Lyon Martin Health Services

I liked Lyon Martin when I started going there in 2013 for trans healthcare, but some of the changes they’ve made over the past year really concern me. I posted a review here in October about a 10-​minute conversation with a social worker that got billed as a 30-​minute psychotherapy visit, then updated my review after HealthRight360 called me and waived the bill.
Unfortunately, I just got another bill for psychotherapy that didn’t happen. In early December, I called to make an appointment to get a prescription refill. The receptionist told me that my provider was out for the month, and that they would have another doctor fill out the prescription, and I would meet with a social worker to pick up the prescription. I had that appointment on 12/​17, and met with the social worker for about 10 – 15 minutes.
Today I got the bill for that visit. They billed my insurance $ 250 for 45 minutes of psychotherapy. They didn’t get the bill in until ¹⁄₁₃; since it was after the first of the year, my deductible reset and my insurance only paid them $ 19. Then, on 1/​25, the bill has a line «SLIDING SCALE ADJ/​PROMPT PAY», and shows a payment of $ 186, leaving $ 45 balance due. I’ve never been on sliding scale at Lyon Martin, so I’m not sure whether that’s a mistake or if it’s because they didn’t want to charge me my 2016 deductible for an appointment in 2015. (It’s hard to complain about not having to pay $ 186, but their finances are tight, so I hate to see them losing money on something like this.)
I switched to One Medical early this year, but I’d still recommend Lyon Martin as a place to start HRT. I love Lyon Martin’s mission, but something is going very wrong with their billing. I hope they sort it out.

the best transgender health care primary care provider for the entire san francisico bay area, ive been comeing here for 8+ years they rock!

I don’t have any bad words for staff or doctors. I could get very lengthy but I don’t need to I have learned more valuable lessons. The trans community is only there for some. I am better off on my own.

I came here wanting healthcare. I left wanting to die. Their problems don’t end in reception/​scheduling/​admin. It’s even worse under their MD, Nick Gorton. I’m in so much pain now…

Lyon Martin has been my regular office for a few years now and after today I really needed to write a review. After having been to several doctors, this one knocks them all out of the park. It has an unassuming exterior and interior but I don’t care about that.
My doctor, Yvonne Piper, and medical assistant, April, are beyond fantastic. Both are understanding, kind, and professional. They make the doctor’s office feel like a «human» place to be. As someone who hates going to the doctor’s office, this really matters to me. Today I had a blood test which I’ve managed to avoid for 10+ years due to my unnatural fear of needles and blood. I explained this all to April and she was super gentle throughout the entire process. I truly appreciated it!
Yvonne is also very accommodating and I like that she doesn’t just try to deal with issues by prescribing medications. She is very good at listening and empathizing with patients’ concerns.
The front desk has always been responsive and helpful and I’ve never had trouble getting appointments, even last-​minute.
I’m so happy that I tried Lyon Martin from my BFF’s recommendation and I will continue to go here as long as I possibly can. I also really like their 100% non-​judgmental atmosphere and acceptance of everyone.
I almost didn’t want to write a review so I could keep this a secret but they deserve it!

Today I called the Lyon-​Martin office to file a formal complaint and was quickly called back by the Medical Director, who listened to my complaint, responded ideally — apologizing for my experience and promising to explore my chart to make improvements on their standards of care. I deeply appreciated her professionalism but felt I should still submit this review, hoping it would aid other new patients to advocate for themselves.
I came in after not having health insurance for the past three years. My health concerns were very specific and I received the exact same LACK of treatment on both. I will only detail one of those concerns here:
I had injured my knee nearly two years ago, was never diagnosed due to my lack of insurance. I was sent for an X-​Ray by a nurse practitioner. She then told me she didn’t know what was wrong exactly and said she would refer me to an orthopedic office for further diagnosis and potentially physical therapy. She did not — here is what she did:
Referred me for physical therapy only: I may not be a doctor but I know enough to know a sustained long term knee injury needs to be diagnosed by a Doctor, not a physical therapist. On my last visit, she lied and said I would be getting a call for a referral she never made and kept repeating «unfortunately» followed by either she didn’t know what was wrong OR that the ONE XRAY was the only option we had to diagnose it. She never touched it, looked at it, physically observed the very obvious damage (if I bend my knee, you can see from the skin surface a large bump that moves and also clicks loudly. It also hurts like hell, swells up frequently with too much activity and when very bad, causes swelling in my ankle and appears bruised). She alternated between saying she didn’t know and there was nothing more that could be done. Ummm, MRI? Recommend RICE and Ibuprophen at the very least? a knee brace maybe? I mean I figured this much out just googling treatment options — how does a nurse practitioner just say «I don’t know.»
Offer me Anti-​Depressants: its not MY problem YOU don’t know whats happening to me — I don’t need to be put on anti-​depressants, I need medical care.
I think there is a lot that these folks do right, I personally love working with nurse practitioners and have received exceptional care from them in the past. But if you chose them as your provider — remember to STAND UP for yourself, advocate for yourself and keep pushing until you get at least a diagnosis, dare I say treatment? If you look at the reviews, I am not the only one who has experienced this kind of treatment from LM — you can look for Joshua F’s review — very similar experience.

Everyone here is an angel, from the phlebotomists to the reception. So much support navigating bureaucracy, illness and other terrible stuff. Amazing.

Nope.
I scheduled an appointment to sign up for HSF only to have them call me and say that the «sign-​up gal», who shall not be named, did not come in and that they needed to rescheduled. So we did so for two days later. And yet again, she who shall not be named was not there so they called and canceled and I chose not to call back and reschedule.
A couple of days later I get a call as a reminder about my appointment for my exam — the one I have no insurance for (see previous bitching about missing «sign-​up gal») and when I called back to speak to someone, the voicemail said they were closed. On Wednesday. When they’re open. After 9am. Three times.
This annoys me in so many ways. Mostly because I had to tell my contract employer about the booking and canceling of three appointments, which required six annoying emails. Not so cool on a temp job.
Very disappointed.

I have been going to this clinic for 13 years, and have relied on it for preventative health care (blood work, pap smears, gyn exams). On the positive side, most of the staff go out of their way to help and 95% of my visits are fine. I’ve had especially good experiences with consulting psychiatrist Allie May, patient care coordinator Maureen Rees, medical assistant Cameron McCaugherty, front office manager Ivette Vazquez, and integrated behavioral health specialist Raquel Reyes. I hope for more such interactions in the future.
On the negative side, turnover has beem high for the past 3 – 4 years, and it seems I get a different NP or MD more than once a year. Twice staff were rude to me or brushed off my concerns. Maybe they were unhappy and wanting out. Neither person still works there. But it felt really bad to ask for help and get it grudgingly. Overall, I am still going to go back and hope for improvements. I just wonder whether there’s a better option for Medi-​Cal participants like me.

I visited Lyon-​Martin yesterday. For me, this represented a very desperate last attempt to find any help at all. I had $ 200 left to my name and had to spend $ 60 on public transportation to make the six hour trip there. I had no medical insurance. I arrived very early because I had no idea how long it would take to get there, so I left my town early enough to allow for a couple hours of getting lost. Because of this, I ended up hanging out in the lobby for a really really long time.
During my waiting period in the lobby, I wasn’t sure how to react to the acceptance and kindness of the staff. I am accustomed to receiving enough ugly looks from people that I hardly ever leave my house, so for me it was very unsettling that the staff kept trying to make small talk. I kind of became awkward and reclusive because of this, trying to keep to myself, but later felt bad for passing on the chance to have human contact. At this point, however, I was still fearful that I might have just spent over a quarter of my remaining money for nothing, that I might not receive any help at all, or that I might receive help only on conditions that I was unable or unwilling to meet.
Having grown up in the military, my only experience with doctors prior to this was with military doctors who always seemed to feel put upon and dismissive of my concerns. I really was not prepared for how willing my doctor was to truly address the issues I brought before her and how ready she was to help resolve them.
My only complaint would be that they ran about 35 minutes behind schedule, so I came extremely close to getting stuck in San Francisco for the night. (I am being quite literal when I say that if the trolley I took to pier 39 had taken 45 seconds longer to get there, I would have missed my bus back to the Amtrak station.) However, I’m not going to hold this against them. I had never actually planned out how I was getting home, so it wouldn’t have been possible at all if I hadn’t received such useful instruction from the staff on how to get around. My doctor was also sympathetic to my being in a rush and did her best to help to work with the limited time I had.
I was able to sign up for medi-​cal while I was there. There were occasions in the process where I was deeply concerned that because I was missing documentation that I wasn’t going to be able to finish applying for this medical insurance. I was assured at every obstacle that this would not interfere with me being helped. The documents I was missing ended up being able to be replaced on the spot. I have no job and thus no income, so I had no way of proving the income I didn’t have. They simply had me write out a form to act in place of this.
I went in full of fear, resigned to the fact that there was probably no hope, but acting purely on the knowledge that I had to at least try. I am embarrassed to say that I was distrustful every step along the way. I couldn’t escape the fear that at some point I was going to encounter an insurmountable obstacle like I always have. It wasn’t until I left that I truly realised the value of everything I had received there. My heart is still full of warmth for the feelings I had on the train ride home. I haven’t felt this much hope or relief since I escaped the military life.
As an aside, I love San Francisco. This was only my second time going there. I was there the whole day and not one person said anything mean or rude to me. Taking the trolley on my way home, a little girl even sat next to me. I was mortified because I expected her parents to snatch her up out of the seat. I don’t «pass» in the slightest, and where I live, in similar circumstances, the parents would have made a scene and not let their daughter sit next to me. I am used to being treated like some kind of monster, so I was really touched that the natives here let me have my humanity.
It was a beautiful day that I won’t ever forget.

The two stars are for the amazing nurses and lab techs! The rest… well, that. I have been going to LM since I moved to California over 4 years ago. They have always been trans awesome, and friendly. They helped me get on hormones, and when I needed them at another time, anti depressants. Then, it turns out I have Celiac’s disease, which is really painful and life quality hurting when not diagnosed or take care of. It took over a year of going back to LM once a month or so, saying the same symptoms for them to order a very simple blood test to confirm Celiac’s. The doctor kept saying the symptoms were anxiety related, although my anxiety was way reduced. I was just really sick. It is inexcusable to have to wait a year for a simple blood test.
Then, in December, I started having dropping spells, which are actually seizures. I went there and the doctor saw me for 5 minutes, said to eat more, and said I might be anemic or need more vitamins. No blood tests were taken. No follow up. The next couple weeks I ended up in the hospital, with bills I couldnt pay, because the doctor didnt recognize the symptoms I was telling her. If she had, even a follow up would have been great. Any test that would have shown that she was being through with the care I was receiving.
It hurts me to write this review, because LM is at the core, great. I love their mission, and dedication to serving people who have otherwise barriers to health care. I wish it was just better there for people dealing with non completely basic health care. Now i have to find a new doctor, and go through the whole trans talk, and everything… ugh. I’m not saying dont go, just to be mindful, and maybe have an advocate with you, if you need one :/

This is a highly inappropriate organization and I recommend you do not come here if you expect any level of consideration or respect as a patient. Especially Heather is incredibly inappropriate. The manager attempted to address my concerns but nothing can take away the profundity of disrespect and violation I experienced. I do not recommend Lyon-​Martin to anyone in any level of psychic pain. Stay away from Lyon-​Martin.

I’ve gone here for over 15 years, off/​on depending on when I had Kaiser or no health insurance. Lyon Martin saved my life on many occasions during peak periods of distress, financial ruin, several medical diagnoses issues.
Each team member has delivered kind, sincere, respectful care and support. I feel welcomed. There’s no judgement or pretense. (only one person has shown attitude — careful not to hire hipsters).
If I won the lottery, they’d get such a HUGE donation. Lyon Martin is a critically important women’s health clinic. Their services and care for the SF LGBT community have left me nearly singing while I walk out the door following appointments. How about that eh? Service w/​a smile, a caring heart. Doesnt get any better.
Thank you so much!

LOVE Lyon Martin. As A trans woman this place has been clean, cool, understanding and on top of things. If I could give a billion dollars to this place I would.

Simply a life-​saving service provider for some of the most marginalized people in San Francisco. They are the *****only***** medical provider that has ever treated me with respect as a trans woman. They’ve never once slipped on my pronouns, appropriate forms of address, or my preferred name. Way to make a trans person feel good!
The doctors are experts in their fields and can interact with trans people without the usual gaffs you get elsewhere. Yvonne is the first doctor who ever used the word «cis» with me unsolicited. That felt amazing. I always look forward to my appointments.
Not to mention, Lyon-​Martin, despite their extremely limited resources is able to provide some pretty full-​featured services, including a lab (thank gods no LabCorp!), social workers, therapists, support groups, and other great services.
Go to Lyon-​Martin. Forgive them if they’re not perfect in every way. They’re on a mission to give healthcare to people who normally receive little or none. Appreciate them for their many strengths, forgive them for their occasional limitations.

NP Yvonne Piper is the shit! I can barely feel her pelvic exams– it’s like the speculum isn’t even in there. Plus, we get to chat about Fluevogs, plus. she is warm, thorough and caring.
Lyon Martin’s always worked really hard to give good health services in the face of funding problems, which sometimes meant you got awesome queer friendly treatment but had to deal with long wait times. But not anymore! In the past six months, their wait times have gotten hugely better. At my appointment this week, I was in and out in a half an hour, got a same day appointment, and had thorough, awesome service.

Initially this was a one star review. If you want to see why, read below.
Most recently, I had a good (and very friendly) experience with Dr. Nora and she went out of her way to help me get some needed (legal transition) paperwork together. It definitely revived my faith in the usefulness and importance of having trans-​allies in the medical profession since it seemed like an impossible headache to get these docs from anywhere else. I also was reminded by how nice the medical assistants and office people are when you actually get ‘em in person.
Nonetheless, the disorganization IS a major problem – and I will still still to Lifelong for the real medical care. It’s just too hard to see an actual doc at Lyon Martin and too much scheduling headache.
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Previous Review:
I really want to love Lyon Martin. I’ve loved so many LGBT clinics over the years, experienced great, sensitive, dedicated and easy logistical care. But I do not love Lyon Martin. Maybe it’s the budget cuts that have made services so difficult to access and quality of care so low, but in any case, I’ve had (ALMOST) my crappiest medical experiences ever there (and that’s saying a lot for a trans patient).
Issues:
1) scheduling appointments/​the phone tree/​office
Like someone else said, this is a beast. 9 times out of 10, I’m bumped to a message that says they’re closed even when the hours say they’re open. Sometimes this may be a lunch hour issue (which is at different times different days), but a lot of times it seems like the phone line is off until 15 minutes after they open or 15 before they close or 15 after they return from lunch. I find I have to call 4 – 5 times in a row during non-​lunch hour to even get put on hold.
Fours times I’ve requested medical records sent to my home or faxed to other doctors (and gotten confirmation from the office) and never once has it happened.
2) quality of care:
Granted, I’ve only seen Dr. Nora, so maybe other people are better. She’s been rude, treated me with condescension and seemed uncomfortable with my body during paps — all reasons I avoid non-​trans-​friendly docs in the first place!
I had a recurrent yeast infection and she prescribed dose after dose (maybe ten in all?) of flucanazole, not blinking an eye when the infection didn’t go away or trying anything new. She said she would test the strain of yeast, but didn’t. She also ignored my complaints of UTI-​like symptoms (I tested negative) that turned out to be a chronic inflammatory disease called interstitial cystitis. (I found out when I switched to the much, much better Alameda County public health insurance.)
3) wait times
I once left work early to get to a late afternoon appointment, then had to wait 2 hours to see a doctor. I received no apology and no one even checked in with me to let me know what was going on! Since I live far away and was going to be walking home from BART, I would have just left if I’d known there was such a wait. Other times, I’ve had to wait 10 – 40 minutes, then been left another 10 – 20 sitting in the doc’s office. The shorter waits are sort of par for course with no insurance medical care, but still, it’s frustrating.
I STRONGLY recommend Lifelong Medical Care in Berkeley for other uninsured east bay trans patients.

Once again., it’s the front office. Their telephone tree is *multiple* layers deep, just in order to schedule an appointment… and then when you get to that extension, you get voice mail. They have *got* to fix the front office operations. The folks at the front seem bent on prevention clients from getting care.
This morning I sat in the exam room for close to twenty minutes before my provider saw me. Somethings’ wrong with their scheduling.
It’s frustrating to to be told by the media that consumers need to be in charge of our health care, only to have these self appointed gate keepers putting barriers (and yes, multi layer telephone tree can be a barrier) up that make that so very difficult.

I love Lyon Martin because it’s the only clinic I’ve ever been to that I have felt completely cared for as a member of the trans* community, especially if you have to do a pap when you feel like you have a penis.
They do their best with the horrible budget cuts and fundraising they need to do because they are a free clinic. Nothing less than 5 stars is warranted because they are also as accommodating as they can be with all their short staffing and endless patient list.

Thank you Lyon Martin for saving my rear end yet again! Liz is awesome, but has now left which is a bit unnerving, her replacement isn’t as personable, which does not mean that she’s any less capable, it does mean that I’m less likely to make an appointment which they may consider to be a plus.
Lyon Martin have been there for me during a couple of annoying and unnerving health problems. I think they are awesome, and I hope they manage to survive.