Today I looked at Yelp for the office's zip code, wishing to send an update thankyou to Dr. Fiscella for her choice in a recent medication. Reading down the reviews, I decided to write one to share. Dr. Fiscella and Nurse P. Sheila Durlester have been my go to team for more than a decade. The office staff was terrific, then superwoman office manager Ada retired. New staff came on and for a while I was disappointed with their follow throughs and manners. That has changed satisfactorily. This might be the source of the lesser reviews. Other aspects may be because of bedside manner style. Some prefer one, some another. I find Dr. Fiscella quick to understand, efficient and astute. She's fast and can give the appearance of not listening but that is incorrect. Perhaps that might be improved with allowing for some pauses where a patient gathers themselves but I've never seen her make an error. She understands character; both of myself and of those I have had to speak about. A sentence or two and she's got it and got it right. She listens very carefully, then speaks only exactly what needs to be said, rarely giving speculations and never straying off topic. Several times she has said something about my personal life that has shifted my understandings after later reflection. One needs to listen in order to appreciate this highly unusual gift. Dr. Fiscella particularily understands relationships with borderline personalities. And grief. She asks trigger questions, then makes an observation that helps. She will act as an advocate for when another medical service lags in services. Her referrals have been stellar. In my case that's an operation (that internist reminded me of a top in the world medical specialist in my family), physical therapy, and testing services. In short, her bedside manner is brisk and to the point, which might be or not be to one's taste. I like it and prefer to have my physicals with her. NP Durlester is warmer in tone, lower key, willing to listen without distilling immediately; allowing a person to self discover what they want to say over a longer period of time. Helpful, her recommendations have been for the other kinds of things I've been there for. Her knowledge is impressive. I think that the two of them make for a full service, great team. As for the desk staff, when I recently inquired about getting a shingles vaccine, they told me the cost, then recommended a less expensive option of going through a drug store. Since this is part of the Kaiser network (I am not a Kaiser insurance client), I rather imagine prices are assigned by that organization? The office staff is pleasant and encouraging, businesslike and professional. Appointments are not impossible to get and are timed according to what is descibed when you call. Sound like you need help sooner? Somehow an appointment is available. I'm an older woman, mid-60's, with experiences with many doctors due to geographical moves. I'm an artist, so I appreciate when a medical office regards me kindly, liking some eccentricities. I find everything very clean, with warm touches in all the areas this office occupies. I wish Dr. Fiscella a longer life than mine so I can keep being one of her many patients. Oh, while I think on it, I've never had to wait a long time for my appointment to begin. read more

I was a patient of Dr Fiscella for years back in the mid 2010s; posting this review now as I think about the lasting damage she did to my relationship with and trust for doctors. On two occasions I brought up common sexual health concerns and I was made to feel like some kind of deviant for even asking - once about HIV prevention medication and once for bringing her into the loop that I had been seeking treatment from a private provider for hormonal issues. Immediately the response was accusatory and shaming. Luckily, I later found a primary care physician who would rationally talk me through both of these issues and help me address them safely. I cannot recommend strongly enough to avoid this provider. read more

So, I was looking for a good dr in the east bay, having come from an amazing dr in Monterey and in Miami, and had a long struggle. Once I found the reviews on yelp and WebMD for dr Fiscella, I was happy to find her, and very saddened to hear that she accepts new patient, but she is booked for months, on end and only her nursing assistants can see us. I saw tom and he was god, but I am going to the office to see a DR not an R/LNP. I will eventually look for another doctor because I feel Tom is capable, he is not a DR, and that's what we are paying for. If anyone has any good reco of a GOOD family general dr in east bay, please let me know. Office staff is also very good, and they reply to voicemails very diligently, but hold times on phone is usually 5+ minutes. (and they use patient fusion for records and reminders, but don't take emails, fax only. GRRR) read more

So, I was considering transferring my Medicare to Dr. Fiscella. I called their offices and talked with someone there, then called their payroll supervisor to make sure they had a medicare plan that I could use. Finally, I called back to their offices and was told I could not see the Doctor, even I was willing to pay, and that she had no appointments available to see me as a new patient. The person I talked with very rude and brusque. If the Doctor was not accepting new patients, and I was told that originally I would not have bothered to do all of the additional follow-up phone calls and research. I do not believe that the person I talked with was being honest with me. I do not think highly of staff who just lie rather than just say the Doctor is not accepting new patients. NOT Recommended. How could I possibly ever want to work with such a Doctor and staff like this?? read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Fiscella's for several years now and am overall quite impressed with this office. I saw Heather Readhead today and she was simply awesome -- very personable, easy to talk to, and helpful. The front office is great too. I rarely see Dr. Fiscella herself, but her staff is terrific. read more

The PA, Shiela I highly reccommend. The staff in general is fair. I am looking for a new physician, preferably, an internist. I do not reccomend Roxanne Fiscella for anyone with chronic disability or illness, especially over the age of 50. Her referral base is very limited and she is a not a good diagnostician. She lacks basic knowledge in appropriate test referrals. I find her arrogant and elitest. Lacking in bedside manner. Unfortunate, as I like to support both women and lesbian physicians. She is consistently late with getting needed physician information to other doctors or medical auxiliary practices. This practice might suit younger people that do not have existing medical conditions. She takes so many vacations, I wonder if she is really interested in practicing medicine any longer. Her PA's are really the ones practicing. It is difficult to find a primary care physician in the Bay Area, especially women, but, the honest truth is I don't trust Dr Fiscella's competence and do not want to ever have to be hospitalized with her as my attending physician. read more

Horrible! If you are thinking of going to this Dr. office you will be very disappointed with the condition of the waiting room, the personalities of the staff, and the big fat bill that comes after they decide to run tests on you without your knowledge. Pee in a cup for only $800! When I tried to contact the office about the fact that I was never informed that they were going to run multiple unnecessary tests without my permission and that I am now being BILLED by a lab... They basically said, sorry! Thats just what we do! They have open appointment availability because they do no have return patients. read more

Dr. Fiscella has been my physician since the mid-1980s and I have full faith in her. She is compassionate, knowledgable, diligent,and a good communicator. She is supported by an efficient and friendly office staff, skilled medical assistants, and wonderful Physician's Assistants. I trust them with one of my most precious possessions - my health. Kudos to Dr. Fiscella and her staff! read more

The staff is unprofessional and absolutely useless when it comes to providing sound medical advice. I've made three visits to this office and not once have I seen the actual doctor. Roxanne is always "on vacation." The nurse practitioners are rude and have never diagnosed me properly. They can't even refer me to a good specialist. I'm so upset with the level of care at Roxanne's office that I'm filing an official complaint with my insurance. Don't waste your time. read more

My wife has been going to Doctor Fiscella over 10 years prior to her retirement. I was always treated with hostility by her staff. I am a male. She recently was contacted by Doctor Sophia Mirviss as her primary under our health insurance contract. Starting about 3 weeks ago my wife started vomiting every day. Routine lab work was ordered to labcorp on or about November 5, 2021, My wife was so sick she couldn't drive nor did she think she could sit in a waiting area. She called Dr. Mirviss and it was decided to expand the blood test to include Cortisol which was sent on November 19, 2021 to labcorp. I was not happy with the attention given to her and called and Tom called back and did a good interview. On or about Monday November 22, we went to labcorp and were told the second test ordered had not arrived electronically. We took the first test. On or about November 25th we got a call and there are problems. We were told to go back and get the second test, nothing in writing just go get the test, On November 29th we went to Labcorp and were told we had to come back in the morning because the test ordered was for AM. An AM test could not be drawn after 10AM, We were not told this. My wife has a serious problem and she is resistant to going to medical treatment because she is in pain and it is difficult to help her to the car, so three trips to labcorp for one blood draw feels like communication is failing, When I called to get an explanation the office manager, was rude and said "my frustration was my problem". When I called back to leave a message the robotic answering machine said dial "6" now to get the off time staff, The machine said "your call cannot be completed as dialed. Same with all the other extensions. The explanation the receptionist gave was that Labcorp sometimes doesn't check for the digital orders for a day or two. OK but could someone have warned us before we drove there 3 days after the order was sent. The office manager told me that the reason the AM requirement was not expressly or in writing given to my wife or me is that they don't normally do this test. As professional medical workers a morning test requirement is overlooked because it's not one that they usually assign, read more

Dr. Fiscella is a SUPERB, experienced physician who does her part to keep me in good health.I have been Dr Fiscella's patient for nearly 20 years and I am grateful every day for her professional care and kindness. Each office visit has been excellent in terms of punctuality, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and/or referrals to specialists. Dr, Fiscella spends quality time listening to my health concerns, diagnosing the problem, and determining the best medical treatment. I consider myself very fortunate to have Dr. Fiscella as my primary care Physician. I also want to compliment Dr. Fiscella's medical support staff for running a very well-organized, clean, and efficient office. Dr. Fiscella's medical office is a jewel of a find in Berkeley! Thank you Dr. Fiscella for 20 years of outstanding medical care and advice and making sure I do my part to get and stay healthy. read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Fiscella for many years now. I feel that she pays close attention to me and gives me excellent, practical advice, not overmedicating or undermedicating, taking me seriously. I don't mind that I often see her physicians' assistants as they also give quality care for routine problems and have accurately diagnosed numerous infections and illnesses and prescribed appropriate medications. I see Roxanne herself for my annual physicals. I find her office staff charming, particularly Miss Ida, who knows the patients. I am always treated with dignity, respect and caring. However, the office is not well-run in several important respects, particularly dealing with patient communication. Calls are not returned. (Roxanne has told me that it's better to email than to call, but googling her doesn't show a website, so it's hard to find her email; and what if I need to have a conversation?) Billing errors are made. Test results are not relayed if they are normal (I'd still like to know what the tests show, for heaven's sake!) And so on. It used to be that I never had to wait. Now I always do. I doubt I'll change practitioners because I get good care, but I do get frustrated sometimes. read more

I have never written a review on Yelp or Amazon but I have to do it for Dr Fiscella and her staff. I've been a patient if hers for over ten years. Great front office. On time appts. They get me in right away with scary things. She keeps me out of the ER. She's smart. Gets to the point. Doesn't waste a minute. Totally listens. Has a bunch of great specialists to refer me to. I have never felt so well taken care of. She and her office is the bomb. read more

I have been a patient at Dr. Fiscella's office for at least ten years seeing the NP Shiela and now Tom while on private insurance. This is my first year in her office being on Medicare. While on private insurance I never had any issues with the billing. I am now on Medicare and just received my Medicare EOB for an annual office visit and was shocked to see how many different billing codes can be used to charge against a less than 15 minute visit. None of which were explained to me at the time: Established patient charge? Annual Wellness visit charge. Advance care planning charge? Alcohol misuse screening charge. Depression screening charge? "Annual face-to-face intensive behavioral therapy for cardiovascular disease" charge? I have a cardiologist. All these charges have Medicare billing codes which the NP's have a check list for and use at their discretion. The total charges for this less than 15 minute visit came to $580. Medicare did not approve all charges and I will be responsible for those. This amounts to Medicare up charging and fraud. I am looking for a new Family Physician. read more

Good luck seeing Roxanne - she's rarely available. Instead, you'll be foisted on the NPs Tom and Sheila, who are pedantic, insulting, unhelpful, and unprofessional. There are many better doctors and offices in the E. Bay. read more

I was a patient for 1 year went to the office 2 times, the first time I saw fiscella she listened and prescribed med that worked for me but never checked or scheduled another appointment to check if the meds are working fine, so I was like that's fine it's workijg and I have refills I don't need to see her for now, after a few months I had a rash in my lower back it was really bad I called and asked to see my doctor, they scheduled me to see her so I was there On time they put me in a room the nurse asked a few questions and said that the doctor will be heee soon, I waited 45mn!! 45mn!! And I had to pick up my son so I opened the door and went to the front desk, on my way another doc was going to another room to see her patient so I asked her and told her that I was waiting she decided to see me after looking at my back by the door for 2 seconds she gave me a prescription a cream $360 after the insurance that I didn't buy cause I was choked when they told me the price! No one appologized at the office, not the doc that saw me, nothing not even a call! They said oh yes this doctor just saw u so ur fine! I couldn't say anything cause I was late for my baby. After that they sent me the bill lol so I called and asked what I'm I paying for? I was waiting for them to appologize guess what! Nothing the rude receptionist said that I will not be a patient there anymore and that fiscela was going to send me a letter after everything They've done not even an appologie! If I had time and energy I would sue that office all of them, I had a serious health problem and she sent me a letter saying that I had to find another doc in 2months! But what goes around comes around, some day you will need help but you won't find anymore. read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Fiscella's for about 12 years. I have been very happy with the service & care I receive. I am not the average healthcare consumer-I manage primary care community clinics. I found the nurse practitioners to be very skilled clinicians and very approachable. AND they listen to me. I usually book my appointments with them rather than Dr. Fiscella. Dr. F has a number of aging patients and my health does not require that she practice at the "top" of her license. The fact that she has a number of older patients gives me confidence that she can manage complex cases--that benefits straight forward hypertensives like me. I had complex GYN problem and was promptly referred back to my GYN--no questions asked. Yes...the office is a tad small, but square footage is not a criterion I use to select my health care provider. I also find the front-office staff pretty good natured, considering the hustle in a small work area. To me it speaks to efficiency and flexibility. If you are high maintenance in terms of personality and want that touchy-feely-wishy- washy-entitled Berkeley consumer experience (Zoe B, Kris K, & others), this may not be the practice for you. Efficiency, courtesy, & evidence-based care are this practice's core competencies. read more

3/7 Another visit, another terrible experience. 15 minutes late to my appointment and told I would have to reschedule....but fiscella has no availability because shes going on vacay...great. One thing to note is their new, or not so new, location is terrible. Easily in the most congested part of berkeley, less parking and across the street from Summit ER. Yet somehow theres little to no empathy for those that might be a few minutes late. Great, half day of pto wasted and no means seeking treatment. They offered to have me see one of their nurse practitioners but Tom has absolutely no tact. During an appointment he blatantly said "you probably have herpes" after discussing a random rash on my inner thigh. All this without any testing or other objective fact based information. I'll pass on ever seeing him again. For what its worth, I took a test amd found out its not herpes. The other nurse ive never seen and judging by the new staff they have at the front desk im imaging the new nurse being a cold hearted (fill in the blank). This used to be a great office, no it just seems like a money grab. I can see why Sheila left, she was the last kind soul in that building. Here's to hoping you fail as a business. read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Fiscella's for many years but go to her as little as I possibly can, and only because I don't know who else to see. I know G.P.s are very busy, but I always feel she's going 100 mph and I find it hard to talk to her because she's always jumping in. I end up feeling like I've been in a minor tornado. And I never feel really heard. I'm not sure how competent she is, because she doesn't take the time, I think, to look into things thoroughly. I came to her years ago with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, very sick, and she said to go home and rest! She wasn't interested enough or caring enough to even do a little research and maybe some networking to find an appropriate doctor for me. She wanted to put my on Lipitor for high cholesterol but didn't take into account anything but the total cholesterol levels, whereas the HDL and triglycerides, etc., are all part of the picture, and when that was taken into account (along with the fact that people with low thyroid such as myself generally have high cholesterol), I really didn't need a heavy-duty drug. Please, have any of you dissatisfied patients found a GP you can recommend? read more

This office is completely incompetent. From their lack of professionalism, to the inappropriate and excessively loud music played in the waiting room to the incredibly annoying BILLING ERRORS, I stopped going after the initial visit. The PA who did my new patient intake was rude on top of asking too many personal questions that were not in any way related to my medical condition. read more

This is one of the most poorly managed offices, even if Dr. Fiscella herself and the nurse practitioners are nice (and they are). The office staff is unprofessional and sometimes downright rude. I finally ran out of patience and moved on to another doctor's office. After several mistakes and bad experiences, I decided to leave Fiscella's office, my new doctor's office is a breath of fresh air -- professional staff, paperwork is filed properly and on-time, excellent bedside manner and care. There are many other doctors with higher Yelp ratings from which to choose, I suggest choosing from among those. Skip Fiscella. read more

I was referred to Dr. Roxanne Fiscella from a great Dr. I had excessive ear pain and was hoping she could help pinpoint my problem. Turns out this whole thing costs $680.00 just for an initial consultation (which was my first and last) and an ear flush. Ear flush is where they take a plastic syringe fill it up with lukewarm water and peroxide (easily done at home according to the nurse). At first the nurse looked in my ear with a flashlight and said I did not have any wax whatsoever and was not going to do an ear flush. I asked for her to please follow the Dr.'s request as I had ear pain and came to see the Dr. for relief. She did the flush and said normally there are chunks of wax floating around in the pan if there had been any wax to begin with. She had proven her point. Lastly the Dr. gave me a Rx but after I insisted on making sure it was safe to take since I was pregnant she ended up tearing the Rx and writing a different Rx for me. I felt a little nervous about going back to her in the future although she had pleasant bedside manners. read more

I agree with the other reviewer... the office staff is amazing, completely nice and helpful. I like the Nurse Practitioner as well. It is only Dr. Fiscella herself I have a problem with. read more

well, it took me 4 years, but i finally returned to the dr. :) This time I saw the woman herself: Dr Fiscella. Let me tell you: this woman is AWESOME. Kind, personable, knowledgeable. No fat shaming or "know it all" doctor bullshit. She even convinced me to get a physical and pap. Impressive given I haven't had a physical in 10 years. The staff were kind and personable as well. I feel insanely grateful to have found a nice, down to earth, respectful doctor because they are about as hard to come by as magic mushrooms read more

I recently changed employment and went from 20 years of Kaiser to the HMO system, and had selected Dr. Fiscella as my G.P. To be honest, I have not yet met Dr. Fiscella. However, when I had some issues with my back that needed immediate attention, I met with NP Sheila. Simply stated, she had terrible bed-side manner, insulting my birthname during introductions and providing unprofessional commentary on other matters. I left the visit with mixed feelings, wanting to meet Dr. Fiscella but having no interest in working with Sheila in the future. I have decided to go elsewhere, which is unfortunate- I prefer to support female doctors, reviews are generally positive, and her office is close to our home. read more

I truly don't understand why people have had such a bad experience. Everyone has been super friendly and I felt like my overall care was considered by both the Nurse Practitioner and the Doctor. Of course, I'm always friendly to people so I usually have positive interactions with others. I also have not had huge wait times and they've been efficient. read more

I've been going to Dr. Fiscella for years now (more than 5 I think) and have increasingly liked her the more I've gotten to know her. I find that she spends an ample amount of time with me, answers my questions, and conveys a sense of caring. I also love that she sometimes recommends alternative care options, like accupuncture, and takes time to go over lifestyle issues with me to give me practical advice about diet, exercise, etc. I saw in other reviews that some patients never get to see the doctor when they come to the office. But if you ask to see her when you make your appointment, in my experience you will definitely get to see the Doc (maybe you'll have to wait longer for an appointment, but this seems reasonable to me). When I've had to go in for minor or quick turnaround things, I've seen a couple of the nurse practitioners and liked them too. The staff has been mixed in the past, but my recent experiences over the past few years have been very positive. read more

I have been a patient at Dr. Fiscella's office for the past two years. I have had excellent care and service each time I have visited the office. Sheila Durlester is my Nurse Practitioner and the only professional I have needed to see. Sheila is the BEST! She's experienced, compassionate, practical, caring, intelligent, has great common sense, and is very easy to talk with. She has provided excellent care, and I recommend her very highly. I have also had excellent care from the nurses, and the office staff is very nice and competent. Thanks to all of you at Dr. Fiscella's office! read more

I am giving 5 stars because I absolutely love Sheila. I have seen Sheila multiple times for different issues and each time I see her I leave feeling all my needs were actually listened to and addressed. She is very easy to talk to and takes a personal interest. At the end of my visits she has always met me where to check out to make sure I am taken care of. Good bedside manners, extremely knowledgeable, personable, and actually pretty funny. She always gives me a few good laughs during the visit. Recommend her to any of my friends. read more

I've been a patient with Dr. Fiscella's office for almost TWENTY YEARS. Yes it's a busy office (who isn't these days), but I have never had any issues and always seemed to receive the care and attention I need. I very much respect both Dr. Fiscella's and the friendly PAs' conservative stance on medications. They talked me out of taking some meds and I am so glad they did! They always seemed to be up on the latest treatments and was impressed with their access to hand-held electronic data. Never, ever had any problems with billing me or my insurance company. Ida, who used to work in the office staff always remembered my name without pulling my file! I guess this is why I keep coming back after almost TWENTY YEARS! read more

I have been going to Dr. Fiscella for over 10 years. She has been fantastic! I love that she recommends holistic healing techniques anytime western medicine calls for a pill and leaves it up to you on whether or not to take the pharmaceutical route. (She does gently nudge towards the antibiotics when infections are involved) The office staff can be amazing but through the years they have definitely made errors in regards to billing and appointments and have attitudes on occasion. I have been in there so many times without the mistakes and attitude that I chalk it up to them having a bad day. The office did have a nurse practitioner for about a year that was horrible but it must not of gone unnoticed because she didn't last long. All and all I have been extremely pleased with the care and compassion Dr. Fiscella provides. read more

I was not sure what to expect based on the reviews on various sites. The Dr. was perfect for me. Direct, clear communication, friendly and just overall awesome. We had a nice chat during my exam. I highly recommend Dr. Fiscella. The whole office is great and the NP is pretty awesome too. read more

I quite like this office. I have met both with Sheila and Roxanne, and found them to be professional, warm, competent, and responsive. They seem well organized, thorough, and efficient, as well as down to earth. I am fairly new, so we'll see how it goes, but so far, so good. read more

Dr. Fiscella, Sheila and the rest of the staff are kind and thorough. I started seeing Dr. Fiscella when I had health insurance, and I am continuing to see them even now that I don't. They have totally affordable rates, and are just fantastic! I highly recommend!! read more

I really like Dr. Fiscella. She's direct, empathetic, no nonsense, and very nice. She's also going to do the most sensible thing instead of just the expedient one. For example, if you've got a raging sinus infection, you'll get your antibiotics -- but you'll also get the suggestion to buy a neti pot at CVS and give your sinuses a saline rinse to keep it from happening again. In addition to being a damn good GP, she'll work with your specialists to ensure that you are getting a full view of the situation, not just a view of whatever their specialty is. If you're 5 feet tall, weigh 200 lbs, smoke, and expect your doctor to talk around the adverse effects of your lifestyle on your health -- then I *would* suggest you go see someone else. read more

Absolute wonderful doctor! 100%, an 90% on her nurse practitioners. There was a bumpy time with the clerical staff but that seems to have passed. I have been going to Roxanne for over 20 years. My husband did too. Not only is she a great doctor with a caring and straight forward personality she gives top notch recommendations to specialists - between me and my husband we have seen gotten a few ;) and that alone is worth its weight in gold. With me Roxanne has a consultative style which is exactly what I want. read more

I have been unimpressed by Dr. Fiscella, but her physician's assistant Sheila is the best there is. She is able to explain things to me that doctors haven't; she is always engaged and seems to err on the side of caution in terms of making sure you are getting what you need. Plus she has an incredibly vibrant personality that always puts me at ease. read more

I've been going to Dr. Fiscella for many, many years. I think she is great. On my yearly checkups, she remembers all of our prior conversations. She is knowledgeable and very straight forward. She doesn't over prescribe , which I appreciate. I was recently diagnosed with cancer. Dr. Fixcalla made sure I got early help from specialists (and they caught it early), but she has been great support throughout the process. I have always found her staff to be efficient and very friendly. read more

As the rating says,Dr. Roxanne Fiscella is as good as it gets. She has been my doctor for almost 20 years, and I can say unequivocally that her intelligence and persistence literally saved my life. My brother who is a neurologist told me that what Dr. Fiscella did on my behalf is above and beyond the call and that I should be eternally grateful. She is a gifted diagnostician who has a wonderful sense of humor. You will not find a better GP. Really. read more

I've been very satisfied with my care here over the last several years. I have had probably dozens of visits but have only seen Dr. Fiscella twice; I almost always see Sheila, her NP. I can't really speak to Dr. Fiscella's care or expertise but Sheila is personable and very experienced. read more