Aetna doctor in LA

March 14, 2006 8:57 PM

I need to choose a primary physician, sight-unseen, in Aetna's HMO network, in Los Angeles. By tomorrow! So,

Does anyone have a physician to recommend? I need someone near West Hollywood or UCLA, and possibly affiliated with UCLA. I would prefer a doctor not edging up on retirement, and though I'm female, don't necessarily need a female doctor.

posted by goofyfoot to health & fitness (10 comments total)

I like Denise Freese and the other doctors at the UCLA Parkside practice a lot. [phone].
posted by firstdrop at 9:12 PM on March 14, 2006

I should clarify: Denise Freese has been my doc for about five years. I've always felt well taken care of and listened to. I've had to consult other docs in the practice on two occasions and both times I've appreciated the advice and treatment. The practice is very busy so I think the healthier patients like me sometimes wait longer than they want to but I suspect this isn't extraordinary. Dr. Freese also used to volunteer at my favorite free clinic which gives her enormous status in my mind. Hope this helps.
posted by firstdrop at 9:19 PM on March 14, 2006

She doesn't seem to be a choice for me, going by aetna.com.
posted by goofyfoot at 10:07 PM on March 14, 2006

I recently saw Mark Grossman at his office in Brentwood. He's 40-ish, a clinical professor at UCLA and a nice guy. I'm not sure if you could see him on your plan, however.
posted by shoos at 10:08 PM on March 14, 2006

It's not actually his own office, but the UCLA clinic in Brentwood, which has a bunch of different docs.
posted by shoos at 10:10 PM on March 14, 2006

Santa Monica Bay Physicians at [phone] might work. Their website says they take most major forms of insurance. Steve Seizer, Mike Nagata, Eileen McGrath and Mark Needham are the docs I'm most familiar with. I've heard nothing but good about this practice and Steve Seizer in particular. Hope you have better luck with this recommendation.
posted by firstdrop at 12:16 AM on March 15, 2006

Is this just for declaring a PCP on your enrollment form? Because you can just pick someone's name from the book, and then call to change it later once you have gotten a good referral.

If not, apologies. Just wanted to mention that it's fine to list a temporary choice and change later.
posted by Miko at 8:20 AM on March 15, 2006

I've been seeing Dr. Virginia Russell since I moved here -- she's fantastic (her subspecialty is endocrinology, btw, which is crucial for me but might not be an issue for you). Located on Olympic just east of Fairfax. She's affiliated with Cedars-Sinai, though, not with UCLA. Office number is [phone].
posted by scody at 11:26 AM on March 15, 2006

oh, and I'm currently in the Aetna HMO too, so I know she's in their network.
posted by scody at 11:27 AM on March 15, 2006

Thank you all.
posted by goofyfoot at 11:33 PM on March 15, 2006