Alan D. Engelberg's Online Review Report Card

WORST doctor I've ever seen. Barely phoning it in. Indifferent & disinterested in patients or their health. Negligent & incompetent in general. Simply re-ordering prescription refills lately or getting lab results took weeks, after he'd promised same-day refills. When my previous BHIM doctor Farhad Melamed stopped accepting Medicare he sent me to Dr. Engelberg to keep me in his clinic the last 4 years. I went from my best doctor to the worst doctor I've ever had. After recent back surgery & stay-at-home orders in 2020 I had a sudden weight surge of 15-20 lbs putting me at high risk of diabetes, but Dr. Engelberg simply told me to go buy a diet book. No diagnosis, no BMI, no dietician or metabolic tests - just half-hearted advice I can find on Amazon. When I needed pre-op approval for back surgery, he spent most of our appt time complaining about losing his plush office upstairs instead of reviewing my scans. If he can't provide bare minimum care he should retire. AVOID THIS DOCTOR.

THE worst doctor I've ever seen. Barely phoning it in. Indifferent, arrogant, and disinterested in patients or their health. Negligent and incompetent in general. Simply re-ordering existing prescription refills lately or getting lab results took weeks, after he'd promised me same-day refills & updates requiring simple fax/phone authorization to my pharmacy - and my meds Rx hadn't changed in 10-15 years. After my previous excellent BHIM doctor Farhad Melamed stopped accepting Medicare, he referred me to Dr. Engelberg to keep me in his clinic. So I went from my best primary care doctor ever to the worst doctor I've ever had. After recent back surgery & covid stay-at-home orders in 2020 I had a sudden weight surge putting me at higher risk of diabetes (I'm pre-diabetic), but Dr. Engelberg simply told me to go buy a diet book. No diagnosis, no BMI, no dietician or metabolic tests - just half-hearted, indifferent advice anyone can find on Amazon. When I needed to discuss urgent lumbar back surgery with him for pre-op approval, he didn't even check my scans or chart, spending most of our appt time complaining about losing his plush private office upstairs. This is a terrible doctor with greatly reduced office hours who fails to provide even the bare minimum in adequate healthcare. It's painfully obvious he's rather be on the golf course or retired from practice, instead of treating patients he simply doesn't care about. AVOID THIS DOCTOR.

VERY disappointed. Find another doctor. There are compassionate, ethical doctors, nurses & healthcare pros who go above & beyond to provide top quality care that saves lives, just as there are far too many who just phone it in so they can hit the golf links early or whatever. Sadly, Dr. Engelberg is in this latter group. His overall attitude & lack of concern for patients ranges from bored indifference to nearly-criminal negligence. I don't care if he's practiced medicine for 50 years; if he doesn't care about his patients, he should retire to make room for other doctors who genuinely care about their patients. I was formerly a patient of Farhad Melamed - the best doctor ever - but when he dropped Medicare coverage I was referred to Dr. Engelberg in his clinic. I went from getting the best care to getting the worst. I'm pre-diabetic with serious back & joint arthritis indicating PT & possible surgery. I see Dr. Engelberg for exams & labs yet he barely seems to recall who I am. He does NOT follow up on tests or labs, getting Rx for meds or hearing aids has been problematic, and he's simply indifferent to patient concerns. For years I've had a hacking cough & fluid in my lungs (even though I don't smoke), yet all he does is order an annual chest X-ray with NO followup diagnosis. Choking now wakes me up nightly, with regular coughing. In recent years I've seen orthopedic specialists to treat chronic back & knee pain, as Dr. Engelberg offers no advice. In 2020, ortho doctors & back surgeon ordered X-rays of my low back, then recommended urgent lumbar decompression surgery due to severe injury. When I saw Dr. Engelberg for pre-op screening, he spent most of our appt time complaining about losing his old office upstairs instead of checking my chart or tests. He adamantly opposed my urgent lumbar surgery, insisting "everyone who has that surgery always regrets it", and was unwilling to look at my X-rays & MRI reports. My back surgery was a success; with post-op rehab I'm free of back & sciatic leg pain for the first time in 15 years, thanks to my back surgeon & his staff. Being pre-diabetic I've gained weight lately, especially during Covid shutdown. I'm now 15-20 lbs over my optimum weight, yet after exams & tests, Dr. Engelberg simply tells me to buy a diet book - and NOTHING more. No weight loss plan, no BMI tests, no Rx meds, no calorie counts or metabolic diet; just get a book. I have no experience with diabetes or weight control so I'm worried about my future health. After years of Medicare paying Dr. Engelberg's bills I expect more than amateur book advice I can read online. Both my parents died of heart disease & complications from diabetes, and I need better medical treatment & diagnoses, if not clinical intervention. I'm now planning knee surgery which requires pre-op fitness & weight control plus a reliable PCP, yet Dr. Engelberg is too disorganized and too indifferent to provide adequate professional healthcare. He now has no BHIM office of his own. This week alone it took 7 phone calls, 2 exams with labs, and many faxes from my Rite Aid pharmacy just to get refills/reorders on my Rx prescriptions for basic meds I've been taking for decades. This is simply unacceptable.I DO NOT recommend Dr. Engelberg if you care at all about your health. If he doesn't like his lucrative career as a Beverly Hills doctor or he won't provide adequate care for his patients, he should retire already.

VERY disappointed, finding a new doctor STAT. There are compassionate, ethical doctors, nurses & healthcare pros who go above & beyond to provide top quality care that saves lives, just as there are far too many who just phone it in so they can hit the golf links early or whatever. Sadly, Dr. Engelberg is in this latter group. His overall attitude & lack of concern for patients ranges from cold indifference to nearly-criminal negligence. I don't care if he's practiced medicine for 50 years; if he doesn't care about his patients or finds his work tedious, he should retire to make room for other doctors who genuinely care about their patients. My story: I’m 62, permanently disabled, with full Medi-Medi coverage, a nonsmoker with family history of diabetes, heart disease & arthritis. I had lumbar surgery in 2020 and I’m planning knee surgery this summer, both opposed by Dr. Engelberg. I was formerly a patient of Farhad Melamed - the best doctor I’ve ever known - but when he dropped Medicare coverage he referred me to Dr. Engelberg in his clinic. I went from getting the best care to getting the worst. I’m pre-diabetic with serious joint arthritis indicating PT and possible surgery. I see Dr. Engelberg twice a year for exams & labs yet he barely seems to recall who I am. He does NOT follow up on tests or labs, getting Rx for meds or hearing aids has been problematic, and he’s generally indifferent to patient concerns. For the last 3 years I’ve complained of a hacking cough & fluid in my lungs (even though I don’t smoke), yet all he’s done is order the standard annual chest X-ray with NO followup diagnosis. Gagging & choking now wakes me up nightly, with regular coughing. Also I’m anemic due to hemorrhoid bleeding, but he only told me to pick up iron pills at the drugstore. In recent years I’ve deferred to my orthopedic specialists for treating my chronic back & knee pain, as Dr. Engelberg offers no advice or treatment plans. In summer 2020, my ortho doctors & their associate back surgeon ordered X-rays of my low back, then recommended urgent lumbar decompression surgery the same month. When I saw Dr. Engelberg for pre-op screening, he spent most of our appt time complaining about losing his old office upstairs instead of checking my chart or tests. He was adamantly opposed to lumbar surgery, insisting “everyone who has that surgery always regrets it”, and unwilling to look at my X-rays & MRI reports. Back surgery was a success and with post-op rehab I’m finally free of back & sciatic leg pain for the first time in 15 years, thanks to my back surgeon & his staff. Being pre-diabetic, over the years I’ve gained weight, especially while staying home during Covid shutdown. I’m now 15-20 lbs over my optimum max weight, yet after exams & tests with Dr. Engelberg, he simply tells me to buy a diet book - and NOTHING more. No weight loss plan, no BMI tests, no Rx meds, no calorie counts or metabolic diet; just get a book. I have no experience with diabetes or weight control so I’m worried about my future health now. After years of Medicare paying Dr. Engelberg’s bills I expect more than amateur book advice I can read online. Both my parents died of heart disease & complications from diabetes, and at 62 I need better medical treatment & diagnoses, if not clinical intervention. Now I’m planning knee surgery which requires pre-op fitness & weight loss, yet Dr. Engelberg remains too indifferent and/or incompetent to provide the adequate professional healthcare I need in my early 60s and beyond. I DO NOT recommend Dr. Engelberg if you care at all about your health. If he doesn’t like his lucrative career as a Beverly Hills doctor or he won’t provide adequate or even minimal care for his patients, he should retire already.

Been going to Dr. Engelberg for 35 years. Professional all around.

My wife and I have been grateful patients of Dr. Alan Engelberg for years, and he has literally saved our lives - literally! - more than once thanks to his searching intelligence, diagnostic brilliance, impeccable recommendations to always outstanding specialists when necessary, and believe me, it has been necessary, and his unflagging commitment to our care and well being in our regular examinations, and through several scary emergencies. For most of my adult life I have been the designated family caretaker, and consequently have had a wide experience with all manner of illnesses, and the medical professionals who treat them here, and in New York City, Palm Springs, Pittsburgh, and many other settings. And I always do my homework, even researching medical literature when necessary to overcome some of my ignorance so I can better understand what is going on, and be more useful in communicating with both doctor and family member, or friend. Nobody has been better, better equipped, more caring, or more determined to find solutions to medical problems than Dr. Alan Engelberg. Period.

I first met Dr. Engelberg back in 1990. He'd literally saved the life of a friend of mine who'd been suffering from a rare, almost impossible-to-diagnose medical condition. All things considered, not a bad intro. I'd recently relocated from New York City to Los Angeles and wasn't looking forward to trying to track down the three things that every Angeleno needs: (1) a good mechanic (2) a great doctor and (3)...I forgot the third thing. He's curious, serious, engaged, humorous, honest, empathetic and direct. After being exclusively in his care for nearly 30 years, I consider myself something of an expert on all-things-Engelberg. A gifted internist, his own rude good health provides an inspiring, annoyingly healthy testament to the long-term results of a lifetime in which the patient is always encouraged to take a positive, pro-active role in their own healthcare. Anytime you wake up from the nightmare that your doctor has just announced his retirement (remember, this is only a dream), you know you've found the perfect physician.

My GP of 40+ years died recently. A medical issue arose & a prescription needed refilling, so I phoned the office of his former colleagues. Dr. Engleberg was the on-call. He did not call me back promptly. When he did, he was brusque, annoyed at being contacted, hardly asked any questions, & was generally uncaring. I checked back with the pharmacy a few hours later to check on the status of the prescription. The pharmacist had had to phone him back for more information, which he of course, did not have because he hadn't asked me. She said, "I don't like your doctor!" She said that he resented her call.I sent a fax to the office a day later detailing what had happened. No response. Another day later, I get a message from a receptionist wanting to check on the prescription FOUR days after my initial call.Out of loyalty & affection for my old doctor, I was ambivalent about leaving that practice -- no more. To go from respect & affection to uncaring & marginally rude is not what I want in a physician.

VERY PROFESSIONAL AND CARING. TAKES YOUR TIME WITH YOU AND LISTENS TO YOU VERY CAREFULLY.

I had a check up with Dr. Engelberg this month and I thought he was great. Great bedside manor. Had a great check up.