I am writing this review as a parent of a child with epilepsy who was treated at AMS Neurology. Unfortunately, our experience became very concerning after NP Michael Acosta left the practice. Since then, communication, follow-up care, and billing coordination have been extremely problematic. I do want to acknowledge that James in the front office and nurse Michelle have always been kind, responsive, and supportive -- they truly try their best with patients and families. Prior to the recent issues, our experience over the years with Dr. Niesen and PA Laura was unfortunately very difficult in terms of care consistency and overall coordination. My son Lukas has full Medi-Cal coverage (Health Net Community Solutions) with CCS authorization, yet claims were not properly submitted to insurance and were instead billed directly to us and even sent to collections. This caused unnecessary stress while my child needs ongoing neurological care. More importantly, there was a period when the neurologist was unreachable regarding medication side effects, seizure management, and EEG interpretation. This lack of continuity contributed to serious anxiety and medical concerns until Children's Hospital Los Angeles stepped in to stabilize his care. Families dealing with pediatric neurological conditions need clear communication, proper insurance handling, and reliable medical support. I hope this feedback helps improve patient care and administrative practices for other families. read more

This is not for the Doctor himself but rather my experience with the NP. I was there as a first time mother for reassurance that my 8 month old's behavior was normal and not something worse. Instead I felt dismissed and left feeling like I was crazy. He barely made eye contact with me, only with my husband. When I would state something, he'd confirm with my husband as if to confirm that I was telling the truth, making me feel unheard and a liar. I am the parent who is with our son 24/7 while my husband works and it would be me who would know our son's behavior best. Despite that, I could sense his doubt around what I said each time I answered. I would've appreciated some understanding and empathy considering the fact that I'm a first time mom who was simply concerned that her baby could possibly have something causing his behavior even if it meant proving me wrong. No parent wants to be right about their child having any issues neurologically but that is why they are there, to check our babies out not make us feel crazy for being concerned. I was concerned that my son was possibly having spasms or seizures, but took him to this office because I am obviously not educated in the field. When asked about my concerns he immediately asked how I even knew what spasms were with a condescending tone judging me for using google to know of its existence. Again, I am a parent not a doctor and for him to make me feel like I wasting his time based off what google suggested could be happening was rude and uncalled for. He even made a comment about our insurance being a PPO and the downside is examples like ours such as how people come straight there instead of getting confirmation from a pediatrician. I felt that was disrespectful. It wasn't until it was clear I was upset due to my shortness and frustration that he began asking more questions and even offered to run a test on my baby to see if it was seizures that was happening. He also asked us questions about what we do, our jobs, and other questions that don't pertain to our son and why we were there. The whole interaction felt like he was simply trying to do things to not end it the visit so fast after he dismissed everything within minutes of coming into the room. Everyone else in the office was friendly but I will not be returning and as a first time parent and patient there, I'm disappointed that this was the experience I had. I left frustrated and felt as if the NP was sexist due to how he treated my answers and presence. Still don't feel confident that my son is 100% okay because I didn't feel heard at all. read more

Michale Acosta is a very smart and caring NP any questions I have he is quick to reply or if busy will always call. The staff their are very friendly and hard working especially JOY! They have always myself and Always caring when it comes to my son Vincent read more

My son was born with a host of birth anomalies, and as a result, we inherited Dr. Nielsen while he was still in the NICU. To make a king story short, Dr. Niesen remained my sons neurologist until he was 6 years old when during a routine visit to get an RX refilled, dr. Niesen began to tell me what a great mom I was, how I had a much to look forward to and so much to get from my other 3 sons. He went on to say "if you never have the possibility of getting a hug, a smile or even a word", why not just let him go to have a better life basically in the hereafter. Now at this point, I really didn't know what he was saying until it became clear when I asked for clarification and he said that as we let him go, they would make sure he was "comfortable" . Ooooh, I said, so you want me to let my baby die! He said "no matter what your decision. I'll still take care of him". In my mind I was like NO THE HELL YOU WONT. But I held it together and simply asked "how do I write this in my planner? He went on to ask me "does he eat by mouth". This question coming from a person who's been the primary physician for 6 years. I told him yes and his response was, "oh, then that makes it a bit more difficult ". Again, this was the last day I ever took my son to Dr. Niesen and I'm happy to say that 12 years later, Devyn is still here and a high school graduate! As challenging as it is to care for a child so disabled, having someone you trust to be a part of you village to say something so cruel and hurtful literally almost took me out of the fight. Please, do all you can to advocate for your children and keep looking, get referrals from other parents and just know God hasn't made a mistake in I trusting your child to you. read more

Dr. Niesen has been my childs Neurologist for quite some time now. For many years we were seen by neurologists at CHLA, UCLA and even Cedars and none were able to help control my son's seizures. I cannot say enough about how much Dr. Niesen has changed my sons and our lives! He has gone above and beyond to give my son a quality of life. After being treated by Dr. Niesen, we were finally able to contol my son's epilepsy. Theres so much I can say about how wonderful Dr. Niesen is, but the one thing that really stands out for me is his ability to communicate outside of appointments and business hours. When I have a very serious worrysome and urgent question or matter, he will call me back even if its on a holiday or a sunday night! And I cannot thank him enough for that! It means the world to me. I recommend Dr. Niesen and his incredible staff to everyone who needs a great neurologist on their side! We are very fortunate to have him in our life! read more

Stay away. I saw Dr. Niesen a few years back for seizures. I was recovering from a traumatic incident that had occurred two years prior, which I had been put on a medication for. My psychiatrist now believed this medication had begun to lower my seizure threshold and recommended I see Dr. Niesen specifically for the seizures. I mention the traumatic experience because I was dealing with severe symptoms of ptsd that at the time were not being treated properly and I ended up having a panic episode shortly before my appointment with him. During my appointment, he spent no time focusing on the seizures or medication, which were the issues I was seeing him for, and instead began criticizing my behavior during my panic episode (which he had only witnessed the aftermath of, not the episode itself), made invasive comments about my personal relationships, and offered "advice" on my struggles with PTSD that really only a trained therapist or psychiatrist would be qualified to give. His final question was whether I had any friends (he put an emphasis on the word "any") and when I said yes, his response was "really? Are they moody like you?" The fact of the matter is, any neurologist is going to encounter people who struggle with PTSD and other mental health issues throughout their career and this is just not an acceptable way to talk to them. To this day, I am still quite honestly shocked that a professional, especially one at his age, wouldn't know better than to handle a sensitive topic with such insensitivity. At the time, I was a minor under the care of my parents who did not believe this incident warranted any action but I am leaving this review now in hopes to prevent others from having the same experience. I hope Dr. Nielsen is able to get the education and support he needs in order to learn how to properly interact with all patients in a professional and respectful manner. read more

If I could give 0 stars I would! The office manager is so unprofessional and rude not to mention I felt like her anger and frustration towards me came out of no where! I wish the old manager was still with the office, I miss how professional and sweet she was. I'm very disappointed in how I was talked to! Wow read more

It's always scary when you are told to take your child to a specialist let alone a neurologist. But nothing but praise for Dr. Niesen! He may have been a bit late to our appointment, but after speaking with him, you know why. He pulled a chair up and took 45 mins to listen to us, read the report, ask questions and understand what was going on. To take the time to do that says it all, he didn't just pump us in and out, he made us walk out feeling like a 1,000 lbs was lifted off us. For a doctor to do that nowadays is rare, most of them leave you waiting for 30-45 mins to get 5 mins with them to tell you not to worry or order unnecessary testing. Thanks for turning around what otherwise was a stressful 10 days. read more

Our daughter had a seizure and found dr. Niesen and we saw him the same day he was reassuring calm and informative He has been with us every step of this scary journey His front office has also been incredible Helpful kind and responsive Feel so lucky that we found him read more

Our family had a wonderful experience with Dr. Niesen! Our ten year old son experienced a sports head concussion and with Dr. Nielsen's care and protocol he is back to his old self. He spent and incredible amount of time taking care of him and was always available by phone, constantly checking in on his progress. I can't recommend this doctor and office more highly. read more

Dr Niesen treated my son around 15 years ago for quite some time at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. I never had the chance to thank him personally after all this years for all his care, dedication, professionalism in the care of my son that suffer from a brain tumor from a very young age and severe injuries from a surgery that went wrong. Our health system is cracked unfortunately , but there is still a few wonderful doctor like Dr Niesen, that are honest, and they take their Oath very seriously. Dr Niesen if you get to read this I wanted you to know that our family has you deeply in our hearts for your amazing work, dedication and care you dedicate to William. You were a true blessing in my boy's life and the excellent care he received from you and your team. Thank you very much Dr Niesen from the bottom of my heart and sorry for reaching out so late. My PTSD took over all this years and I hope you understand. Always and forever grateful Dr Niesen. Laura. William's mom. read more

I actually had an appointment with him today as I am a kid with back problems. I decided to read the reviews on the way down here with my mom. We read reviews and saw that some said he falls asleep and doesnt give much info. We didn't want to come after we read all this but we decided to in the end ..... Here is my experience: We were taken in at 1:05 and then procedded to talk to him until 2:00, when he said all of a sudden while we were talking he needed to go "get" something... He was also during this time (before he left) turned out to fall asleep multiple times while we were talking to him.We couldn't believe how the reviews we read earlier came true before our eyes. Because of this he never finished his notes and he was constantly re-asking questions. Although, when he did come back around 2:15, he seemed suprisingly way more coherent than he was at first, which i found very strange. He was no longer dozing off. Now when he came back and was talking he sounded like an actually doctor, my mom didnt like that he was falling asleep...he missed a lot of important things, I suggest you rather go to a childrens hospital instead of here...maybe he has D.I.D as like I said his personality kinda shifted.. read more

A+ doc and then some. My now 13 year old son has seen most ALL the top neurologists In the LA area and big teaching hospitals since he was 7mo old. So I'm quite seasoned and have first hand experience with the various Neurologists in the area. I can guarantee that with Dr. Niesen you will gain even great knowledge and understanding with your loved ones condition. Dr. Niesen will spend an unusual but necessary amount of time with each office visit (this has never changed). Dr. Niesen will not only treat the most obvious reason for your visit, in our case it was a medicine resistant seizure disorder but he will treat all of the additional problems that most doctors never get to. Such as sleep issues, behavior issues and the education component. Dr. Niesen is warm, engaging, compassionate and wicked smart in his field. He seems to be highly skilled in knowing what medications to prescribe as they have all worked perfectly. On our recent visit, Dr. Niesen mentioned that he would like to start weening off some of the meds. I am comforted knowing that getting off the meds when possible is part of the approach that Dr. Neison prescribes to. The way that Dr. Neison has made our sons education plan a part of the medical plan has been outstanding and a huge benefit to our son. You will never feel rushed as Dr. Neison will take the time to answer each and all of your questions, even the ones that other docs may have made you feel small for asking. I have searched for many years to get my son help. To find a doc who could stop the seizures and offer real solutions to the host of other problems associated with his diagnosis. Dr. Niesen has addressed, treated, improved or eliminated our concerns and our sons problems. As new things crop up, Dr. Niesen is right there offering treatments and solutions! Definitely a solutions oriented doc. read more

Dr. Niesen and his staff are amazing! I have been working with him since Nov. after my child couldn't get diagnosed, not only did he take his time with her, but he was very good, gave her a great treatment and very informative. I highly recommend him. read more

Just horrible. Took my daughter here because she's been getting headaches. All we got was a prescription and lectures about what my daughter needs to do about her education and after school activities so she can get into a good college. My daughter has parents and I don't need parenting advise! We're here to find out what is causing my daughters headaches and we got a headache instead. Waste of time, very disappointed. read more

I am not sure what is wrong with this doctor and the office. Given that this doctor is a pediatric neurologist, his patient load will consist of children with special needs. Finding a pediatric neurologist is hard because most of them have high caseloads. I was able to easily schedule an appointment with this doctor which immediately raised my suspicion. I am not sure if Dr. Niesen is not a competent doctor or if he has a personality disorder in which he convinces parents that something is seriously medically wrong with their child for pure pleasure or greed or both. It is hard to tell because he is well spoken. He ran some blood and imaging tests which came back normal. Thank god it was an outside hospital or lab determining the results. And by the way, the doctor predicted they would not come back normal. After predicting the results would not come back normal and scaring us parents, he took his sweet time to get back to us. We had to call several times to get the results. Well, after all these first order diagnostic tests came back normal he decides to order a very specialized test for a set of syndromes which are all devastating and fatal. The basic tests come back normal but yet he is convinced our child has this devastating disease. We clocked out at that point and our child is absolutely healthy. I do not like to personally call people out like this but this is serving as a public health message especially when they apply to a protected population such as special needs children. read more

Don't go to him!!! He was falling asleep during one of our appointments and the next time I didn't have money to pay for parking. So I had to wait tell someone came out to park for free in the front. I was 13 minutes late n he wouldn't take me he had to reschedule and when I went in he said I have to pay 40 dollars for being late the last time. He can't see my daughter tell I pay. He's money hungry GO TO A CHILDRES HOSPITAL WAY BETTER !!!!! read more

Don't bother. Always late for appointments and then falls asleep during the session. Difficult to have a conversation with a dr that keeps nodding off. Ridiculous. read more

I didn't have a problem with the appearance of the office, because they're under construction. But the Dr.... He was FALLING ASLEEP while I was talking to him!!! Then, he asked about my brother's medication, and I didn't know how to pronounce it properly, and he was quite rude about it. He was totally unprofessional, made me call home so I could SPELL out the medication, and when he pronounced it to me, I was like... how in the HELL did you not understand me when I said it?? I wasn't off by much. You're just rude and go home and sleep, instead of sleeping while I am talking to you. smh read more

I have been a pediatric nurse since 1988 caring for special needs children and the majority of them have some form of epilepsy. I adopted 3 of my special needs foster babies and saw Dr Neisen at Cedars Sinai. We later saw him at his office. One of my kids also has hydrocephalus and a VP shunt. He had shunt failure and was admitted at a Children's hospital then promptly discharged with "a virus". He was clearly dying of shunt failure and I put him in the car in the early hours of the morning and calked Dr. Neisen in a plea for help. He sent me to Cedars and they were awaiting our arrival. My son had emergency surgery within hours. We don't see this Dr anymore because of issues with CCS as our secondary insurance and getting medications but if I ever felt my son was being mismanaged Id pay cash if I had to. Dr Neisen really cares about people and his patients and he will try his best to help your child and you. He's a gem. read more

I am a physician, and have known Chuck Niesen for many years, and have worked with him as a referral pediatric neurologist on many patients. He has directed the pediatric neurology program at Cedars, until going into private practice. He is one of the most skilled, knowledgeable pediatric neurologists I have ever known, and is one of the kindest individuals as well. When I see one star reviews talking in a derogatory manner about "this surgeon" when Dr. Niesen is not a surgeon, I have to wonder about the motivation of the people writing. As a doctor, when I see that a patient is angry because extensive testing was done which turned out normal, I have to ask "what would you have preferred? that the testing showed a serious disease? Or that the doctor was not alert enough to look carefully for the cause?" I just had a close relative ask for a referral for his young child, and without hesitation, recommended Chuck Niesen. read more

My daughter suffered a concussion at school last week and after her pediatrician examined her, she recommended that we see Dr. Niesen to better diagnose the severity and treat it because he uses a newer approach. His office squeezed us in that afternoon and I am so grateful for the referral. For full disclosure, my other child has been a patient of UCLA neurology for 9 years so I am very experienced with how pediatric neurologist work. Dr. Niesen was very thorough and recommended a treatment which helped her heal in about half the time as traditional 'rest' treatments. He also called us every day for an update (even on Saturday and Sunday) to check her status and answer any questions. I was surprised to see the negative reviews here but as someone with a lot of experience with pediatric neurologists, I was very confident our daughter's care and grateful that we were referred to him. read more

I have been through several Neurologists, and I finally found an amazing one. Dr. Niesen always spends the time needed and more during our appointments. He is kind, sincere, and commited to my son's needs. His entire staff is friendly, kind and helpful. All calls are answered and returned VERY quickly. He has exceeded all my expectations. read more

My son has severe epliepsy and we are blessed that we are under the care of Dr Neisen. He calls on weekends if I call the office, and he did this for our family prior to us even becoming his patient when my son had his first seizure at age 11. My now 15-year-old son respects Dr Neison greatly and so do I. Additionally, I have not seen Dr Neisen appear tired for some time now. I only experienced that once. I considered that he was probably working too much and that issue is no longer. If you think about his schedule, he works 6 days a week and is most likely doing even more than that for patients that are in the hospital unexpectedly. He is dedicated and an excellent physician. Our famioly would not consdier going anywhere else for my son's Epilepsy. read more

I have no idea where the negative reviews here came from. Dr. Niesen saw my preschool-age son yesterday to address hyperactivity, motor skill and autism concerns, and he was amazing. Thorough, friendly, attentive, totally down-to-earth. Considerate and no-nonsense. (Perhaps he works less well with people who want a more...nonsense-oriented approach? I could perhaps see that). Most importantly, my son loved him. The office was staff was nice and easy to work with. What more could you ask for? read more

Excellent! We were thrilled at the personal attention we received! The doctor was late for our appointment by about 45 minutes. But the minute he came in we knew why. He gives his full and undivided attention to the patient he is with and doesn't leave until he makes sure you have discussed everything on your mind. Dr. Niesen brought things up that we had never discussed with our other neurologist and we were thrilled to hear his opinion on our sons case. He treated our son as an individual rather than a statistic. I really felt as though our feelings and those of our son really mattered. He even set up an in home 24 hour EEG whereas our other facility did it in a hospital and that was slightly traumatic for everyone. We also received phone call follow ups from Dr. Niesens personal cell and he advised to reach out at any point with concerns. Where else can you get a doctor like that to show true care and concern for your child!?! So far we are extremely excited that we found him and I thank my friend for the referral! read more

Dr Niessen has been a blessing in my families life. The whole office is AMAZING! Jennifer (front desk) is always helpful and very kind. So grateful to have such great care. read more

Dr. Niesen is awesome. No parent ever wants to need a neurologist but, I am so glad when we did, we found him. He takes the time needed to really get to know you and understand what's happening. When things in your kids brain, don't happen the way they should, as in my daughter's case, he never gave up until he found the answer. He has been so great to work with. And that's just it, he works with you. He never talks at you. He never expects you to have the medical degree and always breaks down what is happening and why into understandable terms. We are blessed to have a doctor who cares so much on our side. read more

Dr Niesen has treated my daughter for almost 20 years and has literally been like an extended member of our family. We worked together as a team to support her through childhood epilepsy that she is very lucky to have overcome. When she began to have some new concerns recently, we went back for a visit (he was the only doctor she wanted to see) and we were reminded of his tireless dedication and supportive demeanor. He is incredibly gentle in his approach, highly sensitive, and offers his abundant wisdom and experience to help demystify whatever is going on. We had a meaningful conversation that ended with a sense of relief and direction. We are lucky that ongoing treatment is no longer necessary for our daughter, but can't recommend him more highly as a partner in the journey. I am forever grateful for his contribution in our lives and respect him and his approach to his practice immensely. read more

I highly recommend Dr Niesen to any family needing a pediatric neurologist. My son Had a seizure last year and it was the scariest thing I've ever been through as a parent. I was so happy that Dr Niesen made time to see us the next day. I was so relieved to be able to talk with him and have my mind put at ease. I love that he takes an approach that isn't just medication. He talked to us about diet and sleep and things that felt very doable to help keep my son healthy. I've never had a doctor who has made himself so available. He has called nights, weekends....so reassuring to have someone there when you're a worried parent. He spends a lot of time listening at each visit. We have been very blessed to find such a caring doctor. read more

My son suffers headaches and only went to this office once, his pediatrician suggested we go back to this office but based on the reviews here and my experience I did not want to go back. Yesterday I received a statement from this office for a copay that has already been paid and a "missed appointment fee". I called and they were extremely rude and unprofessional, ESPECIALLY their office manager. They do not keep proper track of their appointments/cancellations and later try charging you their missed appointment fee. The only way they'll wipe it off is if you have proof of cancellation which is impossible unless you record all the phone calls you make. Today I got a phone call from the doctor stating he would "wipe my account" of THEIR mistake however he felt it was best if I got a second opinion. So in other words he's admitting that they misdiagnosed my son? All they did was see my 5 year old son once, asked me and him a couple of questions, didn't even run any tests on him and prescribed him a medication that treats "migraines" which did nothing but make him extremely sleepy and didn't fix his issue with headaches. Also our appointment was at 8:30 am but they didn't open their doors until almost 9am, they are quick to charge you their so called fees for their time but have no consideration for yours. Since it was my first office visit there I checked with the pediatric office next door to see if they knew of another entry and they said they no that's the right entrance, they never open on time. Don't waste your time or energy here unless you want a headache yourself. read more

NEVER AGAIN!!!!!! Got a 2nd opinion and I urge anyone that goes to him to get one as well.

We found ourselves in need of a pediatric neurologist after our 3 1/2 year old son started having seizures. Dr. Neisen came highly recommended to us by a very good friend who's son had also been successfully treated by him. We did see other pediatric neurologists and felt that Dr. Neisen was the best doctor for us. I am so glad we found him because we trusted him, followed exactly what he wanted us to do and our son is seizure-free today. He is a very nice man and incredibly caring. He has patience for any and all concerns and the millions of questions that us as worried parents had. We never felt rushed when in an appointment with him nor over the phone. He is very thorough and a very good doctor. And, we love his nurse too! read more

Claimed that yoga and more exercise would cure my arthritis. Not so much, really.

I am not one to leave reviews in fact before today I did not have a yelp account but I have been forced to leave my comments due to the lack of follow up that this office has. My child has been a patient for quite sometime and I have always had an issue getting records and call backs but usually when I reach out to the office manager directly she is able to take care of my needs fairly quick and I thank her for that. This review is not for Ms. Martin. However, My current situation is that I emailed her a few weeks ago and got an away message that she is on Maternity leave so I was forced to depend on the staff. I feel like they dont answer phones calls and always give me the run around and not to mention RUDE the front desk woman always seems to hate her job and it makes it hard to want to return. I mean why would I want an office to care for my child if they dont even like talking to me on the phone?? Again Im not one to leave reviews but I am very upset that the only person that seems to care is the manager. Its disappointing especially because Dr nieson is a very good neurologist and I dont want to leave him but the staff seems to make that the only option. read more