Salmon Bay Family Medicine

I’ve gone to Salmon Bay twice and think it’s fine. I needed to find a general practitioner when I was sick and I needed to see someone right away.
I had to get in for a preventative appointment and also for a cough.
Dr. Torrez was very nice and friendly. However, she did not read my chart before bringing me in the room so she made assumptions about what I needed. I know doctors are busy but I took the time to fill out the required paperwork. It seems like a better use of everyone’s time for the provider to read it and then know rather than re-​asking me the same questions during the appointment time.
Basically, I diagnosed myself and told her the prescription I thought I needed. She agreed, wrote me the prescription, and I was on my way.
The 2^nd time I visited, she was very quick to prescribe medicine and not talk to me about the root cause of my symptoms. I believe in medicine but I do prefer a more holistic, preventative approach than the knee-​jerk reaction to prescribe medication immediately for every ailment.
The experience I had was that her approach is not preventative; it’s addressing symptoms.
I am on the hunt for a Seattle doctor with a more holistic approach. Please let me know if you have any recommendations for me!

I wish I could give Dr. Torrez and her staff more stars. They are truly amazing and what every family practitioner\office should be.
Ease of making appointments: I have always gotten in either same day (for injuries) or within two days (for yearly physical). Always considerate of my schedule as well.
Front Desk staff: So very friendly and welcoming!
Medical staff: Very prompt, little wait time in the waiting room.
Dr. Torrez: I don’t know where to start. Such compassion and obvious care for her patients. She doesn’t just look at the illness or concern, she looks at the person. She takes into consideration a person’s whole self. Dr. Torrez was thorough, and took into account my personal background including cultural beliefs. She is truly an amazing doctor and recommend her to everyone I know.

Dr. Torrez is an angel. We moved recently to Seattle into the Ballard neighborhood, so on top of the list of things to do was find a new primary care physician and establish my healthcare routine. I went off the reviews here and cross-​referenced with my insurance’s providers before settling on Salmon Bay Family Medicine. I am SO GLAD I did. Let’s start at the beginning.
Booking the appointment: I was put on hold but then they quickly squeezed me in (one of my prescriptions was running out and I desperately needed a refill) within a few days of calling. This was extremely appreciated.
Arriving: I arrived a few minutes early to fill out paperwork, and the receptionist was very lovely and nice. She promptly gave me the paperwork and they called me back to see the doctor before I could even finish it (and it wasn’t much paperwork).
Seeing the doctor: The nurse quickly took my vitals (weight, height, blood pressure, etc), then told me the doctor would be right in. I finished the paperwork just as Dr. Torrez came in. She walked in, said to come on down off the table and take a seat, that we were going to have a talk. I have never, not once, in 22 years of being alive and seeing doctors, had a doctor sit me down and review all my medical history, my current complaints, answer my questions, tell me her background and what she was going to do for me. Dr. Torrez did all of these things, including recommending some over-​the-​counter or natural remedies for some of my complaints (which I had visited previous doctors for multiple times without seeing resolution) and telling me to try those before we tried prescriptions. Yes, that’s right, Dr. Torrez isn’t a prescription-​happy maniac. I can really appreciate this because I feel like prescriptions often cover up the problem without actually resolving it, or are overkill for the problem, or introduce nasty side effects more often than not – I think they should be the last avenue taken to solve an issue, and I appreciate that Dr. Torrez seems to have a similar mindset.
I am now convinced I have happened upon the greatest doctor of all time, and my fiancé is going to establish Dr. Torrez as his PCP too now. I’m so happy to have found a great physician who really cares about me and wants to help me be the healthiest person I can be.

After recently moving to the Pacific Northwest without any knowledge of any recommended healthcare providers or hospitals, the search had begun. I started by looking at providers covered by my PPO insurance network and near my home in Ballard. Afterwards, I figured a family medicine doctor was the best specialty for someone my age seeking health physical assessments and answers to general concerns. This narrowed down my search slightly, but I then turned to my online resources including Unilocal,Health Grades and ZocDoc. I also sought out someone who was gay-​friendly and open-​minded. What made my decision was that Dr. Torrez and her wife have young children, so she is a knowledgeable mother who can relate with all ages.
I was able to make an appointment online via ZocDoc within the coming week and fill out my registration paperwork at home prior to my visit. Her office was a bit hidden next to the Ballard Swedish Medical Center in the Ballard Plaza Building off Barnes and Market, on the second floor. The waiting room was empty since I made the earliest appointment in the morning (8 am). It possesses a nautical theme with a fish tank, play boat for children, and framed posters of local fish. I was called back by the very friendly Medical Assistant. Dr. Torrez came in the exam room within 10 minutes, greeted me by shaking my hand with a smile on her face (very professional and courteous), and truly spent her time to listen and discuss my medical concerns without rushing. I came in for my free annual physical granted by my new insurance provider. She did a thorough head-​to-​toe physical, which I appreciated being a nurse who knows what this should involve. I was a tad bothered she did not want any laboratory values, however, being that I was a brand new patient of hers — but she felt I would be healthy for my age. I guess that tells me she doesn’t overuse medical resources if unnecessary. I did like that she provides her cell phone number to patients in case of an emergency of concern outside of her clinic hours. Very personal.
Dr. Torrez refilled my daily prescriptions which had to be filled by my insurance’s Express Scripts. Unfortunately, both sides of the party were confused about how to submit the prescriptions for home delivery service. My only complaint post-​visit was the office’s lack of communication regarding my voicemails and calls. They said they had sent the Express Scripts company a fax, but never let me know until I touched base with them. A courteous call from Medical Records would have been welcomed. Otherwise, I really enjoy Salmon Bay Medicine.

Does not follow AAP vaccination schedule.
Does not offer the rotavirus vaccine at all and didn’t inform me at my daughter’s 2 month visit that there was a recommended vaccine she was not offering.
Decided to delay the 2^nd shot of Hepatitis B without asking me at all, because they didn’t want to poke her too much or something (their explanation when I called). Didn’t ask me at all, or tell me they were doing this – asked me if I wanted all the recommended vaccines, I said yes, but they didn’t actually do all of the recommended vaccines.
I’m extremely frustrated that as somebody who strongly believes in vaccinating my child that my medical provider simply made the decision NOT to vaccinate for me.
We initially switched doctors because I just wanted to go to a larger practice where there was more availability, but I’m definitely glad I switched once my new pediatrician uncovered the delay in vaccines.

Dr. Torrez was great, and after an initial checkup with her I plan on keeping her as my primary care physician. The whole office is run efficiently and her physician’s assistant and receptionist were professional and friendly. I waited about 7 minutes in the waiting room for my appointment, and even though the hours/​location are a little inconvenient, especially if I have to go from work, I’ll continue to go to Salmon Bay Family Medicine because I just feel comfortable there.
Also a good and understanding doc for ladies-​who-​like-​ladies.

Dr. Torrez was recommended to me by a friend soon after I moved to Seattle. I had worked in a medical clinic and was in nursing school at the time, so I’m very familiar with the healthcare system and am particular with my care providers. I was impressed from the get-​go. Dr. Torrez takes the time to explain her background and philosphy of care, and also gives enough personal information that you feel like you really know her as a person, not just as a white coat. She is an excellent listener, and offers excellent clinical advice. A friend of mine was having a serious medical issue which was dismissed by per previous doctor as stress-​induced, but when Dr. Torrez saw her she took my friend’s complaints seriously, went with a hunch, and after some appropriate tests discovered my friend had a rare blood clotting disorder. It’s easy to get an appointment, even last-​minute. She and another physician share an on-​call service, though I’ve never had to use it personally. Her assistants and desk staff are all very friendly and helpful as well. I don’t have kids yet but when I do I’ll take them to Dr. Torrez as well!

This is the best doctor’s office I have ever dealt with — they are outstanding. Everyone (reception staff, office manager, nurses/physician’s assistants, & Dr. Torrez) here is smart, kind, and really cares about what they’re doing. They clearly enjoy working here, which matters to me because I know people who enjoy their job do that job well. I want the people who take care of my health to really be happy in their jobs.
Dr. Rachel Torrez has been an outstanding doctor for me and my husband for over 5 yrs. We’ve been there for illness, injury, physicals, and more. She is a very careful listener. She is focused and is intent on getting all the information you can give her. She answers all our questions and goes into even more detail when we ask her to. She doesn’t talk down to you and she doesn’t get irritated if you ask why. Dr. Torrez is generous with her time and she has always called right back when we’ve called her service after hours. I’ve never waited a long time for my appointment. Alison has adjusted the schedule to fit us in when something was critical. Briton and Kiyoshi have always been incredibly helpful when we’ve called about medications, how to treat symptoms, even how to pick a good blood pressure meter.
She has a sense of humor, she’s practical, and she’s willing to think. For instance, with one health problem she suggested 2 options for treating it. I wasn’t thrilled about either one and asked if those were the only options. She paused, thought, and suggested another option that wasn’t an obvious option. That was the one that worked for me and I really appreciated that she was willing to think further on the matter when I voiced my concerns. Most doctors I’ve had in the past would have been mad that I’d asked and would have refused to think of any more options. That’s a big deal to me.
I really trust Dr. Torrez and her staff. These are the people you want helping you maintain your health. I recommend them very highly!

Just to correct the record… Dr. Torrez is ok. I dunno if I would say she is an especially good listener. I’ve been to her 3 times & spent a total of maybe 20min with her. In my experience, she’s a busy GP. I guess if you have kids, maybe you get more attention? Her office did get me in same day when I was sick, which was great! And her nursing staff was very helpful when I called with questions about my medicine.

Relaxed office and Dr. Torrez makes you feel at home. You can tell she loves her job and loves her patients. I’m very glad a good friend referred me to her.

I had a really great first visit here at Dr Torrez’ office!
They were wonderful with my son, who was running roughshod over the waiting area. They offered snacks, found him a requested type of toy, and made us feel very welcome.
EVERY person there seemed nice, and Dr Torrez’ daughter was there too, which makes the place seem like a family business rather than a sterile medical facility.
They saw me same day for a flu, and I only waited about 15 minutes in the room for the Dr to come in. When she did, she also brought an assistant too who pretty much kept my son occupied while the Dr and I talked. That was awesome!
Dr Torrez herself was great. She introduced herself, told me about her education, her family, and her philosophies. She seemed confident and kind.
I will be returning soon, for I scheduled a yearly physical with her.
I am white-​coat fearful; so having people just be friendly made a big difference to me. This feels better than most Dr experiences I’ve had for a long time!

Dr. Torrez is fantastic! After a bad experience with another doc in the building, I asked for a referral from Dr. Torelli’s receptionist, and got Dr. Torrez. She’s attentive, kind, and willing to listen. She doesn’t disbelieve what you have to say (see above bad experience with other doc). I referred a friend to her, and my friend thinks she’s great too!

I LOVE DR. RACHEL TORREZ! Hands down the best doctor I have ever had. She listens to what you have to say. You don’t feel like you are wasting her time and she never rushes you through an appointment. She is very generous with her time. If you are really ill, she will get you in same day, especially if you are in pain, which I have appreciated on more than one occassion.
Once she referred me to the women’s clinic downstairs from her office when I was having some very painful issues and when I went down there to schedule an appointment and that clinic was ridiculously rude to me. I went back up to her office in tears and she called them up and ripped them a new one for how they treated me and gave me a referral to another doctor who was a friend of hers.
I am so über sad that my new insurance is Group Health and I can’t go see Dr. Rachel Torrez anymore because I just loved being her patient.