No idea where these 5 star reviews come from. My experience with Dr. Lodewick constitutes the worst…read moremedical care I have ever had. I went to his office for help with food allergies and it was pure chaos from start to finish. If you are a woman advocating for your own health, you need to listen to me when I tell you to look elsewhere for your allergist. Ask your insurance to assign you to a different medical group if that's what it takes, because this doctor will not help you. I mean that. I came to the office due to sudden-onset food allergies that had resulted in 2 episodes of anaphylactic shock and nearly dying at age 34 from shellfish and hibiscus ingestion. I needed real guidance and to learn if I had any other dangerous allergies I didn't know about. From the start, the experience here was difficult. It was a 5 month wait for an appointment - they then 'lost' my booking, and I had to wait 2 additional weeks to see the doctor. Dr. Lodewick speaks about 1,000 words per minute and is always itching to ditch the room and go onto the next patient. I think our visit probably lasted around ten minutes and I felt highly pressured to "wrap up" so he could leave. This was so different from my past allergist, who I'd met with after my first allergic response. She had reserved a full hour for my appointment and actively encouraged me to ask questions and learn from her, and called me to follow-up. She took time to explain things to me and I left her office feeling confident and informed. Conversely, I left Dr. Lodewick's office feeling scared, overwhelmed and confused. The major red flag of our visit comes next. Dr. Lodewick claimed he had access to 2-year-old blood tests I had never sent over to his office or authorized for release. He did not show them to me. He also could not explain to me how he had them when I asked, and instead vaguely muttered, 'yes, yes, they're your tests from Kaiser, the nurse and I looked at them together.' I now theorize that he made a dangerous administrative error and thought someone else's tests were mine. He claimed these past tests showed no evidence of food allergies, but that's impossible. My old blood tests indicate crystal-clear food allergies. My former allergist (a board-certified Kaiser allergist in Oakland) had walked me through them carefully so I could see what she saw. There is no question on this point. That day, his nurse did a skin prick test and, upon seeing a mild but visible welt, remarked to me, "Oh, looks like you definitely have a shellfish allergy!" I agreed. Dr. Lodewick rushed in later, glanced at my arm and said, "No, there's no evidence there. The bump isn't raised enough to note." I tried to point out the welt, but he just shook his head and changed the subject. Dr. Lodewick was apparently convinced that the (imaginary?? hallucinated, it seems, by me, another allergist, and Dr. Lodewick's very own nurse) tests indicated I was allergic to exercise, not food. He told me that hiking solo or going anywhere at heightened elevation was no longer medically advised. I started to quietly tear up; I am profoundly active in the outdoors. However, the moment he noticed I was crying, Dr. Lodewick threw a box of tissues at me and ran out of the room. It was a very dehumanizing response. He returned 10 minutes later and concluded our visit by saying he had no idea what was wrong with me, but that I should take Zyrtec everyday and consider Xolair if a fresh batch of blood tests didn't reveal anything new. He did not give me a timeline for next steps or tell me any negative side effects of Zyrtec. (Unfortunately, I found out first-hand what those effects are: catastrophic weight gain. His office charged me $20 when I called to ask for an alternative medicine. "Just get Claritin!" the nurse snapped, and hung up. That's $6.66 per word, but who's counting?) In-between this appointment and our follow-up, I had 2 hospitalizations due to (drumroll) food allergies. I called Dr. Lodewick's office each time and left a message. His office never called me back. Dr. Lodewick devoted three (3) minutes to our followup visit 4 months later. I requested a referral to a food allergy-specialized therapist, and he straight-up refused, telling me instead to 'just find anyone who deals with anxiety.' After hearing my bullet list of recent allergy events, he said he couldn't help me, but recommended Xolair. He did not mention Xolair's black box warnings, $10,000 price tag, tell me how the hell it works, or ask me if I had questions. God forbid. Interestingly, he ALSO didn't explain why he hadn't signed me up for Xolair many months prior when it could have been protecting me from life-threatening anaphylactic shock all along. I guess that'll remain one of life's great mysteries! Oh wait, I know: it's because Dr. Lodewick is an objectively negligent doctor. Like I said: get a different allergist. PS to this day I have never had an allergic response to exercise

Wow! Hard to overstate how great a doctor Dr. Lodewick is. He's a great listener, kind and even…read morefunny. He never made me feel rushed. I came to him as a new patient with a complicated medical history. He'd clearly looked at my medical records very closely before meeting with me. He suspected that my longtime diagnosis might be wrong and prescribed two tests to find out. The tests proved his hunch correct. Another doctor missed this for nearly a decade. I'm deeply grateful to Dr. Lodewick for his thoroughness and insight. Also, his practice has the resources to perform the specialized tests I needed, which was made the experience seamless.

Kind and attentive staff all around at this clinic, both Dr Kushnir herself and everyone else…read more Quick, communicative, and helpful. I have been under their care for the last year and my allergies have improved considerably.

Do NOT come here if you're looking for reasonably priced care…read more DO come here for excellent staff and updated facilities. OK, here's the deal, if you have environmental allergies and need to get allergy shots, this place is as good as any. The doc is well-read and well-informed and the staff do a pretty good job to make sure everything is A-ok. The allergy shots schedule is somewhat reasonable, although sometimes the doc is late/doesn't show up so then you can't get your shots done. If you undergo anaphylactic shock and have severe allergic reactions to food, definitely seek help, whether here or elsewhere. However, if the doc asks you (out of the blue) whether you want to try to do a food allergy test (when you don't have any) and put you on a 'special' diet and take part in a study. Say no. The study is faulty, the diet is expensive and is not based on solid science, and all you will learn will boil down into these nuggets of wisdom: (1) Dr. Kushnir does not properly understand genetics and will argue you down with half-truths and bad science, (2) vary your diet, (3) if you eat the same foods for 2 months you will develop low level allergic reactions to it, (4) allergies to foods vary greatly and the degree of your reaction can change day to day and week to week. When I decided to leave this practice (partly due to learning my doc believes in pseudoscience and partly because it's too expensive) the dude that does all the payments (Dr. Kushnir's hubby) had the gall to put down the allergist I was transferring to and only THEN did he offer solutions to bringing down the cost of going to this office. Very disappointed. Still, I love their staff (that's why it's a 2-star, not a 1-star)

I tried to have an initial appointment with Dr. Lien today…read more When I had made my appointment, the receptionist I spoke to over the phone did not properly answer my basic questions regarding copay (I gave them my insurance), nor did they tell me which suite I needed to go to for Dr. Lien's office. His name is not specifically listed in the building, so I was worried that I had gone to the wrong office. When I arrived, the entire office smelled strongly of perfume, despite being an office which specifically helps people with allergies. I had questions about my copay for my initial appointment, and about how many more appointments I would need to make in order to complete a patch test and what those copays would be, so that I could plan my appointments in accordance with my financial ability, but the receptionist refused to answer about follow up appointments. She kept saying that the patch test takes three days, but wouldn't say if that was an additional charge. I am autistic, and I know that I did not phrase my initial questions clearly at all because I was so stressed about the perfume, so I asked to start over and apologized for my tone and also for not getting eye contact right. I also stopped making eye contact because I was worried about using the wrong facial expression. The receptionist still would not give me the information I was asking for, and said that I already knew that information since I had chosen my health insurance. I did not choose my health insurance, so I don't know why she said that, and health insurance companies can be very difficult to get that sort of information from directly, and every other doctor's office I visit has always given me that information, often without me even needing to ask. The receptionist started calling me irresponsible, which bothered me, because I was asking about the cost of patch test appointments because that felt like a responsible question. At this point, she also repeatedly told me that I had "planned this," that I "knew what the cost was already," and that I was "trembling," which was also proof of what I had planned...but she wouldn't tell me what she thought I had planned. I didn't realize until then, but I do think that I was shaking slightly at this point, as she was speaking to me like I was a naughty child, and I felt completely humiliated, and also wasn't sure if maybe the entire thing was my fault. I thought it was okay to ask that information, and it's so hard trying to get that same info from the insurance company itself, but after this attempt at an appointment, I felt stupid and useless. I ended up deciding to leave and didn't even have my appointment, because I feel like if the receptionists are angry at you, then you probably won't be able to access healthcare, because you have to access healthcare through them. I was very confused, and I told her this before I left, but she was so angry, and she kept interrupting everything I tried to say to diffuse the situation. I still don't know what she was trying to accuse me of. She said that I didn't want to pay my copay, but that doesn't make any sense, because everyone knows that you can't see your doctor until you sign in and pay the copay and fill out papers. This was an important appointment, because I believe I have a kind of serious latex allergy, but I was able to call my primary care doctor's office and get a referral to a different allergist. I do not think that Dr. Lien's office is a safe or comfortable place for neurodivergent people. If you are autistic, please seek a different office.

Dr. Lien is one of the most compassionate doctors I know. He listens carefully and really helps…read moreyou figure out how to best treat your allergies. He is also quick to respond and really knows his speciality. His office is clean and the staff are very friendly and also similarly helpful and compassionate. Thank you, Dr. Lien!

I came recently for an allergy test and was scheduled for an appointment with Dr. Anand. The wait…read moretime was about 3-4 weeks out for an appointment, but I was also looking at specific days of the week so it might be sooner if you don't have any time constraints. The allergy test itself was interesting and they test several environmental allergens. I also had to return on another day to test food allergens, as well as retesting some of the other environmental variables that I scored low sensitivity on. You get the results after waiting 20 minutes or so once you've had enough time to trigger a reaction. Dr. Anand was so friendly and personable. I felt like she was a very thorough clinician and really took her time to explain everything to me. She also took note of other issues that weren't quite in her scope, and referred me out to other specialists to make sure I got the care I needed. She then followed up with me to make the process smoother, which I truly appreciated. Other staff members (LVNs and front desk) are also informative and helpful. They do have a mask policy in place, and if you forget to wear one, they have plenty to spare. It is a healthcare facility after all and I don't think they should be rated poorly just because of a policy to ensure the safety of staff and patients alike.

My daughter and I see Dr. Engler for our allergies and it has truly been life changing. He is so…read morethorough and explained everything in detail. He has the best staff and bedside manner! We know we are in the best hands with him!

dr chau has helped me through peanut, seafood, and virus illness issues with surprisingly effective…read moreresults. he does NAET therapy which means no shots nor micro dose ingestion. He has a youtube page with lots of other testimonials so yeah give it a try! He's kind and understanding with rescheduling too

I sent an email on a Monday morning and received no reply by Thursday afternoon so I called. That…read moreis when I found out that Dr. Chau is only in Oakland for two hours on Mondays and Wednesdays in the middle of the afternoon-- he is in a Burlingame office in the mornings but drives from Burlingame to Oakland and then back to Burlingame. He probably spends more time driving than in the actual office. The woman answering the phones explained this to me, after explaining that they hadn't gotten back to me because "everything happens for a reason". I think it is a little bit of a misrepresentation to have him listed in Oakland if he is barely there.

Dr Jacobs is the best allergist in the Bay Area, if not California. So experienced and amazingly…read morekind and thoughtful. Such an amazing diagnostician.

Utter medical negligence by this so called team. I was anticipating a change in pharmacy benefits…read moreand a change in medication with the new year. I met with Dr. Jacobs on December 12 to go over the changes so we could get the ball rolling and not have a delay in my immune treatment which I require every 3 weeks to stay healthy due to a serious immune disorder. He assured me that it would be handled well. Then almost month later I call back and find out nothing has been done. The office didn't have a new script from the Dr. The contract worker they had hired to deal with insurance benefits at the office still didn't know I had a new pharmacy benefits provider. She was trying to order the old medication from the old benefits provider. So I spent the next two weeks on the phone for entire days - leaving messages, waiting on hold, coordinating between nursing staff (bc the dr was now on vacation), the independent contractor who didn't understand my insurance change, my pharmacy benefits provider and the pharmacy filing the order. Babysitting grown adults who are getting paid to apparently not do their jobs. The office at first admitted to dropping the ball, then they each slowly started to blame other people in the office and I realized what a toxic dysfunctional mess the whole operation was. Perhaps they once were good - the vast majority of these five star reviews are many years old. Today, I think they can handle routine allergy shots. That's their bread and butter. Anything more is a deep stretch for their abilities. In the end I finally got my medication two weeks late and it would have been even later if I hadn't borrowed a medical pump to use from a complete stranger. This was an incredibly stressful process that would have been avoided if people at this office understood how to do their jobs.

Do you believe in magic? Well, it's not magic but science. We don't quite understand NAET…read moretechnique but it works! My 12 year old kid woke up one day and had terrible bumps and rashes. We went to see our pediatrician who recommended a western allergist. After 12 blood tests and 3 months of Zyrtec and Benadryl, my kid was still breaking out everyday. Finally we went to see Dr. Chau. He was able to isolate the causes, treat them and voila, gone! I highly recommend going to see Dr. Chau if you have chronic allergies.

Dr. Chau has been an incredible doctor who uses the NAET allergy elimination technique to help my…read more7year old clear his many allergies. I was referred to him by a coworker's wife and was very skeptical that this non-evasive and kinesiology based method could eliminate a severe dairy allergy. After about 10 treatments to clear other basic allergies, we got to the dairy treatment and 3 days later my little guy was eating pizza for the first time in his life. I am a believer! Cat allergies, also gone! Next up, nuts!

First of all they closed this office and are now on Market St. But main thing is lack of…read morecommunication and respect for patients. They were closed today but we didn't find out till we got there - no notice to patients, no phone message. Don't waste your time.

Pros: The actual clinical experience was excellent. I went to get allergy testing in August 2021,…read moreand it was awesome. The nurses and doctors were kind and efficient. I was looking forward to receiving allergy shots / asthma treatment here. Cons: For over a year now, I've been seeking to receive a refund for the vials that I paid for and never received/got to use. What should have been a simple transfer of care from one city to another turned into a six-month radio silence. I left calm, professional voicemails (dozens), wrote in two of the website's portals, and sent in letters - all to no avail. Radio silence, save for one email with the information needed to transfer records and one short voicemail saying that, because I signed a consent form, I am not eligible for a refund. As a result, I lost nearly $1K. I can't speak for the other branches, of course, but the Oakland branch does not prioritize communication with its patients. (Fascinating, though, that someone called me in a timely manner when it was time to pay for the vials.) Since there's been no attempt at resolution from Columbia Allergy (Oakland), I've filed a complaint with the BBB and plan to file with other consumer advocacy agencies. This is my first time doing this, as it should be reserved for the most egregious cases. Unfortunately, this more than qualifies. And, based on some of the reviews, others are in a similar situation. Recommendation: I cannot in good conscious recommend this business due to the extreme negligence in communication of any kind -- ESPECIALLY for services like allergy shots, where you're interacting with a business for months or years. Please consider literally any other allergist for your needs.

I have never had such a frustrating experience with a health care provider. After experiencing a…read morefull-blown allergic attack, which included a three-day hospitalization and the subsequent loss of my job, I visited Dr. Lenoir's office to get to the bottom of what happened. Dr. Lenoir was incredibly dismissive and did not even do me the basic courtesy of sitting down and closing the door. I get it - my case was unique and a challenge but I was rushed and he clearly wanted to get to the next patient. He was in and out in less than a minute -- telling me that he'd write me a doctor's note with all of the "fancy doctor words" so I could be reinstated at my work. That cute quip may have worked 30 years ago but I was there for answers and Dr. Lenoir was trying to just get me out the door. He did not take the time to talk about my options. I left feeling hopeless. It wasn't until I contacted another provider, almost months of ruminating on my experience in his office, that I realized that I had other options to piece together what happened to me. I cannot get back those months of doubt but I can help someone else not have such an experience.

Well, lets start by saying that my appointment was at 2pm. When the nurse called me a day before my…read moreappointment she asked me to come in 15-20 mins earlier to fill out paperwork since I was a new patient. And I did. Only to find out that they are closed for lunch and open at 2pm sharp. Should I mention I had to hang out 20 mins on the stairs by the office because no one would let me wait in the waiting area? Yep. Second, the doctor saw me only at 2:40pm even though it took me only a few mins to fill out paperwork. And after I sat down in his office... he was typing an email for 3 mins. Yes. You heard that right. He actually decided to see me but instead of talking he wanted to finish an email. Quite frankly I was so astonished that I didn't even say anything. Third, I know that I am allergic to cats, but other than that I am not sure. Dr. Lenoir kept asking me if I have symptoms for other allergens, and wanted to order a test only for those allergens that he thought I was likely to be allergic too (which ended up being only 4 or 5!).. Fourth, from the first minute at the office I was insisted on getting a blood test, because I had a skin test done on me long time ago and because of my other multiple skin conditions I tested positive to almost everything, even things that I am clearly not allergic too. Should I say that Dr. Lenoir ordered a skin test to the nurse, completely disregarding my opinion on this (and by disregarding I mean annoyingly ignoring)? He also forgot to ask me if I have taken antihistamine in the last 24 hr... Luckily right before applying the test, the nurse asked me, and I have taken it a night before, so the test couldn't be performed and Dr. Lenoir was forced to order a blood test (not that I will go back there to discuss the results). Fifth, right before I entered his office to pick up blood test order, he was watching a video. Yes, with sound. Yes, pretty loud. Yes, it took him at least 30 sec to shut it down. And the last. Dr. Lenoir's only recommendation to me was to get allergy shots. When I told him that I talked to other patients in the waiting room and some of them were getting allergy shots for their 4th year (normally it takes 3 years) and I don't find it quite convincing he told me that those people just don't believe that they are not allergic anymore, so they want to continue to get shots. He was insisting that those people actually don't need shots anymore. Sorry, but if your patient believes that he is still allergic to something, it doesn't really matter if in fact he doesn't need shots anymore, the result is that he is still getting them in his 4th year of shots. Oh, and Dr. Lenoir didn't seem to like that I actually talked to other people in the waiting room asking their opinion. If that's the case, maybe you should make your patients wait less. Basically I found Dr. Lenoir uncaring, inattentive, not personal, and quite frankly, more preoccupied by other things than his patients. It was a bad experience from the first moment. I honestly can't believe all awards this doctor has. He might be good in some cases, but care that I got just sucked. Big thanks to the nurse though, I am glad they didn't do unnecessary and inaccurate tasting just because the doctor simply didn't care enough.

Extremely shady…read more They bill 3-5 times more than the average cost, and their billing department is never reachable. I have tried calling them 10 times, on different days of the week. No one has ever answered.

They do not answer the phone and try to get you to book unnecessary tests and appointments. They…read moredid harm with mis prescribing, as verified by my PCP. Patient beware! Go elsewhere.