Saint Francis Health Center

Dr Z is a great doctor and truly cares about the whole health of her patients. The physical therapists are also skilled practitioners. The reception staff are friendly. Highly recommend this group if you have an injury.

Went for a pre-​travel vaccination checkup and the physician on staff wasn’t remotely knowledgeable on the subject at all. He took a while and basically admitted to Googling things in the other room. They didn’t actually even have anything in stock (after claiming over the phone in advance they did) so essentially I was charged a few hundreds dollars for a doctor to read a computer for an hour.

My boyfriend has to have an emergency appendectomy while visiting San Francisco. He was ushered right into a room when he came into the emergency room. he didn’t have to wait for tests. The personnel could not have been nicer or taken better care of him. It is a small, homey hospital. We had no complaints.

Advantages:
— Most staff seem friendly
— Doctors seemed to have an understanding of how to treat the abdominal infection I had; however, they didn’t always proactively communicate this information
Disadvantages:
— Nurses seem more like nurse assistants; they do not seem to carry the competency necessary to execute their roles. They can perform technical tasks well but have difficulty thinking critically, explaining treatments, and connecting the dots
— Staff lack accountability for follow-​through. Many commitments were made to me during the course of my stay that were either forgotten or simply ignored (e.g., failing to request a strep throat test, not submitting meal orders, not calling your primary point of contact from the ER)
— Staff often cut you short in the middle of a question without fully understanding your question

I returned to the Health Center today for a work related injury and had an appointment with Dr. Zacharewicz. I had not seen her in over four years, but she remembered! I appreciated her taking thoughtful time with me, answering all my questions and arranging the follow up. Her staff was especially courteous when I phoned in for the appointment and when I contacted the receptionists at the front desk for check in. They handled all the paperwork and made the process easier for me.

I recently had PT here due to a broken ankle. I can’t say enough about this facility! The staff was friendly, knowing me by name for each appt. when I walked in the door. The place is spotless with state of the art equipment. My therapist, Martha, was smart, knowledgeable, personable and funny. She gave me great advice, exercises, massage and was very accessible. I had her email address for any questions or problems. After 5 weeks my mobility was improved (and very close to normal) and had a plan to work on my own after my therapy was over. Every appt. was on time! I’ve had a variety of injuries over the years, visiting other PT offices and this place is by far the best I’ve ever worked with. Can’t recommend them highly enough!

i went here a bunch of times for a workers comp related back injury.
the physical therapist that worked with me was holly.
she was GREAT. she knows her stuff and never rushes through the appointment.
i highly recommend her!

I had a terrible experience in their emergency room about two years ago. they were very unprofessional and billed me incorrectly. I had to go through a two year battle with them fighting incorrect bills it was absolutely ridiculous.

What a nightmare! I went to them for physical therapy and asked the price before my first session. She said she didn’t know. The 50 minute sessions were no more than what a pilates instructor would do. After 4 sessions, I got the invoice… over $ 1,000! If I had known the price, I would have gone to a pilates class instead… it would have been just as useful. My insurance company and I are now trying to work something out with their billing department but no one seems to work there. Just recorded messages and email forms that are never returned. It was almost impossible to find an address to send the complaint letter to (it turns out to be in Rancho Cordova by the way). I saw a group of people picketing outside the hospital. I’m so frustrated that I’m thinking of joining them!

Patrick helped me rehabilitate a torn hamstring and identified the ankle issue responsible for the injury that had gone un-​fixed by previous physical therapists. Great guy too!

I went to the center with hip, shoulder, and knee issues which, after six weeks of therapy, were either gone or greatly diminished. I also had enough instruction to continue the therapy at home as well as tips on how to avoid injury in the future (turns out I spent decades without learning how my shoulders work :-)).
My therapists were Julie (I think) who saw me the first week, Lisa who was my regular therapist, and Holly. Every one of them was incredibly friendly and pushed me to safe limits during recovery. By the fourth week, my shoulder pain had gone, I was getting some flexibility back into my hip, and my knee hurt less thanks to the work on my IT band.
If you want to see the same therapist each week, you will need to book according to their schedule. I did not realize this and booked times which were more suitable for me. In hindsight, seeing different therapists was a positive for me as they each suggested some different exercises, all of which helped me recover while keeping the homework more interesting.
The billing was fairly transparent. I managed to get a rough estimate of the cost per visit from the desk staff and was then able to determine how much to expect to pay after insurance — there were no surprises.
I was *extremely* happy with the PT. Thanks, guys!
P. S. Michael negative review below is for Dr. Clothier but it unfortunately lower the Unilocal score for the entire Health Center. Ryan and Jane’s bad reviews and Suzanne’s horror story also concern the MDs and the billing system and not the physical therapy center. Besides Phil’s review, the PT staff all seem to get deservedly good reviews.
P. P. S. I just got a whopping bill for my last two visits in July. I checked up on this and it appears that around that time, the center was renegotiating its contract with my insurance provider. My provider had them down as out-​of-​network but did not adjust my claim when the negotiation was complete. I got the claim readjusted but it’s a good reminder to always question your insurance claims. This wasn’t St. Francis’ fault.

I’ve come here to get help with various sports related injuries of the past few years and their physical therapy team always manages to fix me up and get me back to surfing or biking, etc. Patrick and Holly are great — very talented physical therapists that know what to do to get you back on your feet. The Active Release techniques they use work wonders

Efficient. Friendly serviceable at AT&T no less. And validated parking.

Got injured at work. My knee was swollen the size of a basketball and black and blue. I couldn’t walk on my leg. I begged the doctor to take an x-​ray, as it felt broken. She was VERY dismissive and told me the swelling would go down and it was not a big deal.
A year later, after the pain barely subsided (the swelling did go down, most of the time, but would come back now and then), oh gee, a different doctor at a different facility takes x-​rays and guess what? It was broken in the shin (hairline fracture) and my knee was dislocated. Without having been treated for those injuries I now have permanent damage and arthritis in that knee.
Because this was a Workers Comp claim, I was unable to have them re-​open the case since I waited too long (due to the doctors bad advice at the St. Francis Health Center at AT&T Park) and basically I am screwed.
Thanks a lot, St. Francis Health Center! Hopefully you treat the Giants better than you treated me.
BOOOO! HIIISSSSSSSSSS!!!

I had a literal pain in my neck and shoulders and numb tingly fingers. After filing for Worker’s Comp, I got to choose a facility. I worked 2 blocks from here and I’m a HUGE Giants fan, so naturally, I chose this place. (FYI, their «on-​hold music» is a recording of Giants game coverage… AWESOME.)
The nurses and assisting staff were super friendly. It became kinda funny going in and saying ‘hello’ to everyone by name, but also nice, because they knew my name, too. (Sort of like «Cheers» haha)
Health Center: I LOVE DR. Z. I have never had a doctor who was attentive and genuinely cared for my health. I felt very comfortable with her and never felt like she was just hurrying past me to get to her next patient. She is a smart, kind and wonderful doctor. :) «Squeeze the badness out!» Hugs for you, always, Dr. Z!
Physical Therapy: GIGI, ED & HOLLY… hollllaaaaa! The front desk people were awesome. They know the patients by name and were so patient with scheduling. Gigi & Ed = yay! :)
Holly was frickin’ awesome. She’s serious about her work but also was super easy to talk to. She introduced me to my new best friend, the styrofoam roller for my back and shoulders. PT didn’t feel like a chore, because she showed me how important it was for general health (not just for my WC case).
Overall, it was unfortunate that I had all that pain, but it was such a blessing in the end, because I got to meet all of these wonderful people. I had almost lost my faith in healthcare (not an exaggeration) but after coming here, I realized, hey! there are people who really do take their healthcare jobs seriously and truly care about teh well-​being of patients… like me! :D
Thank you, Saint Francis Health Center, for everything. :)

I started seeing Dr. Holly Klopfer about 3 years ago. I decided to become a runner (hah!) and was having terrible hip pain. I didn’t really want cortisone shots and I didn’t really want to stop running so I figured going to see a PT was my best course. Holly was great, she always made my hip feel better after seeing her and I always left with «homework» which when I was doing consistently made me stronger and made my runs less painful.
Fast forward about a year and I was still running (sort of) pain free. Then I got pregnant and had a whole host of new ailments. (at least I didn’t have to run anymore ;)) From my ribs popping out to carpal tunnel in my wrists (yes, that is a real ailment) to generally being uncomfortable… I went to see Holly to get myself back on track. Needless to say — she was great.
So overall I would recommend Holly, she (and her staff) are all professional and will work with you to get your body functioning at 100%. Now if only she would babysit…

I was treated for my injury by Dr. Holly Klopfer Holton and she gave me the best attention and treatment. I went back very well, and I am performing now as before.
Her exercises become part of my daily routine. The facility have a best location, the whole staff is great.
Richard Kreibich

I have nothing but praise for this physical therapy clinic. Let’s start with the location. For someone who lives in South Beach, it doesn’t get any better than this. It has million dollar views of the water and is right in the first floor of the ballpark.
I have been getting treated for carpal tunnel and shoulder problems. Holly is my physical therapist. She is highly knowledgeable and supportive, and what’s more, I’m feeling a lot better. The clinic seems to have a large repertoire of treatment techniques including some that are cutting edge.
The reception staff are courteous and address you by name. The place is very clean and includes an exercise area.
I would recommend St. Francis Health Center PT without reservation.

For years I have been struggling with a hip injury from a college wrestling match. Two surgeries and years of physical therapy had done little to improve my situation; however, I have been working with Holly Klopfer of St. Francis Memorial Hospital and have FINALLY found some relief and improvement. A lot of physical therapy relies on the patient’s ability to perform their prescribed stretch and workout home work. Holly is a fantastic motivator and a great physical therapist; she has set me on a realistic path to recovery. I recommend her and St Francis Memorial Hospital!
Since my hip has been getting better I have been much more active and have shed over 30 pounds.
I feel GREAT!

Super helpful, super friendly, super considerate. This place is a far cry from the typical «hurry-​up and wait» doctors’ office around this City. I was assisted by a great medical staff and doctor — they got me right in at my scheduled time and got straight to work. Definite thumbs up — and this is coming from a guy who hates going to the doctor’s office.

I walked in here reluctantly because I didn’t have full health insurance at the time. However, I had horrible jaw pain for about a week and nothing was helping. We’re talking the kind of pain that prevents sleeping, eating and working.
I’m put in a queue and they tell me it’ll take about an hour and a half, so I go back to work with my poor jaw. When I return I wait a few minutes and I’m taken in. I waited forever for the doctor to come in, and when he did show up he asked a couple of questions, gave me the blanket diagnosis of TMJ and is out of there before I know it. He told me to take four Motrin a few times a day and not stress out as much.
The pain went away on its own a few days later. Then I got the bill and it’s quite a bit. What a waste; now I’m stressed again.

Staring at a giant photo of the hot bod of one of my all time favorite Giants pitchers, Robb Nen, I nearly forgot I was in for some serious medical treatment. In need of some immediate urgent care, as well as TLC, I am so happy I came across this clinic during a search for local providers in my insurance PPO network. I had no idea until I called the number that the facility was a part of AT&T Park. And although I didn’t have a sports injury, I walked in and was seen promptly.
Upon arriving, I saw that they were proudly displaying their «People Love Us on Unilocal» sticker. Giants ballpark + Unilocaler approved = instantly well me. Emotionally, at least. Although externally I seemed just fine, I knew that internally, something was abnormal.
Andrea, the NP, and Dr. Moy were extremely friendly and made me feel at ease during the exam. On my follow up visit, I saw Dr. Zacharewicz, who was super nice and also very professional. She also took the time to refer me to a specialist.
I think that it was the lack of preemptive symptoms along with my fear of doctors that led to my current physical predicament (please don’t worry about me, though I’m praying it won’t get worse!). But knowing that I can get urgent care here, my fears have subsided, so next time I’ll get myself some medical attention sooner.
The recent news from friends about their friends suddenly passing has been a huge wake up call. We should all be reminded of how precious life is and to express our love every waking moment. So, please take care of yourself, and your loved ones.
And not to be preachy in this review, I’d like to share this inspirational prayer as I was reminded of it from this clinic’s namesake, and the namesake of my high school — Prayer of St. Francis:
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.