Professional Healthcare At Hm

Pros

• They are angels in human bodies.
• The clinic offers a sliding-scale payment based on income, which is fair for the uninsured.
• The check-in staff were kind, and the nurse taking vitals provided a positive experience.
• Maria Quezada and Dr. Tinley Ireland delivered an exceptional, comforting experience, with Maria's warmth and humor helping patients feel at ease.
• NP Schultz is extremely professional, taking time to listen and explain.
• The staff are very kind and capable; for some, it is the best clinic they have visited.
• Excellent customer service is reported from every person at the institution.

Cons

• They felt the doctors' bedside manner was almost non-existent.
• They described the clinic as unprofessional with hours-long waits.
• They alleged a doctor prescribed a medication that caused severe adverse effects and worsened their health.
• They claimed their concerns were dismissed, including being told they had vertigo when they did not.
• They criticized Dr. Desmond Carson and suggested he should be fired.
• They reported rude, gossiping front-desk staff and overall poor front-office management.
• They complained about prescription errors and delays, including misdirected prescriptions and slow refills.
• They warned others not to come to the clinic due to perceived malpractice and unsafe care.
• They indicated MyChart messaging was unreliable for contacting staff.
• They recalled a traumatic visit where a catheter was used without proper diagnosis, leaving them in pain.

Review

The collection of reviews paints a clinic that elicits wildly different experiences from different patients. For some, the staff are kind, supportive, and patient-focused, while for others the same place feels disorganized, dismissive, and frustrating to the point of real harm. Taken together, the impressions are a tapestry of care that ranges from excellent bedside manner and genuine empathy to prolonged waits, miscommunications, and concerns about safety and medical judgment.

On the positive side, a number of reviewers emphasize warmth and compassion from certain team members. They describe the front-desk staff and vitals nurses as friendly and accommodating, with check-in personnel who set a welcoming tone. In particular, a few names come up repeatedly as bright spots: Maria Quezada and Tinley Ireland are singled out for making patients feel at ease, with Maria described as funny, engaging, and attentive, someone who listens and goes beyond the call of duty to ensure patients feel welcome. The pairing of Maria with Dr. Tinley has been highlighted as an especially reassuring visit, with the two together creating an atmosphere where patients feel heard, not judged, and more at ease during exams. The sentiment is that these staff members help transform what might otherwise be a stressful medical visit into something tolerable or even pleasant, and several reviewers express a strong desire that Maria and Dr. Tinley remain at the clinic because their presence is a major reason people return.

There are also positive clinical experiences noted. One reviewer describes NP Schultz as "extremely professional," taking time to listen and explain, which resonates with patients who value thorough, communicative care. A general thread across several accounts is that some doctors are capable and competent, providing solid medical attention and clear explanations. For some patients, the doctors are described as the best they've encountered, and the overall care they receive when these clinicians are involved gives them confidence and trust in the clinic.

Yet these positive accounts are interwoven with numerous, more troubling experiences. A recurring theme is major dissatisfaction with wait times and appointment flow. Reviewers repeatedly report long waits - appointments scheduled at 9:00 turning into 10:00 or later, and some patients waiting for hours without satisfactory explanations. The reception and front-office experience is frequently described as rude or unprofessional, with complaints about gossiping among staff, poor communication, and a sense that patients are not respected or prioritized. Several reviews lament that calls and messages via the clinic's MyChart system don't consistently reach someone, leaving patients feeling ignored or neglected.

Prescription management and medical decision-making are frequent sources of concern. One highly detailed account accuses a specific doctor, Kathleen Lew, of prescribing a medication with adverse effects that have left the patient significantly worse off, including time off work and severe, ongoing pain and functional impairment. The reviewer says their mental health has deteriorated as a result of the pain and perceived dismissal of concerns, including being told they had vertigo when they believed that wasn't the cause. There is a strong claim of a negative impact on daily life, with the patient alleging a lack of accountability and follow-through that compounds the physical suffering. Another patient describes a different doctor, Dr. Desmond Carson, as not being a "people person" and calls for him to be fired, signaling a breakdown in the patient?physician relationship that can leave patients feeling disrespected or unsafe.

Issues with communication and coordination appear repeatedly. Patients recount instances of prescriptions sent to the wrong pharmacy, delays in obtaining needed antibiotics, and a general sense that staff do not consistently follow through on requests or calls back with answers. There is also a perception that the clinic's internal processes - ranging from test results to medication management - are poorly coordinated, leaving patients to navigate confusion and fragmented care. In contrast, several reviews highlight moments of excellent communication and efficiency, but those positive instances are outweighed by a sense of systemic inconsistency.

Some reviewers attempt to balance the extremes by acknowledging both good and bad aspects within the same institution. They note that while certain clinicians and support staff can be exemplary, overall experiences across the clinic (and even within the same location) can vary dramatically from one visit to the next. There are also comments about the clinic's historical reputation, with some saying it used to be better and that things have deteriorated over time, though there are still advocates who insist the care they received from specific providers was top-tier.

In a few remarks, reviewers call attention to safety and structural concerns beyond the medical encounter itself. One particularly alarming line mentions imminent danger related to boards potentially falling from above, urging staff to fix the hazard promptly. While this is not elaborated upon with medical detail, it underscores a broader frustration with what some patients perceive as neglect of safety or maintenance issues alongside clinical care concerns. Beyond that, the broader theme remains clear: patients want reliable, respectful care delivered by competent clinicians, delivered on time, with clear communication and coordinated follow-through.

Ultimately, the postings present a clinic that embodies a paradox: it can deliver moments of outstanding, patient-centered care that makes people feel seen, heard, and well-treated, yet simultaneously fail patients through long waits, perceived indifference, mismanaged prescriptions, and inconsistent professionalism. For every patient who leaves with a sense of gratitude toward Maria Quezada, Tinley Ireland, or Dr. Tinley, there is another who leaves frustrated by wait times, perceived dismissiveness, and adverse health consequences attributed to the care they received. The common thread is clear: experiences at this clinic are highly heterogeneous, shaped by the specific staff involved, the particular visit, and the level of attention the patient feels they receive at every step of the process.

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.3 miles)
• Walgreens (0.8 miles)
• Walgreens (1.3 miles)
• Walgreens (1.7 miles)
• Walgreens (2.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.4 miles)
• Walgreens (2.6 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.3 miles)
• Starbucks (0.8 miles)
• Starbucks (2.4 miles)
• Cafe N!ne (2.8 miles)
• Starbucks (4.2 miles)
• Hal's Office (5 miles)
• Caffe Strada (7.4 miles)

Restaurants

• Andy's Donut Stop (0.7 miles)
• McDonald's (2 miles)
• Jack In The Box (2.3 miles)
• In-N-Out Burger (2.9 miles)
• Fat Apple's Restaurant & Bakery (4.3 miles)
• McDonald's (5.3 miles)
• The Habit Burger Grill (5.3 miles)

Parks

• Wildcat Canyon Regional Park (0.9 miles)
• Arlington Park (3.3 miles)
• Cerrito Vista Park (3.5 miles)
• Point Isabel Dog Park (3.9 miles)
• Centennial Park (3.9 miles)
• Central Park (4 miles)
• Tilden Nature Area (4.8 miles)

Hospitals

• Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center (1.7 miles)

Theaters

• Century Theatres (2.2 miles)
• AMC Bay Street 16 (8.7 miles)
• Century Larkspur (9.5 miles)

Places of Worship

• Bridge Ministry (3.1 miles)
• Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley (3.9 miles)
• St Patrick's Youth Ministry (6.6 miles)
• Trinity Faith Baptist Church (6.9 miles)

Physicians

• Stephens M.D & McNamara M.D - Family Practice (3.5 miles)
• On-Site Health Care Services (4 miles)
• Sutter East Bay Medical Center (4.4 miles)
• Kiwi Pediatrics Medical Group (5.4 miles)
• Herculean Babies Pediatrics (5.6 miles)
• Lin Bertha B MD Bertha Lin (5.6 miles)
• Compagno John MD (5.7 miles)

Transportation

• El Cerrito Plaza BART Station (4.2 miles)
• Emeryville Amtrak (8.3 miles)
• MacArthur BART Station (9.5 miles)