Renee MacLeod

no empathy makes for a bad experience, never going back to her or an institution that employees someone like her

I recently went to Renee MacLeod’s office for a checkup and to figure out what was going on with me. I had been sick for months straight. When I went there she really only told what wasn’t wrong with me but left out what WAS wrong with me. I felt pretty drained after the visit but still had hope that my test results would shed some light. About a week later I got a note from my FATHER telling me what my results were. Now, let me clarify, I am a ADULT and she decided to do this! It ended up just being a deficiency in a few things but none of the less it was extremely uncomfortable having to hear from my father. Her tactics are just plain unethical and she really is NOT someone I would recommend to anyone. Sensitivity and anonymity are crucial and she just doesn’t have those two things down.

I have seen her several times. I am a business owner and a father of four — I really don’t have time to listen to the poor attitudes that they hire as co-​pay hustlers. Not a single time were my needs or wants ever exceeded, not even just plain met. I would highly recommend seeing Dr. Paul in Redondo. They actually care. This doctor cares, just not about you, your health or your desire to be open with the person you are paying. She would have been a much better banker or cop.

Definitely NOTHING negative here. One of the best doctors and staff I have ever encountered. I would highly recommend.

Dr. Macleod is awesome! I have been going to Dr. Macleod for about 12 — 13 years now, as well as my wife and we love her. We have recommended our friends over the years and they have also never left. Miriam who has also been with Dr. Macleod this entire time is like a best friend; she and Dr. Macleod have been great to us and we have seen our health get better each year because of their care, advise and support.
We highly recommend Dr. Macleod and her staff.
Thanks,
John Riley

I have been going to Dr. MacLeod since I moved to California in 2001. A couple of years ago I decided to change my teenager daughter over from her childhood pediatrician to Dr. MacLeod. The first appointment went very well but when I called today for an appointment, I was told that the Dr. is no longer my daughter’s Dr. because she doesn’t see anyone under 18. Since when? She is still listed with my insurance as my family Dr.
The receptionist was so rude and argued with me and insisted that my daughter was not seen by the Dr. before except in Urgent Care. My daughter has never been to urgent care but the receptionist insisted she was right. I asked if I could speak to the Dr. but the receptionist told me that I couldn’t. I asked who would she recommend to take my daughter to for female issues and she referred me to a Pediatrician in our network. I asked for the new Dr. s names so I could look them up on line before I made the appointment for the same day knowing that my daughter would need to feel comfortable with a new doctor. The pediatrician is a 70 YEAR OLD MAN!!! Why would my doctor refer a 15 year old girl with female questions to a 70 year old male pediatrician?
As of today, I have changed my network and will no longer go to Dr. MacLeod nor will I recommend her as I have for many years.

I have been going to Dr. Macleod for over 10 years. Last year I went to her with a problem where I suddenly could not hear out of one of my ears. She looked in my ear and said there was congestion and told me to get Sudafed and use a nasal spray she prescribed. This did not help. I tried calling her several times to let her know that that I still couldn’t hear and nothing was helping. I left messages for her and she never called back. I ended up going to a Ear/​Nose/​Throat specialist (my insurance does not require a referral) on my own, and found out there was no congestion, but that a virus had attacked the nerve in my ear. So, she totally mis-​diagnosed it and on top of that never returned my calls. I was going to give her another chance this year, for my physical, but my appointment was rescheduled twice and then they lost my bloodwork. I tried talking to Dr. Macleod directly to explain why I was contemplating going to a new Dr., and she was completely rude to me on the phone and denied that she had gotten any messages from me. Even though I was trying to point out to her that I believed the probelm might be with her staff not giving her the messages, she still did not want to hear it. This Dr and her staff are totally unprofessional. I will be finding a new Dr.

I’ve had great experiences with Dr. Macleod and I’ve seen her than a few times. I love her nursing staff and she is easy going and a very nice woman. Every time I have seen her, she has conversed with me very easily and shown a genuine interest in me as a patient and addressed any concerns I had about my health. She has never rushed me or made me feel like she did not have time for me. It’s a very common practice at all Dr.‘s offices for the nurse to take your vitals and see you before the Dr comes in so the negative comments about the Dr. baffle me. I would continue and do refer her to friends and family.

I saw Dr. MacLeod about 2 years ago for a pap exam. I really liked her style. She was very easy to talk to and called me with the results.
I did not go for my annual pap last year because I was unemployed and without insurance. Struggling financially, I could not afford luxuries like a pap exam.
I finally found employment and benefits. The first thing I did when I got my health plan was to check to be sure Dr. MacLeod was in network. To my joy she was. I immediately called to arrange for an appointment to have my pap and was greeted with what can only be described as the used car sales approach. I said «yes I’d like to schedule my pap, I didn’t have one last year and I am overdue». The «sales rep» which is the only way to describe her says «when did you last have a full physical» I said «well about 2 yrs ago. I have a family doctor, you know Dr.______» My doctor is well known in the area. She continues with the high pressure. I tell her «well when I come in for the pap, I can discuss it with the doctor, but right now, I need the pap». She makes the appointment.
I arrive at the scheduled time. No one else is in the office except for the staff. I’m thinking I must be the first appointment of the day. I give the assistant my new medical insurance card and she takes a copy, but holds onto my card. For the next 20 mins she is on the phone I guess calling my insurance. Asking detailed questions about payments, what’s covered. Meanwhile, there is nothing to read except for outdated Sports Illustrated magazines and numerous point of sale displays for weight loss medication and wrinkle repair creams. I am always suspicious of a doctor who sells such products when the staff looks like they have never used them, if you know what I mean.
Finally I am summoned to the window where my co-​pay is demanded and my card is finally returned. I wait another 10 – 15 mins, why I do not know as there is only me and the staff. What am I waiting for?
I am called eventually. I am weighed. My blood pressure is taken and then I am asked «what brings you here today». GOD do I hate that. Don’t you know??? I am sure appointments and the time allotted for them are based on why the patient is there, so why do they always ask? I can see there is a checklist already attached to my chart she is holding where the medical biller has already checked off «why I am there» so that NO billing is missed.
I tell her I am there for a pap exam. She looks at the chart and says «oh, we don’t have you down for that. It’s only blood work today» OKAY… so if you knew that why did you ask «what brings you here today».
I tell her I made an appointment for a pap exam. She says «well let me check with the doctor to see if he has any time because we don’t have that scheduled» She returns a few seconds later and says «sorry we already have 2 paps scheduled today, the doctor will not have time» WTF?
How much time is needed to do blood work and other testing versus a pap exam? Seems like about the same amount of time to me.
Anyway…I decide I will have to leave. I will say when I made the appointment, I was told Dr. MacLeod was on an «extended leave» not sure what all that is about. With her being absent, it might explain why the office isn’t being run as it was 2 yrs ago. I hope Dr. MacLeod is okay and it is not anything serious. I wish her the best but until she returns… don’t think I will be scheduling anything at her office.
Anyone know a good gynecologist in the South Bay/​Torrance area?

Negative reviews here come from before she switched to SignatureMD service, and she was getting a pretty bad squeeze-​play from insurance companies. Alas, these reviews are accurate.
Now, you must chuck out monthly payments (not covered by insurance) to book a visit. You’re basically paying her to keep patient counts low and insurance bureaucracy off her ass. It’s a completely different experience.
After 5+ years of being Dr Macleod’s patient, where the last 2 were under SignatureMD, I felt for once that my health mattered more than insurance policies or busy doctor schedules. I never waited for appointments. Paying for SignatureMD is well worth the money, as my health is worth every dime. Ideally, all health care should be this good.

I don’t know where all of these negative reviews are coming from but when I went to her the staff and Dr. Macleod were all extremely nice and helpful. There was no wait, I had to fill out new paperwork and everything and I was still in and out within 30 minutes. I loved it. She’s awesome and makes you feel very comfortable.

Dr. MacLeod is the best doctor I have ever been to. A few months ago, I became very sick with whooping cough, which is difficult to diagnose unless you are a specialist and she did everything she could until I went to the specialist. This included seeing me multiple times during a month period with only notice of an hour or so before I went in. I never had to wait and she was very good with me. When I went to the pulmonary specialist and showed him everything Dr. MacLeod had prescribed to me, he said that he had never seen anyone do such a full spectrum treatment and that if was the best he had ever seen. I will never go to another primary care practitioner again, while I am living in this area.

I read the negative reviews and was suprised as I had a different experience. I’ve been there twice and was treated very nicely by the doctor and I did not have to wait to be seen. She is under a different type of provider plan, which allows her more time with the patients. She was attentive, and responded to my issues by running the correct battery of tests, and then consulting with me on the results. I felt the meds she prescribed were correct, and she listened to my concerns about the type of medication and tailored the plan to that.
Not sure if she’s made changes since the last reviews were posted in ²⁰⁰⁷⁄₂₀₀₈ — but my appointments were both in 2009 and those issues seemed to be fixed.

i went here for a few years and it seemed like the dr never had time for me. the nurses did everything, she’d walk in and ask me how i was and after a couple mins would say you have a sinus infection. and the end.
i did not like this place and complained about it everytime i went because it seemed like they just try to see as many patients as they could in a day. i was always on time, i’d wait outside for at least half an hour. then go in and sit there for another at LEAST 30 mins…
for a physical they made me go in a couple times, once to check my weight and everything, then to get blood drawn, then to check the results… so i’d have to pay a copay so many times for one physical! ridiculous.
i just started going to a new dr and he actually talks to me and asks if i have any questions… he even pointed out something unrelated to the reason of my visit! new territory for me.
she’s recently joined some program where if you pay more you’ll get to see her, if not its the assistant for you… i forget the details

I started going to Dr. MacLeod because a friend was raving about her. After a couple physicals I started getting annoyed that appointments took so long here. They would give you an appointment time, and even though you were diligent enough to show up on time they would never call you in on time and even when you were taken inside you would still need to wait around for the doctor to come in and see you.
Here are some brief examples of why I had to stop going here.
–I showed her an odd mole on my leg. She told me not to worry and that it would go away. TWO YEARS later her PA noticed it and sent me to a dermatologist who had to surgically remove it because it was precancerous and now I have a horrible scar.
–I was perscirbed something that if she had looked at my medical history she would have known I shouldn’t be perscribed.
–Whenever I called with a question I was expected to discuss my private and personal medical issues with the bitchy front office staff who relay messages to the Doctor and then call me back with her response.
–I received a voicemail telling me the results of an exam I had taken (the results were bad) I then received a call saying those were not my results.
–I kept telling the doctor about symptoms I was having and she didn’t take me seriously. I even glanced at the notes the Dr. had scribbled on my chart once only to read that she had written something along the lines of me being a hypochondriac. Well, what she failed to diagnose ended up being FULL BLOWN endometriosis that I had to go to another doctor to get diagnosed and surgically treated for.
The best part… wait for it… my roommate and I were sitting at a bar one day swapping doctor horror stories only to learn we were both talking about Dr. Macleod!!!