Worst experience, actually similar to other reviews here. I tried to make an appointment through phone. After waiting for like 10min, I was welcomed by the rudest person repeating "Doctor Tessler doesn't take new patient" without providing additional help. Not sure what's their problem. read more

This review isn't for the doctor but for the practice. First off, they have a form on their website where I requested an appointment. I got an automated response with a phone number- why set up an email form if the end result is me having to call? After being on hold for a while, their system kept disconnecting the call every time I thought it was going to connect me to a person. When I did get through, the person I spoke with sounded rude, almost hostile and said "she's not taking new patients" and flat out hing up on me! read more

This is a signal example of poor care. I just had a prescription which should have been a refillable prescription in the first place denied, by one Karlee Johnson (a PA). The 'manager' who called later (after I balked at coming in subsequent to this) told me twice what I needed to do was reach out to the provider who wrote it - Karlee Johnson - which was what led me to this conversation with this arrogant, foolish individual; and after I'd pointed out this was exactly what I had done, reiterated the same argumentative point, as though nothing I said registered in any way. My intake with this Karlee person had me going into detail on the prednisone and why. Part of this waste-of-time conversation had the 'manager' passing the buck to my endocrinologist. This is the second time (out of two) I have requested my_basic_meds from this individual and ran into problems of wrong assumptions and stupidity. The manager really took the cake with her bullying tactics and unresponsiveness. One star is far too generous, this office does next-to-nothing evidently but pass the buck. Young arrogant persons who think they know it all but can't be bothered to listen and take notes coherently (if at_all). All this manager did was argue why an unreasoned refusal was my fault. Additionally, Karlee lied and said she couldn't fill it, as a PA. According to the office she's the last provider to write it. But I know as a fact that's not true, because my initial prescription and several refills of it for Prednisone was by a PA. Don't know from Leah Tessler herself, never spoke to her, glimped her very quickly at intake. But there is a culture at this office and it is the worst. Finally, I was told I had to go to my endocrinologist for this medication and learned that they do not write for medicines of this type. The ignorance is astounding. I was not in the least surprised. So this PCP has left me completely in the lurch as to a primary medication. read more

Dr. Tessler and her Staff are a pleasure to deal with. I highly recommend her group to anyone who is in need of a physician that is extremely knowledgeable and caring. read more

Dr. Tessler was impatient and extremely hostile during my appt - in short, very unprofessional. The appt was for a physical, and she started the session by prompting me for concerns. I started listing some minor things (allergies, soreness), when she started rapid-fire drilling me for symptom details, in a very unkind manner. It felt more like an interrogation than a doctor's appt, where seeking information for a diagnosis is perfectly acceptable. I had never experienced this before, but soon got the hint that I wasn't welcome. It's actually funny to reflect on, with her eye rolls, sighs, and are-you-stupid stares. Perhaps an off morning? To give her credit though, this was very different from my first experience with her about a year ago. To add insult to injury, she ended the session with 'oh by the way, I'm going to submit this as a regular dr's visit instead of the physical [this appt was supposed to be].' Knowing full well the difference in out of pocket costs (insurance will fully cover for preventative services like physical check ups), she insisted she do this and I book another appt with a nurse at the facility. Total damage ended up being around $150, where I budgeted $0 and 2 hours. Needless to say, I left feeling mistreated and will not be rescheduling a new physical appt at Bayspring Medical. It's a shame because a friend had recommended the nurses in the first place, and I should've opted to see them instead of Dr. Tessler. read more

This is the first review I've ever written on yelp. I was compelled to write this one about Dr. Tessler's practice as a result of my recent experience with it. I agree with many of the comments of the other reviewers. Dr. Tessler does have a good manner, is nice, holistic,asks questions and is informative HOWEVER, what folks have said about never getting to see her and the incredibly rude office staff is unfortunately also true. Last month I called the office 6 times trying to get a prescription refilled. After the 6th time I asked if someone could call me back and tell me why it was not being called in. All I could get from the receptionist was that she "was doing her job and passing the message on." Okay, thanks I'll just go and die somewhere, but I'm glad you're doing such a great job. Finally afer I just gave up I got a message from Walgreen's 3 WEEKS LATER saying it was ready. I was never able to talk to Dr. Tessler or her assistant to find out why it was not being called in. Trying to get an appointment with Dr. Tessler is nearly impossible. The last two times I tried to get in to see her they only had appointments two months out. When I went in for my last appointment I had to see another doctor in the practice who had me mixed up with another patient. And the kicker - the office staff said Dr. Tessler had appointments open and that I should have been able to see her! Finally, the woman at the front desk who checked me in was having a fit about some patient being rude to her. Big shocker. She went on and on about someone throwing the paperwork at her repeating over and over again "I don't have to take this." Well all I can say is - yeah I don't have to take this either. Time for a new doctor. We've recently moved to the Peninsula anyway. Anyone recommend a good general practitioner down here? read more

Yes. It's true. The front office staff at Bayspring can be a real pain. They can be surly and somewhat rude... but this isn't a review about them. It's about Dr. Leah Tessler -- an awesome physician. The fact of the matter is, I don't go to Bayspring for the staff. I choose to go to Bayspring to see a physician, a doctor of internal medicine who has provided me with only *the* best care I could ever hope for, and it's because of this that I would highly recommend her to anyone. Great physicians, especially one you can completely put your trust in are hard to find. They're rare. And my experience with Dr. Tessler and her team of nurse practitioners & nurses has been top notch. As for the rest of 'em? Turn the other cheek and kill 'em with kindness. Better yet, charm 'em with chocolate :) read more

I have been going to Dr. Tessler for two years now and have never felt like I could get an appointment with her when I had an "emergency." Outside of the difficulty of scheduling an annual check-up, you can forget about trying to schedule an appointment f you are sick or need a doctor's on short notice. I was sick this week and was blown off by the staff and told my only option was to go to Urgent Care. What?! Really?! What is the point in seeing a regular doctor if I'm told to go to Urgent Care? The receptionist said she would leave a message for Dr. Tessler and that I may hear back from her if she has time. Seriously?! Anyway, I did get a call back and was tod that if I am still sick after 4-5 days that I should come in. Ha! Like I would be able to even get an appointment even if I was on my deathbed. Time for a new doctor who has time for her patients... Oh yeah, and although the office opens at 8:00am I couldn't even get past the "We're closed for lunch" recording until 8:45am. Nice...lunch? read more

I recently had a retina detachment and needed to have emergency surgery the next day. The surgery cordinator called my PCP (Dr. Tessler's office) to ask if they could schedule me in that day to run a blood test and EKG prior to surgery. I was informed that the nurse had talked to Dr. Tessler and that she could not see me because they did not get any notice. It was explained to the nurse that this was an emergency surgery. The nurse's response was that she spoke to Dr. Tessler and she said to "cancel the surgery" because she could not fit it in. I was not choosing to have "elective" surgery, and am disappointed to hear Dr. Tessler's response. I certainly understand she is busy and would have appreciated an alternate solution from her such as referring me a nearby physician. I had to get my EKG and blood test ran at the hospital. While dealing with the lost of vision in my eye, her response and solution was a "clear" sign I needed to change my PCP. read more

I saw Dr. Tessler when I thought I was having heart problems. She did some regular check up tests, listening to different spots on my chest and back and when nothing came up with that, she went out of the room and came back with an EKG machine - right then and there she ran the test. "There's nothing wrong with your heart - what's going on?" cue tears "my boyfriend and I are breaking up I think and I think I need to go to therapy." more tears "do you have someone to talk to? if not we have lots of names to refer you to." more tears "yes - thank you - I do have a therapist who I haven't seen in a while. I'll call her tonight" - - - - Sure that makes me sound a bit like a hypochondriac but I really needed someone to push me to therapy and she did it beautifully and I'll always be thankful to her. She's wonderful. read more

I saw Leah Tessler for new patient appointment today. I went into the office slightly annoyed because of the unwelcoming front office staff and medical assistant but was even more frustrated after seeing Leah Tessler. She was very focused on the intake form and entering data in the computer. She didn't even bother to greet me, make eye contact, build a relationship, or try to get my entire medical history. She asked detailed questions on my answers on the form. Then she gave me an attitude with a condescending looks, aggressive body language and eye rolls to my answers. 10 minutes in, I called her out on her sh*tty attitude. She apologized then proceeded to say literally "I'm just trying to get through the day." WHAT!? Thanks for letting me know straight up that you don't care about me. Due to a chronic condition I'm dealing with, I've had my fair share of rude doctors, but she takes rude to a new level. I would not recommend her unless she's the last doctor on earth. With a "doctor" like her, you are not going to get the care you need. So sad that an unpassionate doctor is taking care of patients. In the end, it's the patients that will suffer. btw, she is very unenvironmentally friendly too. She used 4 paper towels to dry her hands! read more

This is based solely on my conversation with Crystal, the person who answered the phone when I called to make a "meet and greet" appointment with Dr. Tessler. Crystal was friendly, efficient, well-mannered and overall totally helpful. Our call was everything that I'd hoped for. Years ago a superb doctor told me that you can tell a lot about an office and the doctors in it by the way the people at the front of the house behave. Based on my interaction with Crystal, the office must be excellent. read more

Downgraded to 4 Stars After 5 years it now takes 6 months out to get an appointment. Argh! _____________________________________________ 5 Stars Dr. Tessler (not for women only) is super and has a lovely manner. Because I know a few physicians, I'm aware that time is money and they just don't have the time to really connect. Dr. Tessler makes the most out of the few minutes. She also does ob exams which is a huge plus - one less dr. to have to visit. She is GREAT about follow ups. I've referred a handfull of folks to her and they have all been happy. Highly recommend. read more

I'm sorry to hear and very surprised that some people have not had good experiences with Dr. Tessler. I have had the extreme opposite experience in the 6 years I have seen her. She is very personable, knowledgeable, and fun. She takes her time with me as a patient to go over changes in my life and medical history as well as allows me to ask my millions of hypochondriac questions. We always have a good visit and I trust her completely. I also appreciate that she has my medical history on a computer and takes the time to review and update it while we are addressing new and old history. Seriously, she rocks! read more

I truly don't understand the low ratings. I have been going to Bay Spring for 10 years and have always felt that the doctors and the assistants are first rate. Dr. Leah Tessler and Dr. Marilyn Milkman are fantastic. I feel privileged to have them as my doctors. They are caring, they listen to me and they are willing to give alternative therapies a try. Not only do I love them as my doctors I think they are both outstanding people. We have had many conversations about many topics and I always enjoy the time I spend with them. Going to the doctor can be stressful and worrisome but I never hesitate to go in for any reason because I know I will be listened to and respected. Also a shout out to Sincerely, Dr. Tessler's assistant. She is a charming and lovely person too. read more

Dr Tessler is fantastic. She doesn't have that rushed, i'm-too-busy for generally healthy people like you, but sits and listens to general issues (I'm getting fat, what do i do, etc). She also doesn't overdo it on nerve-wracking tests. Her NP, Tara, is also fantastic - I have gone to her several times for the emergency i-just-found-out-i-have-no-refills-on-my-BCPs appointment (when Dr Tessler can't be scheduled on such short notice), and have really been happy with her approach and bedside manner. read more

Dr. Tessler has been my PCP for 10 years. I came to her after having a very gruff, disinterested doctor who spent very, very little time examining me. Dr Tessler has always taken time to listen to me and asked competent questions to provide me the care I needed. I find her to be thorough and very attentive. As for her exam table-side manner? Fantastic. I have no issues about the way she talks to me. She's direct, but not mean or demeaning. When I started seeing her I was morbidly obese, but I found her care to be free of judgment--quite different from other health providers I had seen. She quickly put me at ease and created an environment where I felt very comfortable talking to her without the shame that had been the norm when discussing my weight. I haven't had much difficulty getting an appointment. Today for example, I needed to see her for some intense back pain. I called the office at 11, thinking that there'd be no way I'd get a same-day appointment. Wrong. Dr. T's out of the office, but I was offered a choice of either a nurse practitioner or one of the other clincians. This isn't usually the case, but I rarely have to wait more than a week to get in. This review is only about Dr. Tessler. The office staff definitely needs some work. As the practice has grown, there have been obvious growing pains that come along with it. I think that the move to the Bush St. location will ultimately be a good one, but they have a ways to go. Office issues aside, I plan on keeping Dr. Tessler as my PCP even now that I live in the East Bay. Good doctors are hard to find, so I'm holding on to this one. read more

I began seeing Dr. Tessler when my other PCP crossed the bay to Oakland. Although I've only seen her twice, she is an amazing doctor. She spends plenty of time with you on annual physicals, which explains why she schedules so far out. She is super informative and caring. I've been having this stomach problem for over 2 months and demanded that I see a GI ASAP. (Currently working on that) She is very easy to talk to and makes you feel very comforted, especially since you are practically naked while doing your breast exam and pap. Can't speak for the other doctors, but she is great. You might have to wait for her, but she is worth the wait. The NP are also great. I never have to wait to long to see them and they seem to take care of the problem. The staff...well that's another review. read more

I started seeing Dr. Tessler after moving back to the Bay Area from NYC in 2001. Because I am relatively healthy, I was her loyal patient for 9 years, but only saw her maybe 2-3 times a year, at most. I finally saw the light and switched out of her medical group and out from her care recently. Within the last 9 years, I have had two major medical events: shingle (after my aunt died) and an unexpected pregnancy. You can't imagine the stress I endured during both periods. In both instances, I could not get an appointment with her office. I ended up obtaining care from other medical establishments (an ER and another doctor). A very close friend of mine said it best: I am not her client, the insurance company is her client, and I should not fool myself into believing otherwise. I have since switched out from under her care, and am a lot happier as a result. Good luck to you if you end up choosing her as your primary care physician. read more

I'm actually pretty upset with Leah Tessler. Out of the ~20 times I've been to the office, I think I've seen her twice. I always get bumped to the nurse practioner because Dr. Tessler doesn't have room. The two times I have seen her, I could tell she was in a hurry but she did give me decent advice. She was a "medium" doctor until her office changed locations in summer 2007. Things changed. Now, the office staff is beyond rude. Don't expect to get a please, thank you, or even a look in the eye. I recently saw her nurse practioner for my annual exam. I was 10 minutes early, but had to wait an extra 30 mintues in a thin exam gown. When the NP finally saw me, it was so fast my head nearly spun. She literally gave me a 15 seconds breast exam. It wasn't even worth the $15 co-pay. Recently, I had a cat bite that was infected (this is an emergency). I called the office, and of course, they have nothing with Dr. Tessler, and the NP can't even see me until 4 days later. Since by then I'd be dead, they referred me to UCSF Urgent Care. But they never sent the referral........ The crap goes on and on. Long story short, I'm switching to another doctor. You can be a good doctor - but if you never actually see me, there's something wrong! read more

I saw Leah Tessler many years back (9 maybe) and promptly switched to another doctor in the practice who I loved, Jean Rhow, but who moved to the e-bay. So I went in to see Leah Tessler again after being reassigned thinking maybe I had misremembered my original interactions with her. Nope! She may be knowledgeable, but is incredibly condescending and not at all interested in what you think may be the matter with you. When I told her I had been getting chronic sinus infections again and wanted to try to get to he bottom of it her response - "Who have you been hanging out with?" and that was it! She completely dismissed the theory my old doctor had which has now been corroborated by another as well (has to do with allergies) and nearly laughed me out of the room as if it were so absurd a suggestion. Then when I went back 3 weeks later she didn't even remember having seen me three weeks prior. The office staff is not great, but has gotten slightly less surly in the last year I've noticed. read more

The one star is for Dr. Tessler, herself, who is very smart and a good doctor, when she's not lying (literally) to cover up for her staff. I have received horrible care here during the past few years. Horrible, unsympathetic staff, slow results, never call you back. They could not care less if you are suffering or in pain, which I was several times. I am finding a new doctor. read more

I recently started going to Dr. Tessler as a primary caregiver. I had a few misgivings as some of the older Yelp reviews were not all that complimentary - particularly about her office staff. Decided to take a chance and was I GLAD I DID. From A to Z, and soup-to-nuts, the folks that work at Bayspring Medical are top notch. For my initial appointment, I was asked to come in a few minutes early to get my paperwork completed. I complied, and was then escorted back to the exam room. Had the obligatory weigh-in, blood pressure and temp and at EXACTLY the appointment time, there was a tap on the door and in walked Dr. Tessler. As Cricket X and Courtney H have mentioned in their reviews, Dr. Tessler is warm, efficient, funny and competent. My next appointment to get my lab results was exactly the same -- arrive 10 minutes ahead of time, do the preliminaries and the tap-tap on the exam room door at EXACTLY the time of my appointment. Best of all and Dr. Tessler and Staff, I can't thank you enough - I recently had a scare when I found a lump, and from the time I found the darn thing, to the time of the mammogram and sonogram and the diagnosis that it was nothing, there was total time span of FIVE DAYS. Coulda' had it in three days, if my calendar had allowed me to come into Dr. Tessler's office when the staff member suggested I come in. One final note -- I'm not sure what happened between 2008 when the office staff was given negative reviews, and now, but you women at Bayspring Medical ROCK!!!!! Five stars to each and every one of you!!! read more

I'd seen Dr. Tessler for awhile. I developed a severe sore throat, severe fatigue, fever, etc. Right, typical symptoms for mono. I went to see her and asked for the test. She refused, said it wasn't mono. I argued and argued and argued (to the point one of her staff came in). Finally, she relented. Guess what? I had mono. Then she said I was too old (32) to have mono and that's why she'd said I didn't have it. Save yourself some time, see someone else. read more

She was recommended to me by a coworker and my appointment was today. She does have a great manner..very nice, very informative, very compassionate. read more

I've been seeing Dr Tessler as my primary since 1998. She's super awesome & always takes care of everything I need, even in this era of paperwork heavy medicine. (Especially for one's primary. She's always cheerful & works hard to make sure that any 'hum drum' medical issues don't fall thru the cracks while we are dealing with all of the major ongoing issues. The office staff has been 'updated' in the last few years & the current group are great and really on top of things. And if I ever need one of those get in an hour ago kind of appointment her FNP is awesome (Tara Reilly) and can usually see you right away. read more

I recently switched to Dr. Tessler after Dr. Osman retired. During both visits she was late and seemed harried - rushing through the appointment. Today she was over 35 minutes late, saw me for 5 minutes, then rushed out - meanwhile I shelled out my $30 co-pay for very little attention. I will be looking for a new primary. Though I will still see Milkman for my gyno exams. She is great. read more

Dr. Tessler may be fine...but you can never get in to see her. Her staff is beyond rude and incompetent. When I broke my elbow biking a few years ago, they said i had to speak with her before they would give me an appointment; i couldn't speak with her because she was away; i couldn't see one of her associates because "i hadn't spoken to her"; i couldn't just get a referral to an orthopedist because "i hadn't seen her"...you get the picture. the Abbott and Costello-esque sketch is only funny to me now 2 years later. it wasn't funny when i was in pain and had nowhere to turn. this is only one of several stories of ill treatment towards patients at this office. i would never go there again! read more

I wish all my doctors were a attentive and caring as she is. It took me no time to get an appointment, she was on time and took all the needed time to work with me. The office staff was very helpful in scheduling an appointment that had time limitations. If you need a good GP, she is the one I would suggest. read more

It is hard to rate the doc - I'm not a patient and after the great reviews, wanted to be a patient. Unfortunately, the practice is not accepting new patients. Drat! read more

As a nurse, it is extremely important to me that I find the best doctors. I know the medical profession well and always choose my doctors based on their professionalism, experience and "bedside manner". Dr. Tessler met those criteria for me and has always been pleasant, a good listener and given me the best options for any medical care or specialist that I have needed. Her staff has always been kind and considerate and I have never had a problem with anyone in the office. She is an excellent physician and I highly recommend her. As I am moving out of state, my biggest fear is finding another doctor as good as she is to be my new physician! read more

I've been going to Dr Tessler for 20 years, and I've always had great experiences with her! she's been able to diagnose things other doctors couldn't figure out and solve some pretty complicated medical problems. she's always kind & intelligent, and I really appreciate her humorous side. I have kaiser insurance now, but I still go back to her & pay out of pocket to get her advice on procedures, medications and special issues that come up. read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Tessler's since 2000. I've had nothing but great experiences with Dr. Tessler and her staff.

Dr. Tessler is great. She's friendly, caring, knowledgeable, and has very good ideas. Her assistant these days is also excellent - never had one at any doctor's office be so efficient getting back to me. And the office staff has been fine the last times I've been in. The wait time to get a physical is long, but I think that's standard these days. read more

Dr. Tessler is one of the best physicians I have encounter in any type of situation. Her bedside manners are exceptional and I feel most comfortable with the fact she never makes me feel like she has to get to the next patient. I truly feel comfortable in all situations with her and her staff. Speaking of her staff; each practitioner that I have encounter is very professional and personable. Each of them has a sense of experience and confident when it comes for these type of procedures. The office staff is truly friendly and professional. It can get crowded and busy in the office but you feel like you are being treated with their full attention. I have had no issues with billing either. They have not made any mistakes in my tenure with this office. (That says quite a bit in my book!) I truly recommend Dr. Tessler's practice and I just all my physicians were this complete in all aspect of care! read more

I have to agree, that Leah is great. I've been seeing her for years now and have never had any problems with her or her staff.

I have be seeing Dr. Tessler for more than 10 years. She is the best. She has even made calls to specialist on my behalf to get me an appointment when all the doctors she recommended to me said they would not see new patients. She is a very caring doctor and super personable as well! read more

Those reviews look pretty old. I can honestly say that Leah helped save my life. I got REALLY sick in 2011 and spent a couple of weeks in the hospital. Leah directed my care, and turned me on to an excellent neurologist and GI guy. I've never used yelp and I know there are plenty of issues with the validity/accuracy/etc of the service. But I CAN tell you that Tessler is an excellent doc, and I'd recommend her to any of my friends. And really--I'm sure glad that my work doesn't get rated. I think it would be hella discouraging! read more

Leah Tessler in one of the worst stressed out women MD I have ever met. I was given to her after Dr. Jean Rhow moved to Oakland ( and she was awesome) and we definitely were not a match. Her condescending manner and abrupt approach is so inappropriate and somewhat abusive. We ended up firing each other. Bay Spring front staff isn't exactly stellar, with the rising cost of heath care I'm choosing someone who has better people skills. I really don't want to give her 1 star. read more

I have been going to Dr. Tessler for a few years and she has been ok, although I wouldn't recommend her per se. My main point in this review is that her staff in unbearable and a lot of the reason I'm going elsewhere now. I was once 5 minutes late (I swear only 5--I'm not the most timely person always but I had never been late to her before and it was only 5 minutes) for an appt and was told I would have to reschedule--not because I was 5 minutes late but because I wasn't 10 minutes EARLY. I mean, wtf? And I was sooooo apologetic and nice. And they were so rude. And always are. Her NP is very nice though. I would recommend her, but you still have to deal with the office staff. read more