Elizabeth Kwo, currently a resident at CHA Somerville Primary Care, is one of the best doctors I've…read morehad the pleasure of working with. It's always super frustrating when a doctor listens to your first 5 words, comes up with a conclusion (no matter how correct it may be), and then spends the rest of the session and your words reinforcing their opinion of that conclusion. It's a basic failure of the scientific method. You don't skew and cherrypick the data to follow your initial conclusion, like in middle school science class. You look at all the data first, and then come up with possible conclusions. Dr. Kwo passes this acid test with five stars. Not only was she kind and attentive while listening to my descriptions, she also made me privy to her thought process and helped me rule out any serious concerns by patiently explaining each and every single one. As if this is not stellar enough, today I phoned the primary care office with an urgent question while feeling very sick and had to resort to leave a message at the front desk for her. Getting an appointment would have taken too long. Just an hour later she called me back, and answered my questions on the phone for a whole 15 minutes! When I thanked her, she casually replied "Oh sure, there's no way we were going to let you go through that by yourself". I think that sums it up nicely. Primary care, like teaching, is one of those things where being a good academic is very necessary but not sufficient by itself. You also need a healthy dose of understanding, empathy, care and compassion. Dr Kwo has both, with a healthy dose of common sense too. I don't know if she plans to keep doing primary care after her residency, but I sure hope she does for my own selfish purposes :)

Given how difficult it is to find a really great primary care physician, I'm surprised that there…read morearen't more reviews of them here. Five years ago I got my first grownup job in this area, and was presented with the enormous task of picking a new doctor. I had very little help as most of my friends were mostly accustomed to student health services, the essential but terrible health care of grad. students in any local university. Being unceremoniously presented with a phone book sized listing of providers from Blue Cross & Blue Shield provided nothing in the way of actual assistance in making a decision. I didn't choose Dr. Holt exactly randomly, but my criteria wasn't exactly scientific. I looked for listings that were: close to my apartment at the time, female, fairly young and with an American sounding name. In short somebody who I felt I could relate to and would feel comfortable asking questions of. I was more than willing to try multiple doctors until I found one that I could be comfortable with. As it turned out I didn't have to. I hit the jackpot on my first try with Dr. Holt. Dr. Holt is extremely thorough, taking actual time to have a conversation with me about medical concerns and also about general lifestyle choices. As a fairly healthy person I generally see her only 1-2 times a year, but she always appears to remember the conversations that we've had on previous visits. Her warmth and genuineness match the knowledge and skill she brings to her profession. Also, I don't want to over-share, but the ladies out there will understand the difficulty in finding a PCP who is willing to perform basic GYN care. Dr. Holt does both, and I love not having to keep two separate annual checkups. There's also a lab center on site. So convenient! I've had pretty good results in getting 'sick' appointment, never having to wait for more than 48 hours. However, I debated taking this review down a star because of how long it takes to make appointments for physicals or routine checkups. (Sometimes up to a month.) In the end I decided that all of the positives FAR outweigh this one minor issue.

I've been a patient of Dr Holt's for over 15 years now. I dread the day she retires and have to…read morefind a new primary care doctor, although that shouldn't be anytime soon! I hear stories about primary care doctors that rush, are impersonal, and don't leave the patient feeling like they matter. Dr. Holt couldn't be more opposite. She remembers all the details of not only my medical history, but my personal life as well. She listens to my concerns and creates treatment plans to address them. Three of my friends have become patients and rave about her too. If you can get in to see her, do it.

I wish there was a way to review different departments at Harvard Vanguard separately instead of…read morerating them all in the same Yelp review. I have been a patient here for about ten years and have mixed feelings about this practice. I have kept my primary care doctor here because that gives me access to urgent care and specialties which I like, but the quality of my PCP's office (Dr. Choi) is abysmal. You really have to be your own patient advocate because no one is going to follow up on your care for you. I give Urgent Care five stars all around. I receive better care there than I do at my PCP's office. They are open evenings and weekends and can usually see you the same day. You don't have to wait a long time to be seen after checking in and all of the providers are thorough, competent and compassionate. They take their time and don't make you feel rushed. In addition, the nurses are great at following up about any lab results. If you need help with something routine like a UTI, yeast infection, cold, flu, a skin abrasion, etc you will receive quality care. Honestly, urgent care is the best part of being a Harvard Vanguard patient. Whoever runs the urgent care clinic at Atrius deserves an award. I also like their 24/7 hotline where you can call any time to speak to a clinician if you don't want to go to the ER and need to talk to someone before urgent care opens the next day. That's something other healthcare systems including Mass General Brigham do not offer. My PCP's office is another story. I give them 2 stars and that is being generous. -- First of all, expect to wait several months to get an appointment even if you are an existing patient. The best way to be seen sooner is to go through the Medical Assistants who have override authority over the doctor's schedule. It's best to bypass the front desk receptionists. If you need care the same day, you may be able to see a nurse practitioner, but I've found them to be incompetent at the Somerville location. Dr. Choi's NP Genevieve misinterpreted some of my lab results which led to complications for me, so if I need to be seen ASAP, I simply go to urgent care. -- Second, expect to wait at least an hour to be seen after your scheduled appointment time. They double book and try to cram as many patients in as possible. The Medical Assistant will take your vitals etc and then you just sit there waiting and waiting and waiting to be seen. When my doctor finally arrives she is rushed and after 15 mins she told me she has five flashing messages telling her she is late for her next patient! Totally unprofessional for her to tell me this and she is the Chief of Internal Medicine. If you're going to make me wait that long at least give me your attention while I am there! My doctor (Dr. Choi) did not have time to finish reviewing my concerns at my annual physical, so she made a follow-up appointment for three months later. That's right- three months! Oh, and forget about anyone following up with you about labs or anything else discussed during your visit. I often have to call three or four times to get a response to a message. -- I will say that referrals are generally handled quickly here. If you ask for a referral, someone besides the doctor can put it in and I usually receive he a call from the specialty department within the next few days. Harvard Vanguard could significantly improve their patient experience by not making patients wait so long to be seen and being present with patients during their visit instead of trying to rush people in and out as fast as humanely possible. I understand that this is the status quo these days and isn't unique to Harvard Vanguard, but I have friends who have had better experiences elsewhere and might wait 20 mins to see their doctor as opposed to an hour or more. Also, this practice is not open minded about complementary medicine or functional medicine. If that's something that is important to you, you're best to look elsewhere.

Had an appointment today. I live 22 miles west of Somerville. Getting there was easy, but it took…read moreme longer to find a place to park than it did to get there. They do have parking ($6) but it is down Buena Vista Street, and not visible from Holland street. Lots of road construction made navigating the area confusing and time-consuming.

Dr. Keller is an excellent general practitioner who has a degree in internal medicine from UMass…read moreWorcester's medical school. He's a down to earth guy who listens to patients meticulously and makes very good decisions while providing excellent care of you. My first meeting with him was excellent and he figured he'd double check everything and had me get a battery of blood and urine tests. He's very thorough in everything and I find that to be a good quality that some doctors lack. Highly recommended.

Internal Medicine Associates (IMA) are simply the best doctor(s) and medical staff I have ever had…read morethe pleasure of being a patient of. Like Yelp puts it "As good as it gets!" When I relocated to MA I began my search for a doctor. Knowing that Drs accepting patients are hard to come by in this state, I opted to search for, and become a patient of, a resident at MGH. I could not have made a better decision. I have been more than pleased with everything. Everything is excellent but here are a few excellent things I'd like to highlight: 1) the quality of care 2) the professional manner of both the doctors and all office staff 3) the ease with which I can book appointments 4) the friendly nature of everyone at IMA 5) the responsiveness of both doctors and staff to my needs. As I mentioned, my primary care physician (PCP) is a resident at MGH. He is a licensed doctor, and 99% of the length of my visit is spent discussing my issue(s) with my PCP. However, being a resident, he is overseen by a senior-level doctor within IMA with whom he discusses my issues and then settles upon the appropriate treatment. It's like being seen by two doctors for the price of one. Additionally, it never seems like my doctor is in a rush or hurrying our appointment (I suspect as a resident he has more time for patients but can't really say for sure). Quite literally I could go on and on about the great things about IMA. I would recommend IMA to any friend of mine looking for excellent care, excellent facilities, and excellent service. An absolute must for those seeking doctors who are warm, professional, intelligent, and ideal all-around.

i have been a patient of ima and mgh for nearly 50 years and thankful for the care and…read morecompassion-dr arons is my pcp-dr guiney my cardiologist and all so many others from the staff top to bottom--thanks-

As a recent resident in the area I was quite impressed with my visit here at Mystic. They seemed to…read morebe quite new and an expansion of 101 Main St location down the road. The clinic is very spacious with plenty of waiting area and room inside. I had an appointment with Dr. Milder and the experience was very good. She was definitely one of the most friendly and thorough Family Primary Care doctor I had the pleasure of working with. She made sure all my concerns were addressed and I felt really at ease during my visit here. I arrived a little early for my appointment but didn't wait any time past my appointment time so they definitely are serious about keeping it on time. The location was very easy to find and plenty of parking in the back parking lot. I'd highly recommend Dr. Milder base on my experience here.

Dr. Sandin was great. She did a great job of making me feel comfortable, and made the questions…read morefeel more personal than something of a formality. Really took the obnoxious presence of a medical office out of the picture.

I've been going to Dr. Sandin for years and I don't know why I never posted my thoughts about her…read more She is in a word, fabulous. She's the "old fashioned" kind even though young, where she spends the time to listen to your history, concern or just asks questions about your health during your annual physical. Extremely knowledgeable, friendly and professional. She was referred to me by my husbands physician, Dr Matthew Carmody - another one of kind doctor. We are so lucky to have these two caring people who exemplify what it is to be a PCP.

Dr Kaye is the real deal. I was a patient of his for over 10 years before moving West 5 years ago…read moreand I'm still talking about him! He is patient, funny, caring, compassionate but most importantly, knowledgeable and competent! He always ran on time yet I felt like he gave me as much time as I needed to discuss things. He was not quick to prescribe which I loved! and always included me as a valuable part of my treatment and decision making. He did whatever he could to help me and did it while maintaining an excellent bedside manner. He told appropriate jokes but was always always always, professional! Dr Kaye was always smiling and positive which helped set the mood for a good appointment. He answered all my questions and even responded to emails! It's 5 years later, I live on the other side of the country and still have not found a Doctor here who can hold a candle to Dr Kaye in my book. In truth he was one of the things that made it hard for me to move. Having a doctor that you trust is worth it's weight in gold to me and he is just that Doctor.

The quality of care you receive from Dr. Akbari is superior to any other medical doctor I've ever…read morehad. She is smart, ever so knowledgeable, along with being wise, caring and pleasant. Her office staff also make a big impact on how they deal with patients - helpful and efficient. Her care has changed my life for the better. And I echo the other five star experiences - every word describes Dr. Akbari and the practice

Dr. Nancy Akbari has been my primary care physician since 2013, and I couldn't be happier with her…read morecare, year after year. I have had several health issues over the years, including a serious bout of Lyme disease, and have always felt in very good hands with Dr. Akbari. I also have had a number of medication needs, and Dr. Akbari is always thorough and conscientious when prescribing the best medication options for me while also not automatically turning to meds as a "go to" remedy. She takes a whole health approach to medical issues, which I believe in and has been very effective for me. I recommend Dr. Nancy Akbari without hesitation!

Stay away, far, far away from this money-hungry doctor who is merely there to collect a paycheck…read more As many others have noted, she will off-handedly ask you a few questions, say you're fine (even if all the numbers point to concerns like high cholesterol, fatty liver, pre-diabetic, etc). I still shiver when I recall her high-pitched whine saying, "you're fiiiinnnne...." AWFULLY negligent. Spends 15 minutes with you and bills at 40 minutes to get as much money as possible. The entire business is greedy, dishonest, and fraudulent, and we have been most dissatisfied for years but couldn't find another PCP. Finally it got so bad, we are engaged with attorneys to get Dr. Katcher's license revoked. DO NOT PATRONIZE THIS JOKE OF A DOCTOR, even if she's your friend.

I've been a patient of Dr. Katcher's since she started here, and was a patient of the practice…read morebefore that. I've NEVER had a problem getting an appointment if something is wrong. As a matter of fact, I came to this page just to find the phone number, and was very surprised that someone had such a bad experience. I called today, and got an appointment for tomorrow, first thing. And by the way, it's something pretty minor. It does take a long time to book a physical, but that's because Dr. Katcher spends an hour with each patient. Just make your appointment for next year when you visit, and you're all set.