Seeking a Speculum (in the Hands of the Right Person)

April 18, 2007 2:18 PM

GynoFilter: Please help me find a good, compassionate, and knowledgable gynecologist in the Bay Area (preferably East Bay but will travel. Preferably female but am flexible).

I'm new to the Bay Area, and would be very grateful for some recs for a good gynecologist. As the ladies out there no doubt know, a good gyno is hard to find.

I'd especially appreciate those recs for doctors who have been able to diagnose and treat somewhat complicated cases with expertise and compassion. The specs here are that I've gone from having two periods a month to none at all, gained 20 pounds in 5 months, and was diagnosed two years ago with premenopausal osteoporosis (I'm only 32). These details intersect in what I have no doubt are all kinds of intricate ways with a number of other complicated medical problems

The kicker, of course, is to find a doctor who is also covered by my insurance plan, is taking new patients (many primary care physicians and gynecologists are not), and has an open appointment sometime before the next presidential election. But in the meantime I'd just be happy having some names to work with.

posted by anonymous to health & fitness (11 answers total)

The Berkeley Parents' Network has a good list of gynecologists that you can read up on. I am a patient of Hank Streitfeld and I like him a lot. He always runs late on his appointments but he takes a lot of time to listen so I don't mind too much. I beleive is he accepting new patients. I've also heard great things about Amy Huibonhua but I don't know if she's taking new patients.
posted by ambrosia at 2:47 PM on April 18, 2007

if you can't find a gyn who can take you, a primary care/internal medicine person will. it sounds like you might need an endocrinologist more than a gynecologist. (altho, i am not a doctor)

your insurance company should have a physician referral guide. it probably came with your membership packet. my insurance company has one online as well, but if not you can call your provider and they'll send you another one.
posted by thinkingwoman at 2:48 PM on April 18, 2007

Love my Dr Laura Norrell.
posted by rdc at 3:26 PM on April 18, 2007

I've got an anti-recommendation.

I've seen Dr. Jill Foley at the Berkeley-Orinda Women's Health group. She was ok. Nice, a bit rushed. I will tell you that their receptionists are very, very difficult to get past. It takes forever to get an appointment. If you want lab results, you get dumped into the records department voice mail. If you have a question, you get dumped into the nurse's voice mail. You will have to leave several messages before anyone calls you back. Oh, and you will be mocked if you mention that you practice Natural Family Planning.

So, uh, I guess I'm annoyed by them. I'll be watching this thread for a good suggestion!
posted by apostrophe at 3:27 PM on April 18, 2007

Through the Berkeley Parents' Network, I found an internist at the BaySpring Medical Group who I really adored. It's a women's medical center with an all-female staff of internists and gynecologists (and nurse practitioners). The internists also provide basic gynecological care.

My internist isn't with them anymore, but all the doctors in the practice got good reviews online (and I picked mine simply because she had an opening in her schedule). The nurses I interacted with were always kind and knowledgeable, too. I'd totally recommend the practice as a whole.
posted by occhiblu at 4:48 PM on April 18, 2007

Huh, looks like I lied about the women-only thing. But it is an all-female staff.
posted by occhiblu at 4:52 PM on April 18, 2007

Might I humbly suggest that there is more than one "Bay Area" and that the original question should have been more specific?
posted by megatherium at 5:46 PM on April 18, 2007

I love Dr. Cunningham at Women's Medical in Marin
posted by radioamy at 8:38 PM on April 18, 2007

I've also heard good things about Bayspring, but have not gone there. I'd recommend the all-female practice Levine, Dube & Koh, in the CPMC offices at 2100 Webster.
posted by judith at 10:07 PM on April 18, 2007

I used to go to Bayspring and had somewhat middling reviews. Currently I'm a patient at UCSFs Women's Health Center. I know a bunch of women that see Mindy Goldman and really like her but last I checked she wasn't taking new patients so I couldn't request her. The nurse practitioner that I saw, Sarah Dumke was really great though. In any case, you might check out the gynecology practice there. I like that they have women's primary care and OB/GYN all in one building. One stop shopping, as it were.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 10:10 AM on April 19, 2007

I've only gone to this dr. once but he was really great. Very patient, willing to talk to you, funny without being a standup comedian... just a really nice guy. He's a bit older (like mid-70's) and he's a he... so it might not be what you're looking for but....

Dr. Robert Epstein
415-986-0113

he's also reviewed on yelp.com (not how I found him but he told me he's been getting quite a few new patients from the reviews)

oh... and it was really easy to get an appointment with him.
posted by suess at 10:47 AM on April 19, 2007