University Spine & Pain Center
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Review Highlights
“Bao Nguyen is an expert in his field, cares about his patients, listens, and offers individualized care.” in 18 reviews
“The statistics on back surgery were scary so I was recommended to Dr Nguyen and his team and I am like a new women!” in 35 reviews
“He is a one of a kind, joint and spine specialist.” in 2 reviews
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About the Business
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Bao N.
Our state of the art pain clinic and surgery center offers an innovative and comprehensive approach to each individuals needs. As a spine and pain center, our focus is to improve each patients lives by reducing chronic/acute pain syndromes, musculoskeletal and spine disorders, as well as treat those with painful sports injuries, neck pain, joint pain or head aches. Our team of professionals treat a wide range of patients including athletes, work and other injuries, to help them achieve levels of highly functional and pain-free living. Whether it's pain you're experiencing from chronic medical issues, sports injuries or an accident, our pain physician Dr. Bao Nguyen will provide you with the highest quality of medical care and pain management. Call today to schedule your appointment.
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Overall rating
62 reviews
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1 star
- Taci Z.Hermosa Beach, CA02Dec 29, 2023
I have sciatica and received 3 injections at the same time on the lower left side of my back. My pain was worse after injections as my pain is from lower spine down right side of my back and leg. Injections of left side made no sense at the time and turned out to increase my pain.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Apr 9, 2022
I visited Dr Nguyen's office one time several months ago. I was referred by m Worker's Comp administrator. Dr. Nguyen had good reviews and his location was convenient so I made an appointment.
I arrivée and, after a short wait, was shown to an examination room. There I waited and waited and waited. Forty-five minutes later, having another appointment to keep, I began walking out. The receptionist asked me to wait and said Dr. Nguyen would see me immediately. I returned to the examination room and Dr. Nguyen came in 10 times later ... a total of an hour past my appointment time.
Dr. Nguyen had my previous records, sent to him via email by my Workers Comp administrator. However, Dr. Nguyen seemed totally unfamiliar with my past record, which goes back to 1986, and he only asked me 2-3 questions and said he would schedule me for epidural injections in his office. I inquired since my past injections were performed at a surgical center and he reiterated he did them in his office.
I was then redirected to the receptionist. The staff was rude and dismissive. I was told I had to return for a follow up to see how I felt after taking pain medicine (which I never requested but was provided for a prescription for tramadol). I stated Dr. Nguyen wanted to schedule me for an epidural injection and the receptionist said they had to get approval first. I began to get the idea -- that the office wanted me back for no reason just so they could bill my insurance. But I went along with it.
I also discussed a non-Workers Comp issue with the receptionist and was told she had to look into it and would call me in a few days. After nearly a week and no call I called Dr. Nguyen's office and no one had any knowledge of the secondary issue I had mentioned. They also said no request for authorization had been sent to my Worker's Comp administrator.
I asked why the doctor didn't order x-rays or MRI before summarily jumping into epidural injections and she suggested I speak to him at my next appointment. The entire conversation left me very unhappy as the staff was rude, impatient and seemingly disorganized and hostile.
I called my Workers Comp administrator and was told the doctor should have ordered an MRI before even discussing an epidural. They said, "It's not like getting a flu shot." I then get a referral to another doctor and called Dr. Nguyen's office to cancel all future care.
Note that my entire experience with Dr. Nguyen's office was summary and passive. I didn't get any indication he wanted to know precisely how to treat me.Helpful 2Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Business owner information
Bao N.
Apr 4, 2022
Dear Evan,
we, the administrative staff, take negative reviews and patients experience seriously. However, your review is awfully vague and does not seem to be honest. Please help us understand your experience. - T Q.Los Angeles, CA1479Mar 5, 2021Updated review
Here is the review why I downgraded from 5 stars to 1 star!
I had a doctor visit in July 2020, my initial experience was quite good, the doctor seemed to be nice and responsible. I was a little bit surprised to get several calls asking how I was doing cause I did not request phone calls or appointments. Everything changed since I received my bill this year.
By the time I scheduled my appointment (on the same month), they confirmed they accepted my insurance. In Jan 2021, I received a bill which I don't think is correct, and called back for billing questions and never heard back. After waiting for about 1 month, I received my second bill and called back, they told me they were out of network since June 1 2020, they tried to join back but they got rejected, therefore, I need to pay for our of network price! If you already knew you were out of network and were still in the process of joining back, why didn't you let your patients know that?
They also charged several EM office visits which I did not request at all, the bill explained why the unrequested phone calls from doctor were surprise to me initially. One call to read MRI results may make sense as an appointment but the other two random quick calls asking how you are doing do not, particularly when I did not request these appointments and were out of network!
Can you randomly call your patients and ask how they are doing then charge them 165 dollars for each one minute call?Helpful 2Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Oct 12, 2020Previous reviewDr Nguyen really cares about his patients. He called me on a regular basis until I did not need follow up. I barely have stiff neck or back pain after seeing Dr Nguyen and physical therapist. Highly recommend Dr Nguyen!
- Nathan G.San Francisco, CA1133Apr 26, 2022
This place is incredibly shady. As mentioned in other reviews, they will give you unsolicited phone calls to "follow up" with you and then charge you for an office visit for it without telling you. They also will try and get you to not provide your insurance info so they can charge you out of network prices, even if you are in network. They also prescribed me medication, told me I needed to drop off a urine sample to ensure I was taking the correct amount without mention of ever being charged for it, and then tried to charge me $600 for it! I will not be paying the unsolicited charges they try to scam you with, stay away at all costs as this is the scummiest drs office I have ever been to, and I've seen a lot of drs. They do not care about patients, and only care about ripping people off.
Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Business owner information
Bao N.
Apr 26, 2022
Dear Nathan,
we are located in Hermosa Beach and it looks like you are in San Francisco. We do not take any patients that is not within a 60 mile radius. I don't think you are a real patient in our clinic.
We are an in-network clinic and therefore not able to bill out-of-network. If you needed injection or surgery the ASC maybe out-of-network. - Eric B.Hermosa Beach, CA1151Oct 18, 2021
Basing this review off two aspects of my experience with this office.
1. My epidural - this went well and i did experience pain relief from this. Because of this I am giving them one additional star.
2. The unsolicited 30 second "telehealth" call that was made three months after the original epidural date and billed to my insurance as an office visit. I have gone back and forth with the office for four months now to get them to remove this fraudulent claim. It seems that this is commonplace for this office as I have seen similar complaints in other Yelp reviews. This practice is unethical and fraudulent and I cannot recommend this doctor based upon this experience.
Suggest considering other pain relief doctors to avoid the headache that myself and several other patients have had to deal with from this practice.Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Business owner information
Bao N.
Apr 4, 2022
Dear Eric,
it is common practice to follow up after and epidural procedure. Since we were in the middle of the pandemic, the health department recommend that all non-essential in-office visit to be done via telehealth. Medicare, during the pandemic, allows us to bill in-office as telehealth. Please call us if you have any further questions. - Julie M.Manhattan Beach, CA6246030Mar 29, 2021
I sat there for a hour waiting to be seen. The front desk girls were wayyyyy too busy gossiping in the back, so I couldn't ask where the bathroom was or hear ANY updates about when I'd ever be seen. I literally felt like they did not give two poops about their clientele. I run my own business and can't iMaGiNe treating my clients like this. No thank you.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Jennifer D.Gardena, CA0248Aug 22, 2018
I love Dr. Nguyen and his staff.
I came here in a recommendation from one of Dr. Nguyen's peers. I have a rare spinal/nerve disorder. I had Neurosurgery on my spine where my sacrum was removed in 2014. It was very difficult to find a doctor who had even heard of it, nonetheless treated anyone for it.
I had a very bad experience with a previous pain doctor who had over medicated me pretty severely on Fentynol, which was awful.
Dr Nguyen titrated me down slowly from opioid based medications. I'm now completely off of them as well as Benzodiazepines! I'm only taking nerve medication and anticonvulsants now and I feel so much better!
I went from being bedridden and unable to walk or even sit for more than an hour when I first came here. I am now walking (well, limping? Swaggering?) unassisted, for the most part.
I will get injections or a nerve burned off here and there. He performs these procedures with one of his friendly, knowledgeable assistants right in his office!
He is very good with his bedside manner. You can tell he really cares.
His front office is soooo great (hi, Rosa!) and wait times are usually not more than 5-10 minutes. The fact that most of his staff have been there at least all three years I have been a patient really says something about the office environment.
You can also tell this place is legit by the other patients you see. People with legitimate orthopedic/neurological issues. Not the "junkie" types you would see too often at a "Dr. Feelgood" pain doctor's office.
I really can't say enough nice things. Thank you Dr. Nguyen and staff! I had almost given up hope.Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Anne T.Hermosa Beach, CA088Apr 16, 2021Updated review
I am updating my review Only because my experience with Dr Bao was excellent! He is a very ethical Doctor and does not automatically reach for medication or shots. In fact when I visited him with my lower back issues he prescribed PT with a local physical therapist and she was fantastic! After maybe a year of seeing her (4 years ago) pain has not returned!! (I still continue here exercises daily).
I have heard that front staff have improved considerably.....I sincerely hope so for Dr Bao's sake. He deserves it!Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Apr 11, 2019Previous reviewVery very disappointed with how office staff treat Dr.'s patients:( You call for an appointment first thing in the morning and the very first thing you are asked is for your Insurance information. You sit and wait by your phone for 24hours for the promised same day callback. Nothing! You call back the next day wondering what happened to the possible appointment you were promised yesterday (if your benefits checked out and if there was a cancellation that day) and you are told that the receptionist you talked to yesterday is not in today. When you explain what happened yesterday you are told "O no we need 72 hours to run your benefits before we will even call you back"......................are you kidding me...............72 hours = 3 days?????!!!!!!
- Michelle D.San Pedro, CA091Jan 27, 2021
I love Dr. Nguyen! I've been coming to him for years and he's always very pleasant and professional. He's helped me to live a life with less pain and more hope. I highly recommend him from knee and elbow pain to major back procedures which have saved my life. I can't say enough good things about him and his staff is also wonderful and caring.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Joe D.Torrance, CA016Feb 13, 2018
I do not recommend University Spine & Pain Center based on my conversation with the receptionist!!!
I called to make an appt and the receptionist said, and I quote "You're mumbling".
I told her that I didn't appreciate her saying I'm mumbling, and as a professional, she should probably not accuse prospective patients of "mumbling" and maybe she should try something like "I'm sorry, but I'm having trouble understanding you"
When I informed her that telling me I was mumbling was pretty rude, she got rude again. This time I hung up.Helpful 6Thanks 0Love this 3Oh no 0
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