Dr. Bretsky and his PAs have been my primary care team for the past four years. I go for an annual physical exam and periodic minor health issues; fortunately nothing major. I'm happy with the care and service provided, and also appreciate the network of specialists that they have referred me to, often in the same building. Since first becoming a patient, I've had two or three high deductible PPO insurance plans, all that have worked fine. They charge a $15 lab fee for shipping specimens to outside labs, which was explained up front and is reasonable. I also appreciate that they manage their office overhead by automatically charging my HSA credit card for under $100 balance due amounts, after first collecting from the insurance company and applying the insurance company's negotiated rates. This keeps their cost down and simplifies bill payment on my end. Some other reviewers take issue with this, but it's never bothered me. Overall great office for periodic medical care. read more

I've been under Dr. Bretsky's care for the past 8 years. He is super-smart and attentive. He takes the time to answer all of your questions and concerns. And he always calls to follow up on lab tests and other procedures. I couldn't be happier! read more

Great Doctor. Attentive. Smart. Front desk very nice. Sunny, clean, and bright office. You only get to see Doctor Bretzky for your physical and if you are really sick. Otherwise it's the Physician Assistants. That was ok with me as I liked the PA I usually saw who was Jillian. She seemed to know when she needed to bring in the doctor and when she didn't. That being said, I was never very sick so she could pretty much handle everything. I am very sad that I have had to leave their practice. When you turn 65, I guess they feel they don't make enough money with what Medicare plus what your supplemental pays for a visit, so they charge you a flat fee EVERY YEAR just to be a part of the doctor's practice. $1500 extra per person, per year! Doesn't matter if you have great supplemental insurance (which we do). That's a lot of money and we couldn't afford the $3,000 a year. I guess it's the new thing and other doctors are doing it. But it's not for me. I am now at a wonderful doctor who is excellent and very happy to take Medicare plus my supplemental. He doesn't need for me to pay for him to have a much fancier lifestyle than what I have. He can drive a Prius just like me and it's ok with him. Maybe Dr. Bretsky doesn't want to do Geriatric Medicine and it's his way of thinning out the older patients. I get that. That's his choice. But then I'm not sure why the office acted surprised and a little disappointed that we weren't staying with the practice when I let them know. So if you're in you are creeping up on 65 and looking for a doctor, just be aware that a large fee per year will be looming in your future. If you're ok with this, then he's a great doctor and a very nice office. read more

I had an emergency on a Friday night. I called Dr Bretsky's office leaving a message explaining my urgency. He never called me. After I returned home from the hospital I called him on the following Tuesday. His response, "I saw that you called"!!! Do not go here. read more

Don't go, don't trust them. If you have the least issue with them you will get fired as a patient without any care or referral to a physician who will help you. read more

It pains me to have to write this review since I was a patient of Dr. Bretsky for almost 10 years. In the early years of his practice he was an affable, friendly, and involved physician. Over the years I have watched his practice decline in the quality of care provided to me, and other family members who were also patients (now, ex-patients). His staff has gone from being helpful and friendly to rude and surly, starting with the now-arrogant Dr. Bretsky. What happened to him I often ask myself? He became part of an elite group of doctors who are now concierge doctors, and it's next to impossible to get an appointment with him. Patients, unless you are part of the concierge group, are sent to his PA's for below par health care. My last few visits with his office were never followed up by him or his staff to give me results of tests that were done. I had to call to ask for the results of my blood work and other tests. My most recent experience was the final straw. I will never ever go back there, nor will I ever refer anyone to his practice. I was recently diagnosed with a severe, and potentially dangerous, stomach malady which required strong antibiotics. I was not referred to a GI specialist for follow-up, I was not told I needed a colonoscopy, I was not given the right dosage of antibiotics to knock out the infection, and I was not told to follow a low fiber diet. As a result, my infection came back with a vengeance, landing me in the hospital for 4 days. When I spoke to him on the phone from the hospital his arrogance was boundless and his lack of concern was hurtful to me and dismissive to what I was going through. He told me, and I quote, "You should have known that you needed to followup with a GI doctor." So on top of being dismissive and rude, he was being condescending to me whilst I lay in a hospital bed. I was under the impression that he was my primary doctor and any referrals to a secondary doctor should come from him. But hey, I should have known on my own, right? Well guess what, I know now that he is not the doctor for me anymore. I only posted one star because without a star you can't post a review. But no stars for you. read more

I am a current patient of Dr Bretsky having just had an appointment and labs last month. Yesterday I found out they messed up calling in my prescription in to my pharmacy and they refused to help me on the phone unless I discussed their costly concierge service first. They will not even have the Dr return my call re my labs unless I commit to their concierge service. It is fraudulent and I'm not sure it's even ethical. I am quite upset since I get physicals and they track my cholesterol quarterly but I have been cut off with no follow up or follow thru even though my insurance was taken last month and in good standing. I cannot stand Dr's when money always is king and not their patients. read more

I've been going to Dr. Bretsky's office for years. Recently found out he will only take patients starting fall 2020 that will join his "concierge program." Essentially this means paying a hefty annual fee to be permitted to receive medical services. So basically us poor folks have to find a new doctor during this difficult time. Thank you, Dr. Bretsky. Sorry I am too poor for you to see me. read more

I've been a patient for over 10 years, and the practice has slowly dropped in quality from a 5-star, "great, attentive doctor" to a 1-star "these are our hoops, jump through them if you want treatment. 'Care' is not something you'll get." I had to schedule my latest physical 4 months out. If I'm sick enough to need care, my only choice is a PA. Today was the straw that broke the camel's back. I had my physical in late December. In early Jan a nurse called me with lab results and told me I had an irregular EKG result and that I needed to take a fancier, more expensive EKG. They would call me in a few days to set up and appt. They did not. So a week later I called to check in, they said someone would call me. No one did. Now it's a month later. Should I be worried? Is there something wrong with my heart? Should I avoid exercise, or otherwise be careful? No one is telling me. So, I called today and very clearly said I was unhappy and wanted to speak to Dr. Bretsky directly ASAP. I'd like some actual CARE. She said she'd pass my message on. 10 minutes later she called back, said she talked to the doctor, and he wants me to see a cardiologist, and here are some numbers to call. Okay...how urgent is this? Should I drop everything? Cancel an upcoming vacation because this is critical? She couldn't say. Should I be concerned? She's an office admin, can't say. Can I talk to the doctor? No. He can talk to the admin about me, and she can talk to me, but he's not willing to talk to me. The message: you are not important. The doctor doesn't have time for you. read more

Phil Bretsky's compassion, expertise and hopefulness served our son facing a rare aggressive cancer as well as our whole family.

I had been a patient of Dr. Bretsky for approximately 10 years and began seeing him when his office was in Century City. I was looking for a doctor who was on time, had good bedside manners and generally cared about his patient's health. I had met so many primary care doctors who made me feel unimportant. Initially...hands down Dr. Bretsky was the best of the best for me! I felt great that he was into my medical history, ran a bunch of tests and came up with a health plan that worked. I was super excited and referred others, who have since left. In approximately 2017 I had a very disappointing visit with him that I waited weeks for instead of seeing his PAs. Apparently he's so busy now that you can't see him without waiting long periods of time for something to open up. He was in/out of the exam so FAST it made my head spin and I totally forgot what I wanted to ask him. There was no way he paid attention to anything I had to say, which makes me question whether my medical records are in fact correct. I felt my morning was a waste of energy, time, gas and money. Prior to the 2017 appointment, I was always being sent to one of his very young, inexperienced appearing PAs, who made me feel they had no clue about my medical concerns and issues. I haven't been back and don't plan to go back. I was reading another reviewer's review and found that Dr. Bretsky now has some sort of a concierge program. So perhaps this explains why he no longer has time for the little people. He also makes every patient put a credit card on file with his office to ensure he gets paid...shameful! I've never even heard of that before! But this started my turn off from him. If you're looking for a doctor with a good bedside manner, who's patient, who's timely and who takes interest in your concerns and health...well unless you're wealthy and can afford the "concierge" program, I would no longer recommend him to anyone. It's very unfortunate since he's truly a good doctor...when he has the time to spend with you. What he should consider is to only cater to the wealthy and remove himself from the little people who really need the medical attention they deserve. read more

There's a reason there are so many 1 star reviews. I've been seeing Dr. Bretsky for a couple years and the nurses aren't the friendliest but it's been decent . I've recently been out of the country for work for 6 months and periodically am in the states for a few days and use that time to fill my prescriptions. His staff just abruptly told me that they would no longer fill my prescriptions because i haven't been in for my yearly physical. I received no warning about this and they refused to be flexible with a warning this one time. I need my inhaler... it's not like this is painkillers or a risky prescription. When I asked to speak to the doctor about it, he refused to speak to me or call me back. I politely told them I would find a new doctor :\ read more

Hands down one of the best doctors you will find not only here in LA, but coast to coast. Dr. B. is kind, attentive, and exceptionally thorough and insightful. His office staff is also extremely kind, helpful, and on point in terms of scheduling, authorizations and other logistical considerations. Exceptional office and care. read more

After several unpleasant encounters with the staff, I felt compelled to update my review. I called the office simply to inquire about a bill and discuss some frustration in regards to their billing process. It's very unorganized. I had received bills after I'd paid them and the office staff convinced me that I still owed and took another payment. They later realized that I didn't owe and voided the payment. The point is that the process was frustrating and I called the staff at Dr. Bretskys office for some assistance to smooth and clear things up. Instead of being helpful or even apologetic, the staff was defensive, rude, and unhelpful. One woman was especially rude as she spoke so fast without taking a breath and would interrupt me each time I tried to even speak. When I told her that I had an issue receiving bills as they had given St Johns the wrong address, she told me that it never happened and they have always had the correct address. I couldn't believe that she became argumentative over something that I was simply stating as a fact and now accusing me of lying about ever having to correct my address?? WHY would I lie about that? There is no incentive to lie about that! When I expressed, calmy, that I was offended by the way she was talking to me, she interrupted me once again and continued to talk over me. Despite his staff, Dr. Bretsky has a good beside manner and seems thorough and is friendly. Unfortunately, dealing with his staff was so unpleasant, that I won't be going back. read more

In December I went in to get some vaccines because I was going out of the country. Never met Dr Bretsky, just his physicians assistant who was nice, but seemed a bit inexperienced in this department. Most importantly the ladies who are doing the insurance billing are not very bright.. They sent me a bill, because they said my insurance covered the vaccine but not the visit, which makes no sense. Talked to my insurance turns out they did not submit it correctly.. Tried to bill for more than what they did.. Could be a great doctor, but make sure you know what they are billing for. read more

If you get sick, forget it -- you will never get an appointment in a timely manner. Maybe if you pay the top tier of fees you can get in. I canceled my regular concierge payments on the spot, because they have never been able to offer me an in-person appointment since I started paying. The person on the phone was literally excited about that. read more

It pains me to write this, as my family has been with Dr. Bretsky for over 15 years. It has been challenging as a patient to watch his practice progress from attentive, face-to-face care for a majority of visits to having to schedule physicals months in advance for a chance of a well-visit with him, with all sick or urgent issues being managed by a PA with no slots reserved for shorter-horizon sick visits with the Doctor himself. But the recent changes have gone from an understandable transition from hands-on care to more distant supervision all the way to actually developing an outright hostile relationship towards patients in need of a doctor for real concerns. It was bad enough feeling as if your doctor did not want to see you (even on telehealth) if you were sick, instead delegating to PA's who have 1.5-2.5 years of training before being qualified to treat anyone without specialization, but now with the new practice change it's gone from subtle to outright awful. How can you justify, during a global pandemic in which many medical offices are outright closed, and the few operating are at capacity barely able to fit in their own existing panel, announcing a switch to concierge practice with negative notice? Let me re-state: Dr. Bretsky's office sent a letter to our family announcing that effective July 1st, his practice is going to require a 'membership fee' of between 1,500 to $10,000 per person PER YEAR to continue seeing him, ON TOP OF billing your PPO insurance, because of 'stagnant reimbursements' from PPO plans. Not even a full cash or concierge model, a model that requires you to carry the most expensive insurance out there and pay an additional fee for a chance to have a glimpse at most-likely the same PA's he has passed all sick or complicated, urgent, short-term visits onto. The letter was postmarked July 7th. The minimum decency would have been to announce the changes months in advance, to let patients knowing during the existing visits about the change, and then to send a formal written letter at least 2-3 months in advance so patients had a chance to find a few PCP... during normal times. To suddenly retroactively fire all of your patients who do not have the luxury to pay up to $40,000 annually for their family to see him on top of their insurance premiums, copays and OOP maximums DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC in which patients already are strained with extremely limited access to care is honestly downright evil. For the majority of patients, this is cruel, unethical, and questionably legal (should there be an equivalent of constructive dismissal for healthcare--the office is not 'technically' firing patients without cause, but by instituting a mandatory retroactive thousands-plus fee, that is what is happening). I am so disappointed because Dr. Bretsky, when you can manage to see him, was a stellar and knowledgable physician. But given this move that of course is ultimately a business decision he himself had to have made, given the context, timing, and reality of the change for his patient base, I cannot recommend this office in good faith to anyone. I suppose any new patients seeking info on Dr. Bretsky are the ideal targeted clientele--wealthy, overall healthy, and willing and able to spend a housing down payment in order to secure 'access' to a competent physician. However, I must urge even these prospective patients to look elsewhere--it is perfectly fine to readjust your business to be more profitable, but if someone is willing to sacrifice the physical and financial wellbeing of their entire patient base without warning, courtesy, or a transition plan aside from a "courtesy" (billed) single phone call to 'help transition your care' (with no relationships with alternative PCPs in place to help send you to), I assure you this is the devoid-of-principle attitude that will be problematic to any patient, whether you end up buying in at $1,500 or $10,000-plus per year. Disappointing. Shameful. Talented physician, but ultimately a businessman who has no desire to actually care for his own patients, anymore. read more

If anyone could give me the contact information for Jillian Payne, the amazing PA that worked at Dr Bretsky's office I would be ETERNALLY grateful. I find it outrageous that I have to find a new doctor during a pandemic because I won't pay for concierge service. But it's even more unconscionable that the office won't give me the contact information to follow their PA! I've called more than once to get the info but they say they don't have it, which I refuse to believe. read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Bretsky's for about 2 years. I don't know if some of the dissatisfied patients are aware that Dr. Bretsky has a multi-tiered concierge service (5 different tiers!). I was paying $1,000 a year (the least expensive tier); thus, I found that even if I wasn't able to see him directly, I was always able to get in to see his assistant by the next day. Also, I never experienced a rude staff. I like him and I think he's a good doctor. However, they have now raised the concierge fees 50% (mine would go from $1,000 a year to $1,500 year). I believe the most expensive tier ran about $32,000 yearly, and for that, the patient gets the doctor's personal cell number, home visits and other personalized perqs. With all this personalized service going to top-tier concierge patients, how much time can he have to devote to those who can't afford the concierge fees at all? He's only one man. $1,000 was already a stretch for me, but I can't afford $1,500, so I will have to leave. While I think I could still see him as a non-concierge patient, with 5 tiers of people who have priority over me (which is what the concierge service is all about), I have reservations about where I would fall in terms of scheduling and patient care. Bottom line? I believe Dr. Bretsky is shaping his practice to cater to the wealthy. If you can afford it, go for it. read more

Called to make a new appointment as a new patient. Not only was the person on the phone rude, but she also told me it will take more than a month to get a appointment with the doctor. Sounds like total BS. I think she lied to me because she didn't like that i asked questions about payments. I have the money, but you don't have to be a snob for me just trying to understand and get the numbers straight. read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Bretsky since 2008. I was referred by a neighbor of his so I trusted the referral because she knew him personally and professionally. Dr. Bretsky knowledge is vast and his demeanor kind. He is so educated that I was initially intimidated but, I didn't need to be. He listens to all fears and concerns. I find comfort is in fact that he is a hard worker (based on getting both a MD & PhD) and as a result has so much knowledge and experience to draw from. It's been a pleasure to watch his practice grow. I am grateful he brought aboard a Physicians Assistant as she was able to see me when I need immediate attention. It's been 8 years and I have enjoyed being a patient of Dr. Bretsky's. His expanded office is beautiful. His front office staff has long term (at least 8 years) employees. And most importantly is when I get my blood drawn (at least every year), each nurse has been great! read more

I loved this Doctors Practice.I have been going for YEARS. I ALWAYS saw Sandra and she was a DREAM, someone who REALLY cared. I called today to find that Sandra does not work there anymore (OK, sad but I get it) but also they will not see me unless I pay for their concierge service!!! I pay $600 a month for health insurance and now they are asking me for money to be able to see them! What is the point of health insurance? They house all my health records and now I have to go find a new practitioner. I believe they will lose most of their clients this way and will end up closing. If they wanted to start a concierge service they should of honored their current clients and continued as normal. LAME read more

When I joined the practice a few years ago I was assured I'd be able to speak to Dr. Bretsky easily. That never happened, I was always punted to a PA. Now that we're in the midst of a pandemic, his patients have received letters stating that his practice is moving to a 100% concierge practice. NO NOTICE GIVEN AHEAD OF TIME. So we all have no doctor at the moment unless we fork out thousands of dollars to him. I don't suppose this is illegal, but it certainly seems unethical and definitely immoral. Shame on him. read more

The doctor will not see you unless you put a credit card on file. Which it means giving them a blank check and giving them the authorization to charge your credit card anytime they want. I had insurance and offered to pay them my copay but they said that the doctor won't see me unless I gave them my credit card. Do not do this under any circumstance with any merchant. They also make you sign a bunch of papers to permanently give up your right to ever sue them. I have never sued anybody in my life but what if this doctor misdiagnoses me or performs the wrong procedure that can threaten my life? I will never go back. Stay away!!! read more

After searching the masses for a doctor that would be the right fit for my husband and myself, my search has ended. Dr. Bretsky is the perfect fit for my family. Fact- I have recommended Dr. Bretsky to over 10 of my friends and co-workers. They all reached out to say THANK YOU. Here is why. Small office, not a corporate machine. Brand new, clean, modern facilities. Kind and caring attitude. Dr. Bretsky is a detective. He works with you to help diagnose your problem. He will NOT just write you a prescription. His humanistic approach to medicine is what we all need. He is brilliant and if you get to know him or look at his credentials on the wall, you will see that has both his PHD and MD degrees. This is rare. So often, you will see Yelp reviews that are poor for physicians primarily because the doctor WILL NOT PRESCRIBE MEDICATION ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS- i.e.. pain meds, etc..... I respect this about Dr. Bretsky. He is ethical. We have spoken about just this. In fact, my last Dr. was nicknamed, Dr. Pills because it was all he used to do. I needed to get away from that. The parking is kind of difficult and expensive if you park below, but you can find street parking. read more

Dr. Bretsky Is a really Wonderful Dr he is done to earth and funny he always takes the time to figure out what is wrong and gives you the proper treatment doesn't load you up with a ton of medications that you don't need but you get the results and Care that you desire. His office staff is always helpful and polite they work with you try to fit u in not matter what time you call. I think it is very cool how there office is going paperless I receive a phone call & text MSG the day before my appointments and now they have it that you can save your credit card on file so when my bill is due i get a call that they are charging me and that's one less thing for me to mail out or remember to do. I have been going to Dr. Bretsky for 3 years and hopefully many more to come I have recommend Dr. Bretsky to several friend and family members and they are all very pleased with his service & staff. read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Bretsky for many years. He and his PA, Jennafer Piccolo, are kind, helpful, and thorough. They are very accessible and responsive to the patient's needs. I recently had major abdominal surgery at Saint John's and Dr. Bretsky came to visit and check up on me daily. He is always cheerful and encouraging and certainly helped me through a very challenging time. His office staff are on the ball. Particularly helpful is the office manager, Marian, who is very friendly and empathetic. When you are going through a difficult time health-wise it is a blessing to have these folks in your corner. First rate patient-centered primary care! read more

I've been coming to Dr. Bretsky's office for quite a while, and I've been very happy with all their services and personnel. I've made them my primary care doctor for the following reasons: 1. Front desk is very speedy on finding me a spot, even if it is same day service, if there's any emergency or concern on my end. 2. I never have to wait more than 5 min. To be helped 3. I always get billed correctly 4. Front desk is also always very speedy on forwarding my info to other specialists. 5. Both Dr. Bretsky and Jennafer Piccolo, Dr. Bretsky's Physician's Assistant, are very knowledgeable and caring. 6. Karen, and the rest of the staff are also amazing. I like an office that welcomes me with a big smile, gets thing done on time, and are able to work on a speedy manner with my other doctors and specialists. That's why I keep coming back. Oh, not to mention how helpful they've been with my insurance and catching any issues with it. Big plus for that. read more

This office is awesome! I have been there for a little less than a year, for a physical, flu shot, and for a slew of vaccines and blood testing I had to get done for grad school. The front desk is very helpful and attentive as is Dr. Bretsky and his PA Jennafer Piccolo. I saw Jennafer most recently for my grad school prep and she went the extra mile to make sure I got everything done and in the time frame I did. I realize I can't speak as much to going in for specific illnesses as all of my treatment thus far has been preventative, but I definitely wouldn't hesitate to go for other reasons! They always had availability, and were flexible if I needed to switch my appointment time the day of. Any calls I made were returned within 24 hours. read more

Referred here by a friend a couple years ago and have been very happy with his care and staff.

DO NOT GO UNLESS YOU HAVE EXCELLENT HEALTH INSURANCE. I was a patient here (epilepsy, Lyme disease) for 5 years, and I never thought I'd be where I am today with this office. In the beginning, I had PPO and things were great! Two years ago, my company was purchased and my husband and I were laid off, so we became cash patients; this office doesn't accept any kind of public healthcare. I have not changed my regular meds during the course of my time here. Yet during my last visit, Sandra, one of two PAs you'll see 99% of the time instead of getting to the actual doctor (same price, though), expressed a weirdly abrupt concern over those prescriptions. Again, I never asked for anything I haven't been on without interruption since 2008, but suddenly she didn't want to refill them because she disagreed with one (even though a qualified neurologist originally prescribed it 11 years ago and Dr. Bretsky himself increased the frequency with which I take it himself to treat my increasingly bad seizures; when I was younger, I didn't have as many grand mals). I still don't understand where this came from after 5 years of "everything's fine." But I didn't want to argue because I'm exhausted, I'm not a medical professional and I'm out of my depth--really hoped Dr. Bretsky would explain it to her for me. I just told her I was moving soon anyway. She was concerned about her name, not about me, saying "it's my name on this" if I, say, died or something, not that I'm any more likely to now than I was when I first saw Dr. Bretsky. I still don't understand what she was trying to tell me! I then asked a receptionist for a transfer sheet for when I did find a new doctor in my new town of Bakersfield, 2 hours away. Sandra evidently wrote in my chart that I asked to be "discontinued" as a patient. I did not. I've made that abundantly clear, but all I get when I call is a reminder that Sandra explained it to me (she did not, I can only guess she made her own conclusion from my statement about looking for a Bakersfield doctor to take over my primary care needs once the move was completed). I haven't got a new doctor yet because the wheel of Kern County Medi-Cal (Bakersfield) takes a while to turn. 3 weeks, specifically, according to the LACare representative I spoke with. I tried to refill my seizure medicine yesterday when I ran out, and this office informed me that I was "discontinued" and therefore couldn't have them. I have been on them since I was diagnosed with epilepsy and you can't just go off them without weaning off them--you'll have a seizure. It's happened before, in another state, when a pharmacy was 4 days late refilling it due to technical difficulties. I am TERRIFIED right now that it will happened again. I cannot afford to have another grand mal. I need my medication. I'm scared to death. But when I spoke to a staff member today to follow up on messages sent to Dr. Bretsky yesterday, she was clearly irritated with me and had no interest in doing more than marking my message as urgent after I asked her to, even though I clearly explained my rather desperate situation and confusion regarding my status as applied by Sandra. I told her that I absolutely didn't request a discontinuation, but she only repeated again and again that Sandra's records show that I did. WHY would I do that? I have no new doctor, no way to get one until April, and two severe medical conditions that can be life-threatening if untreated. I have an active infection right now (Dr. Bretsky told me Lyme can cause chronic problems in the kidneys and he was in fact my attending physician when another kidney infection hospitalized me for 9 days) and I'm very sick. Getting all my ducks in a row has been hard since the move. It hasn't even been a full month since my last visit and this is the treatment I've received after a five-year relationship that I thought was good. When asking for help & expressing my fears today, I received only increasingly impatient repetition. I've never felt more like a piece of discarded trash than I do now. I AM EPILEPTIC; I AM AT RISK WITHOUT MY MEDS AND NO ONE IN THIS DOCTOR'S OFFICE CARES. What can I possibly do, now? The bottom line: I thought this was a good place. I thought they cared. I was wrong. I loved seeing Dr. Bretsky, who is himself an awesome doctor, but I saw him less and less over time, being seen by his PAs instead--the best of whom (Jennafer Piccolo) no longer works there. They do not understand what the needs of the not-wealthy are, and I will likely end up in the hospital because they can't be bothered to clear up this simple misunderstanding. If that happens, I will pursue legal action. There was no reason for this, and my loyalty to this place over the years has left me with nothing but hurt, confusion, and fear. Don't make my mistake. Go somewhere else. Dr. Bretsky is truly great, but you won't see him much and you can't reach him through the buffer of his office, so just keep walking. read more

I've been wondering for a year or so what this doctor's name is. I saw him for a pre-op and this doctor was bright. I felt this doctor is what other bdoctors should aspire to be; caring, smart, witty, and not full of blank stares. I wish I lived closer (or he moved to Orange County!) so I could use him as my PCP. read more

If you find yourself wishing for someone who will not only hear you, but equally important, crucial even, someone who will listen closely to whatever it is that's ailing you, then Dr. Bretsky should be your internist. Warm and welcoming from the moment you walk through the door, everyone: beginning with the people with whom you make your appointments, the people who call your pharmacy whenever needed, as well as the people who take your vitals, everyone is consistently, consistent in terms of warm and welcoming. Without reservations of any kind, I would highly recommend Dr.Bretsky and his entire staff for all your medical needs... read more

Absolutely terrible experience with this doctor and practice. Dr Bretsky refuses to speak to patients for follow-ups - even with routine test results! - on the phone, his staff insist you make make an appointment to go in. You then get suckered for a full appointment charge when he or his assistant spend 2 minutes basically giving you the all clear. They have made numerous billing errors that the arrogant and rude office staff point blank refuse to acknowledge. The office manager, who I believe is his wife, is the most unpleasant person I have ever spoken to. Dr Bretsky himself is nice enough, but his staff? Terrible. To top it all off, they office insists that you leave a credit card on file before they will accept you as a patient. They will then charge random amounts to your card, without consulting you first, and then refuse to give you a breakdown of what you were charged for. This is with high-level, in-network insurance! I'm certain I've been charged for services I never had. Stay well, well away! read more

I have been a patient of Dr Bretsky for about 4 years. I find that he, his staff and PA's are always helpful and caring. I like the fact that if he is not available I can see a PA quickly to alleviate my medical problems. read more

I've been seeing Dr. Bretsky for over a year now at the recommendation of a GI doctor. At the time I was unhappy with my internist and so glad I switched!! Dr. Bretsky is upbeat and friendly, and also gets to the root of my problems with an accurate diagnosis. The only complaint I would have is that often times he is busy and it's hard to get in for an appointment right away if you're sick. Also the wait times in the lobby can get kind of long. But, I think it's because he's a really good doctor and a lot of people go to him. Sometimes his staff is not as friendly as he is. Sometimes they are, sometimes they aren't. But I try to ignore it because Dr. Bretsky is so wonderful. read more

I guess money is all The doctor cares about. I had a very quick question and I was told by his wife that the doctor does not return phone calls and the only way to ask him is in person. Well I need to come in all the way from calabasas just so that he gets paid for the visit? I guess so.... read more

I was very impressed with Dr. Bretsky as my Primary care provider. He is very positive and you get the sense that he really cares. He takes time to listen and is one of the most comprehensive physicians I've seen. His office staff are very nice, professional and competent. They are good about phones calls and staying engaged and also were very helpful arranging paperwork I need from my doctor, once even providing same day service when I was in a time pinch. I also needed to have a thyroid lump evaluated and I was pleased to be able to do it right there in his office the same day as my physical appointment. The ultrasound tech was fabulous too, very knowledgeable and helpful answering my questions. read more

Dr. Bretsky is like a detective. If you are feeling ill, chances are, he will get to the bottom of it. He goes the extra mile, as does his staff. The office is really nice and clean. I have referred many friends to Dr. Bretsky and they have all thanked me time and time again. read more

I LOVE Dr. Bretsky. He is a wonderful doctor with a fantastic bedside manner. I agree with the other reviews in that you don't ever feel rushed in his office and he really takes his time and listens. He's also great about running on time and fitting you in last minute if needed. He also always follows up after an illness or tests and genuinely seems to care. I have referred him to a several of my friends who have all had great experiences with him. I feel really lucky to be in his care! read more