Dr. Christine Szeto has been my physician for the last 25 years. She is compassionate, kind, and everything that a doctor should be. She truly cares about helping others, and is a very thorough and competent practitioner. I trust her wholeheartedly , and sincerely recommend her to anyone. read more

I absolutely LOVE Dr.Chern ! She has been my primary Dr for over 10 years and she truly cares about your wellbeing! It's not easy to find a doctor now in days that actually listens to you and cares about what's going on . I highly recommend her if you are looking for a caring Dr with great bedside manners and a great staff too ! Hands down the best office and Dr ! She has seen me through all of life's stages and I trust her completely! read more

This office is filled with delightful, helpful people. I always feel extremely welcome and well taken care of. Plus, they can do blood work and paps all in the same yearly physical appointment, in the same office! Dr. Chern is my doctor and I have no idea how she can treat me with such personal care with all her many patients and responsibilities. I've been going to her for several years now and would happily continue with her until she retires. I've recommended her to many friends and everyone loves her. Thanks for everything, Dr. Chern!! read more

Dr. Chern came highly recommended from a friend and it's near my work. I had to wait almost three months to get an initial appointment and my friend said it was worth the wait. Staff is super nice and friendly both on the phone and when you get there. I had a noon appointment and got there early so they could process my paperwork. Parking was easy as there are two free lots on either side. I waited maybe 20 mins before I saw the doctor. Her nurse Gisela was very friendly as she took my weight and measured my blood pressure. Dr. Chern came in shortly after and introduced herself, apologized for the wait since a few appointments ran over. She explained to me that there were longer waits for the initial appointments and for physicals because they wanted to be able to see the more urgent cases, which I think is admirable. She took down my information and answered all my questions. My main objective with the visit was to get my prescriptions filled since I hadn't been to Kaiser since back in July. She was great and I set up a future appointment for my physical in June. read more

Efficient office staff. Drs attentive and responsive. I've been seeing Dr Szeto over 20 years with amazing guidance through some very difficult issues. read more

helen along with the other receptionist were not helpful. if anything, they made the call extremely unpleasant and refused to take my health insurance information to confirm if i am in-network for appointment scheduling. i informed both receptionists multiple times that my insurance list the "office" (spectrum care and wellness and npi 1437182185) as "in-network", then goes on to list catherine and chrsitine as active physicians at the location. the initial rececptionist then transfers me to helen, who continued to give me a very difficult time just to schedule a new patient appointment. it's almost as if as they do not wish to help newcomers. as i told her that this was my 3rd time calling, left a voice message, no response - i searched them up on yelp and discovered they have poor reviews. i asked about the poor reviews - are they for the incompitent receptionists or for the actual doctors? she then tried to continue to not schedule me and said i should look into other doctors. i asked to speak to a manager and was told they don't have one. i told her that i would like to schedule to meet the doctor for myself to make the determination on whether the poor reviews are for the doctor(s) or for the unprofessional receptionists who clearly do not want to do their job. it seems they both lack the capacity to function properly in carrying out their duties in the office setting. upon reveiewing the reviews again, it seems like its because of the way they run the business (scheduling issues, test results issues, rude from the front desk to in the room with the doctor(s), etc.). this place needs to do better! i will take my business somewhere else. read more

I've been awaiting test results for over 2 months. I've called continuously to no avail. I finally went to a new Doctor office, got the same test, and received the results weeks ago. Just got a bill from the lab, will be paying Valley Medical a visit to ask for the $35 for the test, the results of which I'm still waiting. Don't go here. read more

I love Dr. Chern and her new practice here. I think many of the poor reviews were based on Dr. Czeto and Chern being affiliated with Valley Medical, but Spectrum care is now their own private partnership practice it seems. Dr. Chern ALWAYS follows-up with me personally (via phone call) about my test results and offers lots of information over the phone as well. She does have a very bubbly personality, and speaks VERY fast, so if English is not your first language or you have difficulty keeping up, maybe just ask her to slow down =). But she always is very thorough and well informed. Also, for women patients, it's a one-stop clinic for your annual gyno exams as well. Other: decor is beautiful, office is super clean and new, and support staff ROCK! When ever you call if to make an appointment, you never hear (in a grumpy voice) "CAN YOU HOLD!" - instead, you hear, in a soothing pleasant voice, "Thank you for calling Dr. Zeto and Dr. Chern's office, how can I assist you today". This is how medical practices should be run. read more

I am soooo excited about my new doctor Christine Szeto. Granted this was only my "new patient" visit, but from the time I walked in the door I was checking off my mental checklist. Great staff that is friendly and actually seems to enjoy where they work: Check Short wait time between signing in and actually seeing the doctor (seriously like 10min, I timed it): Check A doctor that cares and actually listens to what you're saying instead of spouting off opinions before rushing to the next patient: Check A doctor who prefers going the natural route as much as possible before throwing pills and drugs at you: Check On top of these MUSTS, there was icing on the cake in the form of a stylish and clean office, the staff actually introducing themselves to me, and the doctor telling me to call her right away with any important updates on my situation (and all I mentioned I was having trouble sleeping through the night!). I felt like I was their first patient, not the thousandth person to walk into that office, and that was unexpected and pretty awesome. read more

Dr. Chern is a good and thorough practitioner, I have no complaints there. The staff is another story. They are very nonchalant in everything from the intitial greeting to billing the insurance. I have an insurance problem that has not been resolved for 5 months now, and I don't know if it ever will. So I recommend reviewing your insurance Explaination of Benefits as they come in. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Chern and her office. Dr. Chern herself has amazing bedside manners, is a great listener, detailed in her answers and will take the time to answer all the questions you have. I've been going to her for many years now and I could not be happier. Her assistant has been with her for over a decade now and is such a kind and gentle gal. I am always happy to see her. The new office she has moved to is serene, calming, professional and conveniently located. Her staff there is also great. In fact, the receptionist on the phone is so professional that I keep thinking it's the voice mail that has picked up. I would highly recommend Dr. Chern. read more

Although I would have to agree with some of the billing issues people have posted about, and the scheduling issues (availablitly, and wait time) I love this office. I am a patient of Dr Chern and she is AMAZING, also Dr Sims (zims?) is great, I had to go in while Dr Chern was on leave, I love them both! And the nurse is great!! I work in a dental office, so I understand that when you have such amazing doctors, you are always going to have to schedule in advacne when you want a specific time of day, or day of the week appointment. The wait times though, should be managed better by the scheduling people. Best days to make an appointment here are Tues-Thurs. As long as your patient I HIGHLY reccomend this office. read more

I absolutely adore Dr. Chern and her nurse, Gisela! I have been with them for well over 10 years and I cannot say enough great things about them. My husband is now also a patient of Dr. Chern's and he is very happy to have her as well. She is very attentive and always tries her best to help. She gives options, talks everything though, gets back to me personally in a timely manner and has wonderful bedside manners. Her nurse Gisela has also always been very kind and attentive, even when some of the other staff has been not as helpful. I highly recommend Dr. Chern and her nurse Gisela, they truly are the best! read more

When reviewing a doctor's office I think I have to use different criteria. This is a tough 'business' to be in. It's a great place when I can get a routine appointment within 3-4 weeks, an urgent appointment today or tomorrow. The insurance and payment is technically my problem not theirs, so I try (very hard I do) to understand what it will cost me and I' ready for it. Getting labs and results has to be timely and accurate or I will worry myself insane. The doc doesn't have to spend a lot of time with me as long as I've asked my questions and got my answers and know what to do and what to expect. THIS PLACE MEETS AND EXCEEDS MY CRITERIA so therefore I give it all the starts. Dr. Chern is a superstar and tries to balance all the issues of being a doctor and running a medical business in this difficult climate. P.S. The entrance is just outside the main hallway near one of the building entrances. I walked up and down the hall like a lost child before asking someone where suite 111 was. He said the entrance was outside. There ought to be a sign inside to direct idiots like me. read more

Dr. Chern is a good doctor HOWEVER -- Spectrum Care & Wellness is a disaster. It takes months to get an appointment. If you are sick and need to see someone quickly, they send you to the only available doctor, who is only available because nobody wants to see him (read the other reviews). The woman that answers the phone is patronizing and rude and it seems her assigned task is to keep patients from bothering doctors with pesky medical needs like urgent prescription refills. In addition, this practice is evidently perfectly ok with letting patients suffer over a weekend because they can't be bothered on a Friday morning to get a prescription filled by the weekend. If you want even decently responsive service from a medical practice, look elsewhere. read more

I heard and read such great reviews about this place. I'm thinking the reviews are more about the 2 women doctors. I had a visit with the new male Dr. Steve Kasper and he was TERRIBLE. He made me feel very uncomfortable and I felt as if I was being interrogated. Talk about needing some basic people skills. He never smiled once. I plan to return to the office because the nurses and the receptionist were nice and the place is clean and modern. I will NOT be seeing Dr. Kasper again though. I hope the reviews are true about the women doctors because I plan on seeing them next. read more

Dr. Kasper is the WORST Doctor I have ever seen. He has zero bedside manner, asks inappropriate questions that don't retain to the reason for my visit, and belittles me when I tell him about my career choice (acting). I go to him for refills for my antidepressants and each time will either ask "so how's the anorexia going?" Or "how's the panic attacks going?" Even though I tell him every time that I no longer struggle with an eating disorder. When I asked for a higher dosage, he wouldn't give it to me because "stress is healthy and normal" even though I've struggled with anxiety and a panic disorder since I was 10 and it is a legitimate disease. Also my boss sees him and she went to him with a broken rib. She asked for an x-Ray and he refused saying the rib wasn't broken. Do yourself a favor and never go to this man. read more

So furious at this place. I used to go to these docs with an old employer-provided health plan. But then when I went to individual insurance, I learned they won't take my HMO. But they said they will take any PPO, no questions asked. Fine. Covered California had a much better deal on a PPO. So I signed up. Guess what! These greedy doctors opted out of Covered California, because the reimbursement is a bit less, despite the fact that it's a Blue Shield PPO. Meanwhile, they're booked solid for months anyway. Go into medicine to help people, not to earn money hand-over-fist. Disgusting. read more

I'm going to start this review by saying that I really like Dr. Szeto as a doctor. She is a good doctor. But I don't like having to wait 6 months to get an annual appointment and I don't like waiting a week or more for an urgent need. The worst part about seeing Dr.Szeto is that I often don't get to see her. If her schedule is full they will offer to let you see her partner, Dr. Kasper. He has the worst bedside manor. Its unprofessional and makes me feel like medical needs are insignificant and not worth his time. The last two times I tried to get a short notice appointment with Dr. Szeto I ended up having to see Dr. Kasper. Both times were bad enough experiences to make me start looking for another primary care physician. read more

My review is of their accommodations regarding seeing your Dr in emergency situations with a sick kid. I love this Dr and her staff,I don't love never being able to see her when my kid is ill. read more

Dr Chern is a very good & kind doctor;however, it is very hard to get on her schedule. Unfortunately, sickness doesn't wait & so I had to see another doctor there. The one with availability seems to be Dr. Casper. I now know why. He is a rude, dry, "by the book", uncaring Doctor. His bedside manner could be compared to watching paint drying on a wall. I've had two experiences with him. Both he was monotone & refused to hear what I was telling him. I know my body. I'm a Vegan & marathon runner. I don't get sick, but when I do it starts viral, sits in my sinuses & becomes bacterial. I then need antibiotics for the bacterial infection. I'm not the type to EVER want to put antibiotics in my body. However, Doctor Casper insists its still viral & that it will go away in 5 to 7 days. I've already had it 5 days. On top of it I'm undergoing chemo which makes it extra hard for my body to fight off infection. I was hoping he'd give me a prescription for a Z pack that I could fill IF the infection got worse because I won't have time to come back into his office to see him again when it gets worse due to my chemo schedule. Needless to say he shook my hand & said I was wrong & it will go away in a week & to come back in if it doesn't. So, now I've gotta spend another week & weekend snotty & unable to swallow. He then left the room. His student doctor suggested warm liquids. Which I've been doing the entire time. This man is the most unsympathetic, uncaring, dull, doctor with ZERO bedside manner. The last thing you want to hear when you're not feeling well is that you're supposedly "not sick". Why do I have a runny nose, swollen glands, sore throat, headache. Also I don't run fevers which he'd know, had he read my chart. They charged me my co-pay of course they will again when I'm back, more sick, next week. This doctor is highly rude (he talked over me when I asked questions). He is awful & disrespectful of patients. Go somewhere else if you ned a doctor. read more

This review is for Dr. Catherine Chern. She is amazing, she patiently answers all questions, has excellent bedside manner and genuinely cares about all her patients. She is very knowledgeable and practical. I love her! And if I need to see a specialist I only trust her for referrals. read more

The facilities are quite clean and look brand new, which is great. Plus it is located very close to my job so I love that I can walk to my appointments. I've been seeing Dr. Catherine Chern, and think she is really great. She seems to always have a lot of appointments but she takes her time to talk to you and lets you ask lots of questions. She has excellent bedside manner, and is also very thorough. I had a few minor health concerns and questions, but I really appreciated that she took all of them so seriously. My previous doctor, while very competent, always seemed to brush my minor health concerns under the carpet in a way. Not to say that's bad - it's probably better not to alarm a patient, especially when you have seemingly minor problems, but still it's nice that Dr. Chern errs on the side of caution - it gives you a real sense of health security with her. My only complaint is that the front desk staff seems a little disorganized. When you call you are generally put on hold for a very long time and sometimes so long I suspect the admin staff has forgotten you. Don't bother leaving a voicemail in the general mailbox - they don't return calls from there -- they aren't too bad, but just beware that sometimes the front desk staff seems a little harried. **UPDATE: August 2011 - Dr. Chern has moved offices and she is no longer at the Valley Health Care Group. She now has her own practice in another building nearby with Dr. Christine Szeto. My previous complaint about the front desk being disorganized has been completely resolved! Dr. Chern and Dr. Szeto's new offices are very nice and support staff / nurses are great. Go find them in their new place! read more

Saw Dr. Catherine Chern for the first time. The office staff was very busy but since I completed the first-time patient intake forms prior to arriving, I waited less than 5 mins! Dr. Chern was sweet, awesome and attentive. I will definitely be keeping her as my PCP as long as my insurance situation permits. However, if it wasn't for a cancellation I would have waited 2 months instead of 2 weeks for my appointment. As for parking, I parked about 5 mins way on Frederic St to avoid paying for parking in the adjacent structures. read more

Love this place form front desk to caring smart doctors. A+++ !!!

Yes, we had to wait a few months for a new patient exam, but when we lived in Hawaii, the wait was six months, so this was nothing! My whole family met with Dr. Szeto. Our first impression was positive, with super friendly nurses and reception. Dr. Szeto herself was very kind and compassionate. While I am not sure what the office is like for just regular appointments, our recent experience was all positive (apart from the parking costs and not taking cards). read more

My husband and I have been seeing Dr. Chern. She is the best doctor I've had since the last 10 years. She is really caring understanding and does thorough tests. She is awesome. Believe me you will be happy with her. read more

I work in a pharmacy and deal with doctors offices every day on a professional level, so I know how difficult some office staff can actually be and I have to say this office has exceptional office staff. I absolutely love Adeline and Dr. Cherns nurse Gisela. They answer the phone promptly and return phone calls promptly as well. I see Dr. Chern and I could not be more happy with the care she provides me with. She has both wonderful skill in speaking to patients in a manner in which they can easily understand as well as providing compassionate care. She takes her time and does not make me feel as though she is rushing to get to the next person. I have two young children and most recently their pediatrician moved to practicing in a hospital and I am very comfortable moving my children to the care of Dr. Chern. The office staff accommodate me for appointments during my children's school breaks and when I call when I am ill I have not had a problem getting a same day appointment with one of the practitioners in the office to be seen rather than having to go to an urgent care or ER being forced to pay a higher copay and also all my records are in office and no additional forms are needed to be filled out. If Dr. Chern is available great! If not, I am happy seeing the first available doc in the office. As for the comments regarding insurance issues in previous posts it is always a patients responsibility to know the parameters of your insurance plan. That is why your insurance sends an EOB. I have personally never had any issues being over charged. Regarding Dr. Kaspar I too have seen him on two separate occasions and not only is he an extremely competent doctor but I thought he had wonderful bedside manner and addressed my concerns at both appointments when I visited the office. I highly recommend this office and was actually new to the Burbank area. I simply did a personal poll from patients in my work environment when they would bring their prescriptions in to the pharmacy and ask them what they thought of their doctors how they liked them and what the office was like... And I absolutely love Dr. Chern. read more

I adore Dr. Chern. I'm been seeing her for many years now and agree that she is AMAZING. I never have had any difficulty scheduling appointments or with billing. Everyone in the office is very professional and friendly. Would recommend her a thousand times over. read more

I love Dr. Chern! She is the best dr I have ever had. It is hard to get in for a physical, mark your calendar and call 6 months in advance because she can be booked 4-5 months out for those. But if you need to get in someone can always see you and all the doctors are really good. I appreciate Dr Chern always taking the time to speak with you to be sure you "get it" and answer any and all questions. She is always willing to refer you out if you have a specific concern, she is all about the patient and not the bottom line. Her staff is amazing, front office is always super nice and on top of what needs to be done. The nurses/staff in the BO are the best, so nice and pain free blood drawing are a couple of very good qualities to have. Keep up the good work Dr. Chern! read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Chern's for nearly 7 years. I've followed her through three different clinics. She is intelligent, patient, and kind. I really cannot say enough GREAT things about her. I enjoy the office decor. The staff is so-so. But they aren't permanent (different people every time, no biggie!). Dr. Chern, herself, always calls me. She gives great advice and knows what she's talking about. She listens and she remembers. I actually enjoy visiting her. She is very popular. I have referred a handful of friends to her and they have always had very, very positive things to say about her. That's why I refer without any hesitation. She can be a bit rushed. If you need to schedule a physical, you have to do it approximately 3 months in advance. A TESTAMENT TO HER POPULARITY! I can only say I wish her clinic was located farther East so that it would be more geographically convenient. I love, love, love Dr. Chern. Her knowledge, care, concern, follow up, interest, and sincerity are unparalleled in comparison to other physicians. read more

If I could, I'd give this place NO stars. I was a patient of Dr. Szeto's for years. Then she started getting a lot of clients and I just didn't feel like i was getting the same care. I'm sure she's still a great doctor, but I needed someone who had time to answer questions. Suffice it to say, I have been seeing another doctor for a couple of years now. Well this review isn't about Dr. Szeto. The only reason I'm writing a review now is that this medical group is crap, and they sent me to collection for services that had been settled OVER 2-3 years ago! When i had stopped seeing Dr. Szeto, I got a bill from Valley Healthcare for over $100. Which was insane because speaking to Dr. Szeto's billing person, she told me everything was fine and only $60 was pending, but they were waiting for my insurance to pay it. Then I call Dr. Szeto's billing again, and they say that for these previous charges I should call Valley Healthcare since she was under that medical group during the dates of service in question, and she is no longer affiliated w/ Valley Healthcare. I go to do that, I even send an email to the billing person in charge according to the website and NO response. I even included my new mailing address since I noticed they sent the other bill to my old address. No response, no phone calls, no additional bills, NOTHING. I found out this morning that my parents had to see Dr. Kroop for the same thing - billing issues, and they said they had to pay for my bill because it was sent to collection! Are you kidding me?! There were no subsequent bills, no email response, and conveniently their website doesn't work anymore. Whoever is their billing personnel doesn't know what they're doing. I have good credit and good health insurance. There should have been no reason I had to pay over $100 for services that had been settled. read more

There was a negative response about Dr Kasper a few reviews down. I'm only commenting because I wanted to refute what the gentlemen was saying. It's true that Dr. Kasper is not as perky or as exuberant as some other doctors. However, he's rational, sees you on time and makes himself available in case something happens. If you need a doctor and not someone to pat your back and give you a hug, he's great as a general practitioner. read more

*Update: Dr. Chern and Dr. Szeto will be branching out into their own individual practice in mid-September. Hooray!

Dr Chern has been my Dr since 2004 when all I needed was a GP to give the ok for my hip replacement. I have since started seeing her for all my GP and OB exams. I have never waited more then 10-15 minutes for my appointment. Wait time in exam room is also very short. She is very thorough with exam, double checking notes from past visits. She personally calls to discuss test results, even just to say all looks good. She and her staff are well worth the 60 min drive. read more

Our family has used Dr. Chern for many years. She is kind, understanding, responsive, and thorough. Her office staff and nurse are excellent. If you have to wait to get your first appointment, she is worth the wait. read more

It's amazing that anyone is able to get in to see the doctor to write a positive review. The woman who answers the phone seemed intent to dissuade me from booking an appointment -- don't assume your insurance will cover us (not a problem because my deductible is high and I don't mind paying out of pocket), can't book a physical until new patient consultation is scheduled (can I book both at the same time - NO!). I explained that I had a medical condition that I'd like to have a doctor review before May 15th - nothing she could do - no concern for my health - no compassion/empathy/interest in anything but making it seem as though Dr. Szeto is far too busy to want to see anyone new. Shockingly disappointed given the reviews that have been posted. Perhaps they are from those who have access to this private club of a medical practice. read more

Dr Chern is amazing. I've been going to her for several years and have referred many co-workers to her as well, all of which agree with me. She always takes her time with me and will patiently answer all my questions/concerns and calls me personally with any results. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a phenomenal general physician. read more

I started with Dr. Chern years ago when she was at a different location and even though I moved away from the area-she is well worth the drive for appointments. She is very thorough, insightful, and is always truly interested in how I am doing even beyond the reason for my appointment with her. I am amazed at how much she remembers about me and my family! The entire staff is caring and very personable-I cannot recommend this place enough! read more

I love my doctor....how many persons can say that? Dr. Catherine Chern has been my doctor for over 12 years and I can't say enough great things about her. She is warm, caring, and thorough. She never always spends time with me when I come in and follows up with phone calls to see how I'm doing and to go over test results. Highly recommended. read more