Care Compliments

I can't thank our surgeon enough for saving my daughters life ! He did an amazing job & my daughter is recovering so well thanks to his amazing work. Thank you UCLA ! (:

By: Lezlie V.

In late 2018 I was diagnosed as having an intradural meningioma spinal tumor. Because of the risks associated with removal of the tumor due to its location, I wanted an experienced surgeon whom specialized in surgery in difficult areas of the spine. After exhaustive research, I learned of Dr. Luke Macyszyn at UCLA and requested a referral to obtain his opinion related to my tumor. It was at the referral visit with Dr. Macyszyn that my wife and I met his assistant, Mr. Andrew Barquera. After it was decided that Dr. Macyszyn was going to perform the surgery, Mr. Barquera contacted us to set up a surgery date, provide us the list of preoperative tests to complete before surgery, and his direct contact information for any questions or follow-up we needed. Additionally, Mr. Barquera advised he would assist us with obtaining the necessary clearance for surgery through our insurance provider, Health Net.
Two weeks before the scheduled surgery date, our health insurance company notified Mr. Barquera that they were denying the surgery because they believed a surgeon in our medical network was qualified to perform the surgery. Mr. Barquera immediately notified me of the denial and spent a significant amount of time explaining my options. After the conversation with Mr. Barquera it was my opinion that Dr. Macyszyn was the most qualified surgeon to perform my extremely risky surgery. I asked Mr. Barquera if he would assist me with filing an appeal with Health Net. Mr. Barquera agreed and got to work. He compiled all the necessary information for the appeal including a letter from Dr. Macyszyn describing the medical need for the surgery to be performed at UCLA. Mr. Barquera spoke with me over the phone on numerous occasions providing updates on the status of the appeal. He promptly answered countless phone calls and emails that my wife and I sent to him and helped us navigate the health insurance nightmare that we were tangled within.
In the end, we were successful in obtaining approval to have my surgery at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center with Dr. Macyszyn. This wouldn't have been possible without the extraordinary assistance provided by Mr. Barquera while serving as an advocate for me in my time of need. It might seem to some that Mr. Barquera was just doing his job, but to me, he went above and beyond what was required of him and earned a debt that I will never be able to repay.
Now that my tumor has been removed, I feel stronger and much of the pain that I was in before my surgery has gone away. None of this would be possible without the expertise of Dr. Macyszyn and the extraordinary support provided by Mr. Andrew Barquera.
The purpose of this letter is to make sure that the extraordinary compassion and amazing customer service provided by Mr. Barquera should be the benchmark for any and all associated with UCLA Health.

By: Joshua L.

My family had the BEST experience yesterday at UCLA Marina Del Rey, and this is our story:

My mother has not had a primary care doctor since hers retired many years ago (she had an outstanding primary that replacing was not going to be easy). Recently she had an allergic reaction that caused her to need to go to an urgent care, and she ended up at the Marina Del Rey office. From the receptionist who answered the call, to the doctor who treated her - everyone was top shelf! When checking out she was told Dr. Goldstein was accepting new patients. She had been so impressed by the quality of care she received by the Urgent Care that she didn't hesitate to be scheduled for a new patient appointment. After speaking to her, both my husband and myself also called to make appointments with Dr. Goldstein.

Yesterday, we had our first appointments, and we haven't stopped raving about this hard-working, kind and dedicated office and doctor! Finding a knowledgeable doctor that you feel comfortable with and trust is not easy. Trying to find that doctor for an entire family can be almost impossible! Dr. Goldstein was the answer to our search. We each presented with our own concerns, questions and issues, and he calmly and patiently tackled each one. His warm demeanor was reassuring and welcoming. We have finally found our doctor, and we are grateful!

Shout out to nurse Juana who is also a SUPERSTAR! What a dynamic duo these two make! Efficient, friendly, helpful and we appreciated the way they coordinated exams and labs to minimize wait time.

Thank you UCLA Marina Del Rey and Dr. Max Goldstein!

By: Carrie B.

Ian provided outstanding care to my mom. I really appreciated his attentiveness, speedy delivery of care, and sensitive interpersonal style.

By: Gay M.

When Dr. Anita Agzarian retired from UCLA, I was devastated! To begin building a new relationship with a new physician had me a bit nervous. When my daughter and I met Dr. Reed, we knew instantly that she would be my new Angel of Medicine. She is personable, kind and has a warm and inviting smile. She is patient, yet upbeat and fresh. I am 81 years old and still hold true to the "first impressions count is the last impression" statement. You only have one chance to make it count! She is a gem and a huge asset to your physician community at UCLA. As an added note: The front office and nursing staff are also amazing each and every visit.

By: Ruthanna D.

Thank you for explaining my procedure to me and giving me nearly invisible scars. I appreciate how you listened to my wants and made me feel comfortable. I had such a positive experience and couldn't be happier with the overall result.

By: Vanessa N.

Dr. Kaldas is the one who diagnosed I had PMR, polymyalgia rheumatic four years ago. Under her care, my PMR was under control in a month and has not had relapse. She is very knowledgeable, caring, trustable, open and easy to communicate. I am very happy to have such a great doctor who really takes care of patients.

By: John L.

I needed to get a copy of an MRI scan that had been done months before and miles away, at the facility in Santa Clarita. I came into Radiology at UCLA Health Encino and was quickly greeted, given a simple form to fill out, and received a CD with the scan and data within 15 minutes. I didn't have to pay anything.

By: Alexander Z.

Thank you.

By: Gev Y.

We had excellent service by someone at the front desk at the imaging center at UCLA/Ronald Reagan Imaging Center, 200 Medical Plaza, Ste. B170, and I wanted to share it with you.

I brought my 3 year old daughter (almost 4 years old) with me to my mammogram appointment, and the lady at the front desk (maybe an Office Manager?), Dina Guereca, was so kind and helpful that my daughter took an immediate liking to her. My usually-shy daughter struck up a conversation with Dina and decided to play a game where she pretended to run a restaurant and make food for Dina. Not only was Dina kind, considerate, and listened well to the little girl, but she played along and actually "ordered food." Dina asked questions and put a lot of effort into playing and choosing food, and she didn't condescend or ignore the requests to play. When she had to help other clients, it was a great opportunity for me to teach my daughter how to wait until someone wasn't busy to continue talking to them, and it worked really well, as Dina continued to play with her, rewarding the good waiting behavior. My daughter was so taken with Dina and excited to play with her that she wanted to do it right. This also helped my normally shy daughter to talk to some of the other clients present when Dina was assisting others, and I was so delighted to see my daughter open up. The smiles on the other clients' faces and their questions and volunteering to "order food" too were magical, and Dina's willingness to play along and encourage my daughter to talk helped brighten everyone's otherwise probably-not-fun wait for mammograms.

When we came out of the appointment, I wanted to thank Dina, but it turned out she was down the hall. As I found her, she was printing up a little treat for my daughter, a "Cooking Certificate" to thank her for all the wonderful "cooking." Dina had already gone above and beyond great customer service, giving my daughter attention and treating us both like important customers, and then she went even further. My daughter loved it, and I loved it.

I really appreciate the great customer service. We generally get pretty good customer service at UCLA, but Dina went way above and beyond in her cheerful, wonderful efforts to talk to her customers. Even routine mammograms can be a little scary, but I've never been more at ease during a medical test. Please deeply thank Dina for us. I'm glad she's there to make everyone's experience great and especially for the clients who might be facing mammograms for cancer followups. Thank you, Dina! Your work at UCLA Health is excellent, and you are really making a difference in people's lives there!

By: SMS S.

Care Partner Irene provided exceptional care to my mom. She anticipates needs. I appreciate the extra effort she made to help make my mom more comfortable.

By: Gay M.

Everyone from check-in to discharge was professional, kind and helpful. Longest interaction was with Melissa J. Smith, RN. Despite a full recovery room to care for she was exceptionally attentive, patient and caring. I give Melissa, Dr. Nordstrom and all related faculty and staff a 10! Thank you!

By: Luz A.

Very kind and attentive'! Thank you for making my stay comfortable

By: Andrea B.

Today was very busy in outpatient surgery due to Memorial Day the day prior. All those working at Maddie's room today were well-organized, courteous, and accessible. They kept us informed and I could not be more pleased with their service! Thank you!

By: Aliza F.

I would like to thank Medina for her care, support and help in taking great care of me during my hospital stay. Great experience at UCLA. Thank you.

By: Jacqueline H.

Ashleigh is an angel personified! No request is too great or too small! She always gets the job done and she is always happy to help! Ashleigh's smile lights up a room and it shines bright right through the phone, as she couldn't possibly be more sincere! I am forever grateful to her for who she is and for all that she does!

By: Lori G.

I've been going to Dr. Hascall for about 3 or 4 years. He's an exceptional physician. He always does a thorough exam and is sure to address all your questions and concerns. He has a great beside manner, a sense of humor when appropriate, and does not rush you. He also takes time to talk to you about how your lifestyle choices may impact your health. I thought consistently excellent care should be acknowledged.

By: Michael H.

Throughout my 19 years spent at Ronald Reagan, Ani is the absolute best nurse I have ever had in the office. She is inspiring, hard-working, motivational, and displays everything a nurse should be. During only an hour visit, she left a very positive mark behind with me, and I am so thankful I had the chance to meet her during my visit!

By: Berkeley D.