Montage Medical Group, Carmel - Carmel-By-The-Sea, California

Yi Y.

This is a terrible hospital. My family just moved in. My husband and I went to see a doctor for the first time. My husband has diabetes and will soon have to see a doctor to prescribe medicine. The doctor asked us to do a blood test to check our blood concentration. If the blood is too concentrated, he can recommend blood donation. About 20 days after we had the blood drawn, we received a fee of $1,700. After that, the insurance was deducted (we have Anthem medical insurance). I can't believe that we didn't receive any reports from the hospital or written notices from the doctor about our health status during the period when we received this bill. This is the first time we have seen the doctor of this hospital and he didn't tell us how to check the report. During this period, my husband didn't receive the medicine prescribed by the doctor, so he went to the hospital to find the staff the day before yesterday. They replied that the doctor would contact us on Monday, but they still didn't contact us. (The doctor wrote a new prescription for medicine) From 08/24/2024 to 20/12/2024, we didn't get any information about our health from this hospital. But I received a second reminder for such an irresponsible hospital and doctor. I have the responsibility to say that I don't want other patients who don't know this hospital to experience what we have.

Daniel V.

I relocated last summer from Illinois and needed a primary care doctor. As a cancer survivor I go to specialists follow-ups every 6-months, and a primary doctor contact is fundamental. I was hoping to find one near where we live. When I scheduled my appointment as a New Patient they made me wait for three months. Then, when the visit date almost arrived I received a call that the doctor was not available and needed to reschedule. Another three months to wait. I'm appalled about this experience. I never had the honor of being their patient, a 6 months wait for a new patient visit is something no one can afford. It's better to say they can't accept new patients instead of being slow and unreliable.

LORRAINE G.

I found the woman at the front door who takes your temperature to be really rude, dismissive an un-co-operative. There was one person in the waiting room. She made me stand outside in the cold for 5 minutes while she went back into her office. She seemed totally put out that I wanted to have a shot, which I was told by the doctor, required no appointment, and that I could drop in at any time. She brusquely told me that i would have to wait an hour to have this shot!!! When I asked her to please check with the nurse, she turned on her heel, went into the office and came back saying it was too late anyway. It was 4:09!!! I am really disappointed at this treatment. It is not as if I wasn't prepared to pay for this shot.
I am sure I would not have been treated this way at any other doctor's office.

Julie C.

This “medical” group is a complete joke. Don’t waste your time on endless hold to be told you can’t get an appointment for 8 months. And this is for an existing patient who’s doctor has left the group. In fact, don’t live in Monterey if you expect to need any healthcare or elderly care services. And best advice is to leave the USA and go live in one of the many places in the world where you can get excellent healthcare. The medical industrial complex in America is broken, unless you are a CEO or shareholder.

Brianna S.

i saw dr. Keiko Saito, it was one of the worst experiences i have ever had Practically walked out of the room and told me she couldn’t help me at all. I came in with extreme pains and she told me to do what i was already doing and i told her i needed help finding something that would help my problem. I also showed her exactly where one of my problems was and she could not find it at all and she didn’t even try to really find it. She talked insanely fast and i could barely understand the conversation we were having. I couldn’t keep up with her and she seemed to ignore absolutely everything i was saying. She didn’t not seem to care one little bit and seemed to just want to get out of that room with me as fast as possible. I never complain about things because i understand they have other patients, but that was absolutely awful. I would never see her again. When she left the room she got up and walked out, she did not tell me i was okay to go or anything so i was completely frustrated and confused at this point.

Howard C. J.

Preface: This rating does not regard the collective individuals and practices within Montage Medical Group, and is based on what I believe to be ignorant decisions, or perhaps the processes for decision-making of the specialists or medical group who have declined my referral. Unfortunately, systems that lack integrity effect the whole system, and so below I have given my statement for the rating I've provided and hope for this decision to be reconsidered.

Over the last 3 years numerous physicians (10 to be exact) have been giving me the runaround, referring me to specialists who have yet to find the source of my sinus issues. From being prescribed just about every allergy medicine under the sun - holistic and traditional medicine -, to having surgery for a deviated septum which was to "absolutely fix the problem", to seeing numerous (4) ENT's, a rheumatologist, and now waiting for 3 months to visit an allergist that's over a 2 hour drive away that I've yet to visit.

I was finally designated a PCP, Montage Medical Group, and I have to say my first (and so far only) experience with Dr. Cuenca was actually pleasant, for the most part. He listened, looked over my charts, asked some questions and agreed that my issue has a probable neurological component (as did Dr. Grewal (ent) AND Dr. Udwadia (rheumatologist), but Dr. Cuenca also suggested I see the allergist first before the neurologist...ugh! But being a good physician he sent the referral anyway (I hope without any stipulations) to the specializing neurologists within Montage Medical Group - Dr.'s Michas-Martin, Alexander, and Legarda - all of whom declined the referral on the basis that there was not enough evidence. I was told that after visiting the allergist that the neurologists would reconsider the referral...

I have followed the instructions and guidance of each of the preceding physicians, all whom have been wrong in identifying treatments or healing modalities to, at the least, minimize my symptoms if not "take care of it." I have expressed with conviction my disbelief in this being allergy related, and with good reason to believe why it very well may be neurologically related... this same reason why 2 specialists both agreed (of course after having implemented their requirements per their specialization).

Epidemiologist Dr. Barbara Starfield of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, reporting "in 2000 that around 225,000 deaths occur annually in American hospitals due to the adverse effects of medications, infections, and errors. This makes hospital care the third leading cause of death in the United States behind heart disease and cancer." (Dossey, 2009).

The phenomenon of medical errors and adverse events is not uncommon or unheard of. Errors in diagnosis often occur from "Handoff's", including teamwork and safety culture (Cuong-Pham et al., 2000), Diagnostic Errors, Surgical errors, etc. Cuong Pham et al states that "Misdiagnosis is prevalent in specialties such as cardiology, infectious diseases, oncology, and neurology."

No negative remarks can or will be made upon my behalf concerning the specialists, personally, who have declined my referral to see them (even if the referral has been submitted by 2 doctors and agreed upon by a 3rd). I can assume reasons why they have declined it, but instead will hope that they rescind their decline and reconsider the request submitted (and agreed) by the 3 different doctors. In the meantime I have contacted other neurologists in good faith that I will be seen and properly screened to my sinus condition.

Dossey, L. (2009). Mind-body medicine: Whose mind, whose body?. EXPLORE. 5(3).

Julius Cuong Pham, Monica S. Aswani, Michael Rosen, HeeWon Lee, Matthew Huddle, Kristina Weeks, Peter J. Pronovost. (2012). Reducing medical errors and adverse events. Annual Review of Medicine, 63(1), 447-463

Emilio W.

My wife left doctor Albert in tears. Unprofessional and dismissive. Never going back.

Alec S.

Friendly staff who follow up. Professional and knowledgeable Doctors.