Chen, Tommy H, Md - Tommy H Chen Inc

Wow, there were many former patients/employees who could see what I saw. Dr. Chen DOES take if out on patients if he's having a bad day, but maybe he's unhappy with life. I was referred by my parents, since they know him..but did he give me a discount? Of course not. I went home and said to my mom, ""He was kind of an a--hole."" He speaks in a condescending manner and he seems angry. When I asked if the generic medication was the same as the brand name medication, he retorts impatiently, ""Of course not"". I asked him if there were parabens or any toxic chemicals in the medication and he says indignantly, ""Why would the government allow toxic chemicals in the medication?"" I was shocked to hear his ignorance on pharmaceutical medication. Maybe being around all that stuff has gone to his head--literally. I was told I had rosacea and to wash my face with soap before putting on medication that burned my skin. I did it for 6 months and there was some improvement but my skin became so rough and red. THEN, I bought an ayurvedic skincare book called ""Absolute Radiance"" and it said to treat rosacea with milk mixed with manjistha, sandalwood and neem powder. It says not to use soap as it irritates the skin more and definitely do no use paper towels to dry your face because the wood pulp is very harsh. A bit skeptical that milk can do the job, I tried it. Went to an Indian market to buy the powders (or you can buy them online). My skin improved DRASTICALLY, started glowing and the rosacea minimized almost completely. Find another dermatologist who doesn't take it out on you because he's miserable in his personal life. more

I went back to LA to see Dr. Chen from the east coast over winter break at his new location on Arroyo Pkwy (beautiful!), and was very impressed that his staff remembered me and greeted me by my name. I was embarrassed from my previous (and first) visit, because I had forgotten my copay and had no form of payment. However, the office Manager Mrs. Chen was very understanding, and made an exception for me because I was flying out to school again the next day. This time, Dr. Chen helped me remove a wart that had grown back, and unlike other dermatology visits I've had with other doctors, the process freeze process was quick and hassle-free. Since I am a college student, the I cannot afford to pay for too many wart removals, but hopefully this time it won't grow back again, although Dr. Chen explained to me that warts are very prone to growing back (which previous dermatologists had never explained to me, so I was always frustrated when they did grow back). Overall, great doctor with professional staff. Highly recommended! more

I've been a patient of Dr. Chen's for Psoriasis for a few months now, and am very satisfied with all the treatments thus far. Dr. Chen uses light treatment to treat Psoriasis, and I've never had a problem besides occasional waiting time, but that's understandable because he doesn't require light patients to make appointments since we show up so regularly. Overall, I'm very satisfied with his work and he seems very knowledgeable and well respected by all his patients. more

Dr. Chen is THE dermatologist to go to! He literally knows how to cure ANY skin problems! Book your appointment ahead of time though, he seems to be very popular, give it a few days, but the queue is worth it! Great doctor! Go Dr. Chen! more

I have been a patient of Dr. Chen's for over 10 years, but Dr. Chen is no longer part of my primary care group, Bright Medical. Does anyone know of any health care group besides Bright Med? They are being ridiculous and all of a sudden only issuing referrals to this new dermatologist who just started practicing 2 years ago whom I hear has poor service. The waiting time for an appointment is about 3 weeks too, because they don't consider me an ""emergency case"" If anyone is part of a health care group that is affiliated with Dr. Chen please share. more

I have been referred to a total of 3 different dermatologists in the Pasadena area by my primary physician, and highly recommend Dr. Chen. I have had an ongoing Eczema problem for which I saw 2 other dermatologists in the area, but the Eczema rashes never went away and the itching only worsened. Dr. Chen prescribed the right medications, rather than the typical over-the-counter creams and lotions the other dermatologists recommended because Dr. Chen realized the severity of skin condition. The other 2 dermatologists thought I only had Eczema, but then Dr. Chen realized it was a combination of Eczema and another allergy complication, and that's why it wasn't going away. He also spent a long time with me explaining everything thoroughly, whereas the other doctors would have asked me to make a follow-up so they could jack up the bill. Great patient care, and professional office. more

Dr. Chen is a skin guru! I was previously referred to a different dermatologist in Pasadena and even after 4 visits, nothing got better, in fact they got worse and I was very frustrated. I asked to be referred to another derm because my skin condition was worsening very quickly, and they sent me to Dr. Chen, who cured my problems very quickly. Dr. Chen is efficient and caring, and does not want to waste the patient's time or money. He does not drag out patients like other drs do, and in fact, he called me at 6pm after his office closed at 5pm to get back to me about biopsy results. Very caring doctor, excellent service. In response to other comments below, if I'm not mistaken, the Asian woman working the front desk (Mrs. Chen?) was very professional. more

I was referred to Dr. Chen by my family doctor -- Dr. Chen is the BEST dermatologist in Pasadena! ---- BEFORE VISIT ---- I looked him up on the internet before going, and at first, the reviews seemed shocking. However, after having an appointment with Dr. Chen, I realize that all the negative commentators below are either sour for not getting free service, or angry that Dr. Chen is giving other patients their deserved time in the patient room. One other office worker below who gave a poor rating even admitted that she accepted checks for co-pays AGAINST office policies, and ""even had a 40% success rate with bounce checks""... is that something to even brag about? That means 60% of the patients try to get away with writing BOUNCE CHECKS... why would you even brag about that? It is very obvious that many patients just want to take advantage of Dr. Chen. Upon further research on the dr before going, I found out that Dr. Chen even served in the US Military as a doctor and has volunteered in the USC Medical School for over 15 years -- for FREE! Any patient in the right mind would NEVER say that Dr. Chen just worries about money. ----- MY VISIT & MEDICAL SERVICE ----- I needed to see a dermatologist because my family dr. could not take care of this horrible eczema I developed after multiple visits. My primary physician advised to make my appointment with Dr. Chen ASAP because he is apparently VERY popular in Pasadena, and a VERY good doctor with many returning and regular patients. I was able to get an appointment within 1 week's time. The wait (including filling out forms, etc...) took approximately 20 minutes, and in the mean time, I noticed that there were 3 pharmaceutical reps in the waiting room (along with other patients). I asked the rep sitting next to me whether he knew if Dr. Chen was a reputable doctor, and he said every rep wants to score at least an appointment with Dr. Chen, because he is the expert dermatologist in Pasadena and offers excellent service. After I was called in, the dr. came into the room immediately, and after only a few minutes, Dr. Chen knew exactly what was going on and instructed me on how to use the new medicine he prescribed me. At first, the eczema still bothered me, but after a few days everything got MUCH better. I haven't had any eczema problems since then, and my husband now sees Dr. Chen for skin problems and is just as satisfied. We have recommended our friends to Dr. Chen and have never heard anything less than great feedback from them. I am appalled by the comments by all the haters here, and suspect that because Dr. Chen has SO many patients, the very few who had unsatisfactory service had nothing better to do than to hate on him here. more

To the negative 1-star commentators below--THIS IS OUTRIGHT SLANDER. I've been a patient of Dr. Chen for nearly 10 years now, and I've never had a problem with either the doctor, the staff, or the billing. It is entirely reasonable that they have a no-show/failure to cancel fee, and I know it's posted clearly on the window. If you know you cannot make it, or are going to be considerably late, a courtesy call usually solves the problem. As far as the ""grilling"" is concerned, the receptionist was probably trying to help you get to the office. Most doctors' offices don't bother to ""chase down"" patients owing that amount of money. Given the time and money it costs to mail the bill, follow up with phone calls, etc. it is probably not worth their time. However, if you do call for another appointment, it is perfectly logical that they ask you then. Why would a doctor's office try to rip you off of $15? That is such a ridiculously small amount that any business needing to cheat clients to make ends meet have probably folded by now. On the other hand, I have witnessed several times patients who say they cannot pay the copay, they don't have cash on them, etc. when they arrive at the receptionist's window. Conscientious patients are aware of their insurance policies and copays. As a courtesy, Dr. Chen's office calls you beforehand if there is a problem with your coverage. To go to an appointment without even the $10, $15 to pay your copay is irresponsible. Would you go to a restaurant, or the supermarket, or to a hair salon without bringing payment? If they refused to sell you their product or services, would it be ""unprofessional""? No, it would be plain common sense, and if you had any decency, you would not be acting in this small, mean, and petty way and spreading vicious lies. more

I haven't had an appointment with Dr Chen for about three years. After being referred, I set up an appointment which i missed. I called an hour after the appointment time to reschedule. I was grilled as to my location, what freeway I was on etc....I was confused by the line of questioning, but that's not the issue. Then the woman told me she already marked me as a no show which would cost me $20....I thought, oh well...I tried... What she then tried to do was the stunning part. She then told me I owed them $15 for an appointment in 2007! I have never heard from them in over three years. I paid my $15 copayment at the time of my appt - see other comments on how they only take cash etc...-so how could this be? I told her I never got a bill - how can I owe money? She proceeded to explain how they don't chase down money that small...but that I owed it to them because of some insurance reimbursement issue.... I told her she's got to be kidding and that I wasn't going to pay a 3 year old, unsubstantiated, unbilled claim. She proceeded to challenge me and tell me how she was going to send me to collections... I came home - read the following comments and was shocked that I even considered using these folks as a health care provider. The comments are incredibly consistent so I felt that I should warn people too...things here have not changed. There are plenty of other dermatologists out there. I would recommend using someone else. I, for sure, will never provide another dime to this organization. Stunning more

VERY UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNCARING STAFF. I made an appointment for my child 1 week prior to my visit. I got there 15 minutes early for my child's appointment and handed my insurance card to them. 45 minutes later, I attempted to speak to an older Asian lady at the front desk, but she dismissed/ignored me. All I could do was stand there and wait until another person showed up behind the desk. I then asked when they were going to take my co-payment. That's when I was informed co-pays are cash-only -- this information needs to be given over the phone when making the appointment. I went to the nearest ATM. When I got back it was after 4:00pm and I was told they called my insurance and were told that my child wasn't covered. I thought -- what the heck are they talking about? So I called my insurance company on the spot but was unable to talk to a rep -- they were closed for the day. This call to the insurance company should have been made by the Dr.'s office prior to the day of the appointment so that it may get straightened out before one arrives at the office. Ugghhh!!! Needless to say, I was extremely frustrated. I wasted 1.5 hours waiting in the office and going to the ATM in addition to driving time to and from the place (yes, contrary to what anyone at this office thinks, your patient's time IS valuable). All of this could have been easily avoided if they had proper office procedures in place. They asked if I wanted to reschedule another appointment. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? DIDN'T YOU JUST TELL ME MY CHILD'S NOT COVERED? I'LL NEVER GO BACK TO THIS PLACE OR RECOMMEND IT TO A FRIEND. There are plenty of Dr.'s in L.A. and one should not have to deal with this kind of treatment. I took the day off for various appointments and I must say that the DMV has better customer service than this office. Pros: None!! Cons: Long Wait, Condescending, Uncaring, Unprofessional Attitude more

I can not believe that this facility is an actual medical office. I have never experiences such a lack of human respect in all of my life. I've seen him a few times, because his office is convenient. Everytime his wife was ridiculing and screaming at one of the staff. I have never seen anyone treat people as she does. Someone from the Labor Board should investigate her. The problem is her and only her. The girls just have to abide by what she tells them to do, and its unfortunate, but what I can see, so does the Dr. My wife was diagnosed with a melanoma, which is a extremely dangerous skin cancer and she could have died. Dr. Chen was going to do the surgery, but Mrs. Chen would not let the procedure be done unless we paid for our deductible right then and there, it was $500. And we had to pay cash. I rather travel 50 miles away to another office then go back there. Cons: Mrs. Chen more

I worked for Dr. Chen and his wife Mrs. Chen for three years. Please believe me when I say DO NOT visit this office (he has another location in Montebello). It is unfortunate to say because Dr. Chen can be a great doctor. He has shown compassion and care for his patients but it seems like only when he favors them. If he is stressed out or having a bad day, he will take it out on the patients. He is also prone to favor patients who pay in cash or have ""better"" insurance. The worst of it is his wife Mrs. Chen. She is the most callous, insensitive, money hungry person I've ever encountered . . . EVER! She has zero sympathy for any patients and is only motivated by money. I read another review from an ex-employee stating she will cheat you out of your rightly due refund if she can. I have witnessed this many times over and that is a completely true critisicm. I've worked for other doctors and never seen this kind of malpractice during that time. I urge you to stay away. They do have a cash only policy for copays. Allegedly so they can report less income and ultimatley pay less taxes but also because Mrs. Chen is too cheap to pay the credit card fees the companies charge her. Personal checks are discouraged in case they bounce but I had been about 40% succesful in collecting them because I felt so bad for the patients. I got in trouble for this many times over. The environment to the employees is so caustic and stressful, its no wonder they are habitually rude to the patients. I have been guilty of this as well after being yelled at unfairly by Mrs. Chen for not agreeing to their policies. It is also true that if you arrive without cash for your copay, they will ask you to leave the office and visit a nearby ATM - which there is none - and return with cash in hand. Then, they will not honor your appointment time and fit you in whevener they see fit. I have seen patients wait in the office for more than three hours becuase of this, even if they arrived early to their appointment. It is also important for you to know that as a new patient, the office will ask you for your insurance card and a copy of your drivers license to keep in the patients chart. The reason for this is in case Mrs. Chen wants to send you to collections or small claims court, she will have all the information needed to find you. This is something I was required to ask of the patients. DO NOT give the office your drivers license! This is NOT required by insurance companies and is illegal!!!! I can not prove this but I suspect Mrs. Chen may use that information to gain privelegad information from you. Between the SS#, drivers license and address you provide on the patient forms, she can easily access your bank information and credit card information. Again, I can not say that she has done this but I would be very protective of your private information. Also, you DO NOT have to give your social security number to doctors!!! This is part of the HIPPA laws designed to protect patients. Your insurance card has an alternate number that doctors use for billing to identify you. They do not need your SS# to bill the insurance on your behalf no matter how determined they are to fish the information from you! Again, Dr. Chen has the potential to be a great physician but unfortunatley, I can not respect a man who is married to a person who puts money ahead of patient care and he has been guilty of that, too. Please stay away!!!!! Always get a referral from your friends and family before seeing any physician. This is the only way to find a good physician. Cons: I would give zero stars but this option is not available more

In the three plus years I have been with Dr. Chen I have seen nothing but the highest quality service and care and professionalism that should set the standard for all physicians. Dr. Chen treated me for severe psoriasis when every so called doctor I saw before only wanted my money and prescribed mere body lotions. Dr. Chen is an expert with the disease, and after years of being unable to participate in normal activities I was out and about again in less than six months after following his treatments. Dr. Chen is kind, through, and devoted to the care of his patients, answering all my questions and offering me many options of treatment if one was not working for me. Even his wife Mrs. Chen helps out, if not for her taking time after office hours to help me settle my insurance questions I would never have received authorization for the expensive treatments and medications. I have nothing but gratitude for and good things to say about Dr. Chen, and those other people who are slandering him, I saw nothing of the sort of which they speak of. He was anything but rude and supercilious, I don't know why these people are bent on tarnishing his good name, but I can testify that if you need the best dermatologist, Dr. Chen will not disappoint. more

WORTH READING BEFORE SEEING ... Dr. Chen had no regard for my own experience with my own condition. Each condition should not be regarded as the same when dealing with different people because everybody's body reacts differently. I tried very hard to understand the doctors method, since he had said, ""If you want to continue seeing me, you must follow my method exactly."" I asked him very specific questions about the causes of my condition. He in turn did not try to understand my own experiences and asked only a few questions about my history with my condition. I can understand doctors have their specific treatments and do not shy away from it, but it should be stated somewhere in his office that it is his way or the highway so that people do not waste their time and money seeing this doctor if they have found methods that work for them and want a doctor to help them with their remaining symptoms. Dr. Chen advised me to rid of what works for me and to go with his methods or never to see him again. After telling him I would not be willing to go his route because I have found something that works for the first time in years and needed help with another symptom only, he told me that it was my stubborness and my idiosyncrasy that I would not follow his method. He said a lot more, but my reason for writing a review is to say that people should not become a patient of a doctor with no consideration for humanity nor social skills. There were so many more negative aspects of my visit, but I will end by agreeing with the many other horrid reviews, that he does not care for his patients. If he cared for people in general, he would work with them, not against them. I am not sure whether it is for money or not, but he clearly showed that it was his own stubborness that leads so many patients to shy away from him and never see him again. more

My experience with Dr. Chen was wholly negative. He dismissed serious concerns I had about a potentially cancerous mole, he rushed me out of his office and engaged with me in a condescending, cold way. He insisted I come in to see him every month, which I strongly feel has much more to do with profiting from me than checking up on me. I have never written a review, be it positive or negative before. In this instance, however, I feel compelled to make it known to others that Dr. Chen is someone I will never be entrusting with my health. more

As a former employee, I witnessed first hand that all that matters is how much money can be scraped out the patient. If by chance it could be scraped by the patient and the insurance company, it will. Patients paying up front, turning in insurance information, insurance being billed, insurance paying, patient requesting refund forever. Messages set a side for months. But Mrs. Chen doesn't care, because she already got paid and twice. The office staff is always put in uncomfortable positions having to collect money knowing the patient will seldomly receive a refund. In addition, If the patient is unaware that they are owed a refund, the money will not be rightfully returned unless chased in exhaustion. Also be aware of how your personal information is disposed of. Office staff is not allowed to cross off and tear up SS# and DL# on copied patient info sheets while on company time. Again total disregard for proper care of the patient. Dr. Chen is a good Dr., but will never be the best because he is aware of how his wife treats his patients on the business end. I would not ever recommend this office for care or employment. The pay is horrible and the office manager, Mrs. Chen, is mean, manipulative, rude and unprofessional. Pros: None!!!!! Cons: All!!!!! more

My husband and I have gone to Dr. Chen a few times each over the past five years and have only had good experiences. Each time I have had an extremely minimal wait in the waiting area (which is, unfortunately, shared by patients from several offices in that area), seen the doctor in a short amount of time, and been treated with respect. Dr. Chen knows his stuff and takes the time to answer all questions. I still recommend him highly. Pros: Short wait, expert knowledge Cons: Cash-only co-pays more

I worked for Dr Tommy Chen for about 3 weeks. From the first day, I was absolutely blown away by Mrs Chen ( Dr Chen's wife and office manager) and her blatant disregard for the patients treated by her husband. The financial policies of this office were emphasized daily, rather than the patient care policies. On numerous occasions, Ive heard mrs Chen on the phone with patients, yelling and being disrespectful because of a late payment or something equally insignificant. One day, I was alone at the front desk during the lunch hour. The mother of a previous patient of Dr Chens came with a question about a bill. Being unfamiliar with billing policies at the time and seeing that the patient seemed a little frustrated, I went to the back to get Mrs Chen. I explained the situation to her and she actually told me to "" Deal with it"". After several minutes of going back and forth, Mrs Chen finally came to the front, furious that she had to leave her desk. She didnt listen to anything the patient said, or even give her a chance to speak. She kept yelling "" that is your bill, its not my problem, pay your damn bills"". The patient got understandably upset, and Mrs Chen slammed the door in her face. Then she proceeded to turn to me and yell because I "" Put her on the spot"". I walked out and never came back. DO NOT go to Dr Chen's office. It will be a horrible experience for you. You will walk in and be disrespected by the receptionist, and then by the MA and then by Dr chen, and then by Mrs Chen when your bill is due. That is, if she doesnt find something to scream about while youre still in the office. Save your sanity. Pros: Absolutely nothing Cons: Take your pick more

Dr. Chen is one of the best doctors in town! I was referred to him by a friend of mine who recommended Dr. Chen for his excellent patient care and Dr. Chen has been my family dermatologist since then. What my friend tells me and what I have personally experienced is the complete opposite as what I read in some of these patient reviews. Dr. Chen definitely puts the patient first ? in fact, he just called me last Sunday afternoon to tell me about a lab report regarding my biopsy that was done on Thursday. It is true that the waiting time is long, but again, from personally experience, that is probably because Dr. Chen spends the necessary amount of time with each patient to ensure that he has answered all the patient?s questions and has done a full examination. Dr. Chen's service is well worth the wait! \r \r I am assuming that all the complaints about waiting too long in the waiting room and complaints about having to pay upfront is because there may be patients who do not want to pay or submit invalid or expired insurance information ( I used to work in a Dr.?s office)\r \r Dr. Chen is a great doctor! I have also noticed that there are always many pharmaceutical rep?s waiting outside the office (just like the patients) to see Dr. Chen ? this must mean that Dr. Chen is a very good doctor, and many pharmaceutical companies want Dr. Chen to prescribe their medication. \r \r Go Dr. Chen! Pros: At the end of the day, Dr. Chen cures it all! Cons: Waiting time, but each patient is the cause of the waiting time because they want to spend a lot of time with Dr. Chen more