My boyfriend was referred by his PCP to see Dr. Atef L. Yacoub in Montebello, but unfortunately, the experience was very disappointing. I had already seen many negative reviews about this office but felt we had no choice due to his insurance. I called and spoke with a receptionist named Christina, explaining that my boyfriend's case was urgent--he had been to the ER multiple times for kidney stones, and both the ER and PCP recommended he see Dr. Yacoub as soon as possible. PCP was even typed an urgent letter recommended to be seen as URGENT.
Christina initially wouldn't schedule an appointment, saying we had to fax his records over for the doctor to review first, which we did immediately. I was assured we'd get a callback once reviewed, but we never received one. I called back around noon to confirm that the records had been received, and she confirmed they had but still would not schedule an appointment. Christina mentioned that the doctor is only in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and even though it was a Thursday, she would not provide an urgent appointment.
Since my boyfriend was in pain, he ended up returning to the ER, where the doctors questioned why he hadn't followed up with a urologist--a frustrating question given the obstacles we faced in scheduling with this office. Christina continued to provide excuses, claiming the doctor's limited schedule and upcoming holiday closures meant no appointments would be available for a month later.
After yet another call where she responded rudely, I told her we would switch to a different IPA and find another urologist. It's clear why there are so many low reviews for this office--they seem to show little concern for patients or urgent cases. If you're considering this office, be aware that getting an appointment, even for urgent needs, may be challenging. I find it troubling that people in the medical field would handle patients this way. read more