I have looked a long time for a doctor that will work with me and keep a good sense of humor. He…read moregave me a secure feeling in his honest and sensible suggestions. I am a medicare patient and they fit me in fast as a new patient. It does take a few calls to work things out but the doc is worth the time. I feel confident in his support and look forward to seeing him next fall.

I have waited a year to see Dr. Appleby (since he's in such demand) and I FINALLY had an…read moreappointment with him yesterday. I'm happy to report that it was worth the wait. Dr. Appleby is very personable, takes the time to listen to concerns, has an excellent bedside manner, and his sense of humor is the icing on the cake. He was able to outline an action plan for me with achievable goals. The office is modern, clean, and state of the art. The doctor's staff were all very friendly and helpful. I have been to a number of cardiologists, and Dr. Appleby is head and shoulders above the rest by far. I highly recommend him to anyone looking for a top-notch cardiologist. One caveat: The medical office building houses a number of medical specialties and as such, it is quite busy and parking can present a challenge. Just an FYI.

My father had a scheduled appointment today, August 17th at 8:39 a.m. today. While we were waiting…read morein the office, I was informed by the receptionist that a text message had been sent approximately one hour before the appointment notifying us that it was canceled. I was told that the person scheduled to perform his test would not be available for the remainder of the month and that my father would need to be rescheduled to the Los Alamitos location. What was especially disappointing was the complete lack of apology or concern for the inconvenience. Instead, the receptionist was rude and dismissive. While I was speaking with her, another receptionist attempted to provide additional information, while the first receptionist simply turned her attention to her computer. When I asked when my father could be rescheduled, I was told that the earliest available appointment in Los Alamitos would not be until October. My father is 93 years old, and this last-minute cancellation has created a significant hardship for both of us. I had to miss work to bring him to this appointment, only to find out after arriving that it had been canceled. I requested to speak with a manager or supervisor, or even Dr. Pan, but was told that no one was available. According to the receptionists, Dr. Pan was in clinic seeing patients, and the supervisor was in Los Alamitos because of a staff shortage. I informed them that I was willing to wait for the supervisor, as I was told she was on her way to the Long Beach office. Unfortunately, there was still no apology or acknowledgment of the inconvenience. The interaction was characterized by rudeness and extremely poor customer service. I understand that staffing issues and unforeseen circumstances can occur. However, patients and their families should be treated with courtesy, compassion, and respect--especially when an appointment is canceled at the last minute. My 93-year-old father is now left in limbo without a clear appointment date, despite our having arrived for his scheduled appointment. I am requesting that a supervisor or manager contact me promptly to address this situation, explain why the cancellation notice was not effectively communicated before we arrived, and determine whether my father can be accommodated at an earlier date rather than being forced to wait until October.

My cardiologist, Dr. Stanley Kawanishi is an outstanding physician…read more He has cared for my heart health needs for decades. I have found him to be, not only a fine cardiologist, but a man of great experience and character. He has a true heart for vocation and his patients. I would recommend him without reservation. Sadly, as for the PCA office culture, personnel and access to information relative to my clinical or other inquiries, very poor. This is based on a number of calls to the office and the use of the on-line system. Seemingly understaffed, poorly equipped by way of serving the patient's needs, long waits on hold, failure in returning calls, and even lacking in common courtesy. Symptoms of poor upper management's standards, training and oversight. In a word, 5 stars for Dr. Kawanishi, no stars for office staff and admin.

I hate to give a bad rating, but I am not impressed with the office. As a nurse, I would expect…read moresome sort of follow up when another health care provider or health organization calls to get clarification on orders from your office. We had a patient bring us paperwork from this doctor's office and we needed some further clarification and additional information. I called this office 3 times, and each time I was told that the nurse was not available and to leave a message. As a last ditch effort, I even left my personal cell phone number, and have never received a call back from this office. Not impressed - it seems as if they can't be bothered.

Dr Tan is awesome. He has been taking care of my daughter since she was born due to various heart…read moreissues and he has been awesome. He has great bedside manner and is very personable. He has done procedure for my daughter while she was in the NICU and had great success. He sees patients at his torrance location next to torrance memorial.

I had been waiting for my appointment for a long time as a new patient I wasn't informed of the…read morecorrect parking structure I haven't been to their location at all. So my navigation took me to the back of the hospital at emergency department and I parked all the way to the 4th floor of the parking structure then had to walked to the hospital lobby just for the receptionist to tell me I'm at the wrong building. So I had to walked back to my car its around 10:45 and I called the office and told them my situation I told them my Navigation took me on the other side. Mind you, I'm having shortness of breath its hard for me to walked back and forth but I managed to get to them from the time I called them at 10;45 by 11 thats by parking to 3rd parking structure and going to the 6th floor. Took me on 15 minutes from the time I called them which I understand my appointment is at 10:30 but when i got there, no one was even at the waiting room it's just me. Why the Receptionist told me they have to cancel my appointment without even asking the Doctor. I don't know if the doctor was even aware of the situation. Because they said i was late and when I told them yes i was because it was hard for me to walk due to my condition. They showed no Compassion. . So sad. If I have any other choice believe me, i will not go back but i need to see a Cardiologist soon. Receptionist does not provide good customer service at all! And show no Compassion and care for patients. They don't even deserve a 1 star.

I had the pleasure of visiting this office for an appointment with Dr. DeCristoforo this morning…read more Jerrie his Medical Assistant as were all of the staff were proffesional, reassuring, and comforting. Also, Jerrie has a beautiful smile and energy about her. Yes, my fellow Quentin Crisps I'm having a thorough cardio work up since I'm now in the years that the likes of Billy Mays, Michael Jackson and Bernie Mac all met their maker. No, not paranoia but common sense; if I am able to prevent or ebb problems ahead of time step on the gas Ethel Ricky will never find out! I was just amazed that in this day of such apathetic health care that this is not the case here at Cardiovascular Associates. Dr. DeCristoforo very patiently, silently examined, jotted down information and asked questions (sometimes repaetedly to be sure he got the answer correct) and explained what course of action we would be taking, treat and medications. Being a former Cardiovascular Diagnostician while I was in college in the 70s, I was impressed! Also, this man is in his early 70s and is as sharp as Chelsea Lately's tongue! I came home with the reassurance that all was going to be addressed and treated if need be. KUDOS Dr. DeCristoforo for caring and not caving into the insurance companies mainstream that patients are just numbers!

I cannot attest to meeting Dr. Rizi but I have to say that the front office is totally…read moreunprofessional and incompetent. I made an appointment 3 weeks ago and only after I walked in today did they call my insurance company for authorization of an echocardiogram. After I heard them call loudly spelling my name and giving my birthdate, they were told that it would take 5 days to authorize. I spent an hour in there waiting to be turned away and I have a PPO. Total inefficiency! I don't know what that says about the Dr. but I wouldn't trust this office with my heart issues.

Dr. Rizi demonstrated his in-depth experience and a calm patient centered approach while treating…read moreme for high blood pressure. The set up for the ECG stress test and cardiac ultrasound scan are performed in the same room and the tests were not overwhelming. I noted the outstanding technique of sound electrode placement and integrity of the patch placement for the stress test allowing for a good clean ECG signal. The Dr and the staff ensured at all times that I was comfortable and informed. An added bonus was the ability to review in detail all of my test results through the electronic medical record that I have access to. This is essential for any communication between the patient & Doctor. Dr. Rizi is a well established physician who still takes the time to explain and guide you through your visits for heart, and life, health. This is actually a great place to get your cardiac follow ups and care with Dr. Rizi's location right next to a high reliability Medical Center. Sorry about technical details, but these are important in any healthcare environment. I'll give Dr. Rizi a turbo charged six cylinder rating here.

This Cardiologist is simply Amazing. His staff is caring and personable…read more Dr Nguyen saved my husband's life when every other doctor gave up on him. I would trust him with my life. There's no kinder person out there. He cares. He's punctual, consistent, knows how to help anyone with a heart issue. To add to his great qualities, he is so very humble. Dr Nguyen is a gift to those who need heart care.

I have never met a more caring Doctor than Dr. Nguyen. I was seeing another Dr. for an issue for 8…read moremonths and I never got better, I thought OMG am I crazy. He did a colonoscopy and determined that I have ulcerative colitis but he said something did not seem right, so he did one more test and found that I had a twist in my bowl. He could have left it alone and gave me meds to treat the Colitis but he went the extra mile. We need more Doctors like him.

I am contemplating a "watchman" procedure for Atrial Fibrillation and have met with the Doctor, who…read moreis a Cardiac surgeon, twice. Third time is tomorrow. I have already had a thorough work-up and a "minor"procedure at Long Beach Memorial. I especially enjoyed the caring and competent staff. I just hate Memorial's phone system. What a pain. More than the procedure, which was essentially painless!!! Thanks Dr. Hoang and staff and the recovery room nurses. You 'da best. Dr. Dennis Gumm

I very much appreciated Dr's Hoang's clear, concise and collaborative style. He listened well and…read morethoroughly responded to our questions and concerns. His professionalism, attention to detail and explanation of what and reasoning behind his recommendations were well appreciated.

I did a lot of research into local heart surgeons after it became clear I would soon need an Aortic…read moreValve Replacement. Dr. Sakwa stood out as a leading expert at minimally invasive procedures which I was hoping to have performed. My cardiologist also said Dr. Sakwa would be a good choice of surgeons. At my first consult with Dr. Sakwa he confirmed I was a good candidate for a mini thoracotomy instead of doing the more traditional sternotomy. He listened to me, answered all my questions and clearly explained what I could expect from my upcoming operation. I walked away feeling confident that I was in good hands. Shortly thereafter, my aortic valve was replaced at Long Beach MemorialCare hospital without a hitch. Dr. Sakwa and everyone at Long Beach MemorialCare performed superbly. I had no complications at all. I have to admit the first couple days after surgery were rough. There was pain which I was warned to expect even for having had a minimally invasive procedure. But I quickly improved and was discharged 4 days after surgery feeling much better. As I write this from home 6 days from my surgery, I have no pain and I'm quickly regaining my strength. I would highly recommend Dr Sakwa and Long Beach MemorialCare hospital for cardiac surgery.

From the owner: MemorialCare Medical Group is an award-winning team of health care professionals dedicated to…read moreproviding quality, compassionate care to communities in southern Los Angeles and Orange counties. Addressing the needs of patients of all ages, MemorialCare Medical Group offers a broad scope of multi-specialty services, including primary care, specialty and ancillary care, outpatient surgical services, imaging services and urgent care. When you choose one of our trusted doctors, you're choosing experience. MemorialCare Medical Group has the tools, teams and compassion it takes to support you through all stages of life.