Is facog the same as board certified?

ACOG Fellows are ob-gyns who are board certified in obstetrics, gynecology, or both . They are identified by the initials FACOG after their name.

What does a gynecologist do?

What Does a Gynecologist Do? Gynecologists give reproductive and sexual health services that include pelvic exams, Pap tests, cancer screenings, and testing and treatment for vagin*l infections . They diagnose and treat reproductive system disorders such as endometriosis, infertility, ovarian cysts, and pelvic pain.

Is facog better than ob gyn?

“FACOG” stands for “Fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.” In order to earn this distinction, a physician must first earn Board-certification and then meet additional criteria that demonstrate the doctor keeps abreast of the latest medical guidelines, treatments, and techniques in women's ...

What does it mean if an obgyn is not board certified?

While they are not yet “board certified”, they have passed a detailed written exam, numerous “in-training” evaluations and been deemed competent to practice independently by their Ob/Gyn residency program . Many Ob/Gyns go on to join a practice and start to see patients, deliver babies, and perform surgery in this time.

Sutter Health Ob/Gyns, 2500 Milvia (2024)

Notes: Some of the doctors in this practice were previously at2850 Telegraph Avenue. Some were previouslyatBerkeley Orinda Women's Health(seethis pagefor reviews prior to 2010.) Other notes:Dr.John Girardpassed away in Feb 2015;James Sakamoto now practices atKaiser Vallejo; Kurt Whartonnow has his own practice.

Dec 2014

RE: moving to Oakland, need an ObGyn

I would recommend my OB/GYN, Dr. Elizabeth ''Betsy'' Kanwit, 2850 Telegraph Avenue, Suite
120, in Berkeley. The phone is 510/204-8190. According to her website, she is accepting
new patients:
http://www.sebmf.org/dr-elizabeth-d-kanwit.html

I have seen Dr. Kanwit for over ten years, and am very happy with her. She answers all my
questions, and is very knowledgeable.
She practices in a group of women OB/GYNs, and on occasion I have seen one of the other
doctors there, and have been very satisfied with them as well. Lori

Nov 2011

Re: Gynecologist for 18 year old daughter
I can't say enough good things about Dr. Ahsan at the OB/Gyn practice on Telegraph. She's young, hip, easy to talk to and very caring. My 21 year old daughter and I both go to her. The number for that practice is: 510-845-8047. Happy Patient

Nov 2010

Re: Berkeley ObGyn that partners with a midwife
It's very difficult to find an OB-GYN that works directly with a midwife; however, I was really happy with Drs. Arzou Ahsan, Dr. Jill Foley and Dr. Marilyn Honegger. I've seen all three of them.

There is a midwife on staff in their practice as a nurse but she doesn't practice as a midwife anymore.

Overall the doctors in the group I just listed are competent and definitely where you want to be if something goes wrong. Downside: they have like 10 doctors in their practice, so you have a 10% chance of having your doctor at delivery. Upside: if it's important for you to know your delivering doctor, you can play doctor roulette with appointments and get to know more than one. Good luck! new mom

Nov 2010

Re: Need good gynecologist for heavy bleeding issues
Sorry to hear about your bleeding issues, and I can recommend Dr. Risa Kagan. She has a wonderful bedside manner,is highly knowledgeable in women's health issues, and best of all, gives me the peace of mind to know that whatever changes my body is going through, I'm not alone~ she is sincere and caring, and very busy.Dr. Kagan is located in Berkeley and Lafayette. The office phone number is (510)204-8190. Hope this helps! Denise

Nov 2010

Re: Need good gynecologist for heavy bleeding issues
I have a similar medical history and have been very happy with my WONDERFUL female OB/GYN named Arzou Ahsan. She performed a hydro thermal ablation procedure on me a few years ago. our family has to change to Kaiser starting January 1st and I am so terribly sad that I won't be seeing Dr. Ahsan anymore. been there before

Oct 2010

Dr. Poddatoori - Does anyone have any experience with her? I just moved to Berkeley and she was the only doctor with availability at Sutter East Bay. Am pregnant so need a doctor soon! Anon

Dr. Poddatoori was not my OBGYN (I had Dr Thomas) but she was the one on shift when I delivered my 2nd child. It was an uncomplicated labor and delivery (unlike my 1st child) and she was good. She is young and newer to the profession. When she came in (and I was in heavy heavy labor - at 10 cm) my insane pain was put on hold for a millisecond by the thought of - who is this child? can she possibly be a doctor?! Ha. All that to say that she is young (and I am only 30) which has both its benefits and its drawbacks. She allowed my bag of water to break on its own, (most doctors do not want to deal with splashing on them) which I took as an indication of her progressive practice. She also tugged too hard, too quickly on the cord after my daughter was born (my husband is a nurse, and he was bothered by this) which meant part of the placenta tore off and she had to go through the EXTREMELY painful process of reaching inside of me to pull it out. So I think her newness has its benefits and drawbacks, but overall I thought she was a good doctor, and had a nice, warm demeanor.

June 2010

Re: Looking for an ObGyn
Although I have always had a female OBGYN (or their nurse practitioner as was often the case), Dr Girard of Orinda and Berkeley (male, can't remember first name)delivered my second child. I switched to him as my OBGYN and could not be happier. He is the first doc I have had that spends time listening. He sits me down in his office (while I am still dressed like a normal human) for about 10 minutes before each checkup to talk about how I am feeling, any changes, etc. He was a fabulous delivery doc but since I will not be having any more kids, I appreciate him even more for taking the time to explain changes to 50 year old bodies, etc. He is a character and may not be for everyone, but he appears to have genuine compassion for people and an intellectual curiosity and love for his line of work. Big Orinda office impersonal but lots of great backup docs if emergencies: 510/845-4200 best doc I ever had

April 2010

Re: OB with great bedside manner
I would highly recommend Dr. John Girard. He is with Berkeley Orinda Women's Health though I think he only sees patients in Orinda these days. He has always made me feel completely at ease and he always makes me laugh. He is honest, concerned and just has that touch. I completely trust what he says and what he does. I've also seen the other doctors in his group during my two pregnancies and everybody has been fantastic. Good luck. Anon

April 2010

Re: OB with great bedside manner
I highly recommend Alice Cannan, NP. She is incredibly knowledgeable and has a really kind and informative style. I wouldn't go to anyone else - I've rearranged my primary care around her! 2915 Telegraph Avenue #200 (between Howe St & Ashby Ave) Berkeley, CA 94705 www.suttereastbay.org Warmly, Laura

Dec 2009

Re: gynocologist that has a good knowledge of breast health
I can highly recommend Dr. Richard Rudd to be your OB/GYN. He is quite knowledgeable (you will be in very competent hands!) and best of all - he has the most fantastic, warm bedside manner. He doesn't rush patients, he answers all your questions, he is so gentle and thoughtful. I know you will love having him take care of your OB/GYN needs! Stay healthy, CDH

Dec 2009

Re: Twin childbirth classes?
In addition.....i am scheduled to see Dr. Arzou Ahsan for prenatal care and would like to hear current experiences with her and her practice with regards to natural delivery,and, if any twin moms out there have had her as their OB and how she was for you. thanks! Really, twins?!

I can't speak to child birth classes, but I can definitely speak to a twin birth and Arzou Ahsan. I love Dr. Ahsan. She has been my OB/GYN for years. She has seen me through two pregnancies and delivered my twins. Unfortunately (for me) I had to have a c-section for the twins, but she was so completely supportive and knew that I did not want to go that route (my first was born at Alta Bates with a doula and no epidural). She waited until the last minute to schedule the c-section to see if my situation would change. It did not, and she was great throughout the entire process. I could not have asked for a better doctor. I highly recommend her. If you want to speak off network, feel free to email me. On an unrelated note - I also recommend joining Twins by the Bay - great resources and amazing support.

Dr. Ahsan wasn't my doctor and I never met her, but she is in the practice I worked with, and I've had experiences with most of the other docs. (Any of which, depending on who's on duty that night/day, might deliver your baby). There's one doc I don't like, but the others are really good. Dr. Thomas (who I hadn't met before that day) delivered my twins vagin*lly (though I did have an epidural, due to needing to be induced w pitocin after water breaking). They all seem to have a fair amount of twin experience in that practice and everyone was supportive of my desire to have a vagin*l birth (if the babies were head down, which they were).

Good luck! And be sure to join twins by the bay or your local twins group-- it really helps! proud mama of twins

Nov 2009

Re: Looking for a great OB-GYN
I would recommend Dr. Arzou Ahsan and Dr. Katarina Lanner-Cusin, of Sutter East Bay Physicians Med. Group. I have seen both of them in my two pregnancies. I don't know your concerns, but I was worried about my second delivery (trying for a VBAC). They reviewed my history from my previous birth and helped give me good information about my options. They are both very kind and comfortable, very wonderful doctors. anon

Dr. Ahsan is a great OB-Gyn doctor. She is very sharp and smart, yet very compassionate. Also Dr. Huibonhoa is an excellent doctor. She is female. Try these two doctors to interview first! anon

I wanted to comment on the recommendation for Sutter East Bay Physicians Med. Group. Be mindful that this is a sizeable practice in terms of the number of doctors that could potentially be on call when you deliver. I became a patient of an excellent doctor in that practice, who has rave reviews on the BPN. Not until almost my due date did I find out that their on call schedule is shared with another doctor's office, essentially doubling the number of doctors you might end up with at delivery. So even if you meet all of the doctors at Sutter East Bay, you still might not ever even see the doctor who ends up helping you with delivery if the on call schedule has a doctor from the ''sister'' practice. This is what happened to me, and I had some very life threatening complications from my C-section. To this day, I don't know how much of those complications had to do with the doctor I had never met, or just the general ''hazards'' of an unplanned C-section.

Additionally, there is one doctor in Sutter East Bay that I would REALLY steer clear of. She gave me flat out wrong information about my health, and she had terrible and painful technique for the few physical procedures I had to endure from her. She's the one who will always have an opening in her schedule when the other doctors are booked. Based on my miserable experience with her alone, I couldn't risk ever having her be on call with a future pregnancy.

So I switched to Dr. Nishimine, who rarely uses backup, and is known to be an excellent surgeon. Because if I'm able to have a second pregnancy, it will need to be a C-section. He's right across the street from Alta Bates. You know you're in good hands when the pap is over and you didn't even know it happened. He's not ''warm & fuzzy,'' but a very kind doctor, and very competent based on my office visit experience and research of recommendations. I don't have first hand experience regarding delivery with him.

You want an OB-GYN who will be supportive of your birthing *plan.* But the midwives and nurses are the main people who get you through labor. In my opinion, OB-GYN is there in the event you need bigger interventions or have unexpected problems. And for that I say, find someone who is known to be a great surgeon. -Turned off by the big practices

June 2009

Re: Gynecologist who is easy to talk to?
Try Dr. Lanner-Cusin (2915 Telegraph, 510-845-8047). She is incredibly easy to speak to and very down-to-earth (I think in part it is due to the fact that she is European). I would also (have had to) trust her with surgery - she has lots of experience and is very good. anon

Feb 2009

Re: Ob Gyn who is GREAT at C-sections
I delivered my first baby via c-section with Dr. Jill Foley - and she and the whole team at Alta Bates were fantastic. Dr. Foley has a great combination of warm bedside manner, a very no non-sense approach to answering questions, and has always been very prompt at getting me help with any issues around both my pregnancies and deliveries. She also delivered my second one via VBAC - and was wonderful during that experience, too, very encouraging, and spent a lot of time, not just during the actual delivery, but also the 9 hours prior.

During the c-section, both my husband and I were very impressed by how professional the whole team was - everything was double-checked, with amazing precision, and at the same time, the experience was much more positive than I had anticipated.

Dr. Foley practices in Berekley (right next to Alta Bates) and Orinda; her office phone number is 510-204-8180. Happy with OB/GYN for c-section & VBAC

Feb 2009

Re: Looking for a female gynecologist
I love all the female OBGYNs at Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation (fairly new name, can't remember what it was previously though, but they've been around for many years), on Telegraph in Berkeley. Dr Elizabeth Kanwit, Dr Ahsan, Dr Lanier-Cusin--all of them have been great. They're kind, sensitive, and take time to discuss any concerns. Really like everyone I've seen in this office. steph

Feb 2009

Re: Alta Bates-affiliated OB-GYN
I have had Dr. Kanwit as my doctor for many years, and she was the one who handled all my pregnancy appointments as well (my son is four years old now). The office is run pretty efficiently, and Dr. Kanwit personally returns my calls, and calls me with results of various tests. When in labor, the on-call doctor, Dr. Kim, another doctor from the same office, visited me after I had been in labor for 27 hours. She determined that I needed an emergency c-section because the fetal heart rate had dropped, and was very professional yet sympathetic to my wish for a natural childbirth. She said if the fetal heart rate returned to normal when we got to the OR, then I could resume laboring, but unfortunately it hadn't, so she went ahead with the c-section. While she is not my regular doctor, I appreciated her caring attitude and good bedside manner. Lori

Dec 2008

Re:Homebirth-friendly OB Gyn
Hi, I had two wonderful homebirths with Beah Haber and was overseen by a wonderful OB as well, Angelyn Thomas. She never once questioned my decision to have a home birth, prescribed whatever tests I needed (although I later learned Beah could do that as well) and was just wonderful. I've recommended Dr. Thomas to several friends who have not had home births and they've all been happy. Also, I recommend a guy named Lance Dursi in Los Gatos for your ultrasounds. He is far more wonderful than any facility you'll find in the east bay or SF. Email me if you have any questions about a homebirth or anything else. Good luck! Jen Jen

Oct 2008

Re:Post-menopause, seeking new female gyn
Katarina Lanner-Cusin, M. D. of Berkeley and UCSF and Marilyn Honegger, M.D. of Berkeley and Orinda are fabulous. Hopefully you could get in to see one or both. Dr. Honegger is my gyn, and a great diagnostician who is much in demand for surgery. Kararina performed surgery on my grown daughter, who flew back here from a job in Hawaii for the surgery because there was no one as good there. You might research their specific areas of surgical expertise, if you can. Both are also wonderful people, by the way. Best of luck. Judy

Oct 2008

Re: Post-menopause, seeking new female gyn
I highly recommend Dr.Risa Kagan of the East Bay Physicians Med. Group. After 2 high risk ''later in life'' pregnancies,I started to experience some'' uncomfortable'' changes with my body for almost 2 years.My Internist ordered tests ranging from hormone tests to ultrasounds all with normal results. I was frustrated! Dr. Kagan resolved my issues in my first visit with her! She is a straight forward,no nonsense,doctor who is extremely knowledgeable with women who are perimenopausal and menopausal. Dr.Kagan is located in Berkeley. Phone #(510)204-8190 Denise

Katarina Lanner-Cusin, M. D. of Berkeley and UCSF and Marilyn Honegger, M.D. of Berkeley and Orinda are fabulous. Hopefully you could get in to see one or both. Dr. Honegger is my gyn, and a great diagnostician who is much in demand for surgery. Kararina performed surgery on my grown daughter, who flew back here from a job in Hawaii for the surgery because there was no one as good there. You might research their specific areas of surgical expertise, if you can. Both are also wonderful people, by the way. Best of luck. Judy

August 2008

Re: Gynecologist surgeon for rectocele, cystocele
I just had the rectoscele and cycstoscele surgery done last month, and highly recommend any of the doctors at Sutter East Bay/OB Gyn Fertility, 2850 Telegraph Ave. My doctor was Dr. Arzou Ahsan and she was terrific. This surgery is becoming very common and all of the doctors there do the procedure. Any questions you could call me 510-334-8750 Sandy

May 2008

Re:ObGyn for 17-year-old daughter
I liked my old GYN before she moved her practice and had a REALLY BAD billing experience at her new office. Dr. Angeline Thomas, she's really thorough and gentle. (510) 845-4200. Good luck! anon mom

May 2008

Re:ObGyn for 17-year-old daughter
I recommend Dr. John Girard, who works in a group with offices in Berkeley and Orinda. I have a young daughter who was quite sensitive about going to see a GYN specialist, but who was absolutely delighted with Dr. Girard. He has a good sense of humor and immediately put her at ease. My wife was so happy with him that she switched from her own GYN and now sees Dr. Girard. Robert

May 2008

Re: ObGyn for 17-year-old daughter
I think my ObGyn would be really great for a teen girl - Dr. Arzou Ahsan in Berkeley. There are a lot of reviews for her and the others in her practice on the BPN website - http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/medical/ObGyn/2915.html I think all the ObGyns in that practice are women, if that makes a difference for your daughter.

April 2008

Re: Female ObGyn who delivers at Alta Bates
Dr. Arzou Ahsan is my *wonderful* female Ob/Gyn who delivers at Alta Bates. My daughter was born August 2008, and I am so glad that we found Dr. Ahsan. As is common practice these days, the prenatal check-up appointments were brief, but if I ever had specific concerns, she took the time to discuss them with me. I always felt like she gave thorough and meaningful answers to my questions: no dumbing-down or brushing off, etc. Our baby was born with unexpected medical issues, and Dr. Ahsan came to see us in the hospital every day we were there (even though she was not on call), and even went up to the NICU a number of times to check in on the baby. This extra support was above and beyond the call of duty, but shows how much she cares.

In the end, it was Dr. Jill Foley on call for the birth of our baby. She, too, was wonderful, and helped us to have exactly the birth we had hoped for: no interventions or drugs, lots of calm reassurance and guidance. I also recommend her very highly. new mama

April 2008

Re: Female ObGyn who delivers at Alta Bates
Try Jill Foley at Berkeley Orinda Women's Health (name has changed slightly). (510) 845-4200 Jill was my ob/gyn for two pregnancies--very good! Other doctors in the practice delivered, and they were both great! Practice now has a nurse/midwive for consultations. I highly recommend a doula for births at Alta Bates. The two nurses I had did not have the types of personalities that would have successfully gotten me through two non-medicated births. mom of two

Our baby was born with unexpected medical issues, and our doctor, Arzou Ahsan, came to see us in the hospital every day we were there (even though she was not on call), and even went up to the NICU a number of times to check in on the baby. This extra support was above and beyond the call of duty, but shows how much she cares. In the end, it was Dr. Jill Foley on call for the birth of our baby. She, too, was wonderful, and helped us to have exactly the birth we had hoped for: no interventions or drugs, lots of calm reassurance and guidance. I also recommend her very highly. new mama

March 2008

Re: OB GYN rec - good with PPD
First of all, congratulations on beeing ppd free and also on making the smart, life affirming decision to take care of yourself the second time around. I would highly recommend Dr. Angelyn Thomas. I also had ppd with my 1st child (not w/ dr. thomas) and began seeing dr. thomas in preparation for my 2nd, so she was with me through the whole thing. She was wonderful and is very knowledgeable about all treatments, from antidepressants to natural stuff. She is very kind and understanding. She also worked *extremely* well with my birth duola, Treesa Mclean, ( I think 510-581-1013) probably the best and most experienced duola in the bay area. Treesa worked with me to help meet all my needs througout my pregnancy, labor and delivery, and well after. It was great to have two wonderful women looking out for me. When my 2nd had complications and had to be sent to the NICU at birth (was very scary but ended up just fine) Treesa was there with us, guiding us through medical decisions for him, advocating for us, and she stayed with me the first night in the hospital when I had to be separated from my son. She helped me pump so my milk would come in and held my hand and reassured me all night that all would be well. Because of this my husband was able to be with our son. It all worked out fine and in the end we had a perfectly healthy mom and baby, but if it weren't for Treesa and Dr. Thomas I'm not sure mom would have been so healthy :-) I ended up w/ no relapse in depression, tho I did take antidepressants for the pregnancy and first few months just to be safe. I hope this helps ! anon

Jan 2008

Re: Berkeley Oakland Walnut Creek OB GYN
I've been going to Berkeley-Orinda Women's Health forever, at least 10 years. I have never once (not once!) had to wait more than 5 minutes. In fact, I often look forward to a short wait at the doctor's office to relax and read a magazine, but at BOWH I have never gotten further than a couple of pages into any magazine. I see Dr. Girard and love him, but saw almost all of the other doctors during my pregnancy (and delivery at Alta Bates) in 2003, and liked them all very much. They have offices in Berkeley and Orinda. Yesterday I called for a yearly exam and they had appointments immediately. They are great. I could do without their new phone system (now THERE's a wait for you), but have had nothing but good experiences at this office. BOWH fan

Nov 2007

Re: Looking For OBGYN
All my friends love either Dr. Girgis in Oakland or Dr. Angelyn Thomas in Berkeley. I go to Dr. Thomas and she's a youngish African American woman who went to Harvard. She's gentle, competant and all the friends I have referred to her are thrilled! Happy Patient

Oct 2007

Re: GYN In Lamorinda
I see Dr. Marilyn Honegger in Orinda. From what I hear she has a very big following and I have been happy with her. Anon

Oct 2007

Re: Female GYNO
I'm a quite satisfied patient of Katarina Lanner-Cusin in Berkeley. I'm not sure if she's taking new patients, however. I recently went into their office when Dr. Lanner-Cusin was out of town, and saw Dr Elinor Kim. She is one of the newer Dr's in this practice, and she was wonderful! Patient, caring, answered all my questions. I felt she took really good care of me. I would highly recommend her. Kim

I had to respond to the person who put in a recommendation for Dr.Eleanor Kim at East Bay OB/GYN & Fertility. I had been a patient of Dr.Lanner-Cusin's for my first and second pregnancies, but saw Dr.Kim for the last half of my second pregnancy when it was too difficult to schedule appointments with Dr.L-C. The treatment I received under Dr.Kim's care during the day of my delivery was insensitive and disorganized.

Which doctor atBerkeley Orinda Women's Health?

Oct 2005

I just found out I'm pregnant again and my OB practice, Berkeley Orinda Women's Health, has had a bit of a shuffle this year that isn't reflected on the website. Dr. Sakamoto left the practice to teach. Dr. Wharton has struck out on his own in Lafayette. They've added another fairly new woman doctor named Dr. Sandu and I haven't heard anything about her. I adore Dr. Wharton but don't know if I want to work with a solo doctor (and all the way over in Lafayette at that). But I've had mixed experiences with the other doctors from that practice. I don't know whether to stay, try Dr. Wharton's new private practice, or just find a whole new practice. Does anyone have any information about the new doctor Sandu, about the changes there, and whether the practice itself has changed much. The last reviews are over a year old. Likewise, it seems that Omni Medical (that used to share call group with BOWH) has disbanded completely. Dr. Huibonhoa (who I always heard fabulous things about) is on her own now. I want a doctor (man or woman) that's willing to let me labor naturally, without IVs and monitoring, and won't rush to intervene if things get a little bumpy during labor. (My last labor stalled out at 15 hours, but I eventually delivered at about 18 hours). Any info is much appreciated.

We've used Dr Foley at BOWH and been quite happy. Don't know anything about the new doctor. We also liked Drs. Wharton and Sakamoto and were bummed that they left. Also heard good things about Dr. Huibonhoa, too. She was actually the one who delivered our daughter as she was on call that night. Bottom line is you need to feel comfortable with your doctor. If you don't like BOWH, then find another.

While I know that the practice has undergone some changes lately, I would definitely recommend you at least schedule an appointment with Dr. Sandu to see how you like her. Granted I am done with my childbearing, however I found Dr. Sandu absolutely terrific, very astute and someone I will definitely trust with my health (I have a history of cancer in my family so I am quite selective about my medical care). Dr. Sandu was very thorough in her exam, asked lots of questions and brought up issues that I hadn't previously discussed, and appeared very well-informed. She is quite young, but IMHO, that works to our advantage in that she is up-to-date on the latest information on women's health issues. I am a former patient of Dr. Sakamoto's and was terribly saddened to see him leave the practice. However I think Dr. Sandu will provide an even better and more informed level of care for my needs. I am interested to see what others say about her delivery and bedside manners. I certainly plan to stay with the practice with her as my doctor. Happy patient

I met MD Sandu and liked her a lot. I gave birth in march, 2005, none of the doctors from the practice were there. personally I think they're better off without MD Sakamoto. He stripped my membranes once without asking or even infoming me. and I was one single day overdue! I'm still kind peeved about it. I didn't know Wharton left. that's a shame former patient

I am a patient of Dr. Wharton's and was under his care for my second pregnancy when he was in the processing of moving to his own practice. I actually ended up delivering early via C- Section with Dr. Honegger two days before Dr. Wharton's first day solo. I was very impressed with Dr. Honegger's bedside manner and presence prior to and during the surgery. It happened very suddenly and she was very understanding and calming. Dr. Wharton had performed my first C-Section and he is tough to beat.

That being said, I did have a slight complication from the second C-Section with a nerve root being tied into my internal incision. Not dangerous but unbelievably painful. Dr. Wharton actually made a housecall on a Saturday morning to diagnose the problem as he didn't want me mobile until he knew what was going on. He really does take a personal interest in your care. I now make the trek out to Lafayette to see him and it is worth the drive.

Hi, I'm a former Berkeley/Orinda OBGYN patient and Dr. Sakamoto's at that. I loved Dr. Sakamoto was my OB with my two children. I had met Dr. Wharton several times. When Dr.Sakamoto left, I saw Dr. Wharton and have followed him to his new digs in Lafayette. I live in El Cerrito. It's worth it. He's available, helpful and personable. He really wanted to go on his own so he could provide more service. It's worked out well for me. Good luck. anno.

As of October 1st, Berkeley Orinda Women's Health has become a part of larger medical group and the name has changed to something along the lines of Summit Medical Foundation (I can't remember exactly). As you say, both Dr. Sakamoto (my former doctor) and Dr. Wharton have left. I really liked Dr. Sandu, who I saw several times after Dr. Sakamoto left, but she has also left. My current experience there as a pregnant patient is that it is much more difficult to get appointments. The remaining doctors (who I think are all good) seem to be stretched very thin and getting prenatal appointments in Berkeley is difficult (have had to go to the Orinda office more often). I'm not sure what the future implications of this merge into the larger practice are, but after this baby I'm planning to look around for another practice. anon

I'm a Berkeley-Orinda Women's Health patient, and I gave birth to my son completely naturally at Alta Bates about two months ago. Dr. Honegger is my ''official'' OB, and Foley delivered him. I was hooked up to the monitors for the pushing, but she didn't make me get an IV, and she even prevented the nurse from giving me the Pitocin injection after delivery. I must say that I labored at home for the first 23 hours, showing up at the hospital just for the last hour (already completely dilated and ready to push). So there wasn't much opportunity for intervention!

I've only been a patient of theirs for the past year, so I can't say if the practice has changed, but over the course of my pregnancy I saw all the doctors, and I liked them all okay. Dr. Sandu I only saw once, but she is young and took the time to sit down and listen (as does Dr. Foley). They are all medically-oriented, of course, with fairly speedy office visits focused on checking the vitals rather than discussing diet, birthing techniques, etc. When I expressed my anxieties about birth, they all thought I would find it reassuring that if labor was too hard or too scary, there were drugs they could give me.

I was looking for minimal intervention, so I asked questions like, ''Will I have to have continuous monitoring?'' and ''For how long will you let me push?'' Dr. Honegger, in her amusing pragmatic way, would make no promises. It all depends, she would say, and would suggest that I practice relinquishing control. Another day, though, when I was expressing doubt that I'd be able to handle a natural birth, she did say that if I was committed and if I had enough support (meaning my husband and doula) there was no reason I couldn't have a natural birth. I appreciated that. Congratulations! And good luck with your decision. New Mama

Oct 2005

It seems as if Berkeley-Orinda Women's Health has been bought up by Sutter and a number of the doctors have split away (I know that Dr. Wharton has started a solo practice in Lafayette and Dr. Sakamoto has apparently joined Kaiser). Does anyone know who from the old practice has stayed on with Sutter? Are there new doctors there as well? Is the practice worth staying with? I have been unable to get anyone at the new practice to return a call. lost my OB

I just had an appt with Dr. Foley at Berkeley Orinda Women's Health (or Sutter, whatever it's called) and didn't even realize there had been a change until they handed me a slip explaining it all. I have only ever seen Dr. Foley (for 4+ years and love her) so I can't speak to others within the practice. I didn't notice any change in my care or the way my entire appt went and was still very happy with my care and the ease of making appts (love that they offer late appts some nights too). Hope this helps... Still Happy

I can wholeheartedly recommend any of the remaining physicians at what used to be called Berkeley Orinda women's health. Dr. John Girard is amazing; the best OBGYN. Very caring, supportive, honest, doing what is right for both mother and baby.He delivered my son 11 months ago. The other doctors in the practice -- Jill Foley, Marilyn Hoenegger, and Dr. Sandu -- are excellent as well. I saw all of them during my pregnancy and both Dr. Foley and Dr. Hoenegger (as well as Dr. Girard) during delivery. The offices are the best run in the business. I've never waited more than 10 minutes, a tremendous difference from most other practices and the nursing staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. Sharon

I've been with Berkeley/Orinda Women's Health for the past year or so. You are correct that Dr. Sakamoto has left the practice. Dr. Sandhu was new, but has left the practice already. I'm not sure why, but I only saw her once; she was the one doctor in the practice that I just wasn't comfortable with.

My primary doctor there is Dr. Jill Foley, but I also saw Dr. Honneger and Dr. Girard throughout my pregnancy (I just delivered in August with Dr. Girard). I can't say enough good about them and their practice.

I can't speak to your desire to labor naturally, as my water broke and I had to be helped along with pitocin (and an epidural), but I can say that the doctors really listened to me and respected my desires throughout the entire process.

I would not worry about the shuffling. The doctors who are still there are all EXCELLENT - caring, competent, and extremely capable. michelle

I think the Sutter buy-out just happened (they gave me a fact sheet on it this Tuesday, but not when I was there last eight weeks ago), while Drs. Wharton and Sakamoto have been gone at least since January 2005 (when I first went there). They claim nothing will change as far as patient care, but I think it's too soon to tell. Over the last nine months (I just had a baby) I saw Drs. Honegger, Foley, Sandu, and Girard, as well as the practice's CNM. I liked all of them all right, although they tend to rush through appointments unless you practically block the door. Foley and Sandu are the best at actually sitting down and saying, ''Any questions?'' and actually waiting for a response! I'm surprised that no one called you back; I chose them due to their stellar response time and helpful office staff (Orinda office). New Mama

Aug 2005

I'm looking for information on the female doctors at East Bay Ob/Gyn. I saw Dr. Birenbaum there for my first baby, but apparently she's moved on, as has Dr. Ahsan. Has anyone had good or bad experience with the current female doctors there? Thanks for your input.

Sorry, I can't tell you about current OB/GYNs at East Bay Oby/Gyn Med Assoc, but I wanted to let you know that Dr. Ahsan is still nearby in another OB/GYN practice: phone# 510-845-8047, 2915 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley. She's a great doc.

Re: Smart Obgyn (June 2005)
I recently saw Marilyn Honneger for the first time. Dr. Sakamoto was my obgyn but he left the practice and I switched to Dr. Honneger. I too am post-child bearing and was satisfied with my routine visit. Her bedside manner is pleasant and she is open to questions.

Natural Birth Dr Thomas @ Alta Bates

May 2004

I am a very healthy 38 year old woman pregnant with my first child. My OBGYN is Dr. Angelyn Thomas. It is really important to me to have a delivery that is as free of intervention (i.e. drugs, i.v.'s, monitors, etc.) as possible. We have weighed our options carefully about where to have this baby and decided I will deliver at Alta Bates (Summit's Labor and Delivery is closing this summer). I really want to be able to move around while in labor particularly while pushing (I don't want to be restricted to being on my back while I push unless absolutely necessary). I am wondering if anyone has any experience with Dr. Thomas and her group, particularly around natural birth and her philosophy about intervention and natural child birth? Also any words of wisdom or recommendations about delivering at Alta Bates would be great also. Any information or advice will be welcome.

hi there, I'm also 38 and just had my first child in January at Summit w/ Dr. Thomas. She's really great about listening and adhering to your concerns/desires. If you feel especially strongly, type up a birthing plan (http://www.babycenter.com/calculators/birthplan/) and give it to the staff at the hospital -- I didn't need one w/ Dr. Thomas -- I told her beforehand what my wishes were (no meds, no episiotomies, nothing that might harm the baby in any way) -- w/ room for flexibility should the medical need arise. the childbirth prep nurse/instructor also advised to tell the nursing staff to not offer you meds (put it on your chart in case of shift change).

I also wanted to have all natural childbirth -- figuring billions of women have done so, so could I. unfortunately, it didn't work out that way (my water broke and the baby hadn't dropped, I wasn't dilating and stopped dilating as soon as they stopped inducing -- after 21 hours, I was only at 6cm) so we opted for the c-section -- which she already warned us might happen (9 lbs. plus baby, bicornuate uterus).

I don't know what Alta Bates is like but Summit had a full range of options -- their birthing rooms have showers (some w/ jacuzzi tubs) and the beds are multi-positional so you can get into any position you want. Unless you have an epidural (requires constant monitoring and they don't offer walking epidurals) you should be able to walk around.

I'm sure Dr. Thomas would honor your wishes unless it's medically inadvisable. My best advice is to request a second ultrasound a few weeks before your due date -- it enabled us to know how big the baby was (he was at 39 wk size at 36 weeks w/ head diameter at 10cm) and gave us a more accurate view of what delivery would be like and to think about our options. also, I have a friend who just gave birth after a healthy pregnancy and the baby turned out to have severe cerebral and respiratory problems and died 2 days later -- they didn't get the 2nd ultrasound and I wonder if it might have been helpful though I don't think it would have changed anything but you never know.

feel free to contact me if you have further questions and good luck.

I had Dr. Thomas birth my now 5-month old daughter. I found Dr. Thomas very open minded and willing to accomodate. I really love her. To my disappointment Dr. Thomas showed up only to catch the baby, she asked to be called when the baby was crowning. I was very surprised since I thought she was going to be with me for a big part of the labor but she showed up for the last 5 minutes. The nurse said that that is very common. It was the nurses who were there for the whole labor and let me labor the way I wanted to. Maybe find out what the nurses at Alta Bates are like. I hear wonderful things about them. Good Luck Anon

Dr. Thomas delivered my baby last September. I also wanted a drug-free labor with the ability to labor in the shower, on a birthing ball, etc. Dr. Thomas's advice was supportive (said many women can go through entire labor without an iv) but also suggested not to make any hard and fast rules regarding pain meds and see how the labor progressed. She encourages laboring in a variety of positions but requires that you are on your back for delivering the baby. I like Dr. Thomas and found her to be very competent and calm during the delivery. If you would like more information, my email is cmshafer [at] yahoo.com. Good luck! Cindy

Good for you in seeking what you want! If you want as little intervention as possible in a hospital setting, I highly suggest you find a nurse-midwife. The things you desire are a midwife's goal. Also, most OBs and many midwives show up just to ''catch'' the baby- it's the labor and delivery nurses that really matter (and they sometimes change their style depending on who the OB/ Midwife is). Tell your doctor about your wishes and see how she responds. You'll get a sense of how often she catches babies with mom on her hands and knees! anon

Also recommended:Childbirth at Alta Bates,Childbirth at Summit, andLa Clinica Ob Gyns

Re:ObGyn for a VBAC(May 2004)
I missed the original posting, so this response is a little late. I'm happy to say that I had a successful unmedicated VBAC two months ago at Alta Bates. My obstetrician, Marilyn Honegger, was exceptionally supportive throughout my pregnancy, not only of my desire to attempt a vagin*l birth but also of my decision to forgo an amnio (I'm 40 years old). The other doctors in her office, East Bay Women's Health, also knew of and respected my choices. My situation may have been a little unusual in that my first baby was delivered by cesarian due to fetal distress rather than failure to progress, so I was a good candidate for a VBAC. Still, I highly recommend that you contact EBWH. In addition to supporting women's personal decisions about their births, it's a wonderful practice in countless other ways, with a well-organized office, kind and sensible nurses, and some really great doctors. Happy Mama

May 2004

Re: Ob/Gyn for menopause
if you can get in, Risa Kagan has such a practice. Though she also has an active ob piece of the practice, she is one of the few i found with the interest and ability for those of us approaching menopause.

I have been told that she leans toward HRT intervention, but I found this not to be true in my case. After careful consideration of my entire circ*mstances, in fact, she said i should not be using it, and offered alternatives more consistant with my situation.

I feel she is extremely thoughtful about my care, and trust her ability based on my experience with her. She keeps on top of any problems, following up with tests and/or treatment where appropriate. And I felt completely safe in her hands when i went under general anesthetic so that she could take a closer look at growths on my uterine wall. With that information, she keeps a close watch over any changes taking place.

I personally found her not to be warm and cozy. But on the other hand, she listens and responds to almost everything i say.

February 2004

Re: Hills Physicians Woman OB/GYN
I have Blue Shield and Hill Physicians. I had a recent first very good experience with Arzou Ahsan at the EB OB-GYN group, I think they're called, located in the tall medical building directly to the east of Alta Bates. She was friendly, knowledgeable, respectful and informal. I'm quite particular about medical providers and had just had a negative experience with another OB-GYN. I'll be happy to share more info if you write me off list. Good luck! - Rebecca

Re:ObGyn for Over 40(August 2003)
Hi there, I'm only in my late 20s, but Dr. Marilyn Honegger at Berkeley-Orinda Women's Health is a very professional OB/GYN whom you may feel comfortable with. Dr. Foley, who is around my age, is my primary OB in the practice, but I saw Dr. Honegger a few times when Dr. Foley wasn't available for my pregnancy checkups and she made me feel very much at ease, which is no mean feat for an OB/GYN, given the nature of the job. I'd guess she's probably in her 50s and exudes a very calm, capable and friendly manner. Beth

Re:ObGyn for Over 40(August 2003)
John Girard at Berkeley-Orinda Women's Health may be the guy for you. Very experienced, very funny and very gentle. He does a fair amount of OB, but is moving more toward gyn exclusively.

Re:Fibroid Surgery(June 2003)
Dr. Richard Rudd. 841-5510. He is my OB/GYN and performed my C-section (at Alta Bates). He is a great doctor and has a reputation as a very good surgeon. Liz

Re:Fibroid Surgery(June 2003)
The best clinician and surgeon, around, for things gynecologic and obstetrical is Richard Rudd, M.D. He did an ovary-saving surgery for my sitter when she had a benign cyst the size of an orange on her ovary; other gyns., whom my sitter had seen, were preparing my beloved sitter that, likely, she would lose the ovary. Richard came out of surgery very elated and chatty about what he had done, exactly, to spare the ovary. As an aside, he is also a lovely person who is great with high-maintenance (emotionally) patients like moi. I prefer going to Richard's Pinole office instead of Berkeley because it is quieter, more subdued (the office personnel is less harried and nicer).

Re:Fibroid Surgery(June 2003)
I would like to recommend my OB/GYN, Angelyne Thomas, she is also a surgeon and removed a fibroid from me last year. She is very gentle, thorough, patient, and knowledgable. She's in Oakland, her number is (510) 653-0846. Her office is on 34th St, and she works out of Summit Medical Center.

Re:Endometriosis(April 2003)
Well, I believe my OBGYN is the greatest! He's also very knowledgeable and willing to do research on new procedures and treatments. His name is Dr. Richard Rudd and he's with East Bay Obstetrics & Gynecology Medical Associates, 510.841.5510. His office is on Regent Street behind Alta Bates. Tunisha

Re:ObGyn for a VBAC(May 2003)
I had a VBAC with Dr. Arzou Ahsan. When I told her I wanted to do a VBAC she was incredibly supportive and then during labor she was right on track with me too. She is part of East Bay OB, phone is 8437722. I had a great experience with her. Good luck! Sally

April 2003

I just learned that my OB/GYN Lisa Keller is leaving the East Bay OB/GYN Medical Group in Berkeley - has anyone had any experience yet with the two new women doctors that have joined the group (Arzou Ahsan and Emily Biernbaum)?

I had a checkup with Arzou Ahsan last month and I really liked her a lot. In my case I had not been in for a few years because I hate going to the doctor so much. Also I needed to find a new obgyn. By the time I got around to making an appointment with the highly recommended Keller & Stachel, they were both gone! (one is moving and the other is on extended leave.) So I made an appt. with Dr. Ahsan. Dr. Ahsan has a direct, practical approach to doctoring, which I appreciated a lot. At the same time she is friendly and comfortable to be around. Her manner is relaxed and casual, and she introduced herself using her first name. She has a sense of humor, and she came across as very smart and very up on the latest. I do not like warm fuzzy obgyns who pat you on the shoulder and reassure you in a maternal or paternal way. I was relieved that Dr. Ahsan isn't that way, yet she is also not cold and clinical. To me she has just the right blend of professionalism and warmth. She also was supportive about my own minimalist approach to medicine. She told me that I really don't need to come in every year given my clean pap record. She did not lecture me about never having had a mammogram - just wrote out the referral. The exam was fast and thorough but she was also very perceptive about my own history and my needs, and I felt that if I had something to discuss, she would have as much time for me as I needed. I had the best possible ObGyn experience with her and I can't imagine a more suitable ObGyn for someone like me whose approach to medicine is ''nothing's wrong with me so why do I need to go?''. G

I've only met Dr. Ahsan so far, and she is really great. She had obviously spent time reading my file before she met me and knew all about my rather complicated pregnancy history. She has been prompt to return my calls and even remembered details from my previous visit. She comes across as professional and competent, yet also very warm. She also recently delivered babies for two of my friends and both raved about their experience with her. In one instance, she was there the entire time during the active pushing stage and invited the dad to pull the baby out, which thrilled them to pieces. Teresa

I too had Lisa Keller as a Dr. and thought she was wonderful. Luckily I had a great experience with Dr. Arzou Ahsan before Lisa left and I would recommend her highly. Don't know anything about the other new Dr. yet. anon

Dr. Ahsan has been my OBGYN for the past 5 months (I am 9 months pregnant) and she is terrific! She is extremely intelligent and has great bedside manner. She is willing to answer your questions thoroughly and is very approachable. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for an OBGYN. Anonymous

I share your sadness that Dr. Keller is leaving as she just delivered our baby. That occured only because she happened to be on call, as my doctor is Arzou Ahsan. Dr. Ahsan is very bright and personable, and I have heard very positive things about her from others. She saw us for several prenatal visits, which were pleasant and uneventful. laura

Since at Dr. Keller's office you never know who you're going to get for your delivery, I saw different doctors each visit during my pregnancy so I could get to know them all. Besides, it was always difficult to get an appointment w/ Dr. Keller, who was my primary physician. I highly recommend Dr. Ashan - I like her approach, never felt rushed with her, and appreciated the fact that she has twins (just under 2yrs old I think). I ended up asking for her the most when making appointments, but felt comfortable with the other doctors I saw there as well, including Dr. Biernbaum. I can't say enough good things about the practice and these 2 doctors. I had to call the office once after hours and Dr. Ashan was on call - she called me right back and was really thorough over the phone. And when I went into labor in December, Dr. Biernbaum attended to me in triage; she was pretty pregnant then. In any case, even if you sign up with one of the doctors, you should see them all anyway, as I mentioned you don't know who will actually deliver your baby. That didn't bother me, as from experience we other deliveries I knew that for a normal delivery you spend most of your time with the nurse on call anyway. The male doctor at the practice (I don't remember his name) was the one that ended up being there for my delivery. anon

I recently saw Dr. Assan (sorry about the probably incorrect spelling), who is new in the practice where Lisa Keller was (and where Laura Stachel was and will be again, I think). I was very impressed with her communication style. I connected easily with her and was able to talk about all manner of things and feel comfortable. I've only had one visit and one phone call with her, but I would recommend giving her a try. A patient

February 2003

Hi -- I just found out that I am pregnant, and I am looking for an OB who spends more than five minutes per visit with patients and who delivers most of her babies. A friend of mine recommended Dr. Angelyn Thomas. I would love to hear about people's experiences with her, especially when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth. Thanks! AD

Hi, I don't regularly see Angelyn Thomas, but am a patient of her partner Dr. Gentry. While I was pregnant, though, I saw Dr. Thomas around the office and she was very friendly and took the time to get to know me. I also saw her once, when Dr. Gentry was away. I was pleased with her. good luck, Michelle

I have been seeing Dr. Angelyn Thomas for about a year now and am completely happy. I plan to have her deliver my next baby. She spends a lot of time with her patients and is wonderful about answering questions. I have found her to be flexible, warm, intelligent, and a consumate professional. I hope this helps. Rebecca

Dr. Thomas is extremely professional. Despite running a busy practice I found her willing and happy to answer all of my questions (which were many) and address my concerns regarding my pregnancy. She was there for the birth and did a fantastic job leading the team. It was a bit of a stressful delivery at the end but Dr. Thomas was very capable and confident in her ability. I recommend her highly. dr. thomas is wonderful- she has been my gyn for the past 3 years-last year i became pregnant and she was my ob- she always took her time with me, answered all my questions and was very caring. my labor was rather difficult in the end and she was very level-headed and professional.if you have any questions please contact me

Jan 2003

Re:hyperemesis during pregnancy

I think that my ob/gyn, Richard Rudd, M.D., would agree that I get the award for one of the worst cases of hyperemesis gravidarum. He saw me through the first four hideous months of hyperemesis with my now 9-year old daughter (which then abated, somewhat), and a hellish 9 mos., 4 days of relentless vomiting, etc. with my just-turned 3-year old son.

Dr. Rudd is really smart, really academmic, and really compassionate. Ultimately, I had i.v. hydration, home nursing, and an in-dwelling cathater in my leg to mitigate the nausea and vomiting. Dr. Rudd was very persistent and knowledgeable about trying different anti-emetics--ones that were non-teratogenic as well as my being able to tolerate them. (I could not tolerate Compazine, for example.) Richard even tried me on Zofran, which is given to chemo patients, and did not work, ultimately. But the point is that he tried and suggested, but did not push it, that if all else failed, and I continued to lose weight (I lost 15 pounds in the beginning and could ill afford to lose even that), that I could always do a tapering program of steroids over at UC. (that the steroid regimen was preferable over surgically inserting an implanted catheter for alimentation) Richard also reassured me, repeatedly, that the baby was healthy, growing fine, etc., that only I, not the baby, was failing. Ultimately, I delivered a healthy heifer of a blue-eyed, blonde-haired cherubic baby boy. And even continued to vomit during delivery. I wish you luck; I wanted to die during that pregnancy, and people say you forget, but I haven't. Danna

April 2002

I called to make an appointment with someone in the Berkeley-Orinda Women's Health OB/GYN practice after reading lots of praise for Drs. Honneker, Girard, and Sakamoto in the archives, but they've scheduled me with a Dr. Foley, who's not mentioned in the archives. Anybody seen him/her? Praise? Criticism? Elise

I got a recommendation from a friend who is an RN and delivered her son with Dr. Honegger, to the Berkeley-Orinda practice.

I too was scheduled with Dr. Foley, since Dr. Honegger is semi-retired. I've been seeing her since October for pre-natal care and my overall opinion is that she's great.

Dr. Foley is the newest doctor in the practice and is quite young, I'd guess she's in her mid-thirties if that. Her general manner in office visits is what I'd describe as 'kindly-professional'. She makes good eye-contact with me when we speak, and listens to my concerns, answers my questions and is very upfront about informing me about options in my care.

I'm taking Bradley Method classes with my husband and once we got halfway through the class sequence, we had a huge long list of questions to ask her about Alta Bates and her own policies and philosophies about birth.

I was very pleased to find that in her answers she was receptive and understanding of our desire to have a natural childbirth and very supportive of the decision. She also didn't strike me as being a doctor who is overly fond of pushing various interventions on a couple who doesn't want them. Her attitude was very open and her general policy seems to be that barring emergency needs, most decisions regarding labor and childbirth should be discussed between patient and doctor. If you're expecting and would like more details about what we talked about, feel free to email me:)

My only complaints about the practice (the Berkeley office) as a whole, is that like so many other practices, appointments are scheduled in 15 minute slots, and it's devilishly difficult to get through to the front desk to make an appointment. It took me 4 weeks to get through to a human being at the desk to make my initial appointment, after leaving voicemail after voicemail with the receptionist.

Also, while Dr. Foley is very accomodating and willing to answer my questions, the practice sees a lot of patients and if my 15 minute slot starts to run over, she can occasionally seem rushed, especially if she's in the practice alone on any given day as can happen.

I'm feeling confident however, that we chose the right doctor for our needs, despite the annoyances of dealing with the front desk staff and the occasional brusque nurse. Beth

Dr. Foley is wonderful. I saw her a few times during my routine visits to their office for my last pregnancy and always found her warm and attentive. I had severe sciatica at the end of my pregnancy and had some questions about inducing b/c of it. I had a lot of concerns about induction, and Dr. Foley spoke with me about it, answering my concerns and questions in a thoughtful and caring manner, but w/o pushing me towards or away from induction. I felt like she really listened to me and gave me the information I needed to make an informed decision. Jenifer

Dr. Foley is the newest doctor in the practice. I had an appointment with her several weeks ago and really liked her -- she was both knowledgeable and very friendly/kind (I'm 7 months pregnant so am now seeing all the doctors in that practice, since any one of them could deliver my baby). Dr. Honegger, my primary OB, told me that Dr. Foley was very heavily recruited by various high-profile practices in SF and the East Bay, including my former WONDERFUL SF-based practice called Bayspring. Apparently Dr. Foley turned down Bayspring to join the Berkeley-Orinda Women's Health group, even though she lives in SF. All good news for your choice of doctor and office! - Stacy

I saw Dr Foley a few times during my recent pregnancy. I think she is really great. She isn't mentioned in the archives because she is new to the practice but I felt she was just as good as the other Dr's in the practice. She probably took more time with me during my appointments than any of the other Dr's in the practice. Gabrielle

I am a patient of Dr. Honegger's, but Jill Foley attended the birth of my son. Dr. Foley was absolutely great, I really can't say enough about her. She spent hours with me during my labor and was encouraging and patient with my very long pushing phase (3 hours), never once mentioning the possibility of a c-section. When my doula asked her about episiotomies she replied that she doesn't do them. y husband claims that her calm demeanor had a hugely positive effect on his nervousness at facing his first experience in the labor/delivery room. I too felt so secure in her competent care. I feel that having her as my doctor largely contributed to my positive birth experience, mostly because of her caring, calm and optimistic attitude. Prior to my birth I had two office appointments with her and again she was wonderful. She didn't try to rush me out and answered all my questions, even though it was obvious by the crowd in the waiting room that she was very busy. I HIGHLY recommend her. Dinah Mattick

My husband and I both immediately liked Dr. Foley the first time we met her. She is very personable. However, I had a pregnancy that was threatening to become high-risk (which fortunately it did not) and I didn't feel comfortable that she had the experience (or perhaps the attention to detail?) to follow up. I switched to another practice. In one instance, I had to remind her that I needed an important follow-up test for a cvs. Another time, I called her to have test results passed on to another doctor, and instead of faxing the results to them, she left them on my home answering machine which, of course the other office wouldn't accept. So, I guess it would depend on whether you need routine care from her or something more.

I would also stay very on top of any paperwork that you need to have sent anywhere from that office - I had a battle every single time I either tried to get something sent, or tried to get copies myself. One time, I was told that they would fax something right away, then told that they needed more information, then told that they were NEVER allowed to fax medical information, and that if I wanted it right away would have to pick it up myself in the Orinda office (where they keep the records), and this was just one such instance. In one case, I actually had to get the lab to send test results because Berkeley Orinda Womens Health couldn't get their act together!

I just started seeing Dr. Foley for a new pregnancy. She was recommended to me by my first child's pediatrician who had seen another Dr. at Berkeley-Orinda Women's Health for her recent pregnancy and birth. Dr. Foley is new to the practice, which is probably why you couldn't find info on her. I have only seen her once, but I feel very comfortable with her and confident of her skills. She handled all my questions (I have some concerns about the pregnancy) with sensitivity and evident knowledge. I was also very impressed with the efficiency of the office, without making me feel rushed (but I've only been to one visit, like I said). Dr. Foley is relatively young, in her mid-thirties maybe, which I like. I'm not sure how available the other, more established Dr's are, but I'd recommend that you give her a try. Jessica

Aug 2002

I cannot say enough about OBGYN Fertility Specialists in Berkeley. My OB was Dr. Matlock for both of my pregnancies. I do not know her experience with complicated pregnancies, though my babies were both 'sunny side up' which I later learned is a complication. I do know that there is another Dr. in the practice named Dr. Lanner Cusin who is very very good. She has a solid reputation at least with the nurses at Alta Bates. They all know and love her it seems. She was the doctor who determined that my first child was breech, and then successfully turned her around. It was very impressive! I would highly recommend any of the doctor's there, but would try to see Dr. Lanner or Dr. Matlock. Also, I have not had any rude experiences there. Actually, quite the opposite! Angela

If you're interested in an all-female group, I only know of that delivers at Alta Bates, the one at 2915 Telegraph. It's listed on the website, and is very busy. Personally, I found it a very difficult practice to work with and moved to Berkeley-Orinda Women's Health which has both men and women and I liked the men in the group there much better than the women in the 2915 group: I found that they were proactive and helpful and would call me back. I know everyone thinks they want a female OB (and I thought I did for my first) but I'd rather have a good and personable clinician than fixating on any gender, but YMMV. Mom who delivered three kids at Alta Bates

I am a patient of Dr. Angelyn Thomas, Dr. Gentry's partner in her practice. Dr. Thomas delivered my son last Aug. I only saw Dr. Gentry once, so I can't speak to her abilities, but I can say that I was always happy with my experience at their office. Their nurses and reception staff are professional and friendly. I can also say that if Dr. Thomas happens to be on call when you go into labor, you will be in good hands. She does have a somewhat traditional bent (I think I was her first patient to use a doula) but I felt very well cared for by her. I particularly liked the fact that she is a good listener. Good luck! AM

June 2002

Re: RN for Ob/Gyn
My ob/gyn is Katarina Lanner-Cusin at Ob/gyn and Fertility Group. I recently saw her RN, Alice Kannon, who I thought was really great. I would definitely see her for routine checkups. KMS

April 2002

I am very pleased you asked. I am so in awe of my OBGYN...Betsey Kanwit at OBGYN Fertlity group in Berkeley. I was/am always treated with respect and kindness at this office and I adore all of the doctors in the practice. I have been a patient ther since 1995 when I first became pregnant. Good luck to you!! Danielle

Aug 2001

regarding recurrent miscarriages ...

As far as OB/GYNs are concerned I've found Katarina Lanner-Cusin at OB/GYN and Fertility Specialists to be compassionate, careful and conservative in dealing with miscarriage. (Although I'm not sure she's taking new patients.) When I'm in my first trimester she is basically willing to see me as often as I want to do heartbeat checks (after 10 weeks) or to send me for an ultrasound (before 10 weeks). (Don't let them do an in-office ultrasound there. I don't think they know enough.) She was also willing to order as many tests as I wanted to investigate underlying causes even though she was clear with me that her personal opinion was that I had just had some bad luck. Best wishes to you in this very difficult time.

2000

I couldn't be happier with the Ob/Gyn practice I belong to: Berkeley- Orinda Women's Health, and their Berkeley office is accross Alta Bates. My primary doctor is Marilyn Honegger. She has delivered my first son, 18 months old, and is now responsible for the pre-natal care of my second child under way. She is one of the most professional, knowledgable, respectful, caring, and sincere people I have ever met. I have had the same type of experience with the other doctors -- Dr. Gerard, Dr. Sakamoto and Dr. Wharton. I moved from Asia 7 months pregnant and was referred to their practice by a friend. They suggest you meet all the doctors during pre-natal care since it is the doctor on call who will be present during labor. As a result, I had a hard time to select my primary doctor... I find the nurses and staff equaly nurturing and respectful. Regarding office wait, I find that there is no such thing as the on time appointment. Nonetheless, the wait at their office is fairly short. The longest I've waited is 20 minutes, and if the doctors are going to be substantially late due to emergencies, the office notifies you immediatelly. Their number in Berkeley is 510-845-4200 and Orinda is 925-254-9000. Good luck! Valeria

I go to Berkeley-Orinda Women's Health and see Kurt Wharton, I like the practice very much (4 drs. and one nurse practitioner) Of all of the drs. there is only one that I didn't connect with. I expressed these feelings to Dr. Wharton before when I was pregnant with my son and was told not too worry, if that Dr. was on call when I went into labor they would make arrangements for someone else to handle it. I'm sure that dr. is very capable, and I know people who like him very much, so I'm not suggesting that he is an inferior dr - just not right for me. The long and the short is that it is a very good practice and I'm sure that you will be able to find a fit that's right for you.

Karen
I switched to this practice when my private practice OB-GYN left the area. A trusted friend recommended I see Dr. Wharton, and he is now my official OB-GYN. I especially appreciate his respect, warmth, knowledge, and communication skills. During my second pregnancy in 1998, I was high-risk for a while and got to see and know all of the members of the group fairly well. Of course, each has his/her own unique bed-side manner, but I always felt I was in the best of hands. I remember Dr. Sakamoto's attention to detail, Dr. Girard's conversation, and Dr. Honegger's confidence. Dr. Honegger ended up delivering my son. He came into the world fast, and Dr. Honegger was wonderfully calm, efficient, reassuring, and performed the necessary episiotomy very well. Also, the nurses and the front-office staff are easy to work with and always helpful. Best of luck.

Paolo
I had my two chidren with them (the last one 3 month ago)and I am very appreciative of them. It is a small practice of 4 doctors all nice : a woman, Dr Honneger, very good, who I saw practicing during the delivery of a friend of mine, my regular doctor, the oldest of the practice (early fifties)Dr John Girard soft and gentle but maybe too cool, Dr Sakamoto, very professionaland pleasant, and ready to spend time explaining , and finally, Dr Wharton, the youngest (early forties) who was twice the one in call when I had my babies, who is apparently quite bright and well-known, but a little bit too commercial for my taste (smiles like you are his best friend). In any case, I believe they are all competent and there is really none of them that I would not recommend.Then it is a question of personal matter ( Dr Wharton did not push me to have an epidural, I know that Dr Girard is pro-epidural, and Dr Honneger was present very early during the non-medicated labor of my friend and was very supportive the whole time). You can be sure that you will have one of them for your delivery because they don't share the in-calls with any other practice. They will also have you meet with each of them so that you will have a chance to know everybody. The administrative staff is nice too, but I don't particularly care for the nurses at their Berkeley office. Good luck. I am ready to answer any other question that you would want to ask.

Heather
I am now pregnant with my second son, who is due May 2, and I have had such mixed experiences with B-O Women's Health that I am looking for new doctors. Dr. Honegger is great, but she's apparently working only half-time and I've only seen her once and talked to her one other time, though we had weird amnio results and had lots of testing. I also liked Dr. Wharton, though I've only met him once and talked to him on the phone a few times. I did not care for Dr. Sakamoto, whom I saw most recently; he was rude and patronizing to me. Since the main doctor getting raves in the reviews was Dr. Honegger, I am not happy about having less than a 25% chance of having her deliver my baby. The practice is also incredibly busy. I've been rescheduled a couple of times and apparently they lost a lot of the Orinda staff recently, so when I asked Dr. Sakamoto about test results that should have been in my file weeks ago, they weren't in there yet. The testing that was to have been done on my husband was done wrong because they filled out the form incompletely, and I still haven't heard officially about the sex of my son (we all saw the penis clearly at the u/s), though I have called specifically to ask. On the good side, the two staff at the desk in Berkeley are very nice even though they are obviously totally stressed, and this is a big difference from the Matlock/Kanwit practice that delivered my first son.

My Ob-Gyn is Dr. Wharton at Berkeley-Orinda Womens Health whom I highly recommend. I was referred to him by my primary care physician Dr. John Jones of Alta Bates Medical Associates whom I have the utmost confidence in. I had originally hoped to have a female obstetrician but when I first met Dr. Wharton he made me feel so comfortable and was so gentle that I felt extremely lucky to have him as my Dr. He always allowed time at the end of each exam for me to ask questions and was never condescending. I was lucky enough to have him deliver my daughter and everything went great. I had told him I didn't want an episiotomy (who does!) and he really seemed to make that a priority. He always put my mind at ease whenever I had a concern. The other drs in the practice were all very friendly with the exception of Dr. Honneger (I only met her once however), ironic since she is the only female and I had originally preferred a female dr. She was rather rough when she examined me-really pressed hard on my abdomon to determine the position the baby was in, none of the other drs. did this. But I would have been comfortable with any one of them delivering my baby. They were all very confident and apparently they all share the same views so if you get someone other than your main dr. delivering your baby you wont have to worry about things not going the way you want them to.

Berkeley-Orinda Women's Health is part of the Alta-Bates Medical Group. John Girard delivered our daughter. She was seven weeks premature, so it was a tense situation. They're nice people, easy to talk to, listen well. They make sure that their OB patients see each of the doctors in the group, so that when D-Day comes and you get whoever is on call, you are not treated by a stranger.

From: G

i second the recommendation for john girard. he is my doc, and successfully saw me through 5 pregnacies. he takes time, makes sure questions are answered, is generally supportive of what your wishes are, and is willing to listen to his patients. the other docs in the practice are good as well, and you meet them all in the course of the pregnancy--no surprises at delivery time.

I can recomend highly Marilyn Honnegger at Berkeley-Orinda Women's Health. However, She is in a group with three men and you may or may not get her for a delivery. For what it's worth, I found that the men in this group (in particular Kurt Wharton) to be very kind and helpful (in fact, perhaps a little more sympathetic than the female OB I had used for pregnancy of my first child). They take FHP/Take Care and deliver at Alta Bates.

Myrium

re: ob/gyn. I would highly recommend the practice (also at 2999 Regent) of Dr.'s Sakamoto, Wharton, Girard and Honnegger (female). I don't know off hand if they are taking new patients but I have been with them through routine care and almost two full pregnancies and could not be happier. The number is 845-4200 in Berkeley. They also have an office in Orinda.

Janette

I have a recommendation for a female OB/GYN. Her name is Marilyn Honneger of the Berkeley-Orinda Women's Health group. Her office has 3 other docs who are all great. They are in the Huntmont building at 2999 Regent St. on the 7th floor suite 701. 510-845-4200. As their name implies, they also have an office in Orinda, and they work out of Alta Bates Hospital. I've had my two daughters with this group, and I feel very comfortable with their practice.

Leslie

I used Marilyn Honegger for my first child's delivery and liked HER very much; however, I have one caveat for anybody who goes with a practice like this where you may not get your primary Ob/Gyn for the delivery. You should make sure you like ALL the doctors you may get. The doctors in Honegger's practice were all great; however, they had this arrangement with another practice of three doctors where you might get one of them for the delivery (about 10% chance, they told me). (This was two years ago; they may have changed this practice by now.)

Well, it ended up that one of those other three doctors was awful. And guess who I got stuck with for my delivery! I could go on and on about how terrible this doctor was and how everything about my delivery went against my hopes and beliefs and about how I ended up with a totally unnecessary 4th-degree tear.

If I ever have another child it will be with a doctor or better yet, a midwife, who promises to be there for the delivery.

I had an extremely difficult pregnancy requiring 17 weeks of bedrest and several stays at the hospital starting at 20 weeks, and I had Dr. Marilyn Honegger as my OB so I can say without a doubt that she is exceptional. I also dealt with Drs. Wharton, Girard and Sakamoto frequently and found all of them to be wonderful with great bedside manners. I highly recommend this practice to anyone seeking terrific OB care. They have offices in both Berkeley and Orinda.

From: Jeanne

I am very interested in information about how you got PacificCare to pay for a midwife. I had my first child in 5/95 with Marilyn Honegger in the Alta Bates Medical Group. I had 2 doulas, Janaki Costello and her assistant, Anna, at the delivery and it really helped. I had pre-eclampsia that did not clear up. Honegger discharged me too early, 24 hours after the birth, and I had to go back into the hospital a couple of days later. I almost had a stroke. I think that my OB could have kept me in the hospital longer if she had fought with the insurance company. I am planning for my second child and would like to use a midwife. Did you use an OB with a midwife? I would appreciate any information.

I was quite happy with Dr. Betsy Kanwit. Practices with Drs. Lanner-Cusin and Matlock, on Telegraph, around the corner from Alta Bates. Tel: 845-8047.

Staff - friendly. Office - efficient. Doctors - nice, good. Won't spend as much time with you as a midwife might, but that's typical. I also found them a little less conservative than I wanted to be. They said over-the-counter medications ok after first trimester, but I didn't want to take anything. But that's where you make your own judgements. They try to avoid epiosiotomies I guess, but in the end, they do whatever they feel is necessary.

One drawback - but you get this with many practices - is they share delivery duty with another practice. So while you can get to know these three during your prenatal visits, your baby could be delivered by one of six doctors in the other practice whom you won't have met. One of those has a rather bad reputation. But in summary, I'd recommend the practice.

Dr. Lanner-Cusin is wonderful. A couple of months ago, she was taking new patients. I know how hard it is, and my cousin who is a OB in Murin recommended her. Wonderful manner and very informative. Marci

From: Melissa

First of all, I saw Betsy Kanwit through both of my pregnancies/childbirths, and think very, very highly of her. My annual visit with her is always a joy, as we catch up on our families, and the other moms I know who saw her for their birth experiences (ca. 8-12 years ago) had great stories, too. I posted a more detailed recommendation for her to the list just a couple of months ago, so I won't go over it again. If you want to ask me specific questions, please feel free to e-mail me. I really like Betsy.

From: sabrina

To briefly recommend an OB/GYN: I have gone to Dr. Lanner-Cusein for years (practice is on Telegraph near Alta Bates). She is amazing. Now that I am pregnant, I go into her practice monthly, and have seen some of her collegues as well, one of whom is Dr. Kanwit. I can highly recommend her, too. Both truly give a sense of confidence, are warm and excellent doctors. Good luck!

To the person inquiring about OB/GYNs affiliated with Alta Bates I can't help but respond in order to agree with the messages praising Dr. Lanner-Cusin at ob-gyn & fertility specialists Medical Group (510-845-8047). I switched to her 6 months into my pregnancy after a terrible experience with another doctor. In the short time that I received Dr. Lanner-Cusin's pre-natal care, I found her to be nothing short of fabulous. Although her office is very busy, it is efficiently run and the staff is extremely friendly, informative and supportive. The other Drs. there ( Matlock and Kanwit) are also great. In the few months remaining of my pregnancy, I felt that I got more than I had hoped for in terms of support, well-informed care, and unbridled enthusiasm for the venture of having this (now 11 month old) miracle. Dr. Lanner-Cusin didn't even deliver our baby (we had Dr. Keller from the practice with which they share call--who was great) and I actually look forward to my annual exam because she's so terrific. Good luck to you....

From: FTR

I have to pitch in with my opinion - Katarina Lanner-Cusin was my OB and I thought she was fabulous. I was seeing Risa Kagan as my gynecologist, and when I became pregnant was disappointed to learn she had discontinued her obstetric practice, but she referred me to Lanner-Cusin, whom I found to be excellent. Dr. Kagan stayed very involved with the progress of my pregnancy and was especially supportive as I got very anxious towards the end. Beth Matlock delivered my baby and I liked her very much too. My only experience with Dr. Kanwit has been a single phone consultatation with her for a post-partum question, but she was helpful and pleasant (she also returned my non-urgent call very promptly). My strong impression is (and confirmed by a friend's father who is a local pediatrician) that the group is a very high-quality one.

From: Heike

RE: Betsy Kanwit The first and only time I saw Betsy was at my delivery. Having seen all the doctors in my practice, fate presented me with a doctor on call from another group at Alta Bates. I loved her. She was all excited about delivering my baby. She gave me confidence, helped me remember how to push, and gave me a mirror to look at my pushing efforts. Her eyes were glowing with as much joy as my husband's. She complimented every push of mine, became my best female friend for these few, important minutes of my life, and 15 minutes later my baby was born and I read Dr. Kanwit's name later on the hospital bracelet. (She had certainly introduced herself, but of course, I didn't remember her name in the final steps of birth). I am not negating anyone's bad experiences with her, but I loved having her as the doctor on call who delivered my baby.

From: Lucia

I'm sorry that others have had negative experiences with Dr. Kanwit b/c I think she is a very capable Dr. She is my OB and I have to say that I've been very pleased with her....... I had special circ*mstances and was put on bed rest and she saw me each week starting my 27th week. I liked all the Dr.s in that practice and feel confident of their professional abilities........ I would recommend her and the practice to my friends.

From: Heather

Beth Matlock was my official Ob/Gyn for my delivery in March of 1996, so I saw many of the doctors in that practice. Resa Kagan no longer sees patients on HMOs; I heard that she is excellent.

My favorite doctor in the practice was Vickie-Lee Edge but when I went in in September for a consultation, they said she was out on leave. I liked Dr. Edge because she always took the time to ask me whether I had questions before she started the exam. I had to force the others to answer questions sometimes. I think it's just a very big practice, and it felt pretty impersonal until I started seeing Dr. Edge. We're trying to conceive again now, and since Dr. Edge isn't available, I don't think I'll go back to that practice.

I had a baby about 19 months ago and am a patient of Beth Matlock. It is true that the front office can be a nightmare, but if you get to know some of the people at the front desk and consistently speak to one person on the phone to schedule appointments, administrative matters can go relatively smoothly. The medical care I received from all the nurses and doctors in this practice was excellent. I was monitored particularly closely during my pregnancy and post-natal period, so I had more contact with the office than most women probably do. The confidence I have in the practice's medical expertise counterbalances the occasional administrative frustration I encounter. I recommend this practice highly. Gail

I had been with Betsy Kanwit before she moved to this practice. I was seeing her for infertility problems . She has always been very friendly and concerned. She was very there for me in my surgeries, including being an advocate when my insurance wanted to kick me out of the hospital too soon. However, my problems did not change and my husband and I moved on to adoption. When the birth-mother of our prospective daughter came to live with us and had MediCal only, I called Betsy. She agreed to take her on. She was very supportive as we both went to the visits. Dr. Matlock was on call when delivery time came and although I hadn't thought much of her bedside manner in the office, I really appreciated when she asked me if I wanted to cut the cord, which in my case was an incredibly symbolic act. I'm at Kaiser now but I just wanted to toss in a good word. Tina

Okay, here's my Elizabeth Kanwit story. Our regular OB was not available when we finally made it to the hospital, two weeks past our due date. After a long labor, we had to have a C-section. Dr. Kanwit gave us plenty of time to discuss this option in a respectful manner, she never pushed us and gave us time alone to discuss with our doula.

The actual surgery, which I witnessed, was amazing in how swiftly and together Dr. Kanwit worked with the staff surgeon. What a tight team, they were truly awesome to watch. I was pleased that we ended up with this doctor, even though I only met her at the hospital and not during prenatal care. Nobody wants a c-section, but if it does happen, Dr. Kanwit is a terrific doc to have. A Dad

I'd just like to add my .02 to the discussion of the ob/gyn group that includes Betsy Kanwit. My children (admittedly older, now 8 and 11) were both delivered safely, happily, and without episiotomy by Betsy. She was my dr. throughout, and one of those births was definitely not routine. I felt extraordinarily well cared for throughout both of those pregnancies and deliveries. She also delivered the babies of friends during that time, and we all love her dearly. I continue to see her annually, and feel I get excellent care from her.

In one instance, I know she responded to an emergency delivery of a woman who had seen her *once* but opted for a home/midwife delivery. The home delivery was failing to progress, the laboring mom called her, and Betsy showed up at the hospital to complete the difficult delivery of a 10+ lb first born child. I think that was rather heroic. While I don't recommend you take this approach to delivery :-), I do continue to recommend Betsy. Melissa

Sutter Health Ob/Gyns, 2500 Milvia (2024)

Which doctor atBerkeley Orinda Women's Health?

Natural Birth Dr Thomas @ Alta Bates

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