I have been a patient of Dr. Higgins since 2012 and have always trusted his care, which makes this experience especially disappointing. 5-stars for Dr. Higgins, 1 star for his staff. I tried to reach him through the patient portal but was not able to and I have not been getting return calls back from his office. Since I travel internationally for work regularly, I was instructed by his nurse practitioner to notify the office when I would be in town to pick up my medication so it could be sent to the pharmacy in advance. I followed those instructions exactly. I also requested from her office multiple times to speak with her regarding my dosage and was never called back. When issues arose at the pharmacy over the course of 2-days, I repeatedly asked the office to speak with the pharmacist and was told they were "too busy" as I was having a panic attack at the pharmacy. I ultimately had to leave the country without my medication as I was going to miss my flight after spending significant money on travel and accommodation just to pick up my medication. The lack of communication and follow-through from the office staff was distressing and left me feeling unsupported as a long-term patient. I hope this feedback helps improve how serious situations like this are handled in the future. read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Higgins for well over 20 years. He is the best. He is easy to talk to, listen attentively, and truly cares. His diagnoses are great. His bedside manner couldn't be better. I couldn't ask for a better physician. read more

Dr Higgins is a wonderful person and an excellent doctor. He has been my new PCP since my doctor of 44 years retired. He is knowledgeable and very helpful at explaining things when you have complicated issues. in addition to that, he is very empathetic and kind. I am still giving him 5 stars although his front office is not very responsive or reliable. You have to stay on them to get what you need. They don't seem to be very experienced and frankly have made more mistakes than not. I know Dr Higgins has no say over the office staff and I see his frustration. Still, he is worth dealing with their inadequate training. Just be your own advocate when it comes to appointments and paperwork. read more

Excellent physician Very caring and understanding of all your medical needs especially if you're HIV positive read more

I would highly suggest trying another doctor! Been coming here for over a year and not once have I seen the doctor! If you want a PA then this is your place! They have gotten my medicine wrong and also the overall experience is not what you would expect from your personal doctor! Oh ya haven't seen the doctor! Stay away and find someone that cares about your heath!! read more

Dr. Higgins has been my Doctor for many years now and has always been kind, funny and most importantly very good at what he does as a professional. I'm glad I landed in his practice read more

Hands down the worst experience with a medical office I have ever had. They provided incorrect billing numbers to LabCorp and Dr. Higgins' office has been completely unresponsive to my calls. I am now dealing with late payment requests from LabCorp. To the staff at Dr. Higgins' office - PLEASE return my messages to remedy this situation. I've spent ~10 hours now trying to get to the bottom of this and literally all you have to do is update the ID numbers affiliated with my LabCorp blood work to represent the preventative coding that you had told me would be applied. read more

He's excellent! Listens and knows what to do. I was looking for a primary and he is very nice and professional. I will go back.

I don't give out many 5 stars, but Dr. Higgins is worthy of this high praise. I can confirm what has already been said about him here and add that I find him not only to be a superb physician, but a very funny and thoughtful man as well. I know he cares about his patients because he remembers arcane facts about me and the conversations we've had. Mark is a special person. read more

Unfortunately, I could not agree more with some of the negative comments on here, like you cannot get an appointment with Dr. Higgins without at least 1 month notice. Instead, you will get a physician's assistant, which is NOT a doctor (who, btw, didn't consider diabetes a serious health condition - seriously?). Additionally, some staff members are really good + they do competent work, but others totally give you the run around and just outright lie to you. I was trying to get a lab slip sent to the lab, BEFORE I actually get to the lab - pretty routine, right? Well, staff A says staff B (competent staff) is mailing you your previous lab results. Huh? This is totally OFF: I don't want my old results (I know that already); a new health concern has come up and I want to get that tested to verify any changes in my health condition. This is why I need a lab slip. So I asked staff A for the voicemail of staff B, and staff A says staff B doesn't have voicemail (Hmmm, first of all, this is an office. Do you really think I'm going to believe that? The statement by staff A was later "corrected' by the front desk). What a joke! Then crazy thoughts started going through my head like: Do staff people lie to their patients and cause them grief and delay when they have a serious health issue to deal with? This is clearly not the office for me. I will be searching for a new PCP tomorrow. read more

Dr. Higgins correctly diagnosed me as having Cough Variant Asthma, when my prior Dr. May Yau Yen twice diagnosed me as "Just allergies, get claritan". Dr. Higgins is AWESOME spent a lot time with and the inhaler he gave stopped the cough in less then 30 seconds after months off suffering under Yau Dr. Higgins is now my PCP. read more

Dr. Higgins actually takes time to talk to you and is willing to listen to all your concerns - something rare these days! I was a previous patient with WellSprings and came back because of the level of care and attention!! read more

I have been with Dr Higgins for years, and from my mouth to God's ears....this man is a saint. From him giving me his personal cell number to call in case of an emergency, to him walking down to the adjacent hospital when I was being scanned for potential cancer JUST TO SEE if I was doing allright. I have had many opportunities to switch to Kaiser, or a PPO, but I wont. Why you ask? The ONLY reason is Mark Higgins. No matter the cost - I'm staying. He always listens to everything I ask, answers accordingly, and I get a hug at the end of the visit. The man is a great doctor, an amazing person, and I'm completely lucky to have him as my doctor!! read more

Best doctor I've ever had, and after years with him, I consider him a friend. He went to medical school later in life than most, which makes him a more well rounded human than many doctors I've met who's young lives were spent entirely too focused. read more

quality care . . . smart . .. empathy . . . willing to take time . . . Dr. Mark HIggins is all of those things . . . and I'm in an HMO . . . hands down, best doctor in SF . . . capability combined with concern & care. Strongly recommend. read more

I still love Dr. Higgins, but his PA, Mary Anne is an obstacle to receiving care. I rarely speak to Mary Anne directly; I nearly always get her voicemail, with a lengthy outgoing message that sounds like a droning zombie from a forgotten, pre war government lab. Despite her message claim that she will return the call within 24 hours, this is often not the case. Unfortunately, she does not say how to bypass her message on the recording, so it took trial and error to figure it out. Mary Anne simply isn't friendly. She hasn't felt like an ally in health care, she's more of a gatekeeper. She doesn't indicate that she knows who I am, even though I've be going to Wellspring Medical, sometimes intensively, for years. Urgent matters are responded to by Mary Anne at the same glacial pace as a routine request. If something quite urgent arises and I really need to hear back from Dr. Higgins, I try leaving a message with the front desk. With occasional, refreshing exceptions, they are loathe to do so and are also lacking in basic customer service. It's almost like trying to get tech support from a company that outsources. Dr. Higgins is still a great doctor, but I find myself reluctant to communicate findings from other doctors because whatever I say will need to pass the hostile filter of Mary Anne. I've spoken to him about her, but haven't seen any changes. I'm keeping an eye out for another doctor. I'm really sad about it because *he* is off the hook skillful. read more

Dr. Higgins has been my primary physician for many years, through minor and not so minor health issues. He is caring, intelligent, and has a great sense of humor. And no matter how busy he is, he takes the time to listen to all my concerns and answer my questions. On several occasions he has gone out of his way to take care of me. It is sometimes frustrating to deal with his staff - it can be difficult to get them to answer the phone, etc. but that is true in many offices. read more

Dr. Higgins is the best!!! I first started seeing Dr. Higgins when I moved back to San Francisco from the East Bay and had to have emergency surgery, and I did not have a primary care provider in SF. After my surgery, I spent a few days in the hospital, and that is when Dr. Higgins became my physician. I have been seeing Dr. Higgins for 13+ years now. He is wonderful and always spends lots of time with me. His light hearted humor and compassion actually help a lot when you are sick. I can truly say Dr. Higgins has saved my life on more than one occasion --which is about the best reference for a doctor that you can provide. read more

Need a new Dr. (mine retired) and stopped in to see if Dr. Higgins was accepting new patients. Receptionist gave me this discusted look, just stared at me. I left. See there's no way to contact the Dr. besides calling the recetionist or appearing there in person, which didn't work out too well. Too bad read more

Doc Higgins has been our GP for over 10 years. He is extremely competent as a diagnostician and I wholeheartedly recommend him

Dr. Mark Higgins is the BEST primary care physician one could ask for. He's sweet, gentle, informed, patient and funny as all heck. He has solved many a major and minor health issue for me. He has such a great personality and is so focused on you the entire time you're with him. I actually found Dr. Higgins quite randomly when my previous PCP retired. I called up my health plan and asked for a doctor nearby and they suggested a few and I picked Dr. Higgins. I'm so very, very glad that I did. He's GREAT!! The only drawback is its sometimes difficult to get a call back from his staff--they're super-swamped and busy all of the time. But be patient--its worth it. read more

He genuinely and honestly cares about his patients! Like most great doctors, he sees what a problem the health care system is in this country! I feel lucky to be a patient of his. read more

My boyfriend has known Dr. Higgins for 25 years, from before he went to medical school. When my previous doctor closed her practice and I was searching for a new doctor, my boyfriend urged me to go to Dr. Higgins. I was hesitant because I usually choose female doctors, but Dr. Higgins has the best bedside manner of any doctor I've ever had, and it's been wonderful to have a real family doctor. I highly recommend Dr. Higgins. read more

After my last doctor left his private practice to care for HIV-positive inmates, I felt whomever takes his place has some really BIG shoes to fill! Dr. Higgins came with glowing reviews, but I was, of course, skeptical, but still gave him a try. Since then he's been my primary care physician and I couldn't be more pleased. He GENUINELY cares for his patients and has great rapport. He treats me with respect and dignity and doesn't have the kind of "move-'em-in, move-'em-out" mentality like other doctors in my doctor search. Criticisms: Staff can always CALL ME BACK ON THE SAME DAY messages are left, but we're not reviewing THEM, are we? read more

It doesn't matter how good of a doctor you are if you or your staff treat your patients poorly. I got a very solid reference for Dr. Higgins, but was very disappointed in his staff. Difficult to work with from the beginning, making it very difficult to jump through hoops to get an appointment. Then told the first available appoint was more than a month away. Clearly doesn't need my business if he has so many patients and can afford to employ rude staff. read more

Very clean and modern office. Staff is efficient and polite. The doc is a charmer, and is very knowledgeable. He is the first doc I have had in a while who genuinely seems as concerned with my good health as I am. read more

I am so lucky Mark Higgins exists in my life right now. He's been my doctor for six-plus years, but he is proving indispensable in improving my overall life - in my physical health and all other aspects. In this current, cynical state of medicine, where doctors are thrust in a system that feels "industrial" in its mechanizations to maximize whatever profit can be gathered, Dr. Higgins glows with a warmth, humanity, and intelligence that makes you know that are in the right place, with the right person to help you with your corporeal problems. I am SO LUCKY to have Mark Higgins as my doctor. read more

Dr. Higgins has been my Doctor for years now. He is always a pleasure to see and is very easy to talk to. If you're uneasy about talking openly to your doctor, Mark higgins will make it easy. The office staff are great as well. Jerry Weis Although I don't deal with Dr Kafaro often, she is also great!! Although I prefer having a Gay Dr so I can feel free to say anything. With Dr Kafaro, it's just like talking to "one of the guys". No offense DR Karo, you're awesome! Jerry Weis read more

Dr. Higgins has been my primary care doctor for 15 years. He has always met me with kindness and sensitivity. He has helped me through some seriously difficult medical experiences, and I am EXTREMELY thankful to have lucked upon him in my first months in San Francisco back in 2000/2001. As a gay man it has been especially valuable to have a provider who is non-judgmental and comfortable with some of my specific health needs. Dr. Higgins balances directness and honesty with compassion and empathy - a combination that is incredibly helpful when you are sitting in a doctor's office. read more

Simply the best doctor I've ever had. Professional. Educates. Friendly. Has helped me gain control over various ailments over the years. I feel lucky to of found him. read more

I am probably one of only a few men that can say that I had a female physician my entire life until I went to Dr. Higgins 7 years ago. His patience and sincerity are wonderful. All I can say is Thank You Dr. Higgins for listening and allowing me to step out of the suit and tie confidence that I am expected to deliver daily and just be a whinny kid. read more

I've never enjoyed going to the Doctor's office. Dr. Higgins has changed that. He's not a dry, strandard "regular" Doctor. He listens, he cares, he follows through. On several occasions he's contacted me to follow up -- or make sure something was taken care of. He never makes you feel stupid for asking questions and will explain till you understand. He never rushes you. He's more than courteous, he builds a relationship with you, remembers things you have discussed previously. I can't begin to count how many people I have referred to him - and stand by him and his care 150%. And -- we laugh a lot -- he's a good man. read more

Dr. Mark is extremely caring, gentle, knowledgable, and he's a great listener too! He always ask courteous questions, let you talk, and listen to them carefully. He promotes health as well as treat disease. He's definitely one of the best doctors in the whole Bay Area. read more

Dr. Higgins is one of those doctors worth going the extra insurance mile (or several) to keep as your PCP. As noted elsewhere he's kind, funny, and a pleasure to talk with, as well as intelligent, informed and articulate. Definitely recommended. (Plus, and this is more important than it should be, but--his office staff in general is good deal with. And that's a good thing.) read more

well, i just became disillusioned, big time. i thought dr. higgins and i had a special dr/patient relationship. i go in, we talk test results, any health issues that need discussing, any prophylactics that should be taken/considered. then, after business is out of the way, we joke, gossip, trade secrets, and end it with a hug. i always feel great after leaving his company, and know i'm in good hands. one of a kind relationship, right? i always thought so, until reading the other reviews here - seems like he has that kind of relationship with all his patients. but he's good enough to share, no kidding. if you want a dr. that you think of as a friend who cares, try higgins. read more

I had the privilege of meeting with the amazing Dr. Higgins this evening at Urgent Care. Dr. Higgins is by far the BEST doctor I have EVER met with. He is extremely professional, highly knowledgeable, honest, kind and compassionate. Suffering from a brutal bout of sciatica for the first in my life, beyond nervous about major foot numbness, and experiencing what I thought was an anaphylactic reaction to the Hydrocodone my general doctor prescribed to me yesterday, Dr. Higgins met with me right away. He truly put me at ease with his phenomenal bedside manner. (I was freaking out). If you are looking for one of the BEST doctors in SF, Dr. Higgins is the answer!!!! read more

Nobody cares more about Dr. Higgins about his patients. I have been with him for over 15 years now and although I live now in Long Beach, CA he still is my Doctor. He makes time even when there is none. As for Katlyn H. review, Dr. Higgins is NOT a Neurosurgeon nor an Orthopedist but a GP. It is extremely difficult for a GP to order and actually get a pre-approval for a back MRI, If you have back pain to which I can fully relate, ask for a referral and go see Dr. Andrews (same floor) best Neurosurgeon in town, although completely lacking any bedside manners, but who cares if he can fix your back you don't need him to make small talk. As for referrals, he doesn't care and I am highly doubtful he gave you a hard time. All he needs to do is a mouse-click and you are referred. Given that everyone else is giving him highest ratings - yours can just be dismissed as you were pushing him to prescribe Opioid medication which is strictly regulated by the DEA. So much for my tangent, in any case, if you want/need a GP he is definitely the best is SF and he has done so many wonderful things for me that I cannot praise him enough. read more

My health plan switched so I used to be a patient of Dr. Higgins. He a great doctor, but when I first saw him, I had my reservations. On my first visit with him, he didn't do a full physical or take a full history. Vitals was it He listened to my lungs through my shirt. I was dismayed. Maybe I'm old school, but I expected at least an exam. Otherwise, a good listener and good to diagnois a problem. Office staff is okay, but can be abrupt with you. Often behind schedule. read more

Unfortunately I have to switch to Kaiser due to financial reason, but I would like to say my experience with Dr. Higgins has been excellent. I am not sure if most people are aware that most doctors accept Medical patients which is a good thing, but it increases their patient load. Thus, they are trying to see everybody, and the truth is Medical really does not pay them well. So I may not have seen Dr. Higgins every time, but I understand his situation. He has always been very kind and caring and I did not whine when I had to see somebody else. It is important to know the facts before you bitch. Just ask why you cant see him and they will tell you he has other patients, so get over it. read more