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)

A factory. hard to actually speak with a doctor. takes a month to get a call back. works only if…read moreyou fit into their assembly line.

Dr. Gilbert is nice, if you can schedule an appointment. Expect at least 3 month wait to schedule…read more There are PAs with whom you can schedule a call but that's still a few week wait. The appointment scheduling system is very frustrating and ancient. You have to call during their limited hours and the person who answers the phone sounds really stressed out. (not her fault but I'm sure this ancient system is grinding her down.) Also, they do not sent you text or email appointment reminder. They call you! Who does that this day and age? I'm waiting for an appointment with another provider so that we can switch doctor. The medical team is fine but the admin and appointment system are so difficult that I can't take it anymore.

Dr. Fast should be your first phone call if you have an allergy or immunology issue. Allergies and…read moreinfections can be misdiagnosed or ignored, with dire consequences and suffering if not treated early and accurately. I had a mystery pain that doctors could not figure out. Dr. Fast is smart and kind. She listened to my story for 5 min and was able to rapid-fire triage and provide a rare infection as a possible root cause. She proposed a simple test -- taking ibuprofen -- to confirm or rule out the infection. Imagine that -- instead of making me go get an elaborate, inconvenient, and time-consuming blood draw at a blood lab to confirm or rule out the cause, Dr. Fast gave me a free, self-administered test: take ibuprofen during a pain episode, if I don't have pain, it's the infection, if I still have pain, it might be something else. She is a genius with a big brain and a giant heart. For the Yelpers who didn't have the same experience, well, maybe they just don't understand competence and compassion when they experience it? I had to meet a lot of doctors in my mystery pain journey. Honestly, Dr. Fast is the best. She's a great communicator and one of those Harvard University/Yale Medical School/Stanford Medical School experts that could be talking on TV. In spite of the fact Dr. Fast could brag about going to Hahvahd, she keeps her impressive credentials to herself, is down-to-earth, is a great communicator with excellent bedside manner for all age groups and walks-of-life, including kids, seniors, young and middle-aged adults. Please google Dr. Katharine Fast and be blown away that the Internet agrees with me that she's the best allergy and immunology specialist in San Francisco and the Bay Area. You should book an appointment with Dr. Fast if you want an accurate, brilliant, approachable, and nice allergy and immunology expert on your side.

I really appreciated my visit with Dr Fast. She listened to me, thought things through, and…read moreempathized with my desire to get back to what I consider to be normal, not just a "clinically normal". Plus she was funny - she kept things light hearted and amusing all along! I can tell that she cares about the human, which is relatively rare for specialists.

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 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!

I came here after years of severe seasonal allergies, cat and dust-mite reactions, and lifelong…read moreallergic rhinitis. Honestly, I didn't expect much at first, the whole thing felt a bit "out there", but I was desperate enough to try. About 15 sessions later, I stopped needing treatments altogether, and I've been allergy-free for over a decade. Absolutely worth trying. The doctors and staff were fantastic, too. Thank you so much!!!

Before going to AAS, I couldn't have a Cat in my home & even…read morestaying in a home with a Cat would have been problematic. Since going to AAS, I no longer have Cat Allergies & am now a proud Cat Guardian!!!!