Lee Renee Chen, DO

I am reading a lot of one star reviews. I came here a few months ago. excited to have an office so close to my work that is affliated with the Hopkins name. I actually went to business school at Hopkins and sat next to some nice hospital administrators who were working on their MD/​MBa combination.
My affection for them and all that they thought me about patient care later helped me when I worked for DC DOH in the Health Regulation and Licensing Administration for a year. I had expectations that were obviously misplaced.
Let me provided the objective facts. I had blood work taken that they took more than a month to provide results. I had an urgent concernn about my health – they never returned the phone call.
The subjective factors – she was not curious. The front desk staffer is very curt and bordeline unprofessional. And I didn’t particular find them interested in patient care. Health isn’t my background. I worked alongside the best professionals and spent a year working for DC DOH.
What I learned is that the small nuiances are what could mean the difference in life and death. Your doctors ability to be a little more than someone who checks the box on a form can mean the difference in catching something early and saving your life… or not. I will be changing providers. I will also share with my colleagues my horrible experience.
I expected more from the Johns Hopkins name… which sits on my wall.

My husband comes to this practice and I really gave it several more chances than I would have on my own because he loves it so much and has had good experiences. The staff at the front desk are always nice and professional. Booking an initial appointment was a hassle, I think due to JHU. It can be difficult to reach the actual office.
On multiple occasions I have had a long wait with no check-​in or explanation. After 45 minutes in the middle of a workday you’d think you’d at least get an acknowledgement and apology.
I’ve had negative experiences with at least two nurses, one of whom I’ve seen behave uncivilly on two separate occasions. The nurses do most of the intake so it’s frustrating that some of them are off-​putting personality wise. I definitely don’t like sharing extremely personal information in that environment.
Dr. Chen Lee seems competent but frankly I find her to be over-​reliant on diagnostic testing and conservative in treatment. I have left her office several times feeling like it was a waste of time and money because she doesn’t do anything to help my various complaints other than run tests to confirm my symptoms. Today she repeated a test I had had ONE week before, even though I explained that, I clearly stated I didn’t want it, and her office had already requested the results from the provider who gave me the test in the first place. Surprise, surprise, the test came out the same as before but I still have to pay for it.
The heart of a dr patient relationship is trust. I don’t feel like Dr. Chen Lee trusts me and I have lost trust in her. I recommend you see someone else. FWIW my husband is happy seeing her husband.

The review is about the hospital protocol, their discriminating policy and customer service. No comments on the doctors as I didn’t get to see one.
I called this morning to schedule appointment with Dr. Lee or any internal medicine provider at John Hopkins, accepting new patients for an urgent medical condition. Receptionist, Terry C./Perry C. took my basic information– name, DOB, address, phone number, insurance provider, marital status etc. She went on to ask my mother’s maiden name. This was new! I chided my concern that it’s too much information before even knowing whether or not she will be able to schedule an appointment at all. She said that she can’t register me nor look for a doctor without that information. With no other choice I complied. Then she asked my ethnicity. I answered. Then she asked if I was a US citizen. Now I was alarmed. I said I was uncomfortable with the line of questioning and would rather not answer. I needed to know if an appointment was available or not and the name of the doctor. Very reluctantly, after being asked multiple times she gave me the name of the doctor who was available to see me. I had to ask her several more times to spell Dr. Qandeel Soomro for me. She refused to make an appointment unless I provide her with my legal status and visa status in the country. She probably had more questions for me in bank but I asked to speak to her supervisor. Her supervisor, Victoria Brewer was condescending and had same dismissive attitude. She had contradicting answers to all my questions. She tried to explain that the visa related questions were asked to determine if I had an international health insurance card or domestic. I wonder how many such calls do they get and isn’t that apparent from the health insurance information? She went on to explain that they were trying to determine right doctor fit for me based on my ethnicity. Am I on
Isn’t it my right as a patient to choose a doctor? She said many discriminating statements which hopefully will be heard by someone in Patients Relations (if the conversation was recorded and not erased so far)
At the end I asked for Terry’s/Perry’s full name and Victoria wouldn’t share. These guys just took down my whole history and I can’t have name of the person I wasted talking to for 30 minutes. I am amazed to see the kind of world we live in! If it was me, at least it was just racism, but if it is their normal protocol, it is serious invasion of privacy. Even my bank doesn’t dig this deep.

Dr. Lee is great, she is wonderful during visits and is really great at responding to any questions in my online profile. She is fast and informative. I highly recommend!

Unilocal describes a two-​star rating as «I’ve experienced better,» and that’s absolutely the right choice here. I have experienced better: from Dr. Chen-​Lee.
I’ve been a patient here for over 10 years, since the Chinatown days. If you can actually get to her, Dr. Chen-​Lee and the care she provides is absolutely, 5-​stars as good as it gets. She’s thorough, gentle, and thoughtful — she’s seen me through a wicked flu, a car wreck, my mother’s cancer and death, a staph infection that took over a year to kick. (I even had to see her husband once while she was on maternity leave, and he was pretty great too.) The practice was dynamic and modern, keeping up with both technological advances (they were rocking EMRs and tablet charting in the early 00’s) and medical research (we regularly traded journal article recommendations over the course of my mother’s illness). The doctoring in this review is top-​notch, and I’ve recommended many friends/​coworkers to this practice over the years.
The –3 stars that drags this review down from a 5 to a 2, though, are all thanks to JHCP. When my back went out this spring and I couldn’t get it settled down on my own, I decided it was time to come back in. I’m not the type to see a doc without cause, so this was to be my first visit to the new digs. Now, in other fields, when one company absorbs the customers of an acquisition, it’s generally a good business practice to maintain an equitable level of service over the transition. JHCP won’t be held down by stodgy traditions like that — despite actually having my chart, they insisted I’m a new patient, and scheduled me for four.months.out! IF I HAD WANTED TO WAIT OUT THE SPASMS, THE PAIN, I WOULDN’T HAVE BOTHERED TO CALL IN THE FIRST PLACE, but wait I did. Patiently waiting for August (it’s nice that they offer a waitlist, not all docs do, but it appears to be an exercise in futility — I mean seriously, not one cancellation in four months?!) to roll around so I could regain my established patient status and hopefully get a timely appointment next time I need care.
So now my appointment is next week. I know she’ll be able to help, and soon, I’ll be able to stand up straight again, to lift a bag of groceries without fear. Except I get a message today that they want to push my appointment back two weeks. No explanation, certainly no apology, just «you’ll come in on the 25^th» — with only the faintest hint of a questioning lilt in the voice. Of course I will. I’ve already waited 17 weeks, why not 19?
I’m gonna miss you, Dr. Chen-​Lee. You’ve provided great care, and I’m sure you’ll continue to these next few months. But this BS just is not worth the extra insurance premiums.

I chose Dr. Chen Lee after reading the scores of positive Internet reviews. However, my experience was three stars at best.
The good:
Metro access — very conveniently located
The spaces — clean, bright, friendly staff
Online access — ability to pay bills and make appointments online
The «meh»:
The appointment itself — I went in for an annual physical/​check-​up. Before the appointment, the nurse took my vitals, and then ushered me to a room to meet with Dr. Chen Lee. The wait was not long before she arrived. Dr. Chen Lee was intelligent, somewhat friendly, and professional, but didn’t really exude that feel-​good/​caring vibe that I personally seek in a PCP. We talked about a few health issues I was concerned about, she made a few suggestions, and within 15 minutes I was on my way. No extra questions, no small talk, and most importantly, no blood test. I didn’t really feel like I had gotten a good physical.
The (really) bad:
Insurance — Suffice to say I wasn’t terribly happy with the appointment, but I was content with finding a professional doctor for the time being, until I could get other recommendations from friends. You can imagine my surprise when I received a bill of $ 300+ from the office for a physical that’s supposed to be entirely covered — to be paid around 20 days from post date. I called the insurance company, thinking that this was an error on their part, and discovered that Dr. Chen Lee’s office bills the appointment differently. The «vitals» portion — recording my weight, height, and checking my ears and eyes — was the «physical» part of the appointment. The part where I talked with Dr. Chen Lee? Extra. That wasn’t included in the physical, and therefore billed separately, and billed to me – my insurance wasn’t going to cover it. (I will caveat by saying that I have a relatively robust insurance plan.) I paid the sum, but definitely vowed to never go back there, as I honestly felt duped.
Before I had received the bill from JHCP, I had made a follow up appointment to have a few school-​mandated vaccines — the same billing practices occurred. The vaccines themselves were covered, but the 15 minutes the doctor (not Dr. Chen Lee, but another fellow that was less-​than-​cheery) took to sign my papers and administer the shots were another $ 200+.
Unilocal’s description of two stars fits perfectly how I feel about the situation: «Meh, I’ve experienced better.» I appreciated Dr. Chen Lee’s professionalism, but beware of hidden charges due to the billing practices of her office. Be upfront with her and her staff to ensure that you know exactly what your appointment entails, and subsequently what you’re being billed for.
EDIT: I just noticed that Dr. Chen Lee has two «unendorsed» Unilocal reviews at the bottom, one of which corroborates the double billing claim. If I had seen that review before, I definitely would have stayed away.

I love Dr. Chen Lee and the JHCP location and staff!
I’ve had three appointments with Dr. Chen Lee in the last few months. Each one started exactly on time. Making appointments is painless — can be done through their online patient portal or with a quick phone call. Waiting room is clean and quiet.
The nurses/P.A.s (I’m not sure what they are) are kind and efficient. And Dr. Chen Lee is everything I always hoped to find in a doctor: she is smart, she listens and asks follow up questions, she is thorough, and at the end of each appointment she always asks me if there is anything else I’d like to talk about while I’m there. (!!!) A doctor in DC who doesn’t rush you out the door! I am so happy to have finally found a primary care physician who is as awesome as Dr. Chen Lee.

This is a convenient location with easy Metro access from McPherson Square. I stopped to look at the directory to confirm the suite number, and then the security guard asked me to sign in, and I was out of the lobby within half a minute.
When I walked in, no one was in the waiting room, but there were two receptionists. One peeked around her computer as I introduced myself, and she confirmed who I was and asked me to fill out forms while she entered some info into her computer after I gave her my ID and Insurance Card.
After I filled out my information and handed it back, I was instantly brought to the back and had my vitals taken. Staff here is friendly and kind of soft spoken, which I like. None of the brashness that I have encountered at other DC Dr. offices.
I was then taken to an exam room where the nurse who took my vitals shared the results. I waited a few minutes after she left before Dr. Chen Lee came in.
Dr. Chen Lee greeted me with a warm smile and introduced herself. She shook my hand before and after the visit. As others have noted, she took the time to review my information, noted it was my first time, and asked if I had any questions or concerns. She took the time to answer me honestly and then said that they have an online patient portal which she uses to communicate with her patients. So when my blood work comes back in a few days, I’ll have access to it as well.
The person who took my vitals also took my blood. I wish I had caught her name or asked. She was an expert. She noted that most patients don’t realize that when asked to fast, they can drink so she had some difficulty drawing blood. That said, she explained since I was dehydrated, my veins were harder to find and switched arms. She asked me to take a breath in and stuck my arm. That made it painless and quick. I wish all nurses were as awesome as she was!
On my way out, I stopped to ask if I had a co-​pay but the woman who took my information when I first arrived noted that since I was here for a check up, insurance would cover it.
I wish all doctors and their office staff were as efficient, polite, and professional!

I am a relatively new patient to Dr. Chen-​Lee, but have been very pleased by my experience with her and her office. I’ve been battling a lingering cough and she squeezes me in for visits, talks to me on the phone, and genuinely listens. She is smart, warm, and very caring.
My first visit was for a physical last year, and she spent over an hour with me, just talking — really different experience than my last doctor in DC who ran things like a meat factory. I would highly recommend Dr. Chen-​Lee and am sending my husband to see her husband at the same practice, Dr. Andrew Lee!

If you are a fan of the ‘old school’ model where doctors were not confined to a 9 minute encounter to assess your medical needs, you will love Dr. Renee Chen-​Lee and her husband, Dr. Andrew Lee. They actually returned calls personally. Asked questions about the patient’s overall lifestyle. And had a family business that was respected in the culture and community of Chinatown. I really regret that they decided to close the family practice. Hopefully they will be able to continue their personalize level of care in the midst of the Johns Hopkins Community Physicans’ practice.
Cheers to good health and the physicians that practice it.

So glad I found this practice. Thanks, Unilocal!
I was originally told it would be about 2 weeks before I could get an appointment. But the receptionist took my name down and put me on a waiting list for both Doctors. This is AWESOME! All Doctors should do this, but this is the first time I have ever heard of a waiting list at a Doctor office. Dr Chen-​Lee was VERY thorough and took her time asking me lots of questions about history, my condition etc. I was very impressed with the thoroughness and she was also very nice. The office staff was courteous and the office itself is nice and not overfilled with people waiting which is nice. Highly recommend!

Dr. Chen-​Lee was nice and professional. I was able to schedule an appointment very easily. I know at some Doctor offices it would be weeks or months out before an available appointment could be made.
More so, Dr. Chen-​Lee was thorough in her explanations, and nice throughout it all. I was a lot less stressed visiting her office than other Doctor offices. As I am someone who dreads visiting Doctors.
The nurse and staff were professional. The office is very nice, and clean. In addition, she is part of the John Hopkins Community which means electronic health records for patients.

Dr. Chen-​Lee is the best! She is friendly and attentive. It’s also usually very easy to get appointments. I have had to call with questions or about prescriptions a couple of times and either I get her on the phone or she calls back right away. It feels like you really do have your own doctor who knows you and cares about your health! Her husband, in the same practice, is supposedly amazing too.

I’ve had many doctors over the years and Dr. Chen-​Lee is the best I’ve had ever.

I just saw this Dr. — I think my first GP in DC — and agree that she is very nice, informative and patient. She did a follow up call to explain lab results and I had the same experience.
And this wasn’t because her office is slow and she had the luxury; her office was jammed full with patients and I took it as her MO for treatment.
Last positive remark is that her secretary squeezed me in within a day or two of my calling. That never happens! All in all, it was pretty refreshing compared to my experiences seeing many other specialists in DC.

A friend recommended her as a great primary care doc. She and her boyfriend saw Drs Chen Lee and Lee respectively and had a great experience.
I saw her first for a physical and she was sweet, caring, and really listened to the patient. I didn’t feel at all that I was being rushed out and there was no line in the waiting room adding to the squeeze.
A couple days later I was sick and called them. She squeezed me in first thing in the morning and came in early.
Definitely a GP worth sticking with!
GREAT DOCTOR!