Please verify before you rely on this. The Blue Shield directory listed many doctors as "accepting new patients," but their own practice profiles sometimes disagree — each doctor's current status is flagged below. New-patient acceptance and in-network status change frequently, so call the office and confirm they take your Blue Shield PPO plan before booking. Research to help you choose — not medical advice.
Top 10 Primary Care Doctors
Ranked by online patient reviews · from your Blue Shield of California provider directory
Blue Shield Platinum 90 PPO · Origin: 142 Beverly Ave, San Leandro, CA 94577 · Directory dated 2026-07-02
How this list was built
Parsed all 831 in-network PCPs (Family / General / Internal Medicine) from the 188-page Blue Shield directory.
Filtered to within ~7 miles and accepting new patients → 189 candidates.
Web-reviewed all 189 (Healthgrades, Vitals, Google, Zocdoc, Yelp, WebMD, RateMDs, Sutter & Stanford). 98 had a real review presence.
Deeply verified the 15 strongest, then ranked by review quality & volume with distance as the tiebreak.
Excluded: a directory-listed "Internal Medicine" doctor (J. Lee) who is actually a practicing cardiologist.
The list — best-reviewed and accepting new patients
#1
Houman Sharifi, MD
Stanford Medicine Partners – Primary Care (Hayward); part of Stanford Health Care / University Healthcare Alliance (formerly Bay Valley Medical Group)
4.9
★★★★★★★★★★
406 reviews
Accepting new patients4.8 mi from San LeandroMatch confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Repeatedly praised as an excellent, patient listener with warm bedside manner: a WebMD reviewer wrote 'Excellent listening skills and bedside manner. Compassionate... Best primary care doctor I have had in many years.'
Thorough and effective with complex/multiple conditions - one patient with several health issues said he 'was able to navigate through all of them efficiently and effectively.'
Stanford's verified patient-satisfaction survey scores him 4.9/5 across 361 ratings (481 comments), reflecting consistently high marks well beyond a handful of reviews.
Board-certified in Internal Medicine and affiliated with Stanford Health Care / Stanford Medicine Partners, with strong marks for taking time to explain clearly and treat patients kindly.
Review themes: Patients consistently praise his listening skills, compassion, thoroughness, and willingness to take time and explain clearly; described as kind, caring, and knowledgeable, especially with patients managing multiple chronic conditions (hypertension, diabetes, heart disease). No recurring specific complaints surfaced in available reviews.
Contact & booking
Address
27206 Calaroga Ave, Ste 105, Hayward, CA 94545 (also sees patients at 20642 John Dr, Castro Valley, CA 94546)
Book by phone at (510) 785-5000; online via Zocdoc (https://www.zocdoc.com/doctor/houman-sharifi-md-247519); or through the Stanford Health Care MyHealth patient portal / stanfordhealthcare.org profile.
Credentials
Male. Board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (Internal Medicine). Medical school: Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran (graduated ~1997/1999). Residency: Internal Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX (completed 2012). Roughly 13 years in independent practice since residency (NPI enumerated 2009; joined the group in 2012). Languages: Farsi and English (per Doximity and Stanford; note WebMD's "Chinese/Spanish" listing appears to be default/inaccurate data). Active CA medical license (through 2027).
Identity is confidently confirmed - NPI 1689808073, Internal Medicine, Hayward/Castro Valley East Bay location match across the NPI registry, healthcare4ppl, WebMD, Stanford, and Doximity. Caveats on the ratings: the bulk of the volume (and the 4.9/5) comes from Stanford's internal verified patient-satisfaction survey (361 ratings), which tends to run higher than public review sites; the independent public review counts are thin (Zocdoc 40, WebMD 3, FindATopDoc 2), so the ~5-star public picture rests on relatively few reviews. Healthgrades shows a 5/5 "likelihood to recommend" but no visible numeric review count. Reported "years of experience" varies by site (some cite ~27-29 years counting from medical school start; ~13 years is more accurate since residency completion in 2012). Could not directly load Zocdoc, Vitals, or Healthgrades pages (403/blocked) or reach a Google/Yelp listing, so those counts come from search snippets; phone numbers differ slightly between listings - confirm the correct location/number when booking. Two office locations (Hayward and Castro Valley) - verify which one he is scheduling new patients at.
Accepting new patients6.9 mi from San LeandroMatch confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Reviews repeatedly describe him as thorough and detail-oriented — patients note he "reviews results in detail" and "explains everything," so people feel informed about their care (rater8).
Strong bedside manner is the dominant theme: praised as "caring, patient, empathetic, helpful, and easy to relate to" and "really dedicated to his profession" (rater8).
Good communicator who welcomes questions — "very professional and courteous, he answered all my questions" and "encourages questions" (rater8).
Deeply experienced local internist (~28 yrs) who is board certified in Internal Medicine and has served as Chief of Staff and Chair of Medicine at Alameda Hospital, indicating peer respect.
Review themes: Patients consistently praise thoroughness, clear explanations, and a warm, patient, empathetic manner; he is described as knowledgeable and someone who takes time to answer questions. No specific recurring complaint surfaced in the available review text, though independent-site review volume is very thin (see caveats).
Contact & booking
Address
1050 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 101, Alameda, CA 94501
Book online via the practice's NexHealth portal (https://app.nexhealth.com/appt/marina-village-medicine?lid=343211) or by phone at (510) 227-5540.
Credentials
Male. MD from University of the Philippines Manila College of Medicine (graduated 1998). Internal medicine residency at AtlantiCare / Atlantic City Regional Medical Center (New Jersey). Board certified in Internal Medicine; also a Certified Medical Director (American Board of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine). Approximately 28 years in practice. Language: English. Hospital affiliations include Alameda Hospital (former Chief of Staff and Chair of Medicine), Alta Bates Summit Medical Center (Berkeley/Oakland), San Leandro Hospital, and John George Psychiatric.
Identity is confirmed (NPI 1992773279 matches: Internal Medicine, Alameda CA, Marina Village Medicine). Caveats on ratings: the 5.0/73 comes from rater8, a survey system administered by the practice itself, which skews positive and is not fully independent. Independent-site volume is very thin — WebMD has only 1 review (4/5), Vitals shows ~4/5 with no visible count (could not be independently re-verified; carried from prior scan), and Healthgrades has zero reviews. The 4.8/284 Google figure is practice-wide for Marina Village Medicine (shared with Dr. Jagmohan Khaira), not specific to Dr. Magalong. WebMD lists an outdated address (2070 Clinton Ave) and flags the CA license as expired in 2026, while other sources indicate the license is active through 2028 — likely a stale-data lag rather than a real lapse; verify current licensure via the Medical Board of California if it matters. The practice is in Alameda, roughly 10–15 minutes from San Leandro.
Stanford Medicine Partners Primary Care Alameda (Alameda Family Physicians)
4.8
★★★★★★★★★★
295 reviews
Accepting new patients4.9 mi from San LeandroMatch confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Rated 4.8/5 across 295 patient ratings (76 written reviews) on Stanford Health Care's verified patient-experience survey - a high score on a large, credible sample
Reviewers consistently describe her as thorough, efficient, kind and personable - patients feel she listens attentively and addresses concerns fully
Praised for clearly explaining care options and making patients feel comfortable and valued
Bilingual (English and Spanish), and part of the Stanford Medicine Partners / Alameda Family Physicians network with integrated MyHealth portal and video visits
Review themes: Patients repeatedly praise her attentive listening, thoroughness, efficiency, kindness, and clear explanations of treatment options; described as knowledgeable, professional, personable, and easy to talk to. No consistent recurring complaint surfaced about the physician herself in available reviews; the only notable caveat is that the doctor-specific written review pool is modest (76 written reviews) and secondary sites (Healthgrades, US News, Vitals) surfaced no independent numeric rating.
New patients: schedule first appointment online via Stanford Health Care ("Schedule your first appointment online"). Existing patients: Stanford MyHealth portal for appointments and video visits. Phone: 510-521-2300.
Credentials
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), female. Board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine (certification effective 2023/2024). Medical school: Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine at New Mexico State University (2020). Residency: Peak Vista Community Health Family Medicine Residency, Colorado (completed 2023). Languages: English and Spanish. Early-career: independently practicing since ~2023 residency completion (NPI enumerated 2020). Note: some directories list "6-10 years in practice," which appears inaccurate given her 2023 residency completion.
CRITICAL NPI MISMATCH: The NPI provided in the task (1366425548) does NOT belong to Dr. Belanger - per the official CMS NPI Registry it belongs to Edward I. Chan, MD, a family medicine colleague at the same practice (2433 Central Ave, Alameda). Dr. Ann Marie Belanger's correct NPI is 1700415031. Identity of the person is otherwise confidently confirmed (same specialty, same East Bay/Alameda location - Alameda is adjacent to San Leandro), and the 4.8/5 rating clearly belongs to her via Stanford's verified profile. Other caveats: (1) She is early-career (residency completed 2023), so the 4.8/295 record, while strong, spans a short tenure; some directories inaccurately list 6-10 years of experience. (2) The 4.8/5 comes from a single source (Stanford Health Care's internal patient survey); Healthgrades, US News, Vitals, Zocdoc and RateMDs did not surface independent numeric ratings for her. (3) Yelp's 185 reviews are clinic-level for Alameda Family Physicians, not specific to Dr. Belanger.
Stanford Medicine Partners Primary Care (formerly Bay Valley Medical Group / University HealthCare Alliance)
4.9
★★★★★★★★★★
55 reviews
Accepting — confirm by phone4.8 mi from San LeandroMatch confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Bedside manner rated 5.00/5 on Zocdoc — patients repeatedly describe her as genuinely caring, pleasant, and easy to talk to.
Communicates clearly: reviewers highlight that she explains conditions and medication choices in accessible terms and answers all their questions without rushing.
Thorough yet efficient — patients note strong clinical knowledge and thorough preventative care while keeping visits unhurried.
Good access/logistics: Zocdoc wait-time score of 4.90/5, with praise for friendly staff and easy scheduling.
Review themes: Patients consistently praise her compassionate, matter-of-fact bedside manner, clear communication (explaining diagnoses and medications plainly), thoroughness on preventative care, and short wait times with friendly staff. No recurring substantive complaint surfaced across the verified East Bay review sources; review volume is modest on Healthgrades (7) and WebMD (8), with the bulk (40) on Zocdoc.
Contact & booking
Address
27206 Calaroga Ave, Ste 105, Hayward, CA 94545 (primary); also sees patients at 20642 John Dr, Castro Valley, CA 94546
Book online via the "Make An Appointment" button on her Stanford Health Care profile (stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/k/jaya-karnani.html), via Zocdoc (zocdoc.com/doctor/jaya-karnani-md-247515), or by phone at (510) 581-2559.
Credentials
Female. Board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine (2005). Medical school: Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India (graduated 2001). Residency: Family Medicine, Fort Wayne Medical Education Program, Indiana (2002-2005). ~20+ years in practice; joined Bay Valley Medical Group in 2009 (now part of Stanford Medicine Partners). Languages: English and Hindi. California medical license A89868 (active, per Doximity valid through 2028). Affiliated hospitals include Stanford Health Care, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, Eden Medical Center, and St. Rose Hospital.
Overall rating (4.9) and total reviews (55) reflect only the three verified East Bay sources (Zocdoc, Healthgrades, WebMD). A RateMDs listing (3.9/5) exists under "Dr. Jaya Karnani, Elk Grove, CA" (Sacramento area, ~90 miles away); it could not be confirmed as the same physician, so it was excluded to avoid attributing another same-named doctor's reviews. Review volume is modest outside Zocdoc (Healthgrades ~7, WebMD ~8). WebMD's aggregated profile shows some clearly erroneous fields (languages listed as "Spanish, Chinese" and a "license expired" flag) that contradict authoritative Stanford/Doximity data (English/Hindi; active CA license A89868 through 2028) — treat WebMD metadata with caution. Practice has rebranded from Bay Valley Medical Group to Stanford Medicine Partners, so phone numbers and "accepting new patients" status vary across profiles; confirm directly with the clinic. She is ~15-20 minutes from San Leandro (Hayward/Castro Valley).
Nehal Ghevariya MD PC (affiliated with Sutter Eden Medical Center)
4.7
★★★★★★★★★★
74 reviews
Accepting new patients2.8 mi from San LeandroMatch confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Patients consistently describe her as attentive and a genuine listener: representative reviews note she 'is always attentive, approaches her patients with care, and really listens' and gives a 'thoughtful professional opinion.'
Strong access/availability — reviewers repeatedly cite same-day or next-day appointments, and Zocdoc shows a high bedside-manner subscore (4.81/5).
Thorough and clear communicator: patients call her 'very knowledgeable, professional, and detailed' with thorough explanations and continuity of care.
Board-certified in Internal Medicine with ~15+ years in practice and a small published research record (fatty liver disease, colorectal cancer screening, GI carcinoid tumors), reflecting clinical depth.
Review themes: Recurring praise: attentiveness, listens carefully, caring/courteous bedside manner, thorough explanations, responsive front-desk staff, and easy same-day/next-day access. Bedside-manner subscore (4.81/5) outpaces the wait-time subscore (4.62/5) on Zocdoc, so wait time is the relatively weaker dimension but still rated well. No specific recurring complaint surfaced in the review text reviewed; the main limitation is thin review volume on some platforms.
Phone: 510-357-8180. Online booking available via Zocdoc (https://www.zocdoc.com/doctor/nehal-ghevariya-md-119725). Also listed through Sutter Health's find-a-provider directory.
Credentials
Female. Board-certified in Internal Medicine. Medical degree from Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Government Medical College, Rajkot, India (graduated 2008/2009). Internal Medicine residency at The Brooklyn Hospital Center (Weill Cornell Medical College affiliate), with additional training/fellowship in Administrative and Preventive Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York. Clinical interests include preventive medicine, women's health, obesity medicine and nutrition. Approx. 15+ years in practice; active CA medical license (A123797). Languages: English, Hindi, Gujarati (office staff additionally cover Spanish, Tagalog, Samoan, Fijian per Sutter listing).
Identity is confirmed with high confidence: NPI 1518203728 matches a female Internal Medicine physician in San Leandro, CA (15035 E 14th St), and every review profile resolves to the same doctor and phone (510-357-8180). Note: Sutter Health lists a second NPI (1046240982) — that is the practice/organization NPI, not a different person. Caveats: (1) Review volume is modest and split across platforms; the WebMD 5.0/5 rests on only 12 reviews and the preliminary Healthgrades '5/5, 1 review' appears to be a separate/sparse metric — the more reliable Sharecare/Healthgrades figure is 4.7/5 over 38 reviews. total_reviews (74) is the sum of distinct counted sources (WebMD 12 + Sharecare/Healthgrades 38 + Yelp 24) and may include some overlap; Zocdoc's count could not be reliably confirmed. (2) Yelp's exact star rating could not be retrieved (Yelp blocked direct fetch); only its review count (24, up from 22 in mid-2025) is confirmed, and Yelp doctor ratings often skew lower than clinical sites. (3) Address varies across listings — NPI Registry and Sutter give 15035 E 14th St, Suite G; Doximity and some directories list 13847 E 14th St, Suite 115; an older Yelp listing shows 5035 E 14th St. The Suite G / 15035 address is the most authoritative (NPI + Sutter). (4) Medical school graduation year is listed as 2008 (WebMD) or 2009 (Doximity).
Stanford Medicine Partners – Castro Valley (formerly Bay Valley Medical Group; part of Stanford Health Care network)
4.7
★★★★★★★★★★
391 reviews
Accepting new patients4.8 mi from San LeandroMatch confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Patients on the high-volume Stanford Health Care profile (4.8/5 across 319 ratings) and Zocdoc (4.72/5, 40 reviews) consistently describe him as caring, professional, and knowledgeable.
Reviewers note he is well-prepared and thorough — one wrote he 'reviewed all the notes from other doctors who have provided services before meeting with me,' and others call him 'very thorough and reassuring.'
Praised as a good listener who 'listens to my situation and assessed the path forward,' takes patient input seriously, and explains conditions clearly.
Strong, long-standing credentials: board-certified in Internal Medicine (ABIM, 1979), UCLA/Kaiser-trained, 45+ years in practice, and bilingual in Mandarin Chinese.
Review themes: Recurring praise: caring/compassionate bedside manner, thoroughness and preparation, good listener, clear explanations, and clinical experience. Recurring complaints (mostly on low-sample sites): front-desk staff courtesy and scheduling flexibility, long wait times (WebMD lists ~60 min average), and an isolated report of the doctor not addressing the patient directly during a visit.
Contact & booking
Address
20642 John Dr, Castro Valley, CA 94546 (NPI/mailing office address on file: 20126 Stanton Ave, Ste 201, Castro Valley, CA 94546)
Book by phone at (510) 785-5000, online through the Stanford Health Care profile / MyHealth appointment scheduling, or via Zocdoc (https://www.zocdoc.com/doctor/richard-ho-md-273378).
Credentials
Male. Board-certified in Internal Medicine (American Board of Internal Medicine, 1979). Medical school: UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine (1974). Residency: Internal Medicine, Kaiser Permanente San Francisco (completed 1979); internship at Mount Zion Medical Center. ~47 years in practice (aggregators list "52 years experience"). Languages: English and Mandarin Chinese (per authoritative Stanford profile; WebMD's listing of Spanish/Tagalog and a Yale residency appear to be aggregator errors).
Ratings are strongly bimodal, so the ~4.7 blended figure hides real disagreement. The two highest-volume, verified-patient sources are very positive (Stanford 4.8/319; Zocdoc 4.72/40), but small-sample sites skew low: WebMD 2.5/5 (9 reviews), FindaTopDoc 2/5 (9 reviews), and Healthgrades shows a 2.86/5 'likelihood to recommend' (total review count not published). Low-count sites are statistically unreliable but the recurring negative themes (front-desk/staff courtesy, scheduling flexibility, and long wait times ~60 min) appear across multiple sources and are worth weighing. Note aggregator data quality issues: WebMD lists incorrect languages (Spanish/Tagalog) and residency (Yale) that conflict with the authoritative Stanford profile (Mandarin; Kaiser SF residency). He is a very senior physician (~47+ years in practice), which some patients may view as deep experience and others as a stylistic mismatch. Healthgrades and RateMDs pages could not be fetched directly (blocked); their figures come from search snippets.
Stanford Medicine Partners – Castro Valley (Stanford Health Care; formerly Sutter Health / affiliated with Eden Medical Center)
4.65
★★★★★★★★★★
327 reviews
Accepting new patients4.8 mi from San LeandroMatch confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Thorough and unhurried: patients repeatedly say she takes time to listen carefully, asks questions, orders the proper tests, and explains treatment options — 'very thorough and kind, I never feel rushed' (Stanford Health Care reviews).
Kind, patient, and respectful bedside manner: reviewers describe 'kindness, patience and respect,' and she was named among the most respectful, well-communicated physicians at Eden hospital; Zocdoc bedside-manner subscore is 4.62/5.
Experienced, board-certified internist: certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine since 2000 with decades in practice, and patients cite her knowledge and genuine personal interest in their care.
Long-term patient loyalty: multiple reviewers report staying with her 'many, many years,' a signal of consistent satisfaction.
Review themes: Patients consistently praise her attentive listening, thoroughness, gentle/respectful bedside manner, and not feeling rushed; she draws strong long-term loyalty. Recurring complaints (a minority) are long office wait times (WebMD notes ~60 min average) and weaker front-desk/staff courtesy and scheduling flexibility; a small number of older Vitals reviews accuse her of being money-motivated, but these are outliers against a large body of positive feedback.
Contact & booking
Address
20642 John Dr, Castro Valley, CA 94546 (secondary office in Pleasanton, CA)
Book by phone at (510) 785-5000, through Stanford Health Care's online scheduling / MyHealth patient portal, or via her Zocdoc profile (https://www.zocdoc.com/doctor/ling-xu-md-311486) for online appointment requests.
Credentials
Female. Board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (certified 2000). Medical degree from Gannan Medical College, China (1983). Internal Medicine residency at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (completed 2000). Roughly 25 years in US practice (40+ years in the medical field overall). Languages: English, Mandarin, and Japanese (some directories also list Cantonese/Chinese).
Identity is confirmed with high confidence: NPI 1073684429 resolves to Ling Xu, MD, female, Internal Medicine, and the practice address (20642 John Dr / Lake Chabot Rd, Castro Valley) matches the Stanford Medicine Partners – Castro Valley profile, so the ~4.7/274 Stanford ratings belong to this doctor. Caveats: (1) A separate Dr. Ling Xu (Internal Medicine) practices in Riverside, CA with her own Healthgrades/Vitals profiles — those were excluded and not attributed here. (2) The high aggregate rating is driven mostly by Stanford's internal patient survey (274 ratings); independent third-party sites have small samples (Zocdoc 21, Sharecare 14, WebMD 6, Yelp 12) and Yelp shows no aggregate star value. (3) Recurring negatives are long wait times (~60 min per WebMD) and front-desk/scheduling friction; a few older Vitals reviews are sharply negative but are outliers. (4) Medical-school naming varies across directories (Gannan Medical College most consistent; one source lists Guangzhou Medical College) and language lists vary slightly by source.
Doc Zandi (family practice; affiliated with Sutter Health / Eden Medical Center and Alta Bates Summit Medical Center)
4.7
★★★★★★★★★★
81 reviews
Accepting — confirm by phone4.8 mi from San LeandroMatch confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Reviews repeatedly describe him as compassionate and caring, spending real time with patients rather than rushing visits (WebMD, Yelp).
Patients single out his attentive listening and thorough, problem-solving approach to diagnoses (WebMD).
Multiple patients credit him with meaningful help on weight-loss/weight-management journeys (WebMD, Yelp).
Offers modern conveniences patients appreciate: telehealth appointments and remote blood-pressure monitoring, plus friendly office staff and flexible scheduling (Yelp, WebMD).
Review themes: Consistent praise for compassion, patience, and careful listening; several patients say he helped them lose weight and manage chronic conditions, and note friendly staff, telehealth, and flexible scheduling. Recurring complaints (minority): a couple of patients felt he did not remember their history/prior visits well, and one reported unreturned calls after a hospitalization.
Contact & booking
Address
20100 Lake Chabot Rd, Ste 3, Castro Valley, CA 94546 (also sees patients at 13851 E 14th St, Ste 205, San Leandro, CA 94578)
By phone (Castro Valley (510) 581-7677 or San Leandro (510) 674-0050). No Zocdoc or online-booking portal found in this research.
Credentials
Male, board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. Medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine (Roseau, Dominica), graduated 1999; Family Medicine residency at Henry Ford Hospital (1999-2002). ~25-27 years in practice. Speaks English and Persian (Farsi); some directories also list Spanish/Chinese/Arabic but these are inconsistent. California license A81927.
Identity is confirmed (NPI 1982673976 matches: Dariush Zandi, MD, Family Medicine, male, San Leandro/Castro Valley East Bay). Rating notes: Yelp, WebMD, and Checkbook figures were verified directly; the Healthgrades 4.6/11 figure could not be re-fetched (site blocked WebFetch with HTTP 405) so it is carried from the preliminary scan. overall_rating_5 (4.7) is a review-count-weighted blend of the three star-rated sites (Checkbook uses a non-star "77% superior" scale and is excluded from the average but counted in total_reviews). Minor recurring negatives exist: isolated reports of not recalling patient history between visits and one unreturned call after a hospitalization. Accepting-new-patients status and secondary practice/phone details vary by directory; confirm by phone. Language listings are inconsistent across sites (Persian appears consistently; Spanish/Chinese/Arabic do not).
Stanford Medicine Partners Primary Care Alameda (Alameda Family Physicians)
4.7
★★★★★★★★★★
72 reviews
Accepting new patients4.9 mi from San LeandroMatch confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Bedside manner is his standout strength: Zocdoc gives him a perfect 5/5 for bedside manner, and patients repeatedly describe him as 'a wonderful doctor who listens to you' with 'a very nice bedside manner.'
Reviewers praise his thoroughness and clinical breadth: called 'responsive, takes an interest, highly knowledgeable and pragmatic,' with 'incredible breadth of knowledge in treatment options' and good at explaining conditions and treatments.
Efficient, low-wait visits: Zocdoc rates wait time 4.56/5 and Sharecare reports an average wait of about 10 minutes; staff are consistently described as courteous and scheduling as convenient.
Strong dual expertise as a board-certified family physician with added board certification in Obesity Medicine (2024) and special interest in diabetes and thyroid disorders, useful for chronic-condition primary care.
Review themes: Patients consistently praise his listening skills, warm bedside manner, thoroughness, and clear explanations, plus short wait times and courteous staff. Ratings are strongly positive across every platform (4.3-4.86/5). No consistent complaint theme surfaced in the available reviews; the main data caveat is that Vitals (4.3) is the lowest and rests on a small sample of 11 ratings.
Book online via Zocdoc (https://www.zocdoc.com/doctor/vijay-mirmira-md-mph-278805), which also lists telehealth availability, or by phone at (510) 521-2300. Practice has extended weekday evening hours and Saturday morning availability.
Credentials
Male. MD from Bangalore Medical College, India (2002); also holds an MPH. Family medicine residency at Oakland Physicians Medical Center / North Oakland Medical Centers (completed 2008). Board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine (2008) and the American Board of Obesity Medicine (2024). ~17-18 years in practice. Affiliated with Stanford Health Care. Languages: English, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, with working knowledge of Urdu and Telugu. Special interests: diabetes, thyroid disorders, pediatric illnesses, stress management, anxiety.
Identity is confirmed with high confidence: the Stanford Health Care profile, all review sites, and matching residency/languages all tie NPI 1851577241 to the Alameda family physician. Note the NPI registry currently lists a Lodi, CA practice address (and a separate Birdeye "Lodi" listing shows 0 reviews) — likely an additional/older location — but all patient reviews and the active practice are in Alameda (East Bay, ~10 min from San Leandro). Rating caveats: no exact Healthgrades review count was retrievable (only its 4.5/5 "likelihood to recommend"); Vitals' lower 4.3 score rests on just 11 ratings; and Yelp's 185 reviews are for the whole Alameda Family Physicians practice, not Dr. Mirmira individually, so they are excluded from his totals. overall_rating_5 (~4.7) and total_reviews (72) are weighted across Zocdoc, WebMD, Vitals, and Sharecare only.
Alameda Health System (Highland Hospital / Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus)
5
★★★★★★★★★★
10 reviews
Accepting — confirm by phone3.0 mi from San LeandroMatch confidence: MEDIUM
Why patients rate them highly
Uniformly perfect scores (5/5) on every rating site that carries reviews (Healthgrades, Everyday Health, FindATopDoc, Sharecare), with no negative ratings found anywhere.
Healthgrades patient-survey highlights indicate patients feel he explains conditions well and is trustworthy, and give the maximum 5/5 likelihood of recommending him.
Very experienced internist (~21 years in practice, graduated 2005) affiliated with a major public teaching hospital system (Alameda Health System / Highland Hospital), suggesting broad exposure to complex adult primary and hospital care.
Review themes: Across the small number of reviews, feedback is uniformly positive: patients describe him as trustworthy and good at explaining conditions clearly (per Healthgrades survey highlights), and every review site that scores him shows a full 5/5 experience rating. There is not enough written review text available to identify detailed recurring themes on bedside manner, wait times, or office staff, and no recurring complaint surfaced in the sources reviewed.
Contact & booking
Address
1411 E 31st St, Oakland, CA 94602 (Highland Hospital campus). Additional listed locations: 15400 Foothill Blvd, San Leandro, CA 94578; 6955 Foothill Blvd Ste 200, Oakland, CA 94605. NPI registry practice/mailing address: 515 E 22nd St Apt 2, Oakland, CA 94606.
By phone. Primary clinic/hospital line (510) 437-4800; an alternate number (707) 373-4585 appears on NPI/registry listings. No online booking or Zocdoc profile was found; booking is likely routed through Alameda Health System clinic scheduling.
Credentials
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), male. Medical school: Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine, graduated 2005. Specialty/taxonomy: Internal Medicine (207R00000X); listed as board certified in Internal Medicine by some directories. ~21 years in practice. Active California medical license No. 20A10082. Hospital affiliations: Highland Hospital (Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus) and Alameda Hospital, part of Alameda Health System. Residency not confirmed in sources. Languages not reliably confirmed (one aggregator listed English/Chinese/Spanish, which appears to be a template artifact and was not corroborated).
Confidence is medium mainly because the strong ratings rest on a very small review base. The "5/5" scores come from single-review pages (Everyday Health 1 review, FindATopDoc 1 review) plus Sharecare and Healthgrades where a numeric review count could not be confirmed; US News lists 8 reviews but shows no numeric star rating; WebMD shows 0 ratings. Total is roughly ~10 reviews, so the perfect average is not statistically robust and there is little written review text to judge bedside manner, wait times, or office experience. Identity itself is confirmed with high confidence (NPI 1508020009, DO, Internal Medicine, Oakland/San Leandro, Alameda Health System/Highland Hospital, Touro 2005 all consistent across sources). Caveats on specifics: Healthgrades, Vitals, Sharecare, US News and several NPI pages blocked automated fetching, so some details (exact per-site review counts, residency, board-certification date, and languages) could not be independently verified. He appears to be affiliated with Alameda Health System/Highland Hospital (a hospital-based/public system), so he may practice largely in a hospital/clinic setting rather than a private PCP office and may not take routine outpatient PCP appointments — confirm PCP availability, panel status, accepting-new-patients, and insurance directly with the office before choosing him. Two different phone numbers appear in listings; verify the correct scheduling line. Note: WebMD also lists La Palma, CA locations that likely reflect data-aggregation from a prior affiliation, not his current East Bay practice.
Highest-rated overall — but currently closed to new patients
These scored at/above the top 10 on reviews, but their authoritative Sutter profiles say they are not accepting new patients. Worth a call about a waitlist.
Shannon L. McCune, MD
Milvia Care Center — Sutter East Bay Medical Group / Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation
4.9
★★★★★★★★★★
556 reviews
Not accepting new patients4.6 mi from San LeandroMatch confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Thorough, non-reactive diagnostic approach: patients note she runs tests to find the underlying cause (e.g., of unexplained high blood pressure) rather than immediately prescribing medication (Sharecare/Healthgrades review text).
Strong communication and listening: patients repeatedly say she 'really listens and explains well' and makes them feel heard about their concerns (Healthgrades, WebMD).
Collaborative care that respects patient autonomy and refers to specialists appropriately when a problem is outside her scope (Sharecare review).
Consistently high satisfaction with courteous staff, responsive communication, and follow-up care, reflected in a near-perfect 5/5 across 387 Sutter Health patient ratings.
Review themes: Patients consistently praise her attentive listening, clear explanations, and thorough, methodical workups (testing before prescribing), plus courteous staff and good follow-up. Recurring complaint: appointments can be hard to get — one reviewer said scheduling with her is 'sometimes challenging,' consistent with her Sutter profile listing her as not accepting new patients.
Sutter Health patients book through the My Health Online patient portal or by calling the Milvia Care Center at 510-204-5600. Video/telehealth visits are offered to existing patients. She is not listed as bookable on Zocdoc. Given the 'not accepting new patients' status, call the office directly to confirm availability before attempting to establish care.
Credentials
Female. Board certified in Family Medicine. Medical degree from the University of California, Davis School of Medicine (1996). Residency in Family Practice at San Jose Medical Center (Stanford University affiliated). Approximately 25-30 years in practice. Languages: English and conversational Spanish. Hospital affiliation: Alta Bates Summit Medical Center (Alta Bates Campus), Berkeley.
Identity is confidently confirmed: NPI 1437236163 = Shannon Lee McCune, MD, Family Medicine, Berkeley/East Bay (Sutter East Bay Medical Group); the Sutter profile URL uses Sutter's internal ID (1046243255) but is the same physician. Rating caveats: the overall 4.9/5 and ~556 total reviews are dominated by Sutter Health's 387 ratings (5/5); US News (149 reviews) shows no numeric star score, and Vitals/WebMD/Sharecare each have very small samples (6-8 reviews), so those individual scores are low-confidence. Detailed review text is sparse (only a couple of quotable comments were accessible). Healthgrades review count could not be retrieved (the '4.5/5' is its 'likelihood to recommend' metric). Practical concerns for a new patient: her Sutter profile lists her as NOT accepting new patients, and a review flags difficulty getting appointments — verify by phone before relying on her. Location note: the NPI registry lists an older/alternate address (2850 Telegraph Ave, Ste 130, Berkeley 94705, 510-204-8110); her current practice per Sutter is 2500 Milvia St. Note she practices in Berkeley/Oakland/Albany/Orinda area, roughly 15-20 miles from San Leandro. One aggregator conflated her undergraduate institution (CSU Sacramento) with medical school; the MD is from UC Davis School of Medicine.
Sutter East Bay Medical Group — Castro Valley Care Center
4.8
★★★★★★★★★★
331 reviews
Not accepting new patients4.6 mi from San LeandroMatch confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Patients repeatedly describe her as attentive, caring and empathetic — e.g. Sutter reviews call her "very caring and attentive" and "attentive, empathetic, and honest about the state of your health."
Strong listener who treats care as a partnership: reviews say "She listens and engages with me" and describe her as "very knowledgeable and open to a doctor-patient partnership of listening and caring."
Praised for thoroughness and clear explanations — patients note she is "caring, thorough" and "explains conditions well," with a trustworthy demeanor.
Very high volume of positive feedback (4.9/5 across 282 Sutter reviews), which is a much more reliable signal than the low-count outlier sites.
Review themes: Consistent praise for bedside manner: attentive, caring, empathetic, a good listener who explains things clearly and works collaboratively with patients. Staff described as friendly and scheduling as easy. The only negatives come from tiny-sample outlier sites (a single 3-star Yelp review and a 3/5 Healthgrades "likelihood to recommend"), which lack written detail and are statistically weak against 282+ positive Sutter reviews.
Contact & booking
Address
20101 Lake Chabot Road, Floor 3, Castro Valley, CA 94546
Sutter Health "My Health Online" patient portal for established patients (video and in-person visits); or call the office at (510) 886-3400. No Zocdoc listing found. New-patient acceptance should be confirmed by phone first.
Credentials
Female. Board Certified in Family Medicine. MD from Meharry Medical College School of Medicine (2014); also holds an MPH. Residency in Family and Community Medicine at Banner University of Arizona / University of Arizona Health Sciences Center. Approximately 12 years in practice. CA license A150788. Languages: English and Tigrinya (conversational per Sutter); some directories list Spanish, so a second language beyond English is unconfirmed.
IMPORTANT for a patient choosing a new PCP: Sutter Health's official profile lists Dr. Bitow as NOT accepting new patients (WebMD/Vitals conflict and say yes) — call (510) 886-3400 to confirm before relying on her. Also note she is in Castro Valley (the Berkeley/Oakland/Orinda cities in the target list are Sutter East Bay Medical Group affiliations, not her practice site); Castro Valley is ~15-20 min from San Leandro. The 4.9 headline rating is essentially all from Sutter's internal 282-review survey; independent public sites are thin — a single 3-star Yelp review, a 3/5 Healthgrades "likelihood to recommend," and a ~3.3/5 Sharecare (7 reviews) — none with substantive written complaints, so the low scores are low-sample noise rather than a documented pattern. Language beyond English is uncertain (Sutter says conversational Tigrinya; other directories say Spanish). overall_rating_5 (4.8) and total_reviews (331) are weighted estimates that may include some cross-listed/duplicate reviews (e.g., Chamber of Commerce's 39 likely mirrors Sutter's survey).
Castro Valley Care Center — Sutter East Bay Medical Group (Sutter Health)
4.9
★★★★★★★★★★
65 reviews
Not accepting new patients4.6 mi from San LeandroMatch confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Very high aggregate patient-satisfaction score of 4.9/5 across 65 verified post-visit reviews on Sutter Health's own provider survey system.
Practices with a stated focus on health equity and improving access to care for all populations, backed by an MPH (public/global health) in addition to her MD.
Treats patients of all ages as a full-scope family medicine physician, so she can serve as a long-term primary care doctor for adults and families.
Review themes: The only substantive rating comes from Sutter Health's verified patient-satisfaction survey: 4.9/5 across 65 reviews, indicating consistently strong patient satisfaction. No individual written review text was publicly accessible on Sutter or any third-party site (WebMD, Yelp, RateMDs each have zero reviews), so specific praised behaviors (bedside manner, wait times, thoroughness) could not be confirmed from patient comments. No recurring complaints were found.
Contact & booking
Address
20101 Lake Chabot Road, Floor 3, Castro Valley, CA 94546
Sutter Health patients book online via My Health Online (myhealthonline.sutterhealth.org, "Sign in to Schedule"), or by phone at the Castro Valley Care Center: (510) 886-3400. No Zocdoc listing found. However, her Sutter profile currently shows she is NOT accepting new patients, so call the office first to confirm availability.
Credentials
Female. Board certified in Family Medicine (Sutter Health). MD from St. George's University School of Medicine (graduated 2021); internship and residency in Family Medicine at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Program (Colton, CA). Also holds an MPH. Active California medical license. Treats all age groups. Language: English. Early-career physician (~5 years since medical school graduation; roughly 1-2 years in independent practice after residency).
Identity confirmed: NPI 1063154474 links the Sutter Castro Valley profile to the same person as the Colton, CA listings — same medical school (St. George's University, 2021), same Arrowhead Regional Medical Center residency, same female Family Medicine physician; WebMD explicitly ties NPI 1063154474 to the 20101 Lake Chabot Rd Castro Valley address. The high 4.9/5 rating is real but comes from a SINGLE source (Sutter's internal patient-satisfaction survey, 65 responses); no independent third-party ratings exist — WebMD, Yelp, and RateMDs all have zero reviews, and Healthgrades/Vitals pages could not be loaded (403/405). No verbatim patient review text was accessible anywhere, so the specific reasons behind the 4.9 rating are inferred, not quoted. She is an early-career physician (only ~1-2 years in independent practice post-residency, med-school class of 2021). Most importantly for a patient seeking a new PCP: her Sutter profile currently states she is NOT accepting new patients — verify availability by phone before relying on her. She practices in Castro Valley (with an Oakland affiliation via Alta Bates Summit), near but not in San Leandro.
Ranked by online patient reviews · from your Blue Shield of California provider directory
Blue Shield Platinum 90 PPO · Origin: 142 Beverly Ave, San Leandro, CA 94577 · Directory dated 2026-07-02
How this list was built
Parsed 16 in-network sports-medicine physicians from two Blue Shield directory searches ("Family Practice Sports Medicine" + "Internal Medicine Sports Medicine"), within 15 miles.
Because the pool is small, every doctor was deeply verified — confirming identity, whether they are non-surgical vs orthopedic-surgery sports medicine, and reading real reviews.
Ranked by review quality & volume (Bayesian-shrunk) with distance as the tiebreak, restricted to those accepting new patients.
The list — best-reviewed and accepting new patients
#1
Ahmed F. Khan, MD
Circle Medical (telehealth-first primary & sports medicine practice)
4.98
★★★★★★★★★★
1,714 reviews
Accepting new patients13.3 mi from San LeandroNon-surgical (primary care) sports medicine — Family Medicine physician with a Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) in Sports Medicine; not a surgeon.Match confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Very high patient satisfaction on his own Circle Medical profile (4.98/5 across ~1,700 reviews), with patients repeatedly calling him attentive, thorough, and a good listener.
Reviews emphasize that he makes patients feel heard and takes a collaborative, longitudinal approach — coordinating both physical and preventative/lifestyle care.
Formal sports-medicine subspecialty training (board-certified in Family Medicine with a CAQ in Sports Medicine) focused on non-surgical care: joint injections/aspirations, fracture care, and management of sprains, tendon/shoulder impingement, and knee/ankle injuries.
Multilingual (English, Hindi, Urdu) and readily accepting new patients with fast online scheduling.
Review themes: Consistently positive: patients describe him as attentive, thorough, knowledgeable, compassionate, and an excellent listener who makes them feel heard and takes time to explain. Praised for preventative/lifestyle guidance and easy access. Note that the bulk of his Circle Medical reviews reflect general primary-care visits (annual physicals, illness, weight loss, sleep, chronic-condition management) rather than sports-injury-specific encounters. WebMD's smaller sample (4.5/5, 8 ratings) shows mostly favorable but a few lower marks; no consistent complaint theme surfaced.
Contact & booking
Address
333 1st St, Ste A, San Francisco, CA 94105 (Circle Medical; practice is telehealth-first / virtual for California patients)
Book online through the Circle Medical website/app (real-time appointment slots on his provider page) or by phone at (888) 803-3370. Visits are primarily virtual/telehealth for California patients; also bookable via Zocdoc.
Credentials
Male. MD from Northeast Ohio Medical University (2012). Family Medicine residency at University of South Carolina / Prisma Health (Columbia, SC), completed 2015. Board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine with a Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) in Sports Medicine. Approximately 11-14 years in practice. Languages: English, Hindi, Urdu. Focus on preventative, lifestyle, and non-surgical sports medicine. No notable professional/college team athletic affiliations were found in public sources.
Identity confirmed with high confidence: NPI 1497018410 matches on everydayhealth and Sharecare, and the Northeast Ohio Medical University (2012) medical school matches across every listing (WebMD, Sharecare, everydayhealth, Circle Medical). His middle name is Fasihuddin ("F"). IMPORTANT for a San Leandro patient wanting in-person sports care: Circle Medical is a telehealth-first practice — most visits are virtual, and his listed 'offices' (333 1st St San Francisco; plus West Covina, Beverly Hills CA and Powell OH addresses) are largely administrative/multi-state telehealth registrations, so hands-on procedures (injections, fracture/casting) may be limited or require a referral for imaging/in-person evaluation. He is a non-surgical (primary-care) sports medicine physician, so surgical needs (e.g., ACL reconstruction) would require referral to an orthopedic surgeon. Rating sources overlap: the ~4.88/192 aggregate figure could not be pinned to a fully independent source and may overlap with Circle Medical's own reviews, so overall_rating_5 is based primarily on Circle Medical's 4.98/1,706; treat total_reviews as an approximate sum. Residency (USC/Prisma Health 2015) came from a directory search summary rather than a directly fetched primary page. Verify in-network status with Blue Shield and confirm whether the specific care needed is offered in person before booking.
Sutter West Bay Medical Group — 899 Valencia Street Care Center (California Pacific Medical Center); also practices at Sutter Santa Rosa locations
4.9
★★★★★★★★★★
461 reviews
Accepting new patients14.4 mi from San LeandroNon-surgical (primary care) sports medicine — board-certified Family Medicine physician with a Sports Medicine subspecialty (CAQ). He is NOT an orthopedic surgeon; the "Surgery Orthopedic" text in the Blue Shield category string is directory noise, not his own specialty. Good fit for a patient wanting non-operative sports/musculoskeletal care.Match confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Very high verified patient satisfaction: 4.9/5 across 461 ratings on Sutter Health's own patient-survey system
Completed his sports medicine fellowship at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic, one of the most prestigious sports-medicine training programs in the country (long associated with elite pro teams)
Dual board certification in Family Medicine and Sports Medicine, so he can manage non-operative musculoskeletal/athletic injuries and whole-person primary care
Patients on WebMD describe him as intelligent, caring, and upbeat, and genuinely invested in their long-term wellness
Review themes: Overwhelmingly positive on Sutter's verified patient ratings (4.9/5, 461 reviews). Free-text reviews (WebMD) praise him as intelligent, caring, and upbeat, and note he genuinely cares about patients' current and future wellbeing. Volume of reviews on third-party review sites (Healthgrades, Vitals, Yelp) is thin/zero, so most signal comes from Sutter's internal survey data.
Contact & booking
Address
899 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 (also 3883 Airway Dr Ste 202, Santa Rosa, CA 95403)
Book via the Sutter Health provider page or My Health Online patient portal, or call the office ((415) 600-5400 for the SF Valencia St location). Video visits available for existing patients.
Credentials
Board certified in Family Medicine (American Board of Family Medicine) and Sports Medicine (ABMS subspecialty/CAQ). Medical school: University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine (Galveston), 2016. Residency: Family Medicine, Memorial Hermann Hospital (Houston). Fellowship: Sports Medicine, Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic (Los Angeles). Roughly 5+ years in practice since residency/fellowship. Gender: Male. Languages: English. Active CA medical license. No specific named pro/college team affiliation confirmed beyond the Kerlan-Jobe fellowship training.
Identity confirmed: NPI 1689020083 resolves to Johnathan Quan Ba Nguyen, Family Medicine, Sutter (Santa Rosa/SF), matching the candidate record. The 4.9/5 (461) figure is from Sutter Health's own verified patient-satisfaction survey, not an independent third-party review site; independent sites (Healthgrades, Vitals, Yelp, Zocdoc) have little to no rating data for him. One critical WebMD comment alleged an unprofessional interaction around mental-health/grief and claimed Sutter's ratings are inflated — a single anecdotal review, not corroborated. Phone numbers vary by location; the (415) 600-6960 number came from the Blue Shield directory while Sutter lists (415) 600-5400 for the Valencia St office. He is roughly 5+ years in practice (relatively early-career).
UCSF Hyde Center for Sports Medicine, Walnut Creek (formerly Saint Francis Memorial Hospital Center for Sports Medicine); associated entity "Michael J Burns MD Inc"
4.91
★★★★★★★★★★
254 reviews
Accepting new patients11.9 mi from San LeandroNon-surgical sports medicine — physiatrist (Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation) with a Sports Medicine subspecialty. He treats muscle, nerve, and joint injuries non-operatively (including musculoskeletal ultrasound-guided diagnosis/treatment); he is NOT a surgeon.Match confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Very high patient satisfaction on Zocdoc: 4.91/5 across 254 verified reviews, including 4.98/5 for bedside manner and 4.88/5 for wait time.
Reviews repeatedly praise his communication and listening: patients call him 'a great listener,' 'an effective communicator,' 'very knowledgeable and very caring,' who 'explains things' clearly and lays out a plan.
Strong non-surgical sports-medicine fit: physiatrist board-certified in PM&R with a Sports Medicine subspecialty who uses musculoskeletal ultrasound and focuses on restoring/optimizing function without surgery.
Deep sports pedigree — Medical Director of the Center for Sports Medicine in Walnut Creek and an experienced team physician (Colby College rugby, hockey, Ironman/endurance events), so he is comfortable with athletes at all levels.
Review themes: Patients consistently highlight excellent bedside manner, thorough and clear explanations, strong listening skills, a concrete plan of action, friendly/competent office staff, and short wait times. No recurring negative themes surfaced in the reviews reviewed.
Contact & booking
Address
1777 Botelho Dr, Suite 110, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Book online via Zocdoc (https://www.zocdoc.com/doctor/michael-burns-md-303968) or call the Walnut Creek office at (925) 934-3536.
Credentials
Male physiatrist. Board certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation with a subspecialty (CAQ) in Sports Medicine. PM&R residency at Stanford University; Sports Medicine fellowship through the Dartmouth/Evergreen Sports Medicine fellowship program. Vitals lists ~16 years of experience (medical school ~2010). Medical Director of the Center for Sports Medicine (formerly Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, now UCSF Hyde Center for Sports Medicine) in Walnut Creek. Team-physician experience: men's and women's rugby at Colby College and the NAEHL Fighting Spirit hockey team; medical coverage for Ironman triathlons, biking/running/swimming events, wrestling, dance, soccer, lacrosse, basketball, and football at high-school and collegiate levels; member of the U.S. Wheelchair Rugby Association Safety Committee. Uses musculoskeletal ultrasound for diagnosis and treatment.
Identity confirmed with high confidence: NPI 1760708622 matches the Dignity Health profile for this Walnut Creek physiatrist, and address/phone match the candidate record. IMPORTANT: several aggregators (Healthgrades profile 'gd6lj' and Sharecare 'dr-michael-j-burns-3') conflate this doctor with a DIFFERENT Michael J. Burns, MD who practices sports medicine in Portland, ME (Oregon Health & Science University grad, Orthopaedic Associates of Portland, 33 Sewall St) — those pages' medical-school info and any reviews there were NOT attributed to the Walnut Creek doctor. The reported Sharecare '5.0/5, 3 reviews' could not be verified as belonging to the CA doctor (the live page showed the Portland listing), so it was excluded. The only ratings attributed here are from Zocdoc (4.91/5, 254 reviews), which is clearly the Walnut Creek profile. Exact medical school and graduation year for the CA doctor are unconfirmed (Vitals suggests ~2010) and left out. Confirm accepting-new-patient status and insurance by phone.
Sutter East Bay Medical Group (Sutter Health) — Oakland Care Center; also affiliated with East Bay Orthopaedic Specialists Medical Corporation / Oakland Bone & Joint Specialists
4.9
★★★★★★★★★★
337 reviews
Accepting new patients1.9 mi from San LeandroOrthopedic surgeon with sports-medicine subspecialty (surgical / operative sports medicine — CAQ in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine). Not a non-operative primary-care sports-medicine physician.Match confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Very high volume of positive feedback on his health-system profile: 4.9/5 across 274 patient reviews on Sutter Health, corroborated by 5.0/5 on WebMD and Zocdoc.
Reviewers repeatedly describe him as focused, calm, and clear — explaining conditions and options thoroughly and listening well (Healthgrades review text).
Strong surgical reputation: patients cite skilled arthroscopic and joint-replacement outcomes (e.g., a 'phenomenal' anterior-approach total hip result) and honest, proactive follow-up on complications (Healthgrades).
Elite sports-medicine training and pedigree: Lenox Hill arthroscopy/sports-medicine fellowship and assistant team physician for the NY Jets, NY Islanders and Hofstra Athletics; patients also praise faster scheduling than large institutions.
Review themes: Recurring praise: thorough and clear explanations, calm/reassuring bedside manner, high surgical skill (knee, shoulder, hip arthroscopy and joint replacement), attentive follow-up, and quicker access/scheduling than big hospital systems. Bedside manner scored 5/5 and wait time 4.6/5 on Zocdoc. Negative outlier: at least one Healthgrades reviewer described a consult as arrogant/'cold' and said records weren't reviewed beforehand, with limited availability — a minority view against otherwise strongly positive ratings.
Contact & booking
Address
350 30th Street, Oakland, CA 94609 (Sutter Oakland Care Center, Suite 320; other suites in the same building: 530 and 100)
Call the Sutter Oakland Care Center at (510) 204-1844 (Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–5:00 PM), or book online via the Sutter Health provider page. Online scheduling also available through Zocdoc. Alternate line for the private East Bay Orthopaedic practice: (510) 422-5150.
Credentials
Male. Board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery with subspecialty certification (CAQ) in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. Medical school: University of Illinois College of Medicine (2004). Internship: NYU. Residency: NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases (also served NYU Athletics and the Alvin Ailey Dance Company); additional orthopedic trauma/fracture training at University of Washington, Harborview Trauma Center (Seattle). Fellowship: arthroscopic surgery and sports medicine, Lenox Hill Hospital, NYC. Team affiliations: assistant team physician for the New York Jets (NFL), New York Islanders (NHL), Hofstra University Athletics, and New Rochelle High School. 20+ years in practice. Languages: English and conversational Spanish. Clinical focus: arthroscopic and open treatment of the knee, shoulder, hip and elbow, plus fracture care and joint replacement. NPI taxonomy confirms both Orthopaedic Surgery and Orthopaedic Surgery / Sports Medicine.
Identity confirmed with high confidence: NPI 1700081502 matches the (510) 204-1844 phone in the candidate record and the Oakland 350 30th St address, and the NPI registry lists a Sports Medicine orthopaedic taxonomy. IMPORTANT PROVIDER-TYPE NOTE: Dr. Alwattar is a fellowship-trained orthopaedic SURGEON who practices sports medicine, not a non-operative/primary-care sports-medicine physician. A patient specifically seeking conservative, non-surgical care should know his practice centers on arthroscopic and joint-replacement surgery (though surgeons routinely offer non-operative options first). Data notes: (1) overall_rating_5 (4.9) and total_reviews (337) are aggregated across Sutter 274, Healthgrades 14, WebMD 7, and Yelp 42; Zocdoc's count was not retrievable (page blocked) and Yelp's exact star value was not retrievable, so the average is weighted toward the sources with confirmed stars. (2) WebMD flagged a California medical license as 'expired 2025,' but the NPI registry and Sutter Health both show an active license (A112912) and that he is accepting new patients as of 2026 — the WebMD note appears to be stale; a patient should still confirm current licensure/network status when booking. (3) The candidate JSON listed 'Alameda Health System / Highland Wellness Center' as his group, but current primary affiliation is Sutter East Bay Medical Group / East Bay Orthopaedic Specialists at the same 350 30th St, Oakland location — verify in-network status with Blue Shield for the specific site before scheduling. (4) One minority negative review (Healthgrades) described a cold/arrogant consult; the large majority of feedback is strongly positive.
Stanford Medicine Partners – Sports Medicine (University Healthcare Alliance / Stanford Health Care affiliated)
4.9
★★★★★★★★★★
126 reviews
Accepting new patients14.7 mi from San LeandroNon-surgical (primary care) sports medicine — Family Medicine physician with a Sports Medicine subspecialty (CAQ). Non-operative musculoskeletal care; not a surgeon.Match confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Very high patient-satisfaction score on her official Stanford Health Care profile: 4.9/5 across 121 patient ratings (26 written comments).
Reviewers repeatedly describe her as patient, thorough, and compassionate — one Healthgrades review notes she 'carefully reviewed my injury history, examined my knee, and answered my questions' with 'thorough explanations' that helped them understand their condition.
Fellowship-trained non-operative sports medicine physician (Stanford Sports Medicine fellowship) with subspecialty expertise in diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound and minimally-invasive procedures — a good fit for a patient wanting non-surgical care.
Bilingual (English/Spanish) and Healthgrades shows a 5/5 likelihood-to-recommend.
Review themes: Consistent themes: caring/compassionate bedside manner, actively listens, thorough physical exams, and clear explanations of the diagnosis and treatment plan. Patients feel at ease and well-informed. No notable recurring complaints surfaced in available reviews; volume of written reviews outside Stanford's own portal is modest.
Book via Stanford Health Care online scheduling on her profile page or call the Campbell sports medicine clinic at (408) 357-1410. The Blue Shield/University Healthcare Alliance directory also lists a Pleasanton-area contact number (925) 264-6510.
Credentials
Female. MD from Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Escuela de Medicina (2014). Residency: UCLA Family Medicine (2021). Fellowship: Stanford University Sports Medicine (2022). Board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine (2021) with subspecialty/CAQ certification in Sports Medicine (2022). Special interest in musculoskeletal ultrasound for diagnostics and minimally-invasive procedures. Languages: English and Spanish. In practice since ~2021-2022 (fellowship-trained sports medicine since 2022). No specific pro/college team affiliation found in sources.
Identity confirmed with high confidence: NPI 1174020192 matches (Teresita Gomez, Family Medicine – Sports Medicine taxonomy), and University Healthcare Alliance in the candidate file is the Stanford Health Care–affiliated medical group. LOCATION DISCREPANCY: the candidate record lists Pleasanton, CA with phone (925) 264-6510, but her primary/current published practice is Stanford Medicine Partners Sports Medicine in Campbell, CA (50 E Hamilton Ave, Ste 120; (408) 357-1410); she has also been listed at 1333 Meridian Ave, San Jose. Confirm the specific clinic location and San Leandro-area convenience before booking (Campbell is ~25+ mi from San Leandro; a Pleasanton/Tri-Valley UHA site, if active, would be closer). The headline 4.9/5 rating comes from Stanford's own patient-experience survey (121 ratings); third-party review volume (Birdeye 5, WebMD 0) is small, so external corroboration is limited. She is early-career (fellowship completed 2022). Always verify current Blue Shield in-network status at your specific plan and location.
UCSF Sports Medicine (UCSF Health / UCSF Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, Division of Sports Medicine), Mission Bay
4.8
★★★★★★★★★★
238 reviews
Accepting — confirm by phone13.2 mi from San LeandroNon-surgical (primary care / PM&R) sports medicine. NOT an orthopedic surgeon despite the "Orthopedic Surgeon" label on Healthgrades/Sharecare/WebMD — he is a fellowship-trained primary care sports medicine physiatrist focused on non-operative care.Match confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Strong non-operative credentials for a patient wanting non-surgical care: double board-certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine (ABPMR), fellowship-trained in Primary Care Sports Medicine at Emory, and RMSK-certified in musculoskeletal ultrasound.
High institutional patient rating: 4.8/5 across 225 UCSF Health patient-survey ratings; reviews repeatedly praise clear communication, thoroughness, kindness, and taking time to explain the condition and answer questions.
Elite team-physician pedigree: provided coverage for the Atlanta Falcons (NFL), Hawks (NBA) and Dream (WNBA) during his Emory fellowship; currently team physician for the University of San Francisco, City College of San Francisco, and the Bay Breakers.
Clinical focus on ultrasound-guided injections and evidence-based orthobiologics (e.g., PRP) plus non-operative management of acute injuries, chronic conditions and pain — well-suited to patients seeking to avoid surgery.
Review themes: Positive reviews (UCSF, Healthgrades, WebMD) consistently highlight excellent communication, kindness, patience, and thorough explanations ("Dr. Berrigan was amazing... explained everything... impressed by his kindness and knowledge"; "very helpful, informative and provided excellent guidance"). The main negative theme comes from one Healthgrades review describing a poor outcome after a PRP knee procedure, with the patient reporting worsened pain and feeling their concerns were dismissed and follow-up was lacking. Third-party review volumes are small, so individual reviews carry disproportionate weight there.
Contact & booking
Address
1500 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158 (UCSF Orthopaedic Institute / Sports Medicine, Mission Bay)
Book through UCSF Health — "Request an appointment" on his UCSF provider page (https://www.ucsfhealth.org/providers/bill-berrigan) or call UCSF Sports Medicine at (415) 353-2808. New patients typically need a referral for UCSF specialty sports medicine; telehealth visits are available.
Credentials
Gender: Male. Board certifications: Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine (both via the American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation). Additional: RMSK (Registered in Musculoskeletal Sonography). Fellowship: Primary Care Sports Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine (2022). Residency: PM&R, MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital / MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (2020). Internship: Internal Medicine, Jersey Shore University Medical Center (2017). Medical school: MD, St. George's University School of Medicine, Grenada (2016). Academic title: Assistant/Clinical Professor, UCSF Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery (Division of Sports Medicine). In practice since ~2022 (post-fellowship). Team/athletic affiliations: former sideline coverage for Atlanta Falcons, Hawks, and Dream and head team physician for Fan Controlled Football during fellowship; currently team physician for University of San Francisco, City College of San Francisco, and the Bay Breakers. Research: orthobiologics, chronic exertional compartment syndrome.
IDENTITY: High confidence this is the same physician — NPI 1437513199, UCSF sports medicine, San Francisco all match the Blue Shield listing; UCSF-hosted profiles corroborate credentials. PROVIDER TYPE: He is a non-surgical PM&R/primary care sports medicine physician, NOT an orthopedic surgeon — Healthgrades, Sharecare, and WebMD mislabel him as "Sports Medicine Orthopedic Surgeon," which is inaccurate and could mislead. He does not perform surgery; care centers on ultrasound-guided injections, orthobiologics (PRP), and non-operative rehab. RATINGS: The 4.8/5 (n=225) is UCSF's internal Press Ganey patient survey and dominates the weighted average; third-party sites have very small samples (Healthgrades n=9, WebMD n=4, Sharecare n=5). Sharecare shares the same profile ID as Healthgrades and likely syndicates the same reviews, so it was excluded from the 238 total to avoid double counting; US News's 77-count "patient experience" figure is survey-based (no clean 5-star value) and may overlap with UCSF's Press Ganey data, so it was also left out of the total. COMPLAINTS: One Healthgrades reviewer reported a bad PRP knee outcome with worsened pain and felt their concerns were dismissed and follow-up was inadequate. AVAILABILITY/CONTACT: Accepting-new-patients status is conflicting across sources; confirm with UCSF. Multiple phone numbers exist for different UCSF locations — the (415) 824-1902 number came from the source candidate file.
UCSF Health — Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Primary Care Sports Medicine (UCSF Medical Group)
5
★★★★★★★★★★
10 reviews
Accepting — confirm by phone9.1 mi from San LeandroNon-surgical (primary care) sports medicine — DO, family medicine trained with a primary care sports medicine fellowship. Not a surgeon.Match confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Patients describe him as an exceptional, upbeat, and practical clinician who is efficient without being rushed, a good listener, highly knowledgeable and kind (Healthgrades review).
Reviewers note he takes time to thoroughly review imaging/records and clearly explains treatment options, in one case reviewing an MRI and providing an injection that brought immediate relief (Healthgrades/WebMD reviews).
Elite sports-medicine credentials: current team physician for the Oakland Roots professional soccer club and Academy of Art University (NCAA D-II); previously assistant team physician for the LA Lakers and LA Dodgers and team physician for the UCLA Bruins.
Non-operative focus with subspecialty skill in diagnostic and interventional musculoskeletal ultrasound, plus a teaching role as Associate Program Director of UCSF's Primary Care Sports Medicine fellowship — a strong fit for a patient wanting conservative, non-surgical care.
Review themes: Consistently 5-star across sources (small volume). Recurring praise: thorough and unhurried visits, clear explanation of options, careful review of imaging, effective injections, warm and knowledgeable manner. No substantive negative reviews were found; the main caveat is the low total review count rather than any complaint theme.
Contact & booking
Address
UCSF Berkeley Outpatient Center, 3100 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702 (also sees patients at UCSF Orthopaedic Institute / Sports Medicine, San Francisco; UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland; and UCSF Sports Medicine Center for Young Athletes, Walnut Creek)
Book through UCSF Health via the "Request an appointment" option on his UCSF provider page, or call UCSF. Berkeley Outpatient Center scheduling: (510) 985-5020; Oakland/pediatric sports line: (510) 428-3000. A physician referral may be requested by UCSF.
Credentials
Male. DO, Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (2017); BS in Integrative Biology, UC Berkeley. Residency: Family Medicine at Stanford Health Care (chief resident, faculty development track). Fellowship: Primary Care Sports Medicine at UCLA. Board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine in Family Medicine and in Sports Medicine (CAQ). ~8 years since graduation. UCSF Clinical/Assistant Professor, Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery; Associate Program Director of the Primary Care Sports Medicine fellowship. Team physician: Oakland Roots (USL pro soccer) and Academy of Art University (NCAA D-II); former team physician for UCLA Bruins and El Segundo HS; assistant team physician for the LA Lakers and LA Dodgers. Clinical interests: diagnostic/interventional MSK ultrasound, preventative medicine, exercise-as-medicine, sports concussion. Languages not specified.
Identity confirmed with high confidence: NPI 1417485087 matches the WebMD listing exactly, and specialty (primary care sports medicine) and Bay Area location align across all sources. IMPORTANT provider-type clarification: several consumer sites (Healthgrades, Sharecare, WebMD) auto-label him a "Sports Medicine Orthopedic Surgeon," but this is a taxonomy artifact — he is NOT a surgeon. He is a DO trained in family medicine with a primary care sports medicine fellowship, i.e., non-operative sports medicine (injections, ultrasound-guided procedures, concussion, exercise medicine). Good choice for a patient seeking non-surgical care; he would refer out for operative cases. Review volume is small (roughly 10 total across sources), so the 5.0 average is based on limited data. Accepting-new-patients status is inconsistent (Blue Shield/UCSF say yes; Healthgrades says no) — verify at booking. Multiple practice locations exist; the Berkeley Outpatient Center is the closest full-service Bay Area site to San Leandro, and he also covers pediatric/young-athlete sports medicine at UCSF Benioff Oakland and Walnut Creek. No Google, Yelp, Vitals, or Zocdoc numeric ratings were retrievable (Vitals/Sharecare pages blocked automated fetch); those counts are left null rather than estimated.
Golden State Orthopedics & Spine (Brentwood Orthopedic Clinic); also affiliated with John Muir Health / John Muir Physician Network
5
★★★★★★★★★★
9 reviews
Accepting new patients14.8 mi from San LeandroNon-surgical (primary care / family medicine) sports medicine physicianMatch confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Perfect 5.0/5 across 9 verified patient reviews, with patients repeatedly praising clear, thorough explanations of exams and treatment options (e.g., 'explained everything he was doing during the examination and discussed my options clearly').
Fellowship-trained, board-certified in Family Medicine with a Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) in Sports Medicine — genuine non-operative/primary-care sports medicine, ideal for a patient who wants to avoid surgery.
Reviewers report effective, low-discomfort pain relief from procedures such as knee and trigger-point injections, including one patient relieved after 20 years of chronic pain.
Strong athletic pedigree: team physician for Saint Mary's College of California and work with the San Jose Earthquakes, plus prior fellowship work with San Diego State, San Diego Legion (Major League Rugby), and USA Women's Water Polo.
Review themes: Patients consistently highlight clear communication and thorough explanations, a pleasant and professional demeanor, and effective non-surgical pain management (injections, trigger-point injections, concussion care). Recurring words: pleasant, thorough, explained everything, less pain. No substantive complaints surfaced in available reviews; review volume is modest (9 verified reviews) and Healthgrades/Yelp/Vitals show little or no independent rating data.
Book online at goldenstateortho-pss.keonahealth.com (online scheduling linked from his Golden State Ortho profile) or call (925) 939-8585.
Credentials
Male. DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine), A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Arizona. Undergrad: BS Human Biology (music minor), UC San Diego. Internship: Osteopathic Traditional Rotating, Nassau University Medical Center. Residency: Family Medicine, Dignity Health Northridge Medical Center (UCLA-affiliated; served as chief resident). Fellowship: Sports Medicine, UC San Diego / San Diego Sports Medicine. Board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine with a Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) in Sports Medicine. ~10-12+ years in practice. Focus areas: sports medicine, general nonsurgical orthopedics, primary care, concussion management, orthobiologics. Team affiliations: Team Physician for Saint Mary's College of California and San Jose Earthquakes; previously San Diego State University, San Diego Legion (Major League Rugby), USA Women's Water Polo. Languages not specified.
Identity confirmed with high confidence: NPI (1114330727) and phone ((925) 939-8585) match the candidate record, and he is a genuine fellowship-trained sports-medicine physician. Note the physician goes by "Brian Jin Choi, DO" professionally, while the candidate file lists him as "Choi, Jin DO"; same person (Brian is his preferred first name, Jin his given/middle name). Location note: his active clinical practice is in Brentwood, CA (not Walnut Creek as listed in the candidate file — Walnut Creek is the NPI mailing address); Brentwood is farther (~30 mi) from San Leandro than the 14.83 mi figure in the candidate data, so verify travel distance. He formerly practiced at Hoag (Newport Beach) under the same NPI before moving to the Bay Area. Rating basis is modest: the 5.0/9-review figure comes from the practice's own verified-review platform (DoctorReviews.com); Healthgrades currently shows no reviews, and Yelp/Vitals pages could not be scraped for exact counts. Confirm in-network status with the patient's specific Blue Shield plan before booking.
UCSF Sports Medicine, UCSF Orthopedic Institute at Mission Bay (UCSF Medical Center)
4.6
★★★★★★★★★★
24 reviews
Accepting new patients13.2 mi from San LeandroNon-surgical (primary care / internal medicine) sports medicine physicianMatch confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Patients repeatedly call her an exceptional listener who is patient, thorough, and empathetic, and who explains conditions clearly using visual aids like MRI images (UCSF Health and WebMD reviews).
Strong clinical reputation: reviewers describe her as one of the best doctors they've seen and 'the BEST sports doctor at the UCSF Orthopedic Institute at Mission Bay.'
Deep sports-medicine credibility as a current team physician for the San Francisco Giants (MLB) and the University of San Francisco, plus co-director of the UCSF Sports Concussion Program.
As a fellowship-trained primary care sports medicine physician, she offers non-operative, activity-focused care (exercise prescription, concussion management) ideal for patients who want to avoid surgery.
Review themes: Consistently praised for being an outstanding listener, thorough, empathetic, and clear in explaining conditions and treatment options (often using MRI images). Patients trust her judgment and note courteous staff and flexible scheduling. No notable recurring complaints surfaced across sources; the main limitation is the small number of public ratings, so review-based confidence is moderate even though scores are high.
Contact & booking
Address
1500 Owens Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94158
Call the UCSF Sports Medicine clinic to schedule (Blue Shield-listed line (415) 885-3807; UCSF Orthopedic Institute at Mission Bay clinic line (415) 353-2808), or use the "Request appointment" button on her UCSF Health provider page. Referral may be required by some plans.
Credentials
Female. Professor and Chief/Director of Primary Care Sports Medicine, UCSF Division of Sports Medicine & Shoulder Surgery. Board certified in Internal Medicine (ABIM) and in Sports Medicine (CAQ subspecialty). MD from David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (2004); internal medicine residency at University of Washington Medical Center (2008); primary care sports medicine fellowship at UCLA (2010). ~15-20 years in practice. Current team physician for the San Francisco Giants (MLB) and University of San Francisco; also affiliated with Academy of Art University and Washington High School athletics; co-director, UCSF Sports Concussion Program. Language: English.
Identity confirmed with high confidence: NPI 1265541338 matches "Carlin H Senter," Internal Medicine/Sports Medicine, female, at 1500 Owens St, San Francisco. IMPORTANT PROVIDER-TYPE NOTE: Healthgrades and some directories label her a "Sports Medicine Orthopedic Surgeon," but she is NOT a surgeon — she is a fellowship-trained primary care (internal medicine) sports medicine physician who provides non-operative care. This is a good fit for a patient wanting non-surgical management. Location caveat: she practices in San Francisco (~13 mi from San Leandro), not in the immediate East Bay. Ratings caveat: overall_rating_5 (4.6) and total_reviews (24) are derived only from WebMD (5.0/14) and Vitals (4.6/10); the Healthgrades figure (4.06/5) is a "likelihood to recommend" score with no public review count, and UCSF's own reviews are numerous but not reported as a single numeric star average, so total public review volume is modest. Phone numbers vary by source — verify with UCSF before booking.
Amazon One Medical (One Medical Group) — Spear Street office
4.5
★★★★★★★★★★
23 reviews
Accepting — confirm by phone13.3 mi from San LeandroNon-surgical (primary care) sports medicine — Internal Medicine physician with a Primary Care Sports Medicine fellowship; does not perform surgeryMatch confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Patients describe him as a thoughtful, careful listener who makes it easy to discuss sensitive/embarrassing concerns, and who stays up-to-date on the literature across many issues (Healthgrades, WebMD reviews).
Reviewers repeatedly cite efficiency and thoroughness — he addresses the presenting concern while also proactively reviewing preventive-care needs (WebMD).
Genuinely non-surgical sports-medicine focus: musculoskeletal injuries, concussions, and using fitness/active lifestyle for health promotion, using an evidence-based, holistic approach — a good fit for a patient wanting non-operative care (One Medical profile).
Strong training pedigree: Tulane MD, Internal Medicine residency + chief residency at CPMC, and a dedicated Primary Care Sports Medicine fellowship at OHSU, board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Sports Medicine.
Review themes: Consistently positive: caring/compassionate, excellent listener, thorough and efficient, high competence plus a warm "old school" bedside manner, friendly and easy scheduling with helpful front-office/lab staff; several patients name him as their reason for staying with One Medical. Main recurring complaint: since the Amazon acquisition of One Medical, some visits feel rushed and the practice environment more corporate.
Contact & booking
Address
201 Spear Street, Suite 230, San Francisco, CA 94105 (also listed at 2351 Clay St Suite 360, San Francisco, CA 94115 per NPI registry)
Book through One Medical (app/website onemedical.com or 1-888-663-6331 / 888-663-6331); office line (415) 503-9277. One Medical is membership-based. Zocdoc profile also exists for online booking.
Credentials
Male. Board-certified in Internal Medicine (ABIM) and in Sports Medicine (subspecialty CAQ). MD from Tulane University School of Medicine (2007). Internal Medicine residency and chief residency at California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco. Fellowship in Primary Care Sports Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Portland, OR (completed ~2012). Roughly 14 years in practice post-fellowship (~19 years since MD). Hospital affiliations reported: Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, St. Mary's Medical Center, and MarinHealth Medical Center. No specific pro/college team affiliation found. Languages not listed.
Identity is confirmed with high confidence: NPI 1164747671 matches David T. Bowden, Internal Medicine + Sports Medicine, at One Medical in San Francisco across all sources; the Tulane/CPMC/OHSU training and One Medical practice are consistent. Note he is ~13 mi from San Leandro in San Francisco (across the Bay), not on the East Bay side. He is a non-surgical primary-care sports-medicine physician (good for non-operative care; he does NOT do surgery, so surgical cases would need referral). Ratings are drawn from small review counts (single digits per site), so they are directionally positive but not statistically robust. Yelp and Vitals star ratings could not be extracted (pages blocked), and Sharecare review count is unknown, so total_reviews (23) may include some overlap/undercount. overall_rating_5 (4.5) is an approximate blend of Healthgrades 4.4 and WebMD 5.0. Accepting-new-patients status is conflicting between sources — verify before booking; One Medical also requires a paid membership.
Ranked by online patient reviews · from your Blue Shield of California provider directory
Blue Shield Platinum 90 PPO · Origin: 142 Beverly Ave, San Leandro, CA 94577 · Directory dated 2026-07-02
How this list was built
Parsed 122 in-network dermatologists from the Blue Shield directory (39 pages, 15-mile radius); 113 accepting new patients.
Only 11 were within ~7 miles, so the pool was widened to within ~10 miles (East Bay) and accepting new patients → 42 candidates (across-the-bay SF options excluded for convenience).
Web-reviewed all 42 (Healthgrades, Vitals, Google, Zocdoc, Yelp, WebMD, RateMDs, health-system profiles), deeply verified the ~15 strongest, and ranked by review quality & volume with distance as the tiebreak.
Each card notes the dermatologist’s focus (general/medical vs Mohs-surgical vs cosmetic vs pediatric).
The list — best-reviewed and accepting new patients
#1
Kelsey E. Hirotsu, MD
Stanford Health Care — Mohs and Dermatologic Surgery (Stanford Medicine)
4.9
★★★★★★★★★★
381 reviews
Accepting — confirm by phone4.8 mi from San LeandroMohs / surgical dermatology (Mohs micrographic surgery & dermatologic oncology / skin cancer, with cosmetic-laser training); board-certified in general dermatology as wellMatch confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Patients repeatedly describe her as patient and thorough in explaining procedures and conditions, and not dismissive of questions (Stanford Health Care patient reviews, 4.9/5 across 381 ratings / 96 written reviews).
Reviewers highlight warmth and compassion, especially with high-risk skin-cancer patients ('She's warm and friendly and gets that I am a high-risk skin cancer patient').
Strong subspecialty credentials for skin cancer: double board-certified in Dermatology (2021) and Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery (2022), with a Mohs/dermatologic-oncology fellowship at UC San Diego.
Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Stanford, so she practices in an academic setting with the clinical team also earning high marks for friendliness and efficiency.
Review themes: Overwhelmingly positive: thorough, clear explanations of procedures; compassionate and personable bedside manner; attentive listening; makes patients feel comfortable; efficient, friendly clinical team. The main negative theme is isolated: at least one patient reported poor post-operative pain management and follow-up after a procedure (conflicting wound-care instructions, delayed antibiotic prescription despite reporting excessive bleeding/pain).
Contact & booking
Address
450 Broadway St, Pavilion B, 4th Floor, Redwood City, CA 94063
Book via Stanford Health Care: call the Mohs and Dermatologic Surgery clinic at (650) 725-5272, or use the "Make an Appointment" button on her Stanford Health Care profile. Telehealth visits are offered. Mohs/skin-cancer surgery visits generally require a referral.
Credentials
Female (she/her). MD, Stanford University School of Medicine (2017, scholarly concentration in bioengineering); internship Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego (2018); dermatology residency Stanford University (2021); fellowship in Mohs Micrographic Surgery & Dermatologic Oncology at UC San Diego (2022), with additional training in cosmetic dermatology and laser procedures. Board certified by the American Board of Dermatology in Dermatology (2021) and in Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery (2022). Academic appointment: Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine. Roughly 4-8 years in practice since residency completion (2021).
Location note: the target listed "Castro Valley, CA," but this provider (NPI 1780115741, confirmed) practices at Stanford Health Care in Redwood City, CA (~15-20 min from San Leandro), not Castro Valley — the Castro Valley tag appears to be an error. Provider-type note: she is primarily a Mohs / dermatologic surgeon and skin-cancer specialist (with cosmetic-laser training), NOT a general medical-derm or pediatric practice — for a routine full-body skin check or acne/eczema she may not be the best fit, and access typically requires a referral. Ratings caveats: the strong 4.9/5 (381 ratings) is from Stanford Health Care's internal post-visit survey; Healthgrades and Vitals show 5/5 but review counts were not retrievable and their samples are small; WebMD currently shows 0 reviews. No verifiable Google/Yelp/Zocdoc/RateMDs rating was found. total_reviews reflects the 381 Stanford ratings only. One documented complaint concerns post-op pain management and follow-up after a surgical procedure. Phone numbers vary by source (Stanford clinic (650) 725-5272 vs. NPI/WebMD listing 650-723-6316) — confirm when booking.
UCSF Dermatology / UCSF Dermatologic Surgery and Laser Center
4.8
★★★★★★★★★★
1,128 reviews
Accepting — confirm by phone8.7 mi from San LeandroMohs / surgical dermatology (also laser, vascular-anomaly, and cosmetic dermatology)Match confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Fellowship-trained Mohs micrographic surgeon and skin-cancer reconstruction specialist — dual board-certified in Dermatology and Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery, so a strong fit for skin cancer, biopsies, and complex lesion removal (UCSF Health, dermatology.ucsf.edu).
Very high aggregate patient satisfaction: 4.8/5 across 1,013 UCSF Health survey responses and a perfect 5.0/5 across 18 WebMD reviews (UCSF Health; WebMD).
Patients repeatedly praise him as skilled, personable, attentive and a good listener — 'the best dermatologist I have ever visited' — with courteous staff and flexible scheduling (WebMD; Healthgrades review excerpts).
Academic leader: UCSF Clinical Professor, past president of the California Society of Dermatology & Dermatologic Surgery, and member of the American College of Mohs Surgery (dermatology.ucsf.edu).
Review themes: Consistently described as highly skilled, professional, personable, and a good listener who answers questions thoroughly; staff courtesy and flexible scheduling are frequently noted as positives. Reviews skew strongly positive across WebMD (5.0/5), UCSF Health (4.8/5), and Healthgrades (4.74/5 likelihood-to-recommend).
Contact & booking
Address
UCSF Dermatology, 3100 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702 (closest location to San Leandro/East Bay). Also practices at UCSF Dermatologic & Laser Surgery, Mission Bay, 520 Illinois St., 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94158, and UCSF Mount Zion, 1701 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94115.
Book through UCSF Health — call (415) 353-7878 (or the Mission Bay clinic at 415-706-3507) or use the "Request appointment" option on his UCSF Health profile; telehealth visits available. A physician referral is often needed for surgical/Mohs derm.
Credentials
Male. MD, University of Florida. Dermatology residency at UCSF (served as Chief Resident), followed by a Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Procedural Dermatology fellowship at UCSF (completed 2005). Board-certified by the American Board of Dermatology in both Dermatology and Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery. Clinical Professor of Dermatology, UCSF School of Medicine; ~25 years in practice. Past president, California Society of Dermatology & Dermatologic Surgery; member of American College of Mohs Surgery, American Academy of Dermatology, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (Cutting Edge Research Grant recipient), and AMA. (Sources: dermatology.ucsf.edu; UCSF Health; Healthgrades)
Identity confirmed: NPI 1811954431 matches the target across Medical News Today and Healthline provider pages; he is the UCSF Mohs/surgical dermatologist practicing in Berkeley (3100 San Pablo Ave) and San Francisco. IMPORTANT MISMATCH FROM PRELIM: This is primarily a Mohs micrographic SURGEON / skin-cancer and reconstructive specialist (also laser, vascular anomalies, and cosmetics), NOT a general medical dermatologist — best for skin cancer, lesion removal, and surgical/laser needs; a routine acne/eczema/rash patient may be better served by a general medical dermatologist. Rating notes: the 4.8/5 (1,013) figure is a UCSF Health internal patient-satisfaction survey, which inflates the total review count versus independent public review sites; independent sites are thinner (WebMD 18, US News 97 experience ratings, Healthgrades count not published). Healthgrades 4.74 is a 'likelihood to recommend' score. No Google/Yelp/Zocdoc/RateMDs/Vitals per-provider star data could be retrieved (Vitals/US News pages blocked or timed out). Accepting-new-patients status and the exact Berkeley clinic phone should be confirmed directly with UCSF; a referral is commonly required for Mohs/surgical dermatology. No recurring complaint pattern (rushed visits, upselling, appointment difficulty) surfaced in available reviews.
Stanford Health Care Dermatology (Stanford Medicine Partners – Castro Valley)
4.8
★★★★★★★★★★
249 reviews
Accepting new patients4.8 mi from San LeandroGeneral / medical dermatology (also performs dermatologic surgery; sub-interest in hair loss / alopecia)Match confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Stanford Health Care patient-experience score is 4.8/5 across 249 ratings (42 written comments) — a strong, high-volume rating.
Reviewers repeatedly describe her as thorough and unrushed: "very thorough, sensitive to the patient's comfort, and caring" and "took her time and seemed concerned."
Praised for communication and answering questions: "very friendly and answered all of my questions"; "professional, knowledgeable."
Noted for treating the whole patient: "asked questions about my life and genuinely left me feeling like she really cared about me as a person."
Review themes: Consistent themes across Stanford Health Care comments: thoroughness, taking time (not rushed), friendliness, clear answers to questions, and a caring/personable bedside manner. No substantive negative review text was found on the aggregators consulted.
Contact & booking
Address
20642 John Dr, Castro Valley, CA 94546 (nearest to San Leandro). Also sees patients at Stanford Dermatology Clinic in Livermore, 1133 E Stanley Blvd, Ste 111, Livermore, CA 94550; and General Dermatology Clinic, 450 Broadway, Pavilion B 4th Fl, Redwood City, CA 94063.
Book through Stanford Health Care: schedule online via her profile page (MyHealth / "Schedule Appointment") or call Stanford Dermatology at (650) 723-6316. The Castro Valley (Stanford Medicine Partners) and Livermore (Tri-Valley/ValleyCare) sites are the closest to San Leandro.
Credentials
Board-certified by the American Board of Dermatology (2024). Medical school: Harvard Medical School (2020). Residency: Stanford University Dermatology (2024). Preliminary internal medicine internship: University of Missouri-Kansas City (2021). Academic appointment: Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine. Clinical interests: general medical dermatology (acne, eczema, psoriasis, skin cancer), dermatologic surgery, and hair loss/alopecia (scarring, non-scarring, and chemotherapy-induced) across all hair textures. Gender: female. ~6 years of clinical experience.
Identity is confirmed: NPI 1649899519 = Andrea Nadine Hinton, MD, Dermatology, Stanford (primary address 300 Pasteur Dr, Stanford; a secondary Kansas City, MO practice location and Missouri license reflect her preliminary-medicine internship year). All rating volume comes from a single source — Stanford Health Care's internal patient-experience survey (4.8/5, 249 ratings). Third-party aggregators (Healthgrades, WebMD) currently show no patient reviews, and Yelp's page could not be retrieved (HTTP 403), so its rating/count is unverified — do not assume a rating there. She is early-career (board-certified 2024, residency completed 2024), so review history is relatively short. She is a general/medical dermatologist who also does dermatologic surgery — not a fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon and not a cosmetic-focused practice; if the patient specifically needs Mohs surgery or cosmetic/aesthetic procedures, confirm scope when booking. No RateMDs/Vitals profile for this specific physician was verified (a RateMDs result for 'Rahn Andrea Dr' in Hinton, Alberta is a different person and was excluded).
UCSF Dermatologic & Laser Surgery (UCSF Health, Department of Dermatology)
4.7
★★★★★★★★★★
700 reviews
Accepting new patients8.7 mi from San LeandroMohs / surgical dermatology (dermatologic surgeon; also laser & cosmetic dermatology)Match confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Fellowship-trained, double board-certified dermatologic surgeon: patients repeatedly praise her exceptional Mohs surgical skill and precise skin-cancer reconstruction (WebMD, Vitals reviews).
Very high health-system patient-experience score: 4.8/5 across 590 UCSF surveys, plus Healthgrades 'Outstanding Patient Experience' awards 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Reviewers describe her as caring, thorough in explaining procedures when engaged, with high emotional intelligence and responsive follow-up care ('I drive an hour and a half to see her rather than another surgeon').
Academic leader — Clinical Professor at UCSF and director of its procedural dermatology (Mohs) fellowship, indicating recognized expertise among peers.
Review themes: Overwhelmingly positive on clinical/surgical competence, skin-cancer outcomes, and professionalism. Recurring positives: technical mastery of Mohs surgery, careful reconstruction, thorough answers to questions, caring manner. Recurring negatives (minority): some patients feel she is reserved/"not warm" and does not volunteer explanations unless asked; a few complaints about front-office/staff communication responsiveness. Sharecare's low 3.0 is based on only 2 reviews and is not representative.
Contact & booking
Address
Mission Bay: 520 Illinois St., Third Floor, San Francisco, CA 94158. Also practices at UCSF Dermatology Clinic at Mt. Zion, 1701 Divisadero St., San Francisco, CA 94115, and Zuckerberg San Francisco General, 995 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110.
Book through UCSF Health: call 415-706-3507 or request an appointment via her UCSF provider page (https://www.ucsfhealth.org/providers/siegrid-s-yu). A referral is generally required for Mohs/surgical dermatology.
Credentials
Female (she/her). MD, University of Washington School of Medicine. Internal medicine residency at Stanford (chief resident); dermatology residency at UCSF (chief resident); fellowship in Mohs micrographic surgery & procedural dermatology at UCSF. Double board-certified by the American Board of Dermatology in Dermatology and in Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery. ~20+ years in practice. Clinical Professor, UCSF Department of Dermatology, and director of the UCSF procedural dermatology fellowship program. Research focus: Merkel cell carcinoma and skin cancer in immunosuppressed patients.
LOCATION MISMATCH: The preliminary scan listed Berkeley/Oakland, but this physician practices in San Francisco (UCSF — Mission Bay, Mt. Zion, and ZSFG), not the East Bay. For a patient near San Leandro this is roughly a 25-40 min drive across the Bay, not a local East Bay option. SCOPE: She is a Mohs micrographic (skin-cancer) surgeon and cosmetic/laser dermatologist, NOT a general/medical dermatologist for routine issues like acne or rashes — access is typically referral-based for surgical cases. Rating caveats: overall_rating_5 (~4.7) and total_reviews (700) are dominated by UCSF's 590-response internal patient-experience survey, which is self-reported by the health system; independent third-party sites have far fewer reviews (WebMD 18, Vitals 13, Sharecare 2). US News reports 77 patient-experience responses but no single normalized star value was retrievable. Healthgrades review count was not retrievable (only the 4.26/5 likelihood-to-recommend). Minor recurring complaints: a reserved bedside manner and occasional front-office responsiveness issues. Healthgrades/Vitals/US News category pages were not fully machine-readable (403/timeout), so some counts rely on aggregated search summaries.
Berman Skin Institute (Medical & Cosmetic Dermatology)
4.7
★★★★★★★★★★
265 reviews
Accepting new patients9.8 mi from San LeandroMedical & cosmetic dermatology (general dermatology with a special interest in skin of color and cosmetics)Match confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Highly rated on Zocdoc (4.66/5 across 244 reviews), with strong sub-scores for bedside manner (4.7/5) and wait time (4.69/5) — indicating consistently short waits, a common derm pain point (https://www.zocdoc.com/doctor/malcolm-pyles-md-443425).
Reviewers specifically praise his expertise with skin of color; one notes it is 'very difficult to find an African-American dermatologist' and that he has excellent bedside manner for patients with darker skin (WebSearch of Yelp/Zocdoc review text, https://www.zocdoc.com/doctor/malcolm-pyles-md-443425).
Described repeatedly as thorough, kind, patient and knowledgeable; a WebMD reviewer wrote 'Hands down best dermatologist I've seen. I saw 4 other doctors before Dr. [Pyles] successfully solved my issue' (https://doctor.webmd.com/doctor/malcolm-chelliah-192c4968-afe2-4e26-b030-c0a01e116a82-overview).
Strong credentials for an early-career physician: Stanford med school, Cleveland Clinic dermatology residency, and current American Board of Dermatology certification; also active as a researcher/educator with lectures and publications (https://www.skinmds.com/about/malcolm-pyles-md/).
Review themes: Overwhelmingly positive on the physician himself: thorough, personable, calm/welcoming visits, good listener, and notably skilled with skin of color and cosmetic concerns. Patients also cite short wait times. The main negatives are practice-level rather than doctor-level: billing/refund delays reported at Berman Skin Institute overall (the practice's Yelp average is ~3.5/736 reviews), and at least one patient felt a visit was too quick (prescribed doxycycline without extensive questioning). Note: a same-named dermatologist in Houston, TX carries lower/mixed ratings (WebMD ~3/5, Vitals) and is a separate listing — those reviews are NOT attributed here.
Contact & booking
Address
East Bay offices nearest San Leandro: Berkeley — 2435 Webster Street, Suite 101, Berkeley, CA 94705 (ph 510-646-8065); Walnut Creek — 100 Pringle Avenue, Suite 425, Walnut Creek, CA 94596 (ph 925-932-3800, across from Walnut Creek BART). NPI-registered primary address: 1 Daniel Burnham Ct, Suite 350C, San Francisco, CA 94109. He rotates among Berman Skin Institute locations, so confirm which office he staffs on a given day.
Book online at https://www.skinmds.com/appointment/ , via Zocdoc (https://www.zocdoc.com/doctor/malcolm-pyles-md-443425), or by phone to the desired office (Berkeley 510-646-8065; Walnut Creek 925-932-3800; main 415-771-6300 / 888-411-3376). Accepts major insurance including Cigna, Kaiser, Medicare, Medicaid, UnitedHealthcare.
Credentials
Male. Board certified by the American Board of Dermatology (certification 2023-2033, i.e., recently/early-career certified). Medical degree: Stanford University School of Medicine. Residency: Dermatology at Cleveland Clinic, where he developed a focus on skin of color and cosmetic dermatology. No Mohs, dermatopathology, or pediatric fellowship identified (general medical/cosmetic derm; Healthgrades lists routine skin excision/destruction procedures, not a Mohs sub-specialty). Active researcher/educator with lectures, presentations, and publications. Fluent in English and Spanish. Full legal name on records: Malcolm Nehemiah Pyles (also appears as 'Malcolm Pyles Chelliah'). Affiliated with Stanford Health Care and Hill Physicians Medical Group. Sources: https://www.skinmds.com/about/malcolm-pyles-md/ , https://health.usnews.com/doctors/malcolm-pyles-1189349 , https://www.hillphysicians.com/doctor/malcolm-nehemiah-pyles-md
Identity is confirmed with high confidence: NPI 1023570041 = Malcolm Nehemiah Pyles, MD, dermatologist at Berman Skin Institute, which operates the exact Berkeley and Walnut Creek offices named in the target. IMPORTANT DISAMBIGUATION: a separate same-named dermatologist appears in Houston, TX (WebMD ~3/5, Vitals) — those lower/mixed reviews were excluded and NOT attributed to this doctor. Rating caveats: Healthgrades shows 5/5 'likelihood to recommend' but does not publish a numeric review count; US News reports 20 reviews but its overall star value wasn't retrievable; WebMD's 5/5 is a single review; the bulk of signal is Zocdoc (4.66/244). Total_reviews (265) sums only counted sources (Zocdoc 244 + US News 20 + WebMD 1); Healthgrades count unavailable, so the true total is somewhat higher. Practice-level note: Berman Skin Institute's overall Yelp rating is ~3.5 (736 reviews) with recurring billing/refund complaints — these are organizational, not specific to Dr. Pyles. He is early-career (board certified 2023) and rotates across multiple Berman locations, so verify he practices at the Berkeley or Walnut Creek office on your desired date. This is general medical/cosmetic dermatology with a stated special interest in skin of color — not a Mohs surgery, dermatopathology, or pediatric-specialized practice.
Schweiger Dermatology Group (formerly California Skin Institute)
4.6
★★★★★★★★★★
337 reviews
Accepting new patients4.9 mi from San LeandroMohs / surgical dermatology (fellowship-trained Mohs micrographic surgeon; also practices general medical dermatology and cosmetic/laser dermatology)Match confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Very strong Zocdoc profile: 4.6/5 across ~305 verified patient reviews, with sub-scores of 4.7/5 for bedside manner and 4.4/5 for wait time (zocdoc.com).
Reviews across Zocdoc and Vitals repeatedly describe him as calm, thorough, a good listener, and easy to talk to, with knowledge and bedside manner that put patients at ease (zocdoc.com, vitals.com).
Elite academic training: MD from Tufts and PhD from Harvard via the competitive NIH Medical Scientist Training Program, dermatology residency at UC Davis, and a Mohs micrographic/cosmetic/laser surgery fellowship (schweigerderm.com).
Board-certified by the American Board of Dermatology with an added subspecialty certification in Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery (Mohs), so well-suited for skin cancer/skin surgery as well as general medical derm (schweigerderm.com).
Review themes: Positive: knowledgeable, calm and reassuring bedside manner, thorough, good listener, personable staff, minimal wait per some reviews. Bedside manner is the most consistently praised attribute across Zocdoc and Vitals. Ratings are high on Zocdoc (4.6), Vitals and WebMD (5.0). Note the Healthgrades likelihood-to-recommend metric (~3.9/5) is lower than the star sites, suggesting a minority of less-satisfied patients.
Contact & booking
Address
Primary/current locations per his provider page: 3838 California Street, Suite 610, San Francisco, CA 94118; 909 Hyde Street, Suite 419, San Francisco, CA 94109; and 1800 Sullivan Avenue, Suite 403, Daly City, CA 94015. (No confirmed active East Bay/Castro Valley location for him currently — see caveats.)
Book online via Zocdoc (zocdoc.com/doctor/francis-hsiao-md-phd-66928) or call the clinic directly: (415) 387-8007 for the 3838 California St, San Francisco office.
Credentials
Male. Board-certified by the American Board of Dermatology, with added subspecialty board certification in Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery (Mohs). BA Cornell University; MD Tufts University School of Medicine; PhD Harvard University (combined MD-PhD via NIH Medical Scientist Training Program). Dermatology residency at UC Davis Medical Center. Fellowship in Mohs micrographic, cosmetic and laser surgery (Boston University; some directories cite Roger Williams Medical Center, where he was associate program director of the procedural dermatology/Mohs fellowship). FAAD. Approximately 11-20 years in practice. Fluent in Mandarin/Chinese; published author and national/international lecturer. (schweigerderm.com, health.usnews.com, sutterhealth.org)
LOCATION WARNING for a San Leandro patient: although the target record and several aggregators (md.com, older CSI listings) list Castro Valley, San Mateo, and Saratoga, Dr. Hsiao's current Schweiger/CSI provider page and Sutter listing show him practicing ONLY in San Francisco (3838 California St; 909 Hyde St; 3905 Sacramento St) and Daly City. The current Schweiger Castro Valley office (20400 Lake Chabot Rd) lists other providers (Crockett, Feibleman, Zhu, Scherba) and NOT Hsiao. So his nearest confirmed active offices are SF and Daly City — roughly a 30-45 minute drive from San Leandro across the bay, not local East Bay. Confirm location directly when booking. RATINGS: exact per-site counts vary by aggregator; Vitals and WebMD both show 5.0/5 from 14 ratings and are likely the same syndicated dataset (total_reviews of 337 counts Zocdoc 305 + Yelp 18 + one 14-rating set, to avoid double counting). Yelp displays 18 reviews but no aggregate star number was retrievable. Healthgrades' ~3.9/5 is a likelihood-to-recommend metric, lower than the star-based sites. FOCUS: he is a Mohs surgeon who also does cosmetic/laser (Botox, fillers) and general medical dermatology, so visits may lean surgical/cosmetic; confirm he handles your specific medical-derm need. No detailed negative-review text was accessible (Zocdoc, Healthgrades, and Yelp pages blocked automated fetching), so complaint themes could not be fully verified.
Aesthetic Dermatology and Skin Cancer, Inc. (owner/CEO; acquired the practice in 2025). Prior/concurrent affiliations: Golden State Dermatology (Albany and Berkeley), California Skin Institute (Kentfield), Brown & Toland Physicians.
4.6
★★★★★★★★★★
307 reviews
Accepting new patients9.7 mi from San LeandroMohs / surgical dermatology (also general medical and cosmetic/laser dermatology)Match confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
High Zocdoc rating of 4.63/5 across 294 reviews, with especially strong sub-scores for bedside manner (4.68/5) and short wait times (4.84/5)
Double board-certified in Dermatology and Micrographic Dermatologic (Mohs) Surgery through the American Board of Dermatology; fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon who reports thousands of surgical cases and expertise in facial reconstruction
UCSF-trained (medical school and dermatology residency at UCSF), which patients and reviews cite for strong diagnostic skill and professionalism
Reviews frequently praise efficient, warm, and professional front-office/medical-assistant staff in addition to the physician
Review themes: Positive themes dominate on Zocdoc/Yelp: knowledgeable and thorough, good diagnostic skill, professional and personable, efficient visits with short waits, and friendly office staff. He is also noted for cosmetic/aesthetic proficiency (Botox, fillers, lasers, full-face laser resurfacing). Negative feedback is a minority but recurring on Healthgrades: at least one detailed review described feeling dismissed, rushed, and that the doctor seemed uninterested, plus scattered concerns about privacy practices. The rating split (very high on Zocdoc, ~1/5 on Healthgrades from very few reviews) reflects platform sampling rather than a consistent problem.
Contact & booking
Address
535 Miller Ave, Mill Valley, CA 94941 (current primary office). East Bay Golden State Dermatology locations closer to San Leandro: 400 Evelyn Ave, Ste 115, Albany, CA and 2320 Woolsey St, Ste 202, Berkeley, CA.
Book online through Zocdoc (https://www.zocdoc.com/doctor/stefan-lowenstein-md-606054) or call the Mill Valley office at (415) 383-5475. Accepts Medicare and assigns claims.
Credentials
Male. Double board-certified: American Board of Dermatology (Dermatology) and Micrographic Dermatologic (Mohs) Surgery. NPI taxonomies also list Dermatopathology and MOHS-Micrographic Surgery. Undergraduate in Biological Sciences at UC Santa Barbara; MD from UCSF School of Medicine (2018); dermatology residency at UCSF; fellowship in Mohs skin cancer surgery at California Skin Institute under Dr. Greg Morganroth. Approximately 7-8 years of clinical experience (Vitals ~7 yrs; WebMD ~8 yrs). Affiliated hospitals include UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus and Sonoma Valley Hospital.
Identity confirmed via CMS NPI registry (name, gender, dermatology + Mohs + dermatopathology taxonomies). Note the location mismatch with the target brief: his CURRENT primary practice is Aesthetic Dermatology and Skin Cancer in Mill Valley (Marin County, ~40 min and across the bay from San Leandro). The listed Albany/Berkeley (Golden State Dermatology) and San Mateo locations reflect prior/concurrent affiliations that are geographically closer to San Leandro — confirm which office he currently sees East Bay patients at before booking. He is a Mohs/surgical and cosmetic-focused dermatologist (Botox, fillers, lasers, full-face resurfacing), so he is best for skin cancer/surgery or aesthetic needs; a patient seeking routine general medical dermatology may find a heavier cosmetic orientation. Rating caveats: the ~4.6/307 headline is driven almost entirely by Zocdoc (294 reviews); Healthgrades shows a low ~1/5 based on very few (likely 1-2) reviews citing a rushed/dismissive visit, so treat that outlier as low-sample rather than representative. Exact Yelp star average and Healthgrades review count could not be confirmed (pages blocked automated access); the Yelp 70-review count is practice-level, not physician-specific. He graduated med school relatively recently (2018), so ~7-8 years in practice.
California Skin Institute (now operating under Schweiger Dermatology Group after CSI's affiliation)
4.6
★★★★★★★★★★
218 reviews
Accepting new patients1.9 mi from San LeandroMedical / general dermatology, with a dermatopathology subspecialty (also performs skin-cancer excisions/surgical dermatology and offers cosmetic services)Match confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Consistently praised as highly experienced and knowledgeable in diagnosis and treatment; Zocdoc breaks out a 4.78/5 bedside-manner score and 4.76/5 wait-time score across 164 reviews, indicating patients feel both well-cared-for and seen on time (https://www.zocdoc.com/doctor/cary-feibleman-md-617378).
Board certified in both Dermatology and Dermatopathology with a Johns Hopkins dermatoimmunology research fellowship and a SUNY-Buffalo dermatopathology fellowship, so he brings pathology-level diagnostic depth to skin exams (https://www.schweigerderm.com/providers/cary-e-feibleman-md/).
Strong reputation for skin-cancer screening and excision; Healthgrades reviewers highlight thorough full-skin cancer checks and clean surgical results with minimal scarring, and he has been named to 'Best Doctors in America' annually since 1996 (https://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-cary-feibleman-y8ccq).
Reviewers describe the office staff as friendly and caring with good response/appointment times, and he is currently accepting new patients and bookable online via Zocdoc (https://www.schweigerderm.com/providers/cary-e-feibleman-md/).
Review themes: Recurring positives: deep expertise and accurate diagnosis, thorough skin-cancer exams, fast and clean surgical procedures with minimal scarring, friendly staff, and generally short waits (Zocdoc bedside manner 4.78/5, wait time 4.76/5). The main negative theme is mixed feedback on bedside manner/communication style for some patients (a few describe him as brisk or clinical), which is also reflected in the lower Healthgrades 'likelihood to recommend' score of 3.85/5 versus his 4.7+ on Zocdoc.
Contact & booking
Address
San Leandro (nearest to patient): 13847 E 14th St, Ste 218, San Leandro, CA 94578. Also practices in Castro Valley: 20400 Lake Chabot Rd, Ste 202, Castro Valley, CA 94546 (and historically Long Beach/San Pedro, CA).
Book online via Zocdoc (https://www.zocdoc.com/doctor/cary-feibleman-md-617378) or call the San Leandro office at (510) 483-0312 / Castro Valley at (510) 881-7822.
Credentials
Male. MD, Oregon Health & Science University (formerly University of Oregon Medical School), 1975; ~50 years in practice. Undergraduate at University of Pennsylvania and University of Oregon. Dermatology residency at SUNY Buffalo (chief resident in final year). Research fellowship in dermatoimmunology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; dermatopathology fellowship at SUNY Buffalo. Board certified by the American Board of Dermatology, with additional certification in Dermatopathology. Member of the American Academy of Dermatology, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, and American Society of Dermatopathology. Named to 'Best Doctors in America' annually since 1996; featured in Los Angeles Magazine. Speaks English and Spanish. Sources: https://www.schweigerderm.com/providers/cary-e-feibleman-md/ , https://doctor.webmd.com/doctor/cary-feibleman-34625bba-1d44-42a2-88e5-f4dfd1d8f5b1-overview , https://npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov/api/?number=1740207737
Identity is confirmed to a high degree: NPI 1740207737 (CMS registry) ties to Cary Edward Feibleman, MD, Dermatology, and the same NPI on Medical News Today lists all four of his locations together — Long Beach, San Leandro (13847 E 14th St), Alameda, and Castro Valley — and the identical biography (Oregon med school, SUNY-Buffalo residency/dermatopathology fellowship, Johns Hopkins fellowship, 'Best Doctors since 1996') appears on both the Southern California and East Bay listings. This is ONE physician who built a long career in the Long Beach / South Bay area and now also practices in the East Bay under California Skin Institute / Schweiger Dermatology Group. Important interpretation note: the Healthgrades, Vitals and WebMD reviews largely reflect his older Long Beach/South Bay practice, while the Zocdoc and Yelp reviews reflect the current East Bay (San Leandro/Castro Valley) practice — all are the same doctor, but they span different eras/locations. overall_rating_5 (4.6) is an approximate blend across sites; a count-weighted average leans higher (~4.7, driven by the 164 Zocdoc reviews) while a simple site average is ~4.5 (pulled down by Healthgrades' 3.85). total_reviews (218) sums only the sites that display counts (Zocdoc 164 + Yelp 29 + WebMD 25); Healthgrades and Vitals do not publish a review count. Healthgrades' lower 3.85/5 and scattered comments about a brisk/clinical bedside manner are the main negatives to weigh. Confirm the San Leandro location, current hours, and insurance acceptance directly with the office before booking, since CSI's transition to Schweiger Dermatology Group may affect scheduling or which days he is on-site.
The Skin and Laser Treatment Institute (The East Bay Laser & Skin Care Center)
4.6
★★★★★★★★★★
71 reviews
Accepting new patients9.7 mi from San LeandroCosmetic / laser-focused dermatology (also credentialed in Mohs micrographic surgery and dermatopathology)Match confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Widely regarded as a laser/cosmetic dermatology expert; RateMDs (4.7/5) and Vitals/WebMD (4.5/5) reviewers repeatedly single out her laser work for rosacea, facial scars, and skin resurfacing (Total FX), with several saying results exceeded what they got at other practices.
Strong long-term patient loyalty: Healthgrades/RateMDs reviews cite patients who have seen her for 10-20+ years for cosmetic and skin-health maintenance, a signal of consistent results and trust.
Reviewers praise her thoroughness and patient education, noting she explains treatments carefully and answers questions before proceeding (WebMD/Zocdoc).
Deep surgical credentials for a cosmetic-focused practice: board certified in Dermatology and Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery (Mohs), with skin-cancer excision and reconstructive experience (Healthgrades/Healthline).
Review themes: Consistently positive across platforms (roughly 4.5-5.0/5). Recurring praise: laser expertise (rosacea, scars, resurfacing/Total FX), thorough explanations, effective long-term cosmetic results, and comfortable/attentive staff with good pain management. The practice is heavily cosmetic/aesthetic-oriented (The Skin and Laser Treatment Institute), so most reviews concern cosmetic and laser procedures rather than general medical dermatology. Healthgrades' "likelihood to recommend" sits lower at ~4.44/5, indicating some mixed experiences. Rating counts are modest and spread thin across many sites; Yelp (the largest single pool at 43 reviews) does not expose a clean aggregate star score in accessible data.
Contact & booking
Address
370 N Wiget Ln, Suite 125, Walnut Creek, CA 94598 (also 3031 Telegraph Ave, Suite 217, Berkeley, CA 94705)
Book by phone at the Walnut Creek office (925) 528-0117 or Berkeley (510) 981-8222; online scheduling/requests via skinandlasertreatment.com and a Zocdoc profile (zocdoc.com/doctor/m-christine-lee-md-3481). Also listed on Sutter Health's find-a-provider directory.
Credentials
Female. Board certified by the American Board of Dermatology, with certification in Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery (Mohs) [Healthgrades/Healthline]. MD from University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago (1993) [Sutter Health; US News]; also holds an MPH. ~33 years in practice [Healthline]. Additional/subspecialty training in Mohs micrographic surgery, reconstructive and dermatologic surgery, and laser & cosmetic surgery [Sutter Health]. Residency listed as Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation per Sutter Health; her own practice site instead describes UCSF-affiliated training and a fellowship in laser/cosmetic/Mohs surgery (skinandlasertreatment.com) - sources disagree on the residency/fellowship specifics. Clinical faculty (Dermatologic Surgery) at UCSF per practice site. Hospital affiliations: Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, John Muir Medical Center (Concord), UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion [Healthline]. Speaks English, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish.
CRITICAL NPI MISMATCH: The NPI provided in the task (1023405727) does NOT belong to Min-Wei Christine Lee. Per the CMS NPI Registry, 1023405727 is Grace Kim Sohn, MD - a different female dermatologist who also practices in Walnut Creek (355 Lennon Ln, Ste 255). Dr. Min-Wei Christine Lee's actual NPI is 1124014741 (confirmed via NPI Registry and Healthline/Healthgrades). The npi field is copied verbatim as instructed, but it is wrong for this provider; confirmed=false because of this. All ratings, reviews, and credentials in this report were verified against the review-site/Sutter profiles for Min-Wei Christine Lee (the named target), NOT against the mismatched NPI. If the intent is to profile whoever holds NPI 1023405727, that is Grace Kim Sohn and this report should be discarded.
Other caveats: (1) Provider is strongly cosmetic/laser-focused (The Skin and Laser Treatment Institute) rather than general medical dermatology - for a patient near San Leandro seeking routine medical derm (acne, rashes, skin-cancer screening) this may be a mismatch, and cosmetic practices commonly draw complaints about upselling/cost, though I could not read Yelp text directly (site blocked). (2) Nearest office is Berkeley (~15-20 mi) or Walnut Creek (~25 mi) from San Leandro. (3) Rating counts are modest and fragmented; Vitals (27) and WebMD (27) almost certainly share the same underlying dataset, so total_reviews (~71) treats them as one pool plus Yelp (43) plus Healthgrades (1); RateMDs and Zocdoc counts were not published. Yelp's aggregate star score was not extractable. (4) Sources disagree on residency/fellowship (Sutter: Scripps Clinic residency; practice site: UCSF training/fellowship) - treat those specifics as unresolved. overall_rating_5 (4.6) is an approximate blend of the five numeric site scores and excludes the unrated Yelp pool.
Schweiger Dermatology Group - Castro Valley (formerly California Skin Institute - Castro Valley)
4.4
★★★★★★★★★★
250 reviews
Accepting new patients4.9 mi from San LeandroMedical dermatology (general medical, procedural, and cosmetic dermatology; no Mohs/fellowship subspecialty found)Match confidence: HIGH
Why patients rate them highly
Zocdoc reviews (4.54/5 across 231 reviews, incl. 4.58 bedside manner and 4.75 short wait time) consistently describe him as knowledgeable, attentive, and effective, with patients noting visible improvement in their skin.
Multiple reviews praise thoroughness: e.g., not just removing a mole but proactively screening for others and asking about acne, with staff helping source cheaper medication.
Reviews frequently describe him taking time to clearly explain treatment options and answer questions, and cite consistently friendly, professional office staff.
Strong, established local practice (Schweiger Dermatology Group / formerly California Skin Institute, Castro Valley) with a high-volume, well-rated office and easy online booking; family has practiced medicine in the East Bay since 1930.
Review themes: Overall positive, driven by a large Zocdoc pool (~4.5/5). Praised for expertise, thoroughness, clear explanations, and friendly staff. The main recurring complaint on smaller sites (Healthgrades 3.0, Vitals 3.5, Sharecare 3.3) is rushed appointments — one patient described a 5-minute visit where the doctor "didn't even sit down," calling it "cold and robotic." Other negatives: follow-through on specialist referrals and inconsistent prescription instructions. Note the small-site ratings (6-7 reviews each) are low-sample and Healthgrades/Sharecare appear to share the same review pool (profile id yg9bf).
Contact & booking
Address
20400 Lake Chabot Road, Suite 202, Castro Valley, CA 94546
Book online via Zocdoc (https://www.zocdoc.com/doctor/joel-crockett-md-617360) or call the Castro Valley office at (510) 881-7822.
Credentials
Male. Board certified by the American Board of Dermatology. MD from Saint Louis University School of Medicine; dermatology residency at Wright State University (Dayton, Ohio); BS in Neuroscience from Brigham Young University. Approximately 16-17 years in practice. No Mohs, dermatopathology, or pediatric fellowship found. Notable tech background: founded Clearpath (tablet-based digital pathology platform) and served as VP of Product at healthcare startup CrossChx.
Identity confirmed: NPI 1316174956 matches across the NPI registry, Zocdoc, Healthgrades, and the Schweiger provider page (20400 Lake Chabot Rd Ste 202, Castro Valley). IMPORTANT: A different "Dr. Joel Crockett" dermatologist practices in Modesto, CA via Sutter Health (NPI 1046245431) — reviews for that provider were excluded. The overall_rating_5 (4.4) and total_reviews (250) are weighted across the four rated sites, but the Zocdoc pool (231 reviews) dominates; the small sites (6-7 reviews each) skew lower and Healthgrades/Sharecare likely share one review pool (id yg9bf), so the low-star sites are low-sample. Yelp reviews (72) and Birdeye (~1,300) are for the whole Castro Valley office, not attributable to Dr. Crockett individually, so they are not counted in his totals. Main recurring individual complaint: rushed/brief visits. This is a general medical + cosmetic/procedural dermatology practice, not a Mohs-surgery- or pediatric-focused one.