Petaluma Health Center

Pros

• Professional. The practitioner listened, took notes, asked helpful questions, and seemed engaged.
• Here at the Petaluma health center they've been nothing but kind and helpful.
• Petaluma Health Center is NOT useless at the Rohnert Park center.
• My sister also used to work for the health district in Petaluma and told me the head of the Petaluma health center would attend the meetings and clearly cared deeply about her job and the community.

Cons

• The reviewer asserts the security guard didn't know it was a public building and that recording is legal, arguing policy doesn't override the law.
• The reviewer contends the guard shouldn't have touched anyone and should have called the cops.
• The reviewer states Dr. Wynstock dismissed autism when the patient suggested it, failing to help after a diagnosis.
• The reviewer claims the doctor has misdiagnosed and mistreated patients and should face legal consequences.
• The reviewer describes the clinic as a "crap hole" that charged $300 for a broken finger without providing help.
• The reviewer describes Petaluma Health Center as prioritizing rules and liabilities over patient health, calling it a horrible health center.
• The reviewer alleges HIPAA violations, mishandling of medical records, delays, and unresponsive staff, indicating poor communication overall.
• The reviewer suggests going to Kaiser as a better alternative due to the subpar experience.

Review

The collection of experiences touches two broad threads: interactions with security and public-facing staff in a medical setting, and a wide range of patient reviews about Petaluma Health Center and its clinicians, especially Dr. Wynstock. Several accounts begin with concerns about conduct and safety. One reviewer notes a security guard's handling of a situation in a way that suggests a lack of awareness about public-building norms and relevant laws, insisting that recording is legal in public spaces and that the guard should not physically touch anyone but rather call the police if needed. Another reviewer references a separate incident with a driver from Wheel Care Express who appeared rude and nearly caused a crash, followed by vulgar language through the vehicle window. Taken together, these anecdotes set a tone of frustration with how people in service roles respond to tense situations and interact with customers or patients.

Turning to the medical reviews, the most persistent thread concerns Dr. Wynstock and the experience of being diagnosed with autism. The reviewer Samantha Boone recounts a long history with Wynstock as her psychiatrist since adolescence. She asserts that Wynstock never considered autism as a possibility when she first raised it, instead dismissing the idea with a flat denial. Boone claims that she needed to obtain a formal autism diagnosis elsewhere, and that Wynstock's stance persisted even after the initial diagnosis when she returned for care. She emphasizes that discovering she is autistic ultimately had a life-saving impact, and she assigns significant blame to PHC and Wynstock for missed opportunities to acknowledge and address her condition. The tone here is one of deep disappointment and perceived misdiagnosis, with a strong appeal to the medical system to listen more carefully to patients who suspect they have neurodivergent traits.

Beyond these diagnostic concerns, there are pointed criticisms about overall care and quality. A separate account describes a "crap hole" experience related to a broken finger, where the reviewer felt charged $300 but received little in the way of treatment or relief. In contrast, another review segment uses favorable language about a different encounter within the system: "Professional. The practitioner listened, took notes, asked helpful questions, and seemed engaged." This dichotomy illustrates a broad spectrum of patient experiences at the same network - moments of attentive, professional care juxtaposed with situations the patient perceived as inadequate or dismissive.

A number of reviewers reference their experiences with Medi-Cal and Medicare enrollment or referrals, noting both positive and negative outcomes. Some describe being assigned to PHC through Medi-Cal with initial skepticism but eventually finding the network's services to be better than previous providers in Mendocino County, praising the accessibility of visits, MyChart, prescriptions, and lab results, with claims of near-zero out-of-pocket costs. Others, however, report frustration with the referral process, delays, and a perceived lack of urgency from staff. One reviewer explicitly states that the process took an extended period and that important records were not promptly sent, leading to accusations of poor handling and even HIPAA-related concerns. In their view, the experience at the Rohnert Park center improved in terms of treatment quality, but the overarching narrative remains one of inconsistent administrative performance.

Negative opinions about PHC's patient-centeredness run strong in several entries. One person argues that the facility and its administration prioritize rules and liability over patient health, calling the place a "horrible health center" and imploring others to avoid it in favor of alternatives like Kaiser. This sentiment is balanced, however, by other comments that express satisfaction: praise for certain doctors, lab staff, pharmacies, and the overall treatment that worked well within Medi-Cal constraints. The dissonance between praise for individual clinicians or departments and critique of the system's structure and policies demonstrates how patient experiences can diverge widely within the same organization.

Communication and coordination appear repeatedly as critical pain points. Reviewers describe inconsistent hours displayed publicly, miscommunications about appointment reminders, and calls that go unanswered or are poorly answered. One entry highlights a front-desk miscommunication that led to a patient feeling neglected and undervalued, while another points to issues with the practice's ability to manage referrals and keep patients informed about where their care stands. Some complain that records and immunization or medication histories weren't readily accessible, which exacerbates delays and undermines trust in the system. In this way, even when clinical care may be effective, the surrounding administrative infrastructure can significantly color the patient experience.

In summary, the compiled feedback presents a multifaceted portrait of PHC and its clinicians, featuring both strong praise and sharp criticism. Positive notes emphasize professional conduct in specific patient encounters, helpful questions, attentive listening, and practical tools like MyChart that facilitate care and affordability when navigating Medi-Cal and Medicare. Negative accounts focus on experiences of misdiagnosis or dismissal (as in autism concerns with Dr. Wynstock), high charges without commensurate treatment, and systemic issues around records handling, HIPAA compliance, appointment coordination, and referral processing. Taken together, the reviews suggest a health system capable of delivering high-quality, responsive care in some contexts while struggling with consistency, patient-centeredness, and administrative efficiency in others. The overarching message is clear: patients value being heard and properly guided through their care, and when they feel unheard or underserved - especially after voicing concerns about diagnoses or treatment decisions - the experience can sour quickly, even in clinics that otherwise provide reliable medical services.

Restaurants

• Lagunitas Brewing Co. (0.3 miles)
• Lombardi's BBQ & Deli (0.6 miles)
• McDonald's (2.2 miles)
• Brewsters Beer Garden (2.4 miles)
• The Block (2.5 miles)
• Wild Goat Bistro (2.6 miles)
• McDonald's (3 miles)

Physicians

• Eiler Sommerhaug, MD (0.6 miles)
• Petaluma Pediatrician - Dr Faye Lundergan (1.8 miles)
• Ackroyd Gregory, MD (1.8 miles)
• North Bay Urology (1.8 miles)
• North Bay Eye Associates (1.8 miles)
• Dermatology Associates of the Bay Area (1.8 miles)
• North Bay Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center (1.8 miles)

Hospitals

• Petaluma Valley Hospital-Radiology & Laboratory Outpatient Clinic (1.8 miles)
• SRM Alliance Hospital Services (1.8 miles)
• Parkside Recovery Centers (1.8 miles)
• Evergreen Health Rehabilitation Center (2.9 miles)
• Sonoma Developmental Center (9.4 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.4 miles)
• Safeway Pharmacy (2.5 miles)
• Depth Body (3 miles)
• Lucky Supermarket Pharmacy (4.3 miles)
• Walgreens (5.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (6 miles)

Cafes

• Java Hut (2.4 miles)
• Les Pascals (9.7 miles)
• Taub Family Outpos (11 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Vincent De Paul Church (2.6 miles)
• St Leo's Catholic Church (9.7 miles)

Theaters

• Boulevard Cinemas (2.7 miles)
• Rohnert Park 16 (6.4 miles)

Parks

• McNear Park (3.2 miles)
• Jack London State Historic Park (8.6 miles)
• Taylor Mountain Open Space Preserve (10.2 miles)
• Bennett Valley Dog Park (10.3 miles)
• General Vallejo Home (10.9 miles)
• Miwok Park (11.1 miles)