Had an appointment today. I live 22 miles west of Somerville. Getting there was easy, but it took me longer to find a place to park than it did to get there. They do have parking ($6) but it is down Buena Vista Street, and not visible from Holland street. Lots of road construction made navigating the area confusing and time-consuming. read more

Had an appointment in Urgent Care. Waited 40 minutes in a room. What a joke. Don't go here. Go elsewhere. They take their sweet time here. No respect for peoples time. read more

Very convenient, broad range of services including Physical Therapy, Urgent Care (by appointment), Mammography, Lab etc. along with regular medical care from general practitioners to cardiologists and other medical specialties. One of the more complete facilities of Atrius. Have always been happy with the care we have received here and at other Atrius offices over many years. Also, the Cambridge Atrius facility is not far away, near Inman Square, which is another option. read more

Hi there. I just wanted to leave a review for Kristen Kiely in OB. She was one of the best providers I have ever seen at Atrius. She was kind, competent and made me feel at ease. She told me everything she was doing and really made me feel cared for. I feel she went above and beyond and wanted to acknowledge this level of care that is so often absent in today's medical system. Thank you Kristen! read more

It's absolutely DISGUSTING that this office not only charges for parking but has increased the prices. While some are only visiting the office once a year, others come to this facility regularly. I can't imagine going through an illness and being constantly hit in the pocket with a parking charge. I guess all medical offices don't have compassion for patients in need. After this visit I will be finding a new doctor and facility to visit. read more

Not good. Personnel was talking negative about others, and during the procedure really did not care about me and were not skilled during a painful procedure read more

I returned from vacation with a pain in my leg and long story short I had a blood clot in my leg due to the long flight. My PCP at the time DR. GENEVIEVE B LUMSDEN told me "Isn't funny how we always assume the worst when we aren't educated in whats going on." She then told me to just drive back home and not to worry about it, she did not care or listen to me at all. Then calls me on my DRIVE home and tells me that I have a blood clot in my leg and that I should seek medical attention asap. Anything could have happened to me while driving home and it would have been all her fault for sending me home with a blood clot. IF DR. GENEVIEVE B LUMSDEN IS YOUR PCP PLEASE RUNNNN! I don't think she can even count to 10... read more

I wish there was a way to review different departments at Harvard Vanguard separately instead of rating them all in the same Yelp review. I have been a patient here for about ten years and have mixed feelings about this practice. I have kept my primary care doctor here because that gives me access to urgent care and specialties which I like, but the quality of my PCP's office (Dr. Choi) is abysmal. You really have to be your own patient advocate because no one is going to follow up on your care for you. I give Urgent Care five stars all around. I receive better care there than I do at my PCP's office. They are open evenings and weekends and can usually see you the same day. You don't have to wait a long time to be seen after checking in and all of the providers are thorough, competent and compassionate. They take their time and don't make you feel rushed. In addition, the nurses are great at following up about any lab results. If you need help with something routine like a UTI, yeast infection, cold, flu, a skin abrasion, etc you will receive quality care. Honestly, urgent care is the best part of being a Harvard Vanguard patient. Whoever runs the urgent care clinic at Atrius deserves an award. I also like their 24/7 hotline where you can call any time to speak to a clinician if you don't want to go to the ER and need to talk to someone before urgent care opens the next day. That's something other healthcare systems including Mass General Brigham do not offer. My PCP's office is another story. I give them 2 stars and that is being generous. -- First of all, expect to wait several months to get an appointment even if you are an existing patient. The best way to be seen sooner is to go through the Medical Assistants who have override authority over the doctor's schedule. It's best to bypass the front desk receptionists. If you need care the same day, you may be able to see a nurse practitioner, but I've found them to be incompetent at the Somerville location. Dr. Choi's NP Genevieve misinterpreted some of my lab results which led to complications for me, so if I need to be seen ASAP, I simply go to urgent care. -- Second, expect to wait at least an hour to be seen after your scheduled appointment time. They double book and try to cram as many patients in as possible. The Medical Assistant will take your vitals etc and then you just sit there waiting and waiting and waiting to be seen. When my doctor finally arrives she is rushed and after 15 mins she told me she has five flashing messages telling her she is late for her next patient! Totally unprofessional for her to tell me this and she is the Chief of Internal Medicine. If you're going to make me wait that long at least give me your attention while I am there! My doctor (Dr. Choi) did not have time to finish reviewing my concerns at my annual physical, so she made a follow-up appointment for three months later. That's right- three months! Oh, and forget about anyone following up with you about labs or anything else discussed during your visit. I often have to call three or four times to get a response to a message. -- I will say that referrals are generally handled quickly here. If you ask for a referral, someone besides the doctor can put it in and I usually receive he a call from the specialty department within the next few days. Harvard Vanguard could significantly improve their patient experience by not making patients wait so long to be seen and being present with patients during their visit instead of trying to rush people in and out as fast as humanely possible. I understand that this is the status quo these days and isn't unique to Harvard Vanguard, but I have friends who have had better experiences elsewhere and might wait 20 mins to see their doctor as opposed to an hour or more. Also, this practice is not open minded about complementary medicine or functional medicine. If that's something that is important to you, you're best to look elsewhere. read more

Visited here for a routine test. I think Somerville location is better than Cambridge Harvard Vanguard (Cambridge one , people are mean and system is messed up). I didn't wait at all and smoothly test was finished here. read more

Came in for a general dermatologist screening for acne. They tried to charge me 600$ for a 20 minute consultation, with the acne cream coming out to 60$. This is with decent insurance. I called them and found out they billed me for significantly more time and for the incorrect diagnosis. When they corrected their mistake, the copay was 0$ and the SAME acne cream was $30. read more

I saw Sonia Beauvais about a medical issue I was embarrassed about. She made it all so easy and was so caring and helpful.

This is a terrible practice. I come here to see my PCP (Dr. Elisa Choi) and she is always late. I have to commute 50 mins by T to come see her and have never once been seen even close to on time. They fool you by putting you into the room and having your vitals checked around your appointment time, but after that I'm usually sitting in the room waiting anywhere from 40-60 minutes before I actually get to see my PCP. It's highly uncomfortable being cooped up in this small room and sometimes undressed depending on the reason for visit. Once I had an end of day appointment and they had me waiting in the exam room for 45 mins, and I honestly thought the office had forgot about me and left because it was after 5pm and it got very quiet outside. It is really extremely rude because we all have places to be, and I go out of my way to make my appointment on time (never been late). Just like I respect their time, they need to respect mine. There are no evening or weekend hours, so I am forced to take time off of my work in order to come, but yet most of that time is wasted just sitting around. If they can't see me until 30 mins later, why not make the appointment 30 mins later?! Also the front desk staff are extremely rude and unprofessional. Often talking loud, gossiping about other people... really inappropriate to be doing that in a medical office. Almost even worse is that it's nearly impossible for you to get a hold of your provider. They tell you to message them through the myhealth online messaging system, but the people who respond (usually the medical assistant) are completely clueless and have essentially no medical background. They communicate your lab results to you through the online messaging system (which is totally fine if it's negative or straightforward). But I was not sure what my lab results meant, asked for help interpreting them, and literally had to go back and forth with the MA over multiple online messages and she never answered my question. I even specifically asked to talk to Dr. Choi because I just wanted an answer but I never got a response from her and the MA never answered my question. Don't come here (at least Internal Medicine) unless you have nothing better to do. The only guarantee you'll get here is that they'll be running at least 30 minutes late. Horrible patient care here. I've never been so dissatisfied with my care from a medical facility. read more

My family has used HVMA Somerville for about 3 years now. In that time, we've been to them for regular checkups, illnesses, and one badly sprained ankle that needed x-rays to determine that it wasn't broken. I have rarely had long wait times, even when I haven't been able to get an early appointment. We have utilized pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, dermatology, radiology, the lab, and the pharmacy. the physicians that I've seen through HVMA have all been professional, respectful, and took the time to both listen to me, and ensure that I understood the reasons behind any recommendations they were giving. read more

Do not use for any eye exam! Our son had migraines so we scheduled an eye exam as they are in-network with our BlueCorss insurance. Our insurance covers and fully pays eye exams every 24 months. They billed the eye exam as diagnostic eye exam so our insurance asked us to pay $279 deductible. Billing told us if we had EyeMed she can bill it as routine eye exam but since we have Blue Cross she needs to bill as Diagnostics" I asked what was the difference in the service? It was the exact normal eye exam we received anywhere else.. She said because we told her our son has migraines.. it is a diagnostic exam... SO??? So if my son complains that he can not see the TV and I schedule and eye exam and the tell the provider that he can not see the TV.. then it is not a routine eye exam because I diagnosed it ??? "Melissa" from billing (no lastname no phone number nothing) said they will not correct it and they failed to explain what their Diagnostic Eye exam did more then a routine eye exam or why they are willing to bill it as routine eye exam to eyemed but not to BCBS. Very disappointing read more

I'm reviewing the Urgent Care Clinic, which is open on weekends and holidays. I had a great experience despite the fact that I was diagnosed with pnmenonia. They were better equipped than I expected and were able to give me a chest x-ray, blood test, and IV with fluids and antibiotics - all without having to be sent to the ER- bonus. Dr. Johnson was amazingly helpful and has been one of the few doctors who actually listened to me. My only problem was that whoever was handling scheduling (not the check in staff, they were great) was incredibly rude to myself and another patient and verbally berated us over the phone when we were checking in because "THIS ISN'T A WALK IN CLINIC" When I said, okay then can I make an appointment as he did, she made both of us give our symptoms in detail in front of other waiting patients in order to decide whether we were a priority. Oh hi HIPPA violation! Honestly thought I can't otherwise complain. This HV is very good. ****I wanted to review this to let others know to make an appointment for urgent care!!! I know it does not say this on the website. The call lines open at 8:00am Sat and Sun and the clinic itself opens at 10am. read more

The surly nature of the phone staff continues to be an issue. Even before the pandemic, impossible to get appointments. Urgent care physicians are great if you can get past the gatekeepers who roll their eyes when you complain to them about pain, bleeding, etc. Phone setup of appointments confusing; one person says the doctor "moved to Burlington office," the other said they knew nothing of that fact. Sadly, this is a poorly run practice and has become the Walmart of health care facilities in Boston. read more

Absolutely horrible, top-to-bottom. Anil Gullapalli is the worst primary care physician I have ever seen. I left my own review on his page, but he was both incompetent and insensitive. I have no idea where the good reviews come from, though maybe that's for the kids he sees - AVOID if you are an adult. To add even more fun, I thought I'd share with everyone a picture of my arm right after the blood draw that I got at this place. Literally go anywhere else. read more

Atrius Health - The talented phlebotomists at Atrius Health, everyone! - Medical Centers Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Made appointment at 1 saw one doctor need to see orthopedic dr they made that appointment for 4 leaving us waiting for 2hrs with broken wrist read more

I had such a great experience with the Davis Square HVMA. Both the internal medicine doctor and nurse practitioner I saw were kind, knowledgeable and most importantly made me feel heard as a patient. They gave me time to say what I wanted to say, which is very valuable for me. The biggest convenience is that they have so many departments, including a pharmacy, right on-site, saving me a trip elsewhere. The insurance was a little bit of a hassle since I don't have Boston insurance but everyone was polite and kind and didn't get short tempered or frustrated, so a full 5 stars from me. read more

Well, this was certainly unpleasant. There was almost nothing in this experience--a routine physical and pap--that made me feel like I mattered in any way to these people, or that they even noticed that I was there, even while I was being measured, weighed, prodded, and poked. I felt invisible. The angry-looking nurse didn't say a word to me. I got maybe two smiles from the doctor the entire time, and that was only when I tried to make jokes. There's little more uncomfortable than facing the wall to ignore--as a direct result of being ignored by--the woman giving you a breast exam. Word to the judgmental feel--when I said how long it had been since my last exam, rather than understanding my backstory of dirt-poordom and terrible insurance, I merely got a mirthless headshake. When I couldn't remember my birth control dose she clucked an exasperated tongue. Both doctor and nurse left the room without even telling me if my appointment was finished. The only remotely redeeming moment was when this utterly humorless Dr. Matei picked up a plastic speculum that lit up all purply LED, and said in a deadpan monotone: "the force is with me." Maybe it is, but it's for her other patients to find out. I sure as hell won't be back. read more

My primary care doctor is at Harvard Vanguard. Correction I should say was, I am actively trying to find anyone else with an MD who can see me. I am appalled by how callous this practice is. I was very sick the week before my wedding and was given an appointment with Dr. Carole Vincent. I explained when I made the appointment and when I got to the appointment that I was getting married in 4 days and was not sure what to do, I was so sick I could barely get out of bed. Dr. Vincent was rude, uncaring and unsympathetic. She told me that it isn't until 2 weeks of having a cold that they will prescribe antibiotics. I get it, you can't always get a prescription but her response was these things take time, if you are still sick the day of your wedding, make sure you are well hydrated. I also had a pretty unfriendly visit with my PCP a month earlier for my yearly checkup. It felt through the visit that the doctor was annoyed to have to be meeting with me. I am wondering if Harvard Vanguard's training includes how to be rude and callous to your patients. Do not go to this practice if you can avoid it. read more

I agree with the review on Dr. Tatiana Slavsky, my first time at Harvard Medical Associates. Got to my appointment on time, had about a 5 minute wait prior to checking in. Everyone seemed wonderful till Dr. Slavsky walked in. I am assuming she is from Russia or somewhere near there. She has a very cold demeanor and not a warm caring Dr. at all. She walked in and asked me about my life and job. Then proceeded to look at my blood work and bmi etc. And basically told me I needed to loose weight which I replied I think we all could, including herself. Yes I'm no stick thin woman I have curves (size 4) but in no way obese. What I got out of the appointment was I needed to loose weight or putting me on anti depressants which I don't have any prior psych conditions which I thought was strange. I told her I lost someone who was very close to me in December and from then on she kept asking me if I wanted to take an anti depressant. Finally I said No! I am ok, I work full time attend collage at night I think I'm ok.. And she finally agreed. I will not be going back to see her ever again due to my first time experience. I thought the intake staff and nurses were great that I worked with. But Dr. Slavsky either change your demeanor cause it definitely shows as PCP should be warm, caring someone you trust and with an attitude like that you will not succeed. read more

Stay away from the spine and pain center, particularly Audette who paid my problems little heed, gave me dry needling injections , presumably to get paid a little more for the office visit, and then recommended acupuncture?! I'll take my treatment with some evidence based medicine instead of these jokers , thanks . Look elsewhere . read more

I have had bad experiences with Harvard Vanguard in both the internal medicine (primary care) & visual services departments. I first saw Dr. Slavsky about a year ago for a routine physical. She systematically ignored all of my concerns and made insensitive comments like, "You are trying to lose weight, right?" even though I am well within the normal weight/BMI/etc range. Next, I saw Dr. Tierney for an optometry appointment. The appointment itself went well - he was professional, comprehensive, and listened. I needed to get follow up diagnostic tests off facility and when those results were faxed to him, Dr. Tierney was supposed to follow up. After two months of radio silence, I begin practically phone stalking him, but I cannot get a hold of him. The first time, I was told the results were lost. After that, no explanation. I am still waiting to hear back (and calling regularly). Lastly, I called in February to set up a May appointment with a different PCP who I knew was popular. I gave it so much advanced notice specifically to ensure I could see her. They set up the appointment, say everything is fine, until a few days before (today) when they confirm my appointment WITH THE WRONG DOCTOR (Dr. Slavsky of second paragraph fame). When I called to rectify this, they said the doctor I would like to see stopped accepting new patients in NOVEMBER. This may have been helpful information in, say, February, when I made the appointment. I asked to be transferred to someone I could file a complaint with about the entire facility. She suggested I LOOK AT THE WEBSITE. I did and I called, but they only have ONE person who can take complaints and she's on vacation. Hence, the rogue Yelp review. I have also experienced Harvard Vanguard attempting to make unnecessary referrals. Because everything is done in-house, they profit off of you making extra appointments. It's a shame, because Harvard Vanguard is so convenient, but I have decided that the system is messed up, not just a few individual doctors. read more

I have pretty mixed feelings about this place. Let's cut to my most recent experience on Friday: Arrive at 10:51, for a 10:50 appointment (my bad). Wait 1 minute to check in. Pay my co-pay, walk upstairs to internal medicine. I sit down in internal medicine, and 20 seconds later they call my name. Friendly nurse brings me to a room, takes my blood pressure, asks me what I'm in there for - and tells me the NP (Nurse Practitioner) will be in shortly. I wait for about 3 minutes and NP comes in. Quick examination, puts some drops in my ears (these bad boys are getting cleaned!) - and tells me to sit tight for 5 minutes while the drops do their magic. Nurse comes back within about 5 minutes - gets wet and wild with my ears. Oh yeah. Tells me NP will see me shortly. NP comes in - looks at my ears - says everything is AOK except I have a minor ear infection. She says she'll send my prescription downstairs to the pharmacy. Up until this point - everything has been perfect. However, this is where things go awry. I go down to the pharmacy. Ask if they've gotten the prescription yet. They haven't. Tell me that sometimes it takes a minute or two. I sit down and start browsing Yelp for lunch suggestions. 10 minutes later - the pharmacist approaches me and apologizes - NP hasn't sent prescription down yet and is now with another patient. Should be another 5 minutes. 10 minutes later - the pharmacist again apologizes and says that the NP is just about done and should be sending down my prescription within a couple minutes. 10 minutes later - same thing. 10 minutes later - same thing. 10 minutes later - I walk out. This actually seems pretty normal to me for Harvard Vanguard. Everybody seems to mean well - it's just that there is a tendency to be careless or forgetful. Another time, the doctor seeing me forgot about me, not once, but TWICE - making a 20 minute appointment take about an hour and a half. I dunno - I like my PCP. I'll keep on going for now. Plus, it's walking distance from my apartment. But man, they really need to get their act together. read more

I've been here a handful of times in the past 2 months and I already love the place. I've gone to two doctors, had vaccinations, and gotten blood work done. I love that everything is under one roof. With my old PCP, I had to go and get my blood work done in East Bumblefruit and it would have to be at like 7am in order to fit my schedule. On the whole, the staff is great. I've perhaps dealt with 1 or 2 people that weren't the friendliest, but that was quickly forgotten when their treatment was followed up by someone who was supremely nice. Dr. Slavsky, my PCP, doesn't give me the warm fuzzies, but she's great (nice enough) and gets right to the point which I LOVE. I'm not 5 years old, I don't need a lollipop (that's a lie) just give it to me straight. All of the RNs and NPs I've dealt with are incredibly friendly. AND I've never had to wait more than 5-10 minutes in the waiting room for my appointment. Yes I'm aware of the amount of times I've said love in the past paragraph or so. Deal! The turnaround for results are also pretty great. HV sends you a mailing to let you know your stats, etc. in a timely manner so you aren't hovering over the phone. One small peeve was when I was transferring my medical records. The office that has the transfer paperwork (and by paperwork I mean one paper) has special office hours and they don't have the paper available at the front desk. Arg. OH.. and even though most offices are open till 6pm.. their phone lines close at 5pm (aka..no one will answer your call). Bonus points for being so close to the T and for one of the rooms that has a poster on the ceiling. I mean, it's nothing extraordinary (a bunch of people dancing), but it is something to distract you. Perhaps make up the life stories of those people in the pictures. Yeah.. I do that a lot. lol read more

After a knee injury I went to Harvard Vanguard to get it checked out. I was assured that my ligaments were fine and it was just a sprain and needed physical therapy. I asked if they thought I should get an MRI and the answer was that there was no reason for one. I went there for physical therapy and I noticed rapid improvement for about 6 weeks, but my knee was still not right. I was told that I was being impatient and that this must be hard for me since I like to be active. I felt like no one was listening to me. After a few more weeks of this I demanded an MRI and the orthopedist said it was a partial ACL tear and that I should continue PT. I got a second opinion outside of Harvard Vanguard and she showed me the MRI and explained that the tear was at least 90% and I needed surgery. After talking to someone else to verify, I chose to get the operation and now see a new physical therapist, also outside of Harvard Vanguard. I am only angry that I let these people convince me that I was OK and that I was just being crazy when I clearly wasn't. For three months these people jerked me around. Get second opinions from outside of the Harvard Vanguard network! read more

Front desk Radiology, 0 stars, STAY AWAY!!! This is my first time ever writing something like this, Totally pissed off. Asked for some simple help due to real discomfort, they couldn't be bothered, just sat there and chatted to each other, after asking a bit more, she slowly got up and disappears. read more

When I lived in Cambridge, I used to come here for anything after hours, because HVMA Cambridge doesn't have Urgent Care. Generally speaking, we've gotten good treatment in those instances. For a while I saw a therapist (Julie Handley) who no longer works there, and she was all right. Mental health through HVMA is the lease satisfying department, I've found. It all sort of feels like McDonald's - the offices are small, undecorated, and the approach is very social work-y rather than comprehensive or holistic. But the main reason for my writing a review is my terrible experience with Dr. Susan Wong in the Opthamalogy. She was rude, and unable to properly explain anything. I would say she was borderline incompetant. read more

Review of Urgent Care Only - This center has provided for all of my healthcare needs for years, and it has almost always been top notch. I had the first occasion to need care on a holiday so went to their website to see when I could call in the hopes of seeing someone today. The website hours list says "holiday hours vary." They don't post hours for specific holidays. OK - I tried to call, but since it was not open yet there is a recorded message. I hoped one of the options would tell today's hours. No such luck. When I pressed "1 for adult urgent care" it had an outgoing message, presumably with instructions for what to do if you have an urgent medical issue. The message stopped mid-sentence and went silent. So I tried "2 for pediatric urgent care." Same thing. Now I had no choice but to get a ride to the center after 10:00, thinking surely they would be open by then. A sign on the door told me they would open at noon. What? It's 2019! Update your website and make sure you have a functioning telephone answering system, for God's sake! I have several local choices for weekend/evening urgent care, which I will be exploring. I am SO grateful I was not trying to get immediate help for a sick or bleeding child! read more

If you care about being treated like a human being with dignity and respect do NOT go to Harvard Vanguard. I repeat: STAY AWAY. I wish I could say this is a one time thing- but over the course of 3 years, I've had quite a few instances that were completely inappropriate and unacceptable with Harvard Vanguard. I'm currently searching for a new PCP with another practice and network. As someone who has been dealing with intense migraines, my PCP told me I had to wait 3 months for the nearest appointment with a neurologist. I asked to go out of network and the office threatened to drop me as a patient- so I had to wait 3 months for an appointment, after already dealing with this issue for over a year. When I had gone to my PCP for help, she saw me for a grand total of 8 minutes and prescribed me a medication that caused me to get sicker than I already was. After trying to call for help, their response was basically to "wait until your neurologist appointment." To this day, my doctor has never seen me for more than 20 minutes in total. At the another appointment, my doctor requested some additional testing to be done- one that required clothing removed. The nurse in charge was extremely curt, rude and couldn't understand why I asked for the blinds that looked out onto a busy street to be closed. She literally told me "that's silly, no one can see you," as I watched people crossing in a sidewalk from the window. She then treated me so gruffly with no shred of dignity- I've literally seen retail associates handle mannequins better. The worst part was that I've never had this kind of test done before so I had no idea what to expect. I felt manhandled and treated inhuman. Other small snipets: - I've heard a nurse shout out in a packed waiting room: "Mr. _____ I need you to pee in a cup. Here!" - I've had appointments cancelled, rescheduled to different dates without ever informing me and or told that the nearest appointment is 3+ months away - I've been through an entire 7 minute appointment where a medical professional never once looked me in the eye or addressed me by name - I've waited over an hour in the waiting room (and this was an early morning appointment) - The admin/staff had repeatedly forgotten to call in prescriptions or have called them in incorrectly, causing issues with insurance. In all, everything that's wrong with the healthcare system can be seen in even one visit at a Harvard Vanguard practice. An efficient and careless office. Doctors with a lack of bedside manner. Overworked nurses with no common decency. At the end of the day, patients deserve to be treated like people. But I guess Harvard Vanguard forgot that... read more

My PCP is there. She's fine. But there are big problems with the NURSES. Ok, really only one, but the one who gives shots is just mean, not incompetent as was the nurse I dealt with today. I called on a weekend (today) to get a refill of a basic birth control pill. One I have taken for years. They would not refill the prescription. They said it wasn't in my file. Though during my last physical a few weeks ago, I had all my prescriptions refilled. Yup, all of them! Including my generic birth control pills! Anyway. the nurse on call for the weekend was exceptional. Not in a good way. Her name is Kathryn M Poulin, PA-C Here's a link to her bio online! Be sure to check her out! http://www.harvardvanguard.org/phys/phys3.asp?passID=6217 Please note, her clinical interests include colon cancer screening; irritable bowel syndrome; internal medicine; patient education. Maybe my concerns were too far afield for her to take seriously. Anyway, I was struggling to get her to give me a refill. She said they couldn't fill it because they "couldn't find it in my record." I pushed a bit, explaining that my son's medications often showed up in my medical record--maybe she should check to see if my 7 year old son has a prescription for birth control since our records keep getting confused? She told me after 20 minutes of belabored conversation that getting birth control was "not an emergency, and this line is only for emergencies." (She just really wanted to get rid of me). Then I asked her, well, if I get pregnant because my doctor won't prescribe me my regular birth control, should I just call you on a weekday, and you'll help me straighten things out? Here's where she said: "You are married and 30 years old, I think you could take care of it yourself." I guess being 30 and married qualifies me to perform abortions on myself! Wow! If I were a single lesbian, I guess she might think differently--start dispensing birth control pills like candy! Maybe she meant that all married men are skilled in the art of administering abortofacients. Cool! Who knew? This counts as "patient education" for sure. I guess if I were a teenager and unmarried, lack of access to birth control might be considered an actual "emergency." This is unbelievable, but true! Again, her name is Kathryn Poulin. If you ever see her in person, be sure to bring up this anecdote. Luckily, I called my university health services and got a script called into my local pharmacy in about 2 minutes. No lip service either. I guess they don't want their female students to have unwanted pregnancies. Again, Kate or Kathryn Poulin is the name! She should be fired. Or move to Oklahoma or North Dakota where reproductive services for women are routinely denied often purposefully delayed. I think she'd be happier there. read more

This rating is for the physical therapy department only. Physical therapists Ann and Hilda were both great! I was helped by both of them for several months after major orthopedic surgery. The PT reception staff was friendly, the facilities were fine. I would go back there if I ever need PT in the future. read more

Another female patient here to complain about their experience with Dr. Tatiana Slavsky. Words cannot describe how incredibly rude and tactless this doctor is. She will pick apart your physique in ways that don't seem appropriate for a doctor to do, she will tell you that your BMI seems high when it isn't, and she will ask you if you depressed or not, stressed or not, etc., which could be routine questions or simply a way to write more Wellbutrin prescriptions. No idea. This woman shouldn't be practicing if she cannot treat her female patients in a respectful manner. With that said, I have better luck with nurse practitioners than doctors there now, and I routinely see NP Maria Hedberg who is pleasant and straightforward. read more

As an update, I ended up leaving Harvard Vanguard. I saw Aaron Levine who told me I would be fine but I had to quit my hobbies and another spine specialist who wanted to give me shots. I left and went to Chestnut Spine Center. They told me I am young and healthy and gave me specialized PT. I have been pain free and back in my hobbies for years! Thank god I didn't listen and went elsewhere!! Hey read more

Billing Department - My doctor here is amazing, however my experiences talking on the phone with customer service and more specifically the billing department has been less than friendly. Because of a bad insurance plan, I had to pay over 1200 dollars for my annual appointment and a separate procedure (which I understood would cost more). When receiving the bill, I started by making small payments when I was paid, but was then called by billing to tell me they were going to have to send collections after me if I didn't pay. I told them that I had been paying it off in increments and was told by the person on the phone "yeah..you haven't been paying that much." I thought this was extremely rude. Fortunately, I could set up a billing plan for 100 a month, however what if I couldn't do that? I felt judged by the person on the phone since my payments apparently weren't "good enough" and felt disrespected. Any other time I have called I have felt like I am met with rudeness, and if it weren't for my amazing doctor, I wouldn't come here. read more

ETA, May 2013: I said that I'd post an update, and here it is. My review has gone from 3 stars to 4, on account of Dr. Berger. I almost hate to put her name out there, because it will be even harder to get an appointment, but the simple truth is: she's fantastic, helpful, funny, personal and personable, and incredibly responsive. She seems to get my odd sense of humor, and she has been empathic with me when dealing with an ongoing health conundrum. Thank you, Dr. Berger. You're great. (Why hasn't it gone to 5 stars? Because I can't leave the negative things as described below out of my overall assessment of the practice as a whole; Dr. Berger and our pediatrician [whose name will remain a state sekrit!] and a few others have been great, but they're individuals amongst a very large group which needs some work. Also, the weekend Urgent Care ranges from fabulous to "meh", and so again, taking them all on balance it certainly isn't at a 5 star level.) I have been going to HVMA on and off for almost 20 years, including when it has been called various other names. I've had many experiences, both good and bad. I currently see Dr. Berger (correction: I've seen her once); my 16 month old son sees a wonderful pediatrician :-). My sense of the practice as a whole is that who you see makes a lot of the difference; but, there is no question that this is an HMO-style practice, and the individual attention may be lacking at times due to the scheduling that they follow (i.e., tight). That having been said: 1) For adult care, I've had good-to-great experiences with: Dr. Johnson (urgent care; listened carefully, followed up attentively, and really a friendly, understanding gentleman); Dr. Berger (seems kind, humorous, smart, a bit condescending but overall not bad); and Joan Handel, NP (to the point and helpful, wants to have the right thing happen with a minimal hassle to the patient). 2) For adult care, I had a terrible experience with Dr. Slavsky and will avoid her CATEGORICALLY from now on. I considered telling the story here, but have decided to instead consider whether to take it to a manager within the organization because it was really quite incredible. In a bad way. 3) For pediatrics care, we have had very, very positive experiences with everyone we've met. The nurses, PAs, and physicians have all been great. Our son would happily watch the fish in the tank all day, which is better than the silly games and beat up toys in his previous pediatrician's office. 4) For "specialty" care, I will avoid the mammography department, because I was in pain for several weeks after one visit with a particularly aggressive technician. I now go to the Mill Street office in Arlington. The lab was great (I faint when I get needles, and they accommodated this without question, and apologized for making me wait because the room was busy for a while). I saw someone in Physical therapy, and I saw someone regarding a pain in the joint of my foot, and they were both great. I strongly appreciate the fact that it's all under one roof, including the lab, the on-site, covered parking, and a pharmacy with pharmacists who take the time to explain details of administering unusual medications. I hope that with our current set of clinicians, my rating will go up over the next year or so. I will post an update as things progress. read more

There are so many other medical practices to choose in the area, so it's a wonder Harvard Vanguard stays in business. Oh wait- I know how- their aggressive billing techniques and condescending staff! While I've had some good doctors through Harvard Vanguard, the administrative staff leaves much to desire. Billing staff has incorrect information, won't provide any details about balances, and clearly has an attitude problem and treats you like a criminal for owing a balance. They have a ton of locations, so they offer convenience, but not much else. Getting a new doctor is such a headache, but I've had enough of Harvard Vanguard. Save yourself the hassle and don't even start going there! read more

This is located steps from the Davis Square T stop, but also has a City of Somerville parking lot next door (Entrance at Buena Vista Blvd). Its a large Harvard Vanguard complete with Emergency Care, Pharmacy, Lab, Eye Care, etc etc... I recently moved my PCP to this office and work with Dr. Angell. Luckily I have not had to go here for anything much more than a strep test, annual physical, and some lab work. First, HV is great since they have an email/online portal where you can electronically communicate and book appointments with your doctor. It is nice to be able to quickly email your physician with a question, and get an email back later instead of calling in, which seems much more 'urgent' in my eyes. Also the online portal lets you see your lab results online and charted over time, which the nerd in me loves. The fact that they have a lab on site means the lab work is done pretty quickly. Full labs in 12 hours is pretty dang impressive. With a pharmacy on site, it makes getting your Rx from the doctor to the pharmacy as easy as walking from one end of the building to the other. Even though there is a CVS down the street, this was a much faster and easier experience since my doctor is right in the building with them. I have found the staff, both nursing and administrative, helpful and courteous. No complaints from me here... this is great! I'll be back... but hopefully for just a physical, nothign serious. read more

This review is specifically for Dr. Shoyer and the Pediatrics office. Dr Shoyer has been an excellent pediatrician to my son. She is attentive, thorough, and kind. My toddler is very comfortable with her, she listens to me go on and on about every mundane detail, and somehow always leaves me confident in my parenting! She also calls back any time you ask for her to call. The office has checked in with us (by phone) every time my son has been sick or injured whether we went to the office or not. We recently left north cambridge and she gave us recommendations for pediatricians in our new town. We will really miss her! read more