I moved to Austin so I no longer see Dr. Kovacs but seeing the negative reviews for her being fully booked 3 years ago (not a reason to give someone 1 star, Jesus Christ), I decided to leave a review. Dr. Kovacs changed my life. I had stomach problems all my life and it got to the point where it was affecting my education because i was missing so much school. My two previous doctors refused to test me for anything and blamed my stomach problems on nerves, even though I was doing well in school despite being absent so frequently. I finally switched doctors to Dr. Kovacs and, for the first time, i felt listened to. She tested me for multiple things and gave me confidence that we would find the source of my health problems. Turns out I have celiacs, an autoimmune disease where my body attacks itself when I ingest gluten. I had absorbed that i was just an "anxious person" and i would have carried that definition of myself as truth if not for her. With a relatively minor dietary change, i was able to get my normal life back and finish school. I am still angry at the incompetence of my previous doctors, but also forever grateful for having Dr.Kovacs. I still recommend her whenever one of my Houston friends is looking for a primary care physician. Thank you, Dr. Kovacs! read more

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Dr. Kovacs. She is an awesome doctor, very attentive, communicative and extremely knowledgeable. ... but, her staff takes her down a couple of notches. I don't think she is aware of how difficult it may be to reach a live person at her office. i have been seeing her for almost 15 years but considering changing doctors because of her staff. They are the WORST I've ever had to deal with and Jack is top of the list! I've had friends who also see and love Dr. Kovacs but they also complain Jack is sorely lacking in communication skills. I've had to leave numerous VMs and ONLY after leaving a rude message, does he ever call me back. Just another one of those milennials that don't know how to treat people and these are PAYING PATIENTS! WTF??? If he's ever replaced, i would come back to Dr. Kovacs. read more

***Edit 2/23/2016*** I've seen different doctors but I haven't found anyone that comes to close to what I look for. I'm going to give her office another shot; she outshines her staff, even years later I remember how great she is. Updating my review from 1 to 5 stars, will update if her staff improved at all. ***past review*** Dr. Kovacs is wonderful and professional - basically everything that a perfect doctor should be. It's her office staff that sucks. They never faxed a referral to my physical therapy center, even when I called for this request 2 weeks ago. I already showed up to my appointment but had to reschedule because of this. When I called her office multiple times, no one answered. It was noon. 2 hours later I called again. It took 2 receptionists and another phone number to god knows where to reach another person who would "get back to me, hopefully today" I was told by someone else who had to leave Kovacs' office that they hired a company to fill in receptionist/other positions. The company sends in whatever warm body to fill a position regardless of whether or not they can do their job. She also said that Dr. Kovacs is, for whatever reason, locked into working with this company. If you come here, don't expect anyone to do their job. read more

I've been with Dr Kovacs since 1999 who saw me through quite bit. I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her and her quick thinking. I've been with her for all of her moves and yes she was tied into a contract for office help at one time, but as soon as it was brought to her attention of the problems she severed ties and hired her own staff. I will also concede that present (2019) it is sometimes hard to get in touch with her, but when I leave a message they have always called be back by the end of the work day. Also if you do have an emergency and you feel you need attention right then, that is what the ER is for and she states that first thing when you call her number. You can also get attention If needed by you signing up for the online account. You can see all your medical record, test results and send emails if you have questions. This online account is also seen, read and answered during non-work hrs. Dr Kovacs has personally answered my mails even in the evenings. As for her staff they are nothing but professional, especially Jack. He knows you by sight calls you by the name you like whether a nick name or first or middle name. Debbie has taught me how to give my own injections and that is some feat as I use to faint or have to lay down just when getting a shot or blood drawn. The new MA is nice, polite and has fit in very well with Dr Kovacs staff. Dr Kovacs is as always professional, courteous and has a wonderful bed side manner. She is very knowledgeable, especially in the areas that she specializes in and if she can't give you an answer she will let you know who to see or she will set another appt to give her time to look and find the best answers for you. She has no qualms with having "homework" to make sure you get the best care and advice. My Father was so impressed with her he started seeing her too. If you knew my Father you would know what a complement that is. read more

I have only ever received amazing care from Dr. Kovacs. Not only is she an amazing doctor who treats a huge amount of the trans community in Houston, but her staff is amazing. Debbie and Jack have always been incredibly helpful. I don't think I can count how many times they have provided amazing service for their patients. I recommend Dr. Kovacs to all of my friends when they are looking for a new doctor/ looking to start hormones. read more

I called to make an appointment with her, after calling a few times I decided to leave a message. I have to admit that the Office staff called me back at the end of the day. The person was very polite, however he just called to let me know that Dr. Kovacs is not accepting any more new patients, so look somewhere else because she will not see you. Shame, I was really looking forward to see her. Fortunately, I found another doctor who actually had better reviews than her. read more

2 1/2 stars. I was a patient of Dr. Kovacs' from November 2011-12, during which time I had 2 appointments with her. Synergy Medical & Wellness' office is extremely small, & though doors are wheelchair accessible, there is little space there for either a wheelchair or a large stroller in the waiting room or in the exam rooms. Otherwise, its facilities are adequate. One must pay to park here. Alternatively, park alongside the Houston Museum of Natural Science as space permits, or at Hermann Park. My first appointment was brilliant. Dr. Kovacs was thorough w/o resorting to over-care. Moreover, she was kind, courteous, & helpful, & went out of her way to keep my shy 1 1/2 year old son happy--affecting my well-woman exam while he sat astride my chest. That's patient-centered care. Both the general physical & gynecological portions of the exam were efficiently & ably handled, & gave the impression that Dr. Kovacs has good clinical skills. I became pregnant with twins just weeks later, & when my back began to give out, 6 months later, Dr. Kovacs' office afforded me a referral to a chiropractor, w/o insisting on an office visit. This took some time to complete--Dr. Kovac's nurse needed a reminder or 2, & the referral was ready w/in a month, though no sooner. Ten months later, I returned to the office in the wake of the extremely problematic & horrific deliveries of my twin daughters, & their grim first month of life (grim, b/c one of them underwent open heart surgery at 3 weeks of age & was hospitalized for the whole of the month). My experience at my OB/GYN practice, reviewed elsewhere, was so degrading & humiliating, & the quality of care so poor that I had chosen to forgo the aftercare that my insurance had already paid for. Too late, I learned that no other OB/GYN would see me until I was 4 or 5 months postpartum, unless it was for issues unrelated to my deliveries (Though how could one be sure they were unrelated, so early on. ?). One nurse suggested that her surgeon might agree to see me, if I obtained a doctor's referral; & so I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Kovacs. In addition, I was suffering from unexplained bleeding, & was concerned that the the internal incision from my c-section may not have been sutured well--as even my staples had somehow been botched, & worried that I was becoming depressed. I would like to say that I believe that I was treated with respect & compassion, though I am unsure that this was the case. The office staff was not exactly gracious about the fact that I arrived with a 3-seat stroller, & left me in an exam room large enough to accommodate the stroller, w/o it, holding in my arms both of my 2 month old daughters (one of who's sternum had been broken in the course of her surgery & was not yet fully-healed--& I think it must have been painful for her to be held w no other support than my arm). Luckily, as at my first visit. we were seen promptly. As before, Dr. Kovacs was generous w her time. She was reassuring regarding my bleeding, though advised me to seek the opinion of an OB/GYN. She seemed annoyed that I was requesting a referral that my insurance doesn't require. And regarding this, I am sympathetic--I frankly don't understand the system of patient referrals here in the States, & it certainly could be that I shouldn't have asked Dr. Kovacs for help, in this regard, though she would be receiving monetary compensation for this. But she also seemed both annoyed that I questioned the adequacy of the stapling job (or rather, as I told Dr. Kovacs, the very experienced nurses who'd removed the staples over a somewhat grueling 2 hour period had) & surprisingly unsympathetic to all I had been through--so much so that I chose not to confide in her my fear that I was suffering from postpartum depression, though this would certainly have been obvious to any competent medical professional. And Dr. Kovacs is undoubtedly a capable Dr., not just a competent one. Ultimately, Dr. Kovacs offered sensible advice regarding my other problems. More importantly, she did promise to procure the referral for an OB/GYN, but though I called her nurse once or twice with a reminder, she never did follow up. I was left again w/o care, bleeding, afraid, & depressed. I do not think too badly of Dr. Kovacs. While I was well, she was a wonderful doctor. And doubtless, the total lack of compassionate & quality medical care I received from my OB/GYN makes me overly sensitive to it elsewhere. Had her staff not been so incredibly inconsiderate, & had her nurse followed up, I would no doubt have continued on as her patient--& a happy one at that. Regardless, Dr. Kovacs; her nurse; & her office staff weren't there for me when I was afraid I might be unwell. And this, of course, was the very time I needed their care. Dr. Kovacs is a capable Dr.; but I recommend you look elsewhere for a practice that provides compassionate care & follows up when you need it most. I will too. read more

We really like Dr Kovacs, she's kind and caring and has good bedside manners. We also want to stress how great her office staff is. The problems people mention are with the staff in the old office building in 2015. Calls left for the nurse or to make an appointment are always returned within about an hour. read more

I was referred to Dr. Kovacs by my former colleague, and she has been my doctor ever since. She is a great doctor who does take time to answer your questions and explains. She only speaks for your own benefit. She is not one of those doctors you recommend unnecessary procedure or medication to recoup more money out of you or your health insurance. I really love her. I wish she had better staff though. The staff at the front desk is very unfriendly. One particular staff was not friendly over the phone and in person. When you show up for an appointment, she gives you the "what the f*** do you want" look. read more

Dr. Kovacs herself is a fine doctor, and I have always had good one-on one experiences when in the office. The biggest issue is getting in contact with an actual human even during normal office hours. When I moved 2000 miles away I discovered the medication I had been on for years had been discontinued and I needed someone from her office to help me. After several voicemail messages I finally got a call back, and they totally ignored everything I had told them. They simply tried to send out yet the same medication order to the local pharmacy despite my constant reminders to them that it was no longer manufactured. So now I am scrambling to find a new doctor up here, managing massive headaches since I have none of the medication I have been on for over 16 years. It should not be this difficult to take care of a situation like this or to get ahold of someone in the office. Anytime in the past I have needed to contact the office it has been a barrage of voicemails that go ignored or not followed up with. She needs to hire more people or vasty change how her office communicates with clients. These are peoples lives and health at stake. read more

I had to bring my daughter to see dr julie kovacs and she was AMAZING. I was anxious about the appt but she settled my nerves and was phenomenal with my little babe. read more

Read some not so nice reviews about her office and staff, but my old doc recommended her so I booked anyway. All my appointments have gone smoothly...she's attentive, patient, knowledgable. And I found her new staff to be professional and friendly. read more

I needed a new PCP and Dr. Kovacs' bio really appealed to me but the reviews on Yelp made me nervous. There was one reviewer that addressed previous reviews that made me feel more comfortable. My experience with Dr. Kovacs and her staff was excellent. Everyone was helpful and an extremely professional. I am looking forward to working with her and her team as my healthcare providers. read more

She is a great dr. Took the time to explain everything to me. Nice being in the hospital as all test and blood work can be done on location. The wait was a bit long to see her but I guess that is expected as it was no longer then other Doctors. read more

Dr. Kovacs sucks and so does her staff. First, you have to pay for parking. Then, you have to put up with her rude staff. I was a patient of hers for much longer than I want to admit (years) and I embarassingly do not know why :-/ She has given me poor referrals and prescribed me medications that I did not need. She is so rude and doesn't even care !! She stares at her lap top the ENTIRE time you are in the exam room with her. She can't be bothered . . . read more

I have been going to Dr. Kovac for 6 years. She is a good doctor. She has terrible staff. The nurse never returns phone calls. I left 3 messages asking for an approval on Blood Pressure medicine over a weeks time and she never called me back. I called on a Wednesday asking the receptionist for approval for 6 pills until my appt. the following week and all I could hear was the nurse screaming in the background I needed to come into the office now. I asked to speak to her and was forwarded to the nurses voicemail. I called back and asked to speak to Dr. Kovacs and was sent back to the nurse's voicemail. I decided that even though I like Dr. Kovacs and have not had any problems with her in the past I deserve better treatment. read more

Dr. Kovacs is fantastic. She took the time to explain everything as thoroughly as I needed, listened to every one of my questions, andswered them, and then worked with me to find a solution to fix them. She's fantastic. I had only been to the Dr. once in 8 years, and she's renewed my faith that there are great Dr.'s still out there. read more

I love Dr Kovacs but it's true, her staff has always been some degree of difficult. I've been seeing her for almost 15 years and the staff has improved over the course of this year. I really appreciate the care she provides so I deal with it. It's important to remember that politeness and patience always helps you get what you need. I'll continue to see her but I don't refer anyone. read more

She is a very good doctor, and the only reason I ding her is her staff members are complete idiots.

Dr. Kovacs is very good but the front office staff are terrible. Most of the time I have called, no one answers the phone. They have always taken 2 or more days to return my call or in some cases, did not call back at all. If you have something that you really need to see the Dr about that day, they don't care and will tell you the next available appt. is for such and such day. That has forced me to go to an urgent care since I can't wait until they have an appt. opening (e..g small piece of glass in eye) read more

She was a great doctor. Perfect bedside manner. The office staff didnt seem up to par. My test results were found in the shredder after Dr.Kovacs had to look for them herself. (important test results i might add) She started me on a medication that 10 days into it, my body had sever reactions to it. i couldnt get a hold of her to save my life. Found myself in the ER with a full body rash and psychotic tendencies due to the medication. The ER doctor wanted to give me a different medication that Dr. Kovacs advised against with my initial diagnoses. I tried desperately to get a hold of her and her on call doctor to inform them of what the ER doctor wanted to do. needless to say i took the ER doctors recommendation since my PCP was so busy that she ignored my call the second time trying to reach out to her. Her office called me 2 days later about a message i left a day before the ER visit. When i informed them about my ER visit they seemed to be surprised to hear that. I then attempted to get an appointment set up to be seen but they couldnt do anything for me since Dr. Kovacs was on vacation and i couldnt be seen for almost 2 weeks. Ive canceled all future appointments with her. I cant honestly say that it was all her fault. The staff wasnt very informative when i had questions, especially the MA. The receptionist was very likable but if he is in charge of taking messages and relaying them. He failed. I guess my biggest complaint is being started on a new medication that has major side effects and then saying "alright we will see you in a month to see how you are doing." I felt that she checked out on me when i was in a vulnerable state. Maybe it was her lack of foresight or her offices lack of competence. I am currently under the care of a new Doctor at the Legacy Clinic. This place is amazing. They saw me promptly and helped me through the difficult time i was having with facing my new illness. read more

Dr. Kovacs is amazing. My wife and I are both patients and we have gone to Julia for years. She's always available to answer all the questions I have (which are probably too many) and does not "rush" through an office visit like some doctors will do. She's thorough and has a good referral network of specialists that I have gone to (heart, joint, etc.). She had some challenges with office space and staff in the past but those were resolved. If you are in search of a friendly, patient and caring doctor..........look no further. read more