I am a patient of Dr. Alwan/Fakrai and currently 39 weeks pregnant. I highly recommend. Almost there! Here is my review:
Office:
Both the Upland and Rancho offices are very clean, comfortable and professional. I typically go to the Rancho office because it is closer to home. The admin ladies who make appointments etc. are excellent. Stella is fantastic. This is really significant because I've had other excellent doctors with terrible admin/service. This is not the case with Dr. Alwan's office, excellence all around.
Pre-Natal Care:
I moved to Rancho Cucamonga from Pasadena and started seeing Dr. Alwan with my second pregnancy. I had to mentally adjust to this practice. My previous doctor did all the ultrasounds herself and I had one at every appointment during my pregnancy. I learned that this is not the norm. In this office, you will see an ultrasound tech for all of your ultrasounds. They typically only do 2 or 3 ultrasounds, since that is what is covered by most insurances. You can request more of course, but it just isn't standard and you will need to make sure that you are prepared to pay the additional fees for that. Also, you may have some of your OB checks with a nurse practitioner if the doctors are booked. Madonna, the nurse practitioner is fantastic and I felt totally comfortable having some of my earlier appointments with her.
Bedside Manner:
Both Dr. Alwan and Dr. Fakrai have excellent bedside manner. They are very sensitive, caring and competent doctors. The appointments are usually brief because they do have alot of patients. I would highly suggest having your questions ready when you go into the office. They are very busy doctors. You need to be the driver in your appointments. This was also an adjustment for me because my previous doctor got to know me so well that when I walked in the door one day she was like "Adrianna you're swollen, what's going on?". She didn't even need to look at my chart to figure out who I was lol. Dr. Alwan/Fakrai simply can't know you as well. I still love them both, it just is a different type of practice. That is not a negative, just a difference. If you are used to really in depth attention from your doctor, this practice might require you to adjust your expectations. But don't write off Dr. Alwan/Fakrai too fast. They are really great!
Money Matters:
This medical practice requires full payment for prenatal care by the 7th month of pregnancy. Thankfully, I had cash built up in my HSA. I paid in full early into the pregnancy. I like the no drama factor of this. However, it is important to be prepared, particularly if you have a high deductible plan. Even though you pay in full, they don't actually bill your insurance company for the prenatal care until after delivery. It is billed as a bundle. Therefore, you will not see this payment reflected in your deductible until after you deliver. Also, any lab work or "extra" ultrasounds are not included in the bundle. Therefore, these two service types are billed separately. read more