It's been YEARS since my last physical. I tend to procrastinate when it comes to being told the…read moregood/bad news about my health. After searching through the first page of my "in network" providers, I quickly got tired at the prospect of sifting through 50 more pages. So, I did what any reasonable person would do when it comes to finding a doc...I closed my eyes, threw a dart and picked a name. On a serious note, Dr. Friedmann was voted best doc in 2002, so I figured like wine, you can only get better with age. I went in, he did his thing, and I walked out. Overall, a pretty painless experience (aside from the blood draw). He's a nice, warm, fuzzy guy. Two thumbs up.

I recently saw Dr. Friedmann at the Polyclinic in Ballard. I had been having severe intermittent…read moreleg pain that I couldn't relieve with any amount of Aleve, ice, heat, rest, etc. It was the strangest thing and I was hesitant to see a doctor because I could barely even describe the discomfort I was having and wasn't sure what help I would be able to get. Lucky me, I ended up getting an appointment with Dr. Friedmann. He took so much time and care to try to understand the issue I was having despite my inability to articulate it. He made sure to understand my overall health, activity levels, recent travels and all of the other outside factors that might be causing my pain. I have recently felt so rushed by all of the doctors I've seen but Dr. Friedmann made me feel like I was his only patient. While we never got to the root cause of my pain, he made sure to rule out any possibly dangerous causes and provided me with a prescription and treatment plans to try. Then the most amazing thing happened...I got an unsolicited phone call from him 2 days after my appointment to see how I was doing!!! I'm feeling much better now thanks to Dr. Friedmann. I would absolutely recommend him to anyone in search of a smart, thoughtful and genuinely caring doctor.

Unfortunately, they are very short on medical personnel so the wait times are extremely long. Not…read morea good system to provide adequate medical care.

I moved to Seattle just short of 2 years. It took 6-7 months to get an appointment with my primary…read moreand that was only because I used a 'back door' way to speed up my appointment; I used to be a CMA so I knew a few tricks, otherwise it would have been 9 months like the rest of my family. My primary ordered a series of imaging test; after multiple back and fourths, emails and phone calls they scheduled me with a facility that did not accept my insurance, finally I had all my imaging done in the state I moved from because it was easier! Fast forward to this year, my primary has ordered a sleep study, and 2 MRIs. To get a sleep study here it will take over a year, so again I decided to do the tests where I used to live. Week 3 after numerous phone calls and one in person visit and message in the portal no orders have been sent: every time I have spoken with them, it is like I am starting over, each person giving me different answers. I am very close to changing from UW to Swedish like I did for my family( Swedish was able to schedule of my family within 4 weeks).

Me: I am requesting an appointment to establish care as a disabled individual. This would be a…read morenew patient visit. Receptionist: "Hold on, say and spell your name". Me: I slowly spell my name, repeating 3 times. (She butchers it even after I spell it in detail). Receptionist: So this is for a physical for work? Me: No. This is an appointment to establish patient care. Receptionist: So you said you are in a wheelchair? Seriously? This initial phone call was so disturbing and reckless on the receptionist's part, I chose not to see this doctor. There is something seriously wrong with someone who cannot listen early on and hear simple information for an intake. Who the heck communicates like this?

Have you ever watched those old movies where the kindly physician sits and listens to the patient…read morecarefully before even beginning to do an exam? Where the doctor explains his diagnosis and asks if you have any questions? The only difference between those silver screen doctors and Dr. G is that I don't think he will do house calls but I wouldn't be surprised if he did. His practice doesn't have the bling of a downtown office. What he does have is that old time care. He takes the time to visit with you and ask the questions that need to be asked in order to diagnose what is wrong. Both he and the P.A., Vicky, spend more time with you than you think they ever would. Does your doctor keep you waiting and then rush you out the door? Give Dr. Gustafson or Vicky a try. You will feel like you came out of a Norman Rockwell painting.

Wow! What a great experience. Top notch new building, new gear, and a kind, knowledgeable doctor…read more I just moved to Seattle but I know who my primary care physician will be for years to come. By far the best experience with a medical professional I have had. He explained everything and had a very friendly demeanor. I will gladly recommend him to people I know, my boyfriend included. Bonus: free two hour parking in the garage!

Dr. Mena is knowledgable and easy to talk to. Happy to have him as my GPread more

In 1999, I found myself new to Seattle and in dire need of a doctor. I was living in Ballard at…read morethe time and asked around for referrals. I was referred to a doctor that actually practiced a block away from where I lived. When I went there, that doctor wasn't taking any new patients (I can't even remember his name now). Dr. Travis saw me that day. He's been my doctor ever since and become someone that I trust with my entire family. I've been through a lot with Dr. Travis. I know that he genuinely cares about my health and well-being. When I go to see him, I recognize that he is patient centered. He will spend as much time with me as I need, whether that is 5 minutes or 40 minutes. I respect that and often find myself in the waiting room. But that's okay. That's how I know that he gives every patient the same quality of care that he is giving me. I'm don't feel like a patient with Dr. Travis; I feel like a person. I can name countless occasions where Dr. Travis has worked to get me healthy, diagnose a condition, or make fantastic referrals to other providers. I have always appreciated his openness to different forms of treatment as I disagree with providers that move directly toward medication when it is not necessary. I've always felt that he has provided me with information to enable me to make choices about my care, while also offering his expert opinion. Whenever I see Dr. Travis, I hear about his continuing efforts to learn and grow. I love that about him. I want a provider that is up-to-date on new techniques, ideas, and theories. I can't imagine anyone else taking care of me or my family.

Go see Dr. Travis - I guarantee you wont regret it once you have a chance to sit down with him. He…read moreis the most dedicated doctor I have ever seen and has seriously changed my life. As other reviewers have mentioned, he actually takes the time to sit down with you and talk through all of your issues (sometimes I've spent 45+ min with him), and does not give up until a solution is found. He does let you do this on your own time as well, in case you do get a little "doctor burn out." :) I have recommended multiple friends to Dr. Travis, and all agree he is the best. Yes, it is a small practice, so records might get a little shuffled, and you will probably have to wait an extra 20-30 min after your appointment to see him, but this is because he is taking the extra time with all of his patients. He is truly an amazing guy!

My insurance company told me they received an order for a CT scan of my spine, when the order…read moreshould have been an MRI for my knee. I called my physician's office at Swedish Ballard Tallman that was supposed to have sent the MRI order and they were 100% dismissive. Argued with me that they sent the right order when I wasn't accusing them of anything, was just trying to find out how to move forward to make sure the right order goes through. Straight up hung up on me while I was in the middle of asking a question. I was not rude or blaming anyone when talking to her, simply just trying to figure out what was going on since my insurance company was saying one thing and the physician's office was saying another. Weird way to treat a patient they know is in pain and felt like my physician and his office could not care less about what happened to me. Save your time and money, go to UW med or Polyclinic across the street.

Alright, so maybe it takes an earth-shattering meal or major illness to get me back to yelping, but…read morehere I am. Feeling sort of funky, and not in the George Clinton way, I searched desperately for a new GP. I'm hoofing it these days and my new doc needed to be walking distance from our digs in Ballard. After looking online I found a physician using the website search on the Swedish hospital website. The office is located on Market St. in Ballard and the team there is spectacular, maybe the nicest, most efficient group I've encountered in my years of doctor visits. From the front desk team's efficiency, to the nurse and finally my doctor (Dr. Deans-rock star) every step was effortless, prompt and courteous. Thanks guys, for everything!

This place is a big NO ! Rude receptionist, they don't answer the phone. I arrived 15min late due…read moreto traffic, i called 7 times ahead time to let them know, & nobody answered. Get to the place, the receptionist with an attitude already. I wouldn't recommend this place

I was referred to Ballard Womens Health by my primary doctor for a follow up. The experience with…read morethem was a big zero right out of the gate. I arrived for my schedule appointment and they couldn't find the referral my PCP had sent. Then they invited me into an exam room anyway, and the unfriendly nurse scolded me for not taking a prescribed medicine for a completely non=related thing, and bullied me into sending her screen shots of the notes that they couldn't find. That alone would have been enough to account for a bad review. After this they said they doctor wouldn't have time to see me so I should just leave. Which I did. Later they called me with SOMEONE ELSE'S pap smear results!!! After which I was BILLED way more than my insurance covers for a non-diagnosis. I already knew I had fibroids from the ultrasound my PCP provided. Holy crap. This was so bad. Zero out of five, do not reccomend.

Love this place. From the small things like snacks, to coffee and toys for the kids. This is a…read moregreat spot for primary care. Doctor Sibyl is wonderful to speak to and provides caring care. The location is beautiful and much nicer than going to a hospital. Annual check up is fast but feels thorough, it's like to do flu vaccine and blood work in the same building. Only improvement would be sometimes wait for blood work can be long but still pretty easy I've been coming for a few years and will keep coming.

It's a horror, I drove to the meeting for 20 minutes and arrived there, I said I had a meeting,…read morethey asked about the coverage, and they only told me there that they don't accept this coverage, not only did I spent gasoline, but also my nerves yesterday, I called the nick all day, they switched from one to the other or to the other, if you don't want to say to waste your nerves on all this, please don't go to them, complete irresponsibility

Avoid at all costs if you have Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. In June 2021, he literally yelled at me…read morewhen I confronted him w/ his series of material errors, which included misdiagnosing me w/ Peripheral Artery Disease. He's no longer my physician and I'm writing about him elsewhere.

This was my first visit to Dr M., and I was happily impressed by the attention he paid and…read morethoroughness. This can be a very rare trait in today's "move 'em through" medical practices. Would readily recommend, and will return when required.

Be advised: you're going to get unexpected charges. I was…read moreexplicitly advised by their customer service liaison, Kim, that if I want to avoid surprise billing in the future, I should route prescription refills through the pharmacy and essentially avoid interacting with my provider. This was especially troubling given that I was not prescribed refills sufficient to last the year. This advice came only after I received an unexpected bill following a preventive/wellness visit. During the appointment, I briefly mentioned ongoing conditions as part of my medical history and asked routine questions about prescriptions I already take. At no point was I told that reviewing my medical history would convert my preventive visit into a separately billable office visit. I was ultimately charged for both a preventive new-patient visit and an additional established-patient visit for the same appointment. When I contacted billing, I was repeatedly told the coding was "accurate," and that it did not matter that I was never informed or given the opportunity to consent to a separate visit. I was also told that preventive visits are essentially "cookie-cutter," and that discussing things like labs or existing conditions is not covered. I was never informed during the visit that mentioning my health needs would result in extra charges, nor was I given the option to schedule a separate appointment. This practice shows little regard for informed consent or care beyond a checkbox wellness exam. Patients should not have to guess what will trigger unexpected costs--or be told to limit communication with their provider to avoid being billed. Transparency matters in healthcare, and I hope this practice significantly improves how it communicates billing expectations so patients can make informed decisions.

Just not a good experience. Medical equipment and techniques are dated and incorrect (blood…read morepressure measured with stethoscope and manual interpretation ... in 2025). My vital health measurements were incorrectly transcribed, leading to wrong health data being added to my file. Doctor wanted to use an iPad with an AI note-taking "app" which is an insult to patient confidentiality and his own profession. An overall lack of interest, empathy and excitement about health and the patient in front of them is simply disappointing.