Lisa Capaldini, MD

I have been seeing Lisa for twenty years now and have found her to be the most thorough, caring, and up to date doctor I know. I have numerous medical issues and she has been able to navigate all of them with insight and care. I couldn’t have the level of health I enjoy without her.

I’m 48 & I’ve been seeing DR. Sterman for about 9 months now. She by far is the best doctor I’ve ever had. Within two visits she had diagnosed and treated/​cured conditions that several other doctors over the years had completely misdiagnosed. Truly I don’t think I could have a better doctor.

Dr. Sterman is an excellent doctor, very caring and holistic in her approach to medicine. I feel very lucky to be her patient. Although it can be difficult to make an appointment with her (because of how great she is), it’s worth it.

This seems like the only way to get a hold of your office now. I don’t understand why your phone is always busy (I have tried over 10 times now) and why you don’t return phone calls anymore (I have left 4 messages). How am I supposed to use your office’s services if I can’t get my phone call answered and nobody ever calls me back when I leave a message. Should I start using carrier pigeons??? Send a message in a bottle??? You really need to get this matter under control! So, I have given up on your office and I will need to find a new doctor now. I am sure I can find one who has their front desk operation under control and has mastered something as simple as returning a phone call.

I don’t understand. No matter how many times I try to call Dr. Sterman’s office, no one is ever available to take the call, and no one calls back! I’ve been going to her for about 6 years now, and this is a recent and incredibly frustrating development. She won’t refill my stomach meds unless I come in for an appointment, but I can’t get through to anyone to make that appointment! This is a terrible cycle to be in!
Even before this, though, I was thinking about changing doctors. While at first Dr. Sterman seemed to listen to me and my goals, she has since started ignoring my input and trying to impose her own one-​size-​fits-​all agenda. She wants me to take a specific medication which I tried, but it gave me constant stomach aches and GI problems. When I told her this, her response was that I should «just try to stick with it.» Um, lady, I can’t live that way! It was really having a negative impact on my life that was far more severe than the impact the condition I was trying to treat was having. Eventually, I just listened to my own body, decided I didn’t want to be bullied into taking something my body didn’t like, and stopped taking this medication. Next time I see her, I’ll be telling her to find a different medication for me to try, because I’m refusing to take this one. It’s not a life or death situation, and I don’t want to live with horrible side effects just because she’s too lazy to try to think of another solution.
This is a great practice to go to if you are a gay male living with HIV. This is a great practice if you are someone who loves to be told what to do, doesn’t have a lot of opinions about her own medical care, and for whom conventional, statistically average symptoms, treatments, and results are the norm. But if your body is unique, if you often get side effects from medications, if you have strong opinions about your own care, if you are female and HIV-​negative, this might not be the right practice for you.
Of course, all of this is a moot point now that no one seems to ever answer the phone over there anymore :(

Dr. Sterman is hands down the best doctor I have ever had. She is compassionate, pragmatic, and has a bedside manner that puts her patients immediately at ease. The questions she asks are always very thoughtful and important (she doesn’t shy away from awkward topics that contain important medical questions to be asked, believe me) and I always feel as though I can be 100% honest with her without fear of judgment or a lecture.
She is difficult to get in to see as a new patient but the wait is worth it and in the rare but unfortunate instances when I’ve had a pressing medical issue arise in the past few years, her office has always gotten me in the same day. I’ve had a few non-​urgent questions come up and when I’ve left her a voicemail Dr. Sterman herself usually calls me back with thoughtful advice and/​or probing questions the same day.
It is treatment like this that makes us as patients feel secure and cared for, and that peace of mind is priceless. SF (and the world, really) needs more doctors like Dr. Sterman!

Dr. Lisa Sterman is one of the best of the best. I have known Dr. Sterman for many years and she truly was meant to be a doctor. Working myself in the medical field, I know many and Lisa is at the top. Thank you Dr. Sterman for your many years of caring — and I mean CARING for me. You’re awesome!

without a doubt lisa is the best physician i have ever had.

I recently moved to San Francisco and can’t tell you how ecstatic I was to find a doctor here that I could trust.
I just called to make a new appointment and was informed that I would be charged $ 1800 per year as part of a ‘concierge program’ just to remain her patient (not to mention the fees that any physician would charge). I, quite frankly, am truly disappointed and can’t believe that I misjudged the character of a person to such a degree.

I’m very disappointed by Dr. Capaldini’s choice of the new model too. I like her a lot and I respect her right to restrict her patients to a few patients a year. Here’s how the math works out from my point of view:
I already pay for a high deductible insurance to the tune of $ 400+ a month. I see her maximum 3 – 4 times a year if that. So, if the $ 1800 is in addition, now I’m paying $ 450-​$ 600 in addition to her normal fee of $ 150. That;‘s $ 600-​$ 750 per visit (in addition the monthly insurance premium). All that money comes out of my pocket as it goes toward the deductible. Frankly, I would not pay that kind of money for any primary care physician.
I totally respect Lisa’s right to practice medicine in the way that suits her life needs the best. Sadly I will have to look elsewhere for a primary care physician. I will miss seeing Fabrizio too!
Its truly sad that a once noble profession of healing people has gone down the path of dollars and cents (in no way targeted at Lisa but my general feeling about medical care in the USA).

Doctor Capaldini is by far the best PCP I have ever had .
I moved from from NYC to SF around 2005.
Dr. Capaldini came highly recommended; that was an understatement .
When you are dealing with Chronic Illnesses and other illness as well, Lisa is the best hub of the wheel you could ever hope for.
I have 11 Doctor’s and Doctor Capaldini makes sure all Md’s are kept in loop and she stays in the loop as well.
No so easy these Days to find any MD who is so devoted to her patients.
On a personal side
She is kind, compassionate, tells it like is; however is always Hopeful.
The thing is that you as the Patient need to do the work with Her to get better. That is what I love so much about her approach. She is one of the only Md’s that welcomes your input, when you have a lot going on in your Body and Mind
She ask what is most important to you
A– being tired as a side affect of a certain Med or perhaps being Nausea’s. From another .
B– when there is a choice, she is the first to give you that choice.
C — without a doubt. I would not be in a Human experience Today with a positive outlook; without the help, care and guidance from, Dr. Lisa Capaldini.
* FYI — for those who do not want to take responsibility in their Health Care along with their Doctor and expect the Doctor to do all the Work; perhaps Lisa might not be the best choice for you .
Again, Lisa is very compassionate, emphatic, caring and REAL. She has GREAT bedside manner as well. I have had Md’s who just told me what to do period. That’s just not for me.
This is just one Story that is very true.
Once you speak with Doctor Capaldini, ALL THE ABOVE WILL WILL BECOME VERY EVIDENT

Recently switched from Kaiser and navigating the Sutter system has been a bit challenging. Very happy to have found Dr. Sterman. Tried one other doc previously who had a pretty intense problem with not listening. Not at all the case with Dr. Sterman — she sees you, she hears you, and she has valuable advice, but is, magically, not pushy or overbearing. She is straightforward and pleasant, and I found dealing with her office (to get records transferred from Kaiser and such) easy and pleasant as well. I am not doing five stars only because I just set up my care with her and don’t feel I have enough experience with her yet to give the topmost rating.

I just opened my letter announcing Lisa’s new model of care and I am sad that I will have to find another doctor. She has been practicing for 30 years and has the right to slow down. I have been well treated by her and her staff and I certainly do wish them the best of luck in their new endeavor. PS I stayed with the practice and am very happy with my NP Adrienne. I know that she will run anything past Dr. C if needed, so I have stayed a patient with this practice.

Dr. Capaldini comes across as a compassionate doctor who really cares about her patients. I begin seeing her earlier this year after leaving my doctor of six years, and our first consultation went well. She spoke about her love of animals, and her desire to be connected to her patients. All good, right? Yep, until today.
Today, I was informed that Dr. Capaldini will be switching to a «concierge services» model, and will now be charging $ 1800 ($ 2000 if you can’t afford to hand it all over at once) for the privilege of being her patient. That is ON TOP of what she will be charging your insurance company. Her argument, on paper, is that this model pays more attention to preventative medicine, therefore it’s better. When I called her office to speak with someone about it, however, I was told the reason for the switch is that she has almost 2000 patients, and that it’s not sustainable for her to continue doing so. When I asked if she could perhaps just see fewer patients, I was met with silence.
The bottom line is, this doctor is ensuring that going forward, she only treats people with money. Considering the horrific state of healthcare in this country, I find it deplorable that she finds this an acceptable model. I’m disgusted that she is trying to put forth the notion that she is somehow doing something noble. She is not. She is acting on greed, and she should, as a friend pointed out to me, be publicly shamed as such.

My partner and I were patients of Lisa’s for many many years. I am prompted to now write this review after just receiving notification of changes in her practice… to met more needs of her patients… I strongly agree with those who comment on the non existent physical exams… no contact at all. actually…strange for a medical Dr.
My partner and I shared 38 years of our lives together before she died from lung cancer almost four years ago. Long story short… After struggling through Lisa’s new office staff just to deal with insurance issues my first visit with the good Dr. after my partner died was an unexpected and avoidable disaster if Lisa knew how to do the right thing… I was treated like a naughty child who disrupted her practice and told that «six months out» after my partner’s death I should be in a better state of mind than I was… She asked me what I would tell one of my patients if they were in the same same place I was in then (I am a psychologist), so through my tears and a broken heart I told her… Good thing she is not a mental health professional although she should have some of those skills!!!
If you don’t need emotional support, empathy or understanding then she might meet your needs. If you need medication she might meet your needs but if you need an empathic person with a sense of her patients well being especially in a time of crisis and not oppose your needs to the needs of her office staff then look further. Oh, if you want a doc who will treat your dog well, better than she treats you, then she’s your person…
The disgust and humiliation I felt leaving her office that toxic day still lingers… But should I ever be in a situation with a dr who can’t deal with real emotions and backs office staff so cold, mean spirited and rude I will walk out before I even step inside.
Ever suffer the loss of your life Lisa… I think not.

Dr. Sterman is excellent with getting to the bottom of things. She’s all they say she is, that, and a bag of chips. When was the last time your doctor asked you if you cooked your own food? Or wore your seat belt?
Lisa would ask you.

Lisa (and that is what she likes to be called) is the doctor I always wished I could have. And now I do!
She doesn’t make you put on a stupid paper robe. She seems like a real human being. She has a personable, unrushed manner and ask a lot of intelligent questions. Her advice ranges from more alternative suggestions such as Feldenkrais training for my problem with tendonitis to more western approaches when she thinks they make sense.

I was referred to Dr. Sterman by my GYN. After my initial visit, I was sure that my search was over and that I had found THE primary care doctor for me. Since then (about 10 months ago), I have not been able to see Dr. Sterman again. I have been back once — saw Dr. Olmscheid who was personable and efficient. Even though my brief interactions with the doctors were good, my overall experience with this office is HORRIBLE! My one-​star (no star, if that was possible) review is for the staff/​office and not the doctors. Here are the most frustrating occasions summed up:
1. Left a voicemail message about having unusual bleeding and never received a return call.
2. Waited 4 months to get an appointment for my husband. When making the appointment, the receptionist asked for my insurance information. I told her that I am the primary and that my husband and I have the same insurance. Since I’ve already been to the office, they have our info in the system. The receptionist said that the info was in «another room» and that she didn’t have time to retrieve it. I explained that I was calling from a public place with no access to my insurance card. I had promised to have my husband bring the insurance information with him on the day of his visit. She said that his appointment would be cancelled if I didn’t call back with the info ahead of his appointment. Yeah right, call back and what?!? Getting through by phone is nearly impossible. Not to mention that my phone messages weren’t returned.
3. It is now one day before my husband’s first visit with Dr. Sterman. I contacted the office since I did not receive a confirmation call. After traveling the IVR (automated phone system) 3 times, I finally got through to the receptionist. When I told her that I hadn’t received a confirmation call she replied, «We only make calls when there’s enough staff so it’s your responsibility to call and confirm your appointment.» REALLY?!? I was shocked by her scolding and couldn’t-care-less attitude! Even after I said that I was disappointed with the level of service, she said, «Ok, bye!»
I wish I could say that these were isolated incidents but I’ve hung (literally!) on long enough to know that there’s a pattern of bad attitudes and behavior here. I have been so disappointed by CPMC! Except for the labs — for some reason they care and are constantly soliciting feedback about how they can do better. The offices need to follow their lead.
If I were rating Dr. Sterman only, I would give her 4 stars. I appreciate that she is personable and a straight-​shooter. But since I’ve only seen her once and have had to deal with the staff more often, my review is reflective of my experience with them.
If this office can’t manage appointments within a reasonable timeframe, insurance information, phone calls and returning messages; I don’t have much confidence that they can effectively manage my medical needs, records, etc. I’m going to try One Medical…

I have to throw this up as their office staff is just so unbelievably rude. It is impossible to assess the quality of a «great» doctor when the people who answer the phone don’t seem to believe they are involved in a service industry. I have called at least 3 times and each time I get shouted at, told she doesn’t take new patients, hung up and basically had offensive rude responses to polite questions. Any doctor who allows this stuff to continue is really doing a disservice to the community. I am sure Dr. Capaldini is great and competent and I would have loved to have seen her. I hope she sees this and gets her office’s act together…

Yep. She’s the best. My primary care physician for 20 years now.
The office staff is great, too.
Oh, yeah, Doctor Aldo (Lisa’s Australian Shepherd) is a wonderful addition to the office.