So you'll see the reviews here are split into 5-star, and 1-star, and nothing in between! The 1-star reviews complain about appointments sometimes starting late, and the way Dr Hanberg presents in meetings. If guaranteed timeliness, a 15-minute meeting, and 'buddies on the golf course' presentation are more important to you than having a chronic and mysterious health condition solved: yes, please stay away. Dr H is a genius who cares deeply for her patients. She is at the leading-edge of *real* Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment. Some of the complaints about timeliness are because she works at a hospital in the day, takes Lyme patients in the evening, and sometimes has to deal with hospital emergencies - which obviously stretches her day even further. Her assistant Brenda displays equal care, going above and beyond to help organize care and save costs. The 5-star reviews are from those who genuinely see the genius, kindness and care. And are prepared to 'pay' the frankly trivial price of working around some of the rough edges. [My review is based on 4-5 years of working with Dr H on the health of my daughter, who had a chronic, mysterious, life-threatening condition that Dr H identified, and has helped to treat. I'm a neuroscientist with advanced training in theoretical physics. As others have said about their cases: Dr H saved my daughter's life when no-one else could. ] read more

This is the best way I can share how brilliant Dr. Hanberg is and what she brings to the practice of medicine -- what does for her patients: share an excerpt from the memoir I'm writing. Sometimes our angels come to us in mysterious ways, and sometimes we don't appreciate them when we meet. In addition to the doctor who was present when I was being born, Dr. Hanberg is the physician who probably deserves the most credit for saving my life and putting me on the path to the best health possible of any doctor I've ever met in my entire life. And you know what? I was so bratty and spoiled and self-absorbed in my own fantasy love story that I don't think I ever thanked her once for what she did for me (other than this yelp review and of course what she did for me will all come up in the book). Like Einstein, brilliance is eccentric, brilliance bounces around, brilliance is quiet and unassuming. If you're lost and looking for a little guidance, like a light in the fog of holy shit I'm neck deep in sea of suffering and sh*t, go see Dr. Hanberg. *** CHAPTER 15: "Holy shit I've never seen anything like that before!" I lay in the hospital bed at St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank listening to the sounds of the machines. The sounds of steps down the hallway. The sounds of cries from the room across the hall. There's always sounds inside the walls of a hospital. Sounds straight from a horror film. Having just been diagnosed with C-Diff, the new antibiotics I started in the hospital were starting to work and my bowels were slowing returning to normal. A few weeks earlier when I was dosing myself up with handfuls of amoxicillin tablets I knew I was gonna pay a price, and C-Diff was the price. As much as a C-diff infection presented an entirely new set of problems, I didn't once regret the mounds of mouthfuls of amoxicillin I took leading up to my first hospitalization at Cedars-Sinai on September 17th, 2005. That amoxicillin kept me alive. As I lay in the darkness pondering my new stew of misery, the door creaked open. "Sorry I'm so late." It was Dr. Hanberg. I liked late night visits. I'm usually up all night when I'm at the hospital. (And at home too.) "No problem, thanks for coming by." I meant it. "I've just spent the last few hours reviewing your case and--" Normally I would think a doctor was full of sh*t if they said they had just spent a few hours reviewing my case, but I believed her. She sounded determined to find a way out of this medical maze of hell I was living in. I appreciated that more than I could express. "after going over your records...the turbulent last few weeks...and I spoke with Dr. Schroeder..." Hearing his name made me happy. I sat up a little. "--and I like him by the way--" I hope not in the way that I like him. I watched Dr. Hanberg swirl my case around in her mind...like someone close to putting their finger on something that that they can't quite reach. "Your case is complex, there's a lot of things going on...autoimmune, infectious..." She looks at me closely, like she's taking a fresh look to see if there was something she might have missed. She paused, after careful deliberation she was sure we should take this turn together. "Have you heard of IVIG?" Hmm...I'd never heard of IVIG. "IVIG is immunoglobulin, it's effective in helping patients with immune disorders, both infectious and autoimmune disorders...I think it could help you. Would you be interested in trying it?" While I wasn't convinced I had multiple sclerosis - in fact I thought the MS diagnosis was a big distraction from the issues truly plaguing me - but if IVIG could work for both infections and autoimmune problems, then maybe I could make the people who think I have MS happy while I also help myself recover from the infections truly retching my soul by trying this IVIG. "Yes, sure, I'll try it." She nodded, I'd heard her. I could tell she hadn't come to the decision to order IVIG lightly, she had put a lot of thought into it. I was grateful that she understood how bad my infections were, in spite of the fact I didn't 'look sick'. Dr. Hanberg was listening. read more

If you love waiting around for hours for your appointment, you love then being delegated to a zoom appointment only to have the Dr show up 5 hours late then fumble around for 30 minutes trying to figure out how zoom works, microphones & video work while you're being charged then you have found the perfect place. If you love paying a Dr exorbitant fee's for medical advice & instead getting a Dr to yell at you about your vaccination status then again you've hit a home run. If you love a Dr that seems semi incoherent, unplugged & barely interested to listening to you then this place will be perfect. And if you love using antiquated methods to a modern problem with a complete lack of follow care, then my friend this place is utopian. read more

Very rude she will talk down to you I think she might have mental illness She never has your test results or will even go over them with you and when she can't help you she will still take your money even though it's coming out of your own pocket. And then she'll use a network of doctors that don't even know who she is and can't help you . Her stuff is never on top of things Horrible practice. read more

This review is long overdue and I hope others will find it useful. If you are searching for a highly knowledgeable and thorough LLMD in Southern California, you must see Dr Hanberg. She takes an aggressive approach to diagnostic testing -even on things other physicians may not have tested you for -and helps you get to the bottom of what is ailing you. She won't give up searching for answers. In my case, I was lucky enough to be referred to her when my longtime out-of-state LLMD retired, and I'm so grateful I did. Positive Lyme bands were finally revealed after she ordered state of the art lab and imaging tests. I no longer have to say that I'm a seronegative Lyme patient. Dr. Hanberg's office is pressured on time with limited resources, but please be patient and willing to wait -she is an amazing doctor who cares deeply and will help you! Her office manager Brenda is kind, listens, and answers questions to ensure your visits go smoothly. If anyone is reading this and is debating on making an appointment, stop reading these reviews and just call her office. You will finally be on the road to treatment and a hopeful recovery! read more

I came to Dr. Hanberg in the Fall of 2018 after being undiagnosed by other doctors for three years. She has helped me immensely and I wanted to take a moment to write a review. One of the first things that I learned about Dr. Hanberg is that she has been working with infectious disease illnesses for over 4 decades. She is very knowledgeable about all infectious diseases from HIV to Tick Borne Illness. She is also very knowledgeable of the current pandemic. Dr. Hanberg understand that infectious disease can have impacts on both the body and the brain. Because of this understanding, in addition to regular blood draws for diagnostic purposes, she also uses SPECT scans, MRIs, spinal taps and EEGs. She is not a doctor that will tell you that your symptoms are all in your head. She believes her patients, and tries to get to the root of the issues you are having so that she can help you and your body heal. Dr. Hanberg is a wealth of knowledge with referrals to other doctors. Because of her, I have access to wonderful specialists including endocrinology and rheumatology. As far as patient care goes, Dr. Handberg generally sees her patients late into the evening. This is of great benefit to her patients who are still able to work 9-5 jobs as they do not have to take off work to make their appointments with her. She is also willing to take as much time as needed with each of her patients. Sometimes this can mean that a patient may wait a while before being seen. This is preferable to being rushed in and out by a doctor that only has 20 min. per patient. Dr. Hanberg always listens to my concerns and tries to solve my health issues with a variety of strategies. I also have wonderful things to say about her office assistant, Brenda. Brenda is kind and genuinely cares about the well-being of her patients. She is good about calling to get paperwork needed or lab tests for upcoming appointments. She will also listen to your concerns so that you can make the most out of your appointment. Above all else, I am most grateful to Dr. Handberg for keeping me working during illness flairs and other work related issues. I can honestly say that I would not still be employed if not for her. read more

The worst bedside manner, time management skills, availability, and preparation possible for a doctor to have. If you like being stuck in a doctor's office until MIDNIGHT (no, I'm no exaggerating), and being disrespected, told you are wrong, told which symptoms you're *actually* experiencing (when they are very clearly not), having your symptoms twisted to fit into her research, having diagnoses by competent and caring physicians questioned by someone who does not specialize in the modality in question, being scolded by your physician, filling out repetitive paperwork, having multiple unnecessary tests done-beyond the point of medical abuse... she may be the have doctor for you. The woman is a quack. I would stay away. read more

There is a woman who is insulting anyone who down votes this doctor on this site. Her name is Kissa V. Just be aware, she will message you. I believe either she works in the office or she is close friends with the doctor. She proceeded to tell me that I should expect to pay fees that weren't outlined or stated, and I deserved to have contracted clostridium difficile even though I followed protocol for probiotics and healthy eating, as well as insulting my character and my intelligence. I almost died due to negligence from this doctor, and ended up at Cedars Sinai medical hospital 2/3 times I was hospitalized due to the overprescription of antibiotics here. They suggested I start a lawsuit. I did not because I had no money left after 2 FMT procedures to cure my antibiotic resistant c diff. Do not let this woman continue to harass patients. I've reported her to Yelp, and if she does the same to you for stating your experience, I suggest you take similar action. No one should be persecuted for their experiences. If I do find out she works for this office or is connected in some way, I will file a complaint with my other options. Please don't allow others to push you around. It's wrong, it's rude, and everyone's medical experience will be different. I am simply sharing what happened when I was treated here. read more

Everyone has their own experience. Mine is based on my friend. I went with him at times. He waited a loooong time! That is a fact! I appreciated the time she spent on his case. Thanks to her he is on treatment and people stopped saying he was crazy and that it was all in his head. Now he gets compliments on how well he is doing. Questions were answered and staff was friendly, Lyme lit. Before he got to her he was in and out of ERs for years and his health was very clearly deteriorating. They wanted to operate his brain as well! Thank goodness he did not go through with that. From what I understand, he still has some ways to go but I am very pleased with his progress. I tell everyone I know about her. Again, the wait is long but the thoroughness and time spent on his case was amazing. Dr. Hanberg is my friends angel. read more

Francine is a good doctor. She cares about her patients. I haven't seen her "push" antibiotics on me. She wants to get to the bottom of things and heal people. Her office is a little ... overwhelmed. It's tough to get appointments. It's common to see her once every two months, making treatment difficult for really sick people. It's common to wait at least an hour when you arrive, often more. Once I waited 4 hours and got seen at 9 PM! But ... she does go to bat for you. So, I think it's worth it. You just need to sacrifice. read more

I think Doctor Hanberg saved my life. No exaggeration! I have been sick for 20 years. Going to 20+ doctors. I was distraught. I couldn't understand what I read, couldn't follow a conversation. Difficulty completing a sentence. Thought I had dementia. I do not!!! I'm 54 years old today and in treatment for a chronic disease that she was able to figure out. A disease that supposedly doesn't exist in southern CA. I am so lucky that my internist referred me to her!! I was done going to Doctors and would of just stayed home and suffered and probably died if not for her do diligence!! She will figure out what you have!! read more

I've been seeing Dr. Hanberg most of this year (2017) & I initially called Nov/Dec of 2016. I'm from NY & was bitten by a tick while visiting there. Once I returned here to SoCal I noticed symptoms immediately & it took 4 trips to the Dr. for a PA to finally test me for Lyme Disease. I was shocked it came back positive & although I was upset I knew I needed to find a Lyme Literate Dr. I called more than 8 infectious disease Dr.'s & was told everything from "lyme doesn't exist" to "you already had one treatment regime & that's all you need, you're fine" .... Clearly I wasn't fine or I wouldn't be calling you! ugh! I FINALLY found organizations/groups that will help you find Lyme Literate Dr.'s & Dr. Hanberg's name showed up on these lists. I called her office & the FIRST thing they tell you is THERE WILL BE A LONGER THAN AVERAGE WAIT TIME & if you're NOT okay w/that then you might want to find a different Dr. I chose to go see her anyway & I'm glad I did! So many of these reviews complain about the time which I find hilarious b/c the amount of trips you would make to a Dr. to be treated & figure out what's wrong is MORE time consuming versus just waiting for this Dr. & she is VERY VERY thorough!!! Most Dr.'s will see you, send you away & then you're back in their office within a week. You might see Dr. Hanberg once a month or so (depending on your case) but she sends you off w/EVERY test you could ever need so she can figure out exactly what's wrong w/you & how to treat you properly. I LOVED the fact I didn't have to keep going back every week to do such things. Also, people that complain about their digestive health issues...well, no matter what when you take any sort of antibiotic regime it's bound to happen especially if you're on long-term treatment or something that is longer than 10-days. You have to figure out ways to deal with it such as seeing a GI specialist & probiotics (which there are SEVERAL on the market). I'm not downplaying any of the negative reviews b/c that was THEIR experience but I am saying you have to take into consideration her office tells you everything up front so you know what to expect AND she's one of the best Dr's in her field (I've seen several other specialists that she has NOT referred me to that speak highly of her & all she's doing in her field...her name is known) & the #1 thing is she is VERY THOROUGH!!! SO hard to find Dr.'s that don't miss a thing. read more

Dr Hanberg is an outstanding Doctor and has become a friend. She truly cares and takes the time to ensure her patients are taken care of. If it wasn't for her I would probably be incapacitated or worse. Her office staff ( Brenda) is caring and attentive when an issues is brought to their attention. She has worked with my insurance carrier who can be extremely difficult at times. Dr Hanberg is truly an asset to this community and I highly recommend her as a physician. read more

This woman - I refuse to refer to her as a doctor - is an absolute, complete, unmitigated disaster. I have never interacted with somebody so disorganized or unprofessional. I am extremely ill and sought her care after a recommendation by a previous doctor for a specialized condition. She appeared knowledgable at first, but I was ill-prepared for the cascade of ridiculousness I would endure from that point on. 1) She's forgetful. I had to repeat my case, in great detail, every time she saw me. She never had any recollection of the specifics of my illness, or the treatment she had outlined. 2) She rambles. Be prepared for her to prattle on needlessly about any and everything except for what you actually came to see her about. I am mentioning this because she charges based on time spent, so her wasting your time, is also wasting your money. 3) She is late to an extreme, comical degree. Every appointment I ever had with her, I was told "she's running late" and would be made to wait from 1.5-3 hrs later than my scheduled time. Multiple times she wasn't even in the office when I came in to see her, after having left work early etc to be prompt. She had no respect for her patient's time and offered no apology. 4) Her treatments and subsequent follow up are negligent at best, dangerous at worst. I followed the protocol she prescribed me to a word in the hopes of getting better. Not only did I worsen dramatically, but I had an allergic reaction to one of the medications she recommended. I called her office to report my alarm and ask their advice. It took them multiple days to get back to me, and I had to call repeatedly. I felt very scared and abandoned. After a few phone calls I was told to come in for a visit. I was told, rather rudely, that I needed the medicine in my system and that I had to "do something about my stomach" to get it to accept the treatment...........which is ignoring my case history of IBS, one of the many symptoms that it was implied could be linked to my disease in the first place. Ultimately I relied on my primary care doctor's advice to discontinue my "treatment", restore my body as best I could, and seek a different specialist. 5) She's rude. Before discontinuing treatment with Hanberg, I formalized an email to her very plainly stating my concerns. I reminded her that I was extremely ill and had come to her for her help, because at the time I believed her to be the best-suited to treat me. I told her that I didn't need her to *like* me, but I did need her to act professionally and respect my time. On my next visit to see her, she was late, again. She hadn't read my case file, again. She spent 15 minutes snippily trying to defend herself against my email, again offering no apology, just criticizing me for writing it....when she knew I was running late for a different obligation. She ignored the fact that her antibiotics had given me a yeast infection, despite me taking probiotics and eating very cleanly. Lastly, she had the gall to charge me for a LONGER appointment than I'd actually HAD, because she was tacking on extra time to "write the prescriptions". Seriously????? It takes less than a minute! Just...unbelievable. Stay FAR FAR FAR away from this woman unless you'd like to destroy your body, destroy your wallet, wait for hours on end to be seen by someone who won't even remember you, be outright insulted, then finally get charged excessive amounts when she KNOWS you are paying out of pocket. She doesn't care about her patients whatsoever, nor does she care about their safety or wellbeing. She only cares about making money and preying on sick, desperate people looking for help. NOPE. read more

I don't like going to the 5pm appointments (or later). Really unprofessional. She has an inferiority complex, it is sad no one has helped her passed it. It's okay to be wrong Doc, you don't need to blame it back on me. I have other options I'm choosing to exercise, but I think she has very high potential. read more

After being with another physician for some time, my healthcare benefits changed and I searched for a new doctor to take care of my special needs. I finally found Dr. Hanberg in my area and was very excited to meet her. On my first appointment she arrived over an hour late and proceeded to tell me about her background. As impressive as that is I'm not looking for a doctor who wants to sell her talents based on what was written in some celebrity's book. On my second (and last) visit, she again was extremely tardy by an hour or so. I would not recommend her to anyone who values their time and instead I would beg you to search elsewhere. She may be fine for some but she's low in my book. read more

Dr Hanberg was well recommended during my partner Hospitalization, her passion for her job is demonstrated in her thoroughness. She ran a series of test, (well maybe every test imaginable to the medical field) she not only able to find a diagnosis to the problem but she digs deeper to find the root of the problem. She listened to all our concerns , and her answers to us were in full detail. We have never encountered a Doctor who so thoroughly would explain everything to us and give us a better understanding of the illness. We are very appreciative of her work. On another note, wait times in her office are extremely long, normally hours, but she is well worth the wait. Her office is something left to desire, but we got past that, since our visit with her were a pleasure, she has a great personality. Her staff is OK, not great, one staff member is very courteous the other is at times are not very sensitive to the patients needs. The office is small and very uncomfortable. Overall, I would recommend Dr. Hanberg without hesitation, she is the best of the best. My partner is in well hands and we are extremely grateful to her. read more

After 3 years of suffering with a bad bone I finally got the right treatment! Dr. Hanberg and her staff are top notch!

Dr. Francine Hanberg is an Infectious Disease Specialist. If your expectation is that you will have a 10-15 minute appointment specifically at your appointment time and that she will simply prescribe medication to make you better, please go back to the physician that COULDN'T cure you for his/her further treatment. In Dr. Hanberg you will find a passionate physician who will work with you to discover what is wrong and what, if anything, can be done to help you recover. Remember, you are seeing this physician because the rest of the medical community either, didn't have time for you or didn't have a clue how to help you. My personal experience. I have been seeing Dr. Hanberg for 7+ years. She saved my life but she, and the medical community cannot cure me. But I have been give life. Understand that you may not see Dr. Hanberg at your appointed time. It maybe many minutes to more than an hour late. My experience, after 100+ appointments, has been that the tardiness is due to the complexity of the cases. If your life depends on this physician, do you really want her to spend the industry standard 10-12 minutes with you? NO, you want all the time you can get. That means the next patient may have to wait. Be grateful for the wait. Someone is waiting because of you. I have found her to be very scientific. Lots of tests. Again, you are seeing her because the rest have given up on you. You are complex. If it were easier, your primary, the ER or whoever you last saw would have solved the problem. They didn't. You have Sherlock Homes and she requires information to help you. Would I recommend Dr. Hanberg. For a cold, no. If your life depends on her diagnoses and treatment, YES! Outstanding credentials too.... H.S. read more

Yes, the rating is zero. I went to her for treatment and found out I had advanced Lyme ( from a different doctor who was shocked she hadn't told me the bad news). All appts were 4 hour waits in an uncomfortable waiting room. I'm unable to sit up for long, so I asked if I could lay down in one of the all empty rooms and I was told "Brenda doesn't feel like it", so each appt the next 3 days I'm in severe traction. During the appts she only speaks of herself, what she's sacrificing for us lyme patients and her accomplishments. My mom went with me to every appt and after waiting 4 hours each time, hanbergs came in having not read my records, hasn't kept track of anything, didn't test my immunity for over a year and I was on an iv for six months. Once the iv went in, hanberg got worse, she was verbally abusive to her staff and behaved erratically and was on a power Trip. If I didn't jump , they would constantly threaten me with revoking the iv. She also missed 30 tests for co- infections which I told her about and she never ordered them. She is the most abusive doctor I've ever been to and I only stuck in there for the treatment. Hanberg has left me traumatized and I've heard this from many others. One more thing, I found out that hanberg and her staff are saying negative things about me to my other doctors who call them re me. One more, she sent me a bill for $160 because my hematologist requested records and they were incomplete. All of her notes were missing. read more