Friedman Steven A MD Facg

Awesome service ordering lab work before procedure, scheduling went without a glitch and got the A ok after the colonoscopy. The prep was the worst but that’s not the Doctor’s fault. In any event, Dr. Friedman walked me through the procedure and followed up with the results after I was done. He’s a good guy in my book! Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend or repeat!

This office is amazing. I am truly impressed by how much Kate (at the front desk) knows and how helpful she is. Dr Friedman is incredibly knowledgeable, kind, and a great listener. Every appointment I have been to has been on time. He has offices in San Ramon and Walnut Creek. The endoscopy he did on me took and hour — 1.5 hours max (arrival to getting in the car and leaving). At Stanford, it took over 4 hours (the endoscopy still only lasted 10 minutes). I have felt with horrible GI doctors, and Dr Friedman and Kate are great! In a world where most doctors offices make people feel like they are «fitting them in» or «doing them a favor» by seeing you, this office knows what customer care and service is!

Dr. Friedman is the best doctor I have ever been to! Dr. Friedman was so kind and warm from the first meeting until the end of my treatment. Any time I had any questions he was willing to answer and never made me feel like I was bugging him. He never rushed me through an appointment and always took his time to make sure that all of my questions were answered. After going to so many awful doctors for years I had pretty much given up on hope of getting a nice Doctor. Dr. Friedman changed all of that. And Katie, his assistant is the best! Whenever I call in or come in for an appointment she treats me like I am the only patient they have. She is so caring and will go above and beyond to help me with anything I need. Thank you Dr. Friedman and Katie!

Dr. Friedman and Kate/​Katie are fantastic and world class. I highly recommend getting his opinion if you are looking for a Gastroenterologist. He is thorough, compassionate, soft, highly intelligent and what I liked most that he really tried to get to know me.
I won’t be needing to see him because I’m fine. I’m sad that I won’t be seeing him anymore, but happy that I’m fine.

Dr. Friedman is one of the most patient and caring physicians out there. I have been treated by Dr. Friedman for the past 16 years. He has always been on top of all the latest research and treatments that apply to my case. He has made himself available at short notice when I have felt really bad and waited until the last minute for an appointment. One of the other best things about Dr. Friedman’s practice is Katie his assistant. SHE is really what keeps things moving in that office. She goes out f her way to know Dr. Friedman’s patients. She always assists with refilling prescriptions and working the insurance companies which is an art in and of its self. She knows me well enough to know that when the insurance company wants to switch my medication’s because they want to go with a cheaper medication, She advocates to keep me on the medications she knows have been working for me. I could not function as well if my condition was not under control. I owe my well being (physical and many times mental) to the both of them!!!

Dr. Friedman is the most caring and thorough doctor that I have ever met. He spends a long time getting to know each patient and going over the pros and cons of any medications that you are taking and that he might prescribe. He keeps the patient very involved in making decisions about their own care when appropriate and makes himself very available for advice. He even provides advice on raising children if you choose to spend enough time with him. He is amazing, and he has a great sense of humor.
I have also had very good experiences with Kate. She has always been friendly and kind. She has even been been friendly and supportive to my teenage daughter selling Girl Scout cookies. I can’t say enough kind things about her or Dr. Friedman.

We cannot speak highly enough of him and his office. He spends so much more time with patients than most doctors. He is one of the two best doctors we’ve ever been to, and unfortunately, we’ve been to many and with various serious issues. He is caring, thorough, and extremely responsive. One time my husband was in the hospital overnight in ER and I left a message with his service and on a Sunday morning at 5:30am he called through the ER, giving them instructions on how to proceed as while we did not know what was going on, and the ER had few guesses and medium service, we reached out to him, never really expecting to hear. He got us on the right track in ER, follow up care. He remembers all about his patients, including items that don’t directly impact his area of care. All messages are always responded to. I wish all doctors and medical personnel were like him.

We love Dr. Friedman and Kate. I am baffled by the reviewers who have had less than stellar experiences! From the very first time I phoned Dr. Friedman’s office to schedule a consultation for my husband, Kate was friendly and efficient! She has made it a point to remember us and my husband’s history. Phoning them for appointments or test results is pleasurable because of how responsive both Kate and the doctor are. So grateful to have found them!

Had colonoscopy done late October. Started experiencing pain in the lower GI tract shortly afterwards. It has been almost 2 months, and the GI tract is still healing from this horrendous procedure, but very very slowly. Taking some supplements and eating raw foods seem to do the trick. Many days of work lost, can’t eat out anymore.
Diagnosis: Gastritis/​GERD/​IBS.
OK, great, so how do you fix all of this?
PPI’s, H2 blocks. «Drink lots of water, eat more fiber and call me»
Haha. I bet if I did that, I’d be dead by now.
Came back for follow up, and was told there is nothing else that can be done, after the Doctor was 45 minutes late.
I quit all the medications after 1.5 weeks and fired this guy. He may be good in colonoscopies/​endoscopies, otherwise, all he did is prescribe a bunch of drugs, which would do nothing but damage. (The drugs treat the symptoms, not the cause)
In the meantime, the drug companies are making $$$$$ left and right. (Are you starting to get the picture here?)
In addition, some of the labs were filed under an incorrect code, which caused the insurance company to deny covering them. Although this was easy to fix, it was just another hassle.
These tests will just show if you do or do not have Crohn’s disease or UC. If you do not have them, you’ll get a nice big stamp called IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and be sent home with some Ensure shakes, and some Florastore from Walgreens. I don’t know if to laugh or cry, but this such a joke!!! and will do nothing for IBS.
Moving on, most GI Doctors out here do not know squat about IBS, and their stool testing are in-​adequate in detecting parasites, YEAST and show if you have any good bacteria left in your gut. This is because they order a standard stool test, not a comprehensive one. God only knows why.
All the other chatter about motility issues and nervous system issues of the bowel is a bunch of bowel crap by itself.
There are plenty of natural supplements that will aid in healing the digestive track, there is no need for drugs, eating more fiber and drinking more water will not fix IBS either. You have to find what’s causing the IBS and stop it, then fix all the damage.
I am now resorting to a specialist in Los Angeles for IBS, here is the website:
If you are labeled ‘IBS’ by any doctor and put on a bunch of drugs, you need someone who specializes in stomach/​bowel issues. The colonoscopy will just rule out Crohn’s/Colitis and any growths. Once those come back negative, you will most likely be on your own. Take my word for it, I was.

8÷7÷2013
I had gone to 2 other gastroenterologist before being fortunate enough to find Dr. Friedman. I had suffered with a debilitating illness for over 10 years that other doctors that wouldn’t take the time to explore exactly what was going on and prescribed generic medications that were not tailored to my specific needs. One doctor had me take an over the counter product everyday, that put me in the hospital, almost having to have emergency surgery. When I first went to Dr. Friedman, he requested a battery of tests, x-​rays, and ultra sounds, etc. In doing this, he discovered a huge mass by my pancreas (which is unrelated to my issue), which I had to have removed at UCSF. He has improved my situation by 90% and is working to completely eliminate this condition. He is an absolute jewel. He will take as long as you need at appointments to inform him what is going on, and is warm and empathetic. He is the most thorough, knowledgeable doctor I have ever encountered. He is up on all the new cutting edge procedures, and medications. He has improved my quality of life immensely. Kate, his office manager, is so very accommodating, delightful, up lifting, encouraging, and is superior at what she does. She always has a smile on her face and has the same joyful voice when talking to her by phone. I cannot believe the reviews I have read regarding her in a negative manner. She has ALWAYS been easy to work with in scheduling any appointment, has gone out of her way to make sure the meds I need are covered by my insurance at a reasonable rate. She is compassionate & empathetic, and is in your corner to assist you in whatever you need. Maybe it is the reviewers that have the attitude that needs to be changed. I would encourage anyone needing the BEST, most outstanding gastroenterologist to have Dr. Friedman’s office take care of your medical needs.

No!
Dr. Friedman gave me a good first impression: that he was interested in knowing all of my medical history to get a clear picture of what was going on, and my ideas of what might be happening. He recommended a full battery of expensive tests that insurance only partially covers, and wanted to do all at the same time.
I got the more simple, less pricey and more «telling» tests first. Two weeks later, the Doctor called to tell me my lab results were fine and that I was fine. That seemed great, but I wanted the paper copy to see my values for myself.
I didn’t receive the bloodwork/​lab results for a few weeks. Fine, I thought, they’ll be in the mail. And when they weren’t, I called his front desk for my results and they REFUSED to send me my results, saying I should have gotten them from the lab myself. They could have easily photocopied them and slapped a stamp on them and put them in the mail. Or let me come by and pick them up. Apparently that was too inconvenient for them…
In the meantime, he reccomended I get some of the more expensive procedures done, but I didn’t want to until I had my lab results.
I had to force the lab to send them to me (not their policy, because they send them to doctors to interpret results for the patients…) And about two months later I got the copy in the mail. My lab results showed I was sick and needed medication. The doctor called after I got my copy of the results, I think he was notified that I requested them or something because it was too coincidental. He called to say I needed to be treated… But these were the SAME LAB RESULTS that he had before, did he just not pay attention the first time?
This was the last straw and I left. LAME.

A WORLD CLASS Gastroenterologist.
I won’t repeat all the good things the other reviewers said here but I will add this: If you want a thorough pedantic physician that would leave no stone unturned and would do what ever it takes to give you the best possible treatment — this is your guy.
If you want to futz around with 2^nd rate clinicians (Professors included unfortunately) then look elsewhere.
As for his office staff, Kate is the best medical secretary I have dealt with period. She speaks quickly and to the point. No fluff and no phoney sugary speak, just efficient and cordial running of the clinic.

I would NEVER GO TO THIS GUY AGAIN. His assistant Kate is arrogant, condescending, and thinks she is god. His office never got back to me regarding my test results, and when I called to find out, he refused to come to the phone and she wanted to charge me for a report. NEVER AGAIN. He comes off a nice jewish guy, but all they see is $$$ signs. You could not do any worse finding another Dr.

We have been long time patients with Dr. Friedman and have found him to be thorough, exceptionally knowledgeable, and does not rush you through the appointment. His office staff is very busy, but I have never had them be rude to me. The only complaint is that the doctor doesn’t ever call you with results — you need to schedule a return visit. But he probably thinks it is good practice to review findings with the patient even if the test results are normal.

I find the other negative reviews very odd, as I have gone to see Dr. Friedman a few times and have always found his front office staff to be very pleasant and friendly. Dr. Friedman is very thorough, did a great job explaining everything and really spent his time listening to mine concerns and making sure I understand everything. I highly recommend him

Dr. Friedman is incredibly thorough, has a great sense of humor and plays great music in his procedure room. (He even takes requests!)
I think his receptionist, Katie, is great… she’s a multitasker! I have never called and not gotten the information I was looking for. Having Katie run the doc’s office is a God send… she competently does the work of 10 people and does it really well. I have never heard her be rude to anyone!

Dr. Friedman is the best doctor I have ever seen. He takes utmost care, is empathetic, methodical, and really listens — including taking copious notes and clearly demonstrating in all of our discussions that he knows my case thoroughly. He is not one of those allopathic doctors who looks down his nose at alternative treatments you may also be using, like acupuncture. He has an open mind. He also is visibly excited about his line of work and lifelong learning, and collaborates with his peers in other disciplines.
I am sorry to say that I have not had a favorable impression of Dr. Friedman’s office manager so far. There are too many times that she has told me she will have to call me back, and never does. I find her unnecessarily brusque and she radiates a put-​upon attitude. However I am leaving those considerations out of my recommendation of Dr. Friedman. Ultimately the quality of care I am receiving from Dr. Friedman makes up for the disappointing but limited exposure I have to his office manager.

I’ve seen many doctors for various reasons and he is a comfortable person to have to consult. He is extremely detail-​oriented and also sympathetic. I always felt good with his staff and in his office. He and his staff were also able to coordinate with other specialists regarding my problems. I was shocked when I googled his phone number today to make an appointment and found these negative reviews. I got his name by referral (I think from a WC OB-​GYN), and would have quit seeing him if these things were true. I usually find that doctors are impersonal and procedural, but not so here. He is really pleasant to be around, as well as an exemplary specialist.
I don’t know names of his office staff to comment specifically on them but they all took care of what they needed to and were very efficient. That saved me time.
I had a few different procedures conducted by him and they weren’t that bad. I trust his expertise.

I don’t think Kate is rude.
She’s direct. She may not be perceived as warm and fuzzy. But she’s very competent — addresses issues in a very straightforward manner.
Her approach has helped streamline my treatment in the past.

DON’T DO IT! I don’t know how this place stays in business. Their staff is rude, including hanging up on patients and cursing on the phone.