07/03/09

very difficult to get an appointment,,,

by PAULAVERGILI

I think Dr Stein is a smart guy, but getting in to see him will take an act of congress. I called with a letter from the ER that said I should be seen in two days by a gastroenterologist for diverticulitis. The scheduler at Dr stiens office offered me an appointment in 3-4 weeks I told her I had a letter from the ER she was really umimpressed and said, "you will have to contact your family Dr". Humm...

and the referral to a specialist was for what?

In addition he dosent do second opinions you have to agree to transfer care to him in order to be seen.

06/10/08

Knowedgeable, quick, efficient, friendly - best GI I've seen in years

by KungFuRocket

I have Crohn's disease, and I've seen a LOT of GI docs over the past 12 years, including Dr. Andrew Ippoliti, one of the best in the nation and who now works at Cedars Sinai as one of the directors. I would say my worst experience was in Houston, TX, and my best experience was right here with Dr. Stein. He came highly recommended when I came into the ER with abdominal pains. The typical wait was going to be almost 2 months because he is a very busy and very popular doctor. I now see why. My physician called him to give him details of my case and they were able to squeeze me in for an earlier appointment. When I arrived, he was there promptly at the scheduled time.

He walked in with a warm smile on his face, made me feel welcome and OK. He talked a mile a minute, but it was excellent information about my condition and I hadn't even realized so much had changed in the cutting edge of Crohn's medication, but he knew all about it. We scheduled a colonoscopy for the following week. I arrived early as expected by the prep team, he was there promptly as well and we went through the procedure in a matter of minutes. He was very positive and warm the entire time, so I'm not sure if I was having 2 good days in a row with him, or someone else had caught him on a bad day. His bedside manner was flawless, he was witty, humorous, kind, and understanding of my discomfort and condition. He knows so much about GI medicine that I am sad I will be leaving him, my insurance (UHC) will be dropped by them soon and I won't be able to continue being his patient. He was the first GI in a long time that had made me feel that comfortable speaking to him about my condition.

• Pros: knowledgeable, efficient, friendly
• Cons: none

05/19/08

Gatroenterologist

by RNnp

I didn't realize until I read the other reviews, but Dr. Stein does not have a great bedside manner and this has lead other to belive that he is not competent. As a former nurse I find that Dr. Stein does undersand the speciality. It is frsutrating to wait for a colonoscopy for a definitive diagnosis, but the truth is that if you are over 50 years of age, this is the standard of practice.

• Pros: knows the practice of gastroenterology
• Cons: clearly has difficulty sharing his knowledge with his patients, poor follow-up