I had a very disappointing experience during my appointment on April 7th, 2025, with Dr. Andrew…read moreCheung, DO, at 200 Porter Dr, Suite #300, San Ramon, CA. From the moment I arrived, the medical assistant, who is blonde and works under Dr. Cheung, displayed aggressive, uninterested, and dismissive behavior that made me feel uncomfortable and frightened.
The medical assistant never introduced herself or informed me that she would be administering a COVID test. Things only worsened during the COVID-19 testing. She simply told me to pull my mask down and said, "This isn't going to be fun." She never once mentioned that she would be doing a COVID test or a throat swab, and she didn't explain what tests would be run or why they were necessary. Her overly aggressive approach caused pain and injury when she inserted the nasal swab too deeply, causing bleeding. The throat swab was similarly forceful and painful. When taking my blood pressure, she failed to perform the procedure properly, inflating the cuff and then quickly removing it without obtaining an accurate reading. She never placed the stethoscope like one does when taking manual blood pressure. She also used the wrong size cuff, and instead of properly taking my blood pressure, getting the correct cuff size and recording the result, she fabricated the reading.
The assistant was rude, rushed, and unprofessional, slamming doors behind her and showing no interest in my well-being. When the doctor arrived, he was kind and apologized, but the blood pressure reading issue was never corrected on the discharge form.
Later, the doctor said the manager would come into speak with me, but after he left, the blonde medical assistant returned and confronted me in a very intimidating manner, asking, "Do we have a problem?" in a tone that felt confrontational. I was shaken by her approach, and instead of offering a genuine apology, she attempted to justify her rushed behavior, claiming she had to attend to another patient. Her response was dismissive and unprofessional. Her appearance back in the room frightened me, as the doctor had told me the manager would be in, not the medical assistant to confront me about my complaint about her.
The practice manager, Vicky, dismissed my complaints, suggesting that I was simply having a "bad day," and minimized my experience, failing to acknowledge the serious issues I raised. The practice manager then seemed to defend the medical assistant as if they were friends, mentioning that the assistant had worked there for 15 years with no complaints, and that she herself was a medical assistant for 40 years. She even explained that she was just in a hurry. To which i replied, "they should not schedule me an appointment if they cant take the time to explain the procedure, or properly take my blood pressure, or even introduce themselves" this is no excuse, and there is no reason to rush. It only takes a few seconds to introduce yourself, and explain a procedure. I guess she was trying to justify there was nothing wrong with how i was treated by saying this? Didn't make sense how that was relevant in the moment, and raises more concerns about her lack of concern over her employees behavior towards a patient, given all of the experience she claims to have. This statement that the blonde medical assistant had no complaints in 15 years is false, as there are multiple reviews online with similar complaints about the same medical assistant, who works under Dr. Cheung, highlighting ongoing issues with her behavior and procedures.
What's even more concerning is that this particular medical assistant has received negative reviews going back six years, with several patients complaining about similar mistreatment and her aggressive behaviors. It seems that the practice is not taking these complaints seriously, and the assistant's behavior continues to harm patients.
Despite the doctor's kindness, the lack of professionalism from the assistant and the practice manager was disturbing. I was left feeling unheard and disrespected, especially disappointing in an institution like John Muir Health, which has a strong reputation. I sincerely hope the practice takes action to address these issues to prevent future patients from experiencing similar mistreatment. I also believe a reimbursement for this visit is warranted. Crazy to pay for care and then be treated this way.
I hope no one else has to experience the mistreatment I received during my visit. People who display such unprofessional and aggressive behavior should not be working in the medical field. I sincerely hope John Muir Health takes this complaint seriously and takes action to ensure better care and professionalism in the future, especially for patients who are unable to advocate for themselves or who feel threatened and scared, as I did, by behavior like this.