company twice and Dr. Starr’s office three times. During the final phone call, the office manager persisted with her chant, «There’s nothing we can do for you.» The reality of it should have been her saying, «There’s nothing I want to do for you. You may be our customer, but I just don’t care about you or your problems. Go away.»
Throughout all of my interactions with the office manager, I’ve been persistent but I’ve never been discourteous, using bad language, name calling or anything else to warrant her cavalier attitude. Yes, I’m frustrated, but I’m doing my best to obtain the documentation I need in order to settle my claim so it is not denied. The office manager ended our call by hanging up on me, demonstrating bad manners and a complete lack of concern for customer service. This is not a woman who should be in contact with customers. I may be frustrated with the situation, I may be frustrating for her to have to deal with, but I’m still a customer and a patient with her practice, and I deserved better.
I definitely, do NOT recommend this practice.

I am more than pleased with Valley Women’s Health. My Doctor is Michelle Oliveira and she has been more than helpful in all aspects of the care she has provided. Wait times in any office will vary due to the fact that babies do need to be delivered and some times a woman may have a crisis that needs immediate attention and I am confident that if I were in that situation I would get the same attention. I have never had to wait any extended amount of time and the concern and respect received at this office if excellent. I recently called the office and asked for a call back and my call was returned within the hour, that exceeded my expectation. I have always found the waiting room and the exam rooms to be very clean. I have referred many family members and friends to this office and will continue to do so.

I have not had the most pleasant time going to Valley Women’s health, but have not had an overly compelling reason to leave a negative review on Unilocal until today.
Background: I am pregnant and I have seen one doctor with Valley Care twice now, and after my first appnt I did not feel that this doctor was a good fit for me during my pregnancy. This doctor made disclaimer statements right at the onset of our first appointment, (after I’d waited 50 minutes in the waiting room after being on time) about topics that we would not be discussing until later appointments, and told me to google the answer to a question I had about eating certain fish during pregnancy. There was also not much background discussed about the different prenatal testing options available; I was particularly interested in hearing about the CVS test as I am 35 years old, and when I brought it up doctor said to «Talk to them about it.» When I was unsure who «they» were I learned that they would be the specialists at the clinic where the different tests are performed, which is in Walnut Creek. Not awesome, but also not the end of the world, although I was not thrilled and did want to switch doctors after for my next appnt.
When I called to set up my next appointment I requested to see another doctor, and the woman who answered persuaded me to see the same doctor for my next visit, and assured me after I mentioned my concerns, that these things were out of the ordinary and should not come up again.
My next appointment was today, whereupon my doctor did not seem to know about all of the results of prenatal testing that I’d completed since my first visit, but luckily I had heard back from the Walnut Creek clinic that performed the tests already, so I knew how things had gone (CVS test). That said, I am glad that this clinic (Diablo Valley Perinatal) was so responsive, as the CVS test is invasive and can yield some very scary results.
Unfortunately my expectations for this visit were low, so I was not too surprised at the outcome, but this alone is reason enough for me to switch doctors, which I will now do.
Today: What was most shocking today was that I found a used bloody IUD device stuck to the foot of the stool that the doctor was sitting on, as well as 2 drops of blood on the pull out section of the examination table that I had been sitting on. I was able to snap a photo of the bloody device with my phone and I looked it up, as I thought I knew what it was but was not 100% sure, and ironically, after googling it it was in fact a used IUD. I was incredibly taken aback by this, and I called the office back from the car on the way home to tell the staff about what I had seen, and gave the location of the exam room where I had been. The woman on the other end of the phone did not seem surprised, and said that she would «mention it» which I thought was odd. Hopefully this is an isolated incident, as it was unbelievably unsanitary and unsafe, and not anything that I had ever experienced before. I can not imagine what other corners are being cut, if something like this can be overlooked.
Again, I would not have left this negative review, even though I have not been happy with the service, if this had not happened today. Being unhappy with the facility or doctor is one thing, but being exposed to who knows what kind of health hazards while carrying my baby is a totally different situation. So it’s officially 3 strikes for me and I will be switching to San Ramon Medical Center now.

I’ve been a patient here for many years — 15+ years now! I stayed with the group because Dr Oliveira is wonderful and so was Nurse Melville. However, the response time I’m getting is getting slower and slower. Even though everyone is nice — it seems like there are just too many patients than the office can handle. As a working professional, it is not sufficient to not have email access with medical support staff when the turn around for a call back is 24+ hours and there’s no response on request on prescription orders. I understand the office is busy but so are the patients.

I’ve been here for both my pregnancies and am very happy with the doctors and the staff. I’ve been to see a few of the doctors, but Dr. Carlson was my primary and she is wonderful! I would suggest her, and any of the doctors, to anyone.

It’s hard to find something negative to say about this office. Even when you call the main line, the lady that answers the phone… sounds like a goddess. Not in a slutty way, but in a very polite, genuine and professional tone.
I won’t say which physician that I see, but will say with all confidence that whichever physician you choose within this group, you will be in excellent care.
Being a in the medical field, there have been a few quacks that I have been literally scared to work with. But all of the members in this practice are superb and am extremely satisfied that I’ve made the choice to change to this office.
In closing… I do have to mention the office staff. They are all such kind and compassionate people.
Five stars to Valley Women’s Health