Mission Bernal Womens Clinic

My husband and I had a wonderful experience working with the Mission Bernal Women’s Clinic midwives for our prenatal care and the birth of our son! We saw Tia for our first two appointments, and Tia and Jordan attended our birth. Claire led our prenatal group, which was a wonderful opportunity to learn and meet other couples going through a similar life change. Claire was helpful and down to earth, and we enjoyed getting to know her though the group! Jordan did an amazing job with the delivery, coaching me successfully through pushing, and staying calm and grounded through the end of the experience when the OB on staff was starting to suggest the vacuum might be necessary. I’m so glad we went with the Mission Bernal Women’s Clinic, and would highly recommend anyone looking for prenatal care come here!

I can’t express how grateful I am to have had such an incredible team by my side throughout my pregnancy and delivery. My midwife Jodi Winemiller and doctor Cheyenne Martinez and Anna Kogan were truly the best team I could have ever imagined. From the very beginning, they provided exceptional care, support, and guidance, making me feel confident and at ease every step of the way.Their attention to detail, warmth, and dedication went above and beyond. They always took the time to listen to my concerns, answered all my questions, and made sure that I was comfortable and informed throughout the entire journey. On the day of delivery, they worked together seamlessly, making the experience as smooth and stress-free as possible.I couldn’t have asked for a better team to bring my baby into this world. Their kindness and expertise made all the difference, and I will forever be thankful for the amazing care they provided. If you’re looking for a midwife and doctor who are not only highly skilled but also genuinely care about you and your baby, this is the team you want by your side!

Waited a month to get an appointment after dealing with confused and unprofessional staff. They call me the day before and tell me the Dr I requested is not available so they will just give my appointment to any care provider at random. Then what was the point of waiting a MONTH!? If the Dr wasn’t available why would they schedule an appointment?This is all after dealing with their issues over the phone for several days. The receptionist claimed I didn’t have a chart although I did and created a whole new one. I was on the phone for over 30 minutes. She kept adding letters to everything I spelled out to her. Then after 30 minutes, she claimed they didn’t take my insurance, which they DO. The clinic and the Dr is on the provider list for my insurance on paper and online. Called the next day, and the next receptionist told me the last had created 2 charts for me now. So I had to wait while she deleted all the extra ones. She made the appointment a month out claiming that was the next availability for the Dr. Now, they are claiming they made the appointment by mistake and the Dr is not available.There was no remorse for wasting my time. They left some message on my voicemail saying you still have an appointment but they don’t know who it is with? I don’t want a male Dr. I specifically wanted the Dr with PCOS experience because I am constantly given incorrect or dismissive comments by nurses who do not know anything about PCOS or do not care. There is no point in coming here unless you are okay with having no info about your midwife/nurse that you didn’t choose and have no questions. Just look at the reviews of how they treated people with PCOS and Endometriosis.Judging by the interactions I’ve had, the staff seem to be very transactional. Come in, have the appointment, keep your mouth shut, pay, don’t come back for 3 years. You will be assigned to whoever is the least ideal.

I loved my prenatal care and birth experience with the Mission Bernal Midwife team. All the midwives are knowledgeable and easy to talk to. Special thanks to Tia who led our group prenatal classes, and Jodi who was on duty for my birth. Dont be put off by the fact that the clinic office is a bit more dated and the rooms are small - the CPMC Van Ness hospital facility is top notch and super modern (we also had a great experience with the nurses there). I feel this midwife practice is a hidden gem in San Francisco and would highly recommend them to anyone having a baby here!

The Mission Bernal midwives and OBs provided excellent care throughout my pregnancy and delivery. Of particular note were Jodi and Erika, whose support during delivery exemplified professionalism and compassion. They kept me fully involved and informed as my labor progressed, and were fantastic motivators during the later hours. Even with some complications during delivery, I felt completely at ease knowing I was in such capable hands. My husband and I could not be happier with the labor and delivery experience thanks to the competent, compassionate care from Jodi and Erika.

So far Ive had pleasant experiences with the team at Mission bernal womens clinic. Nurse Sander is so kind, patient, and spent a lot of time with me during our initial appt. She walked me through what to expect throughout pregnancy, discussed multiple options for various things, and was personable, kind, and down to earth.Also, I messaged the midwife team late in the day today for an Rx refill (the day before July 4th) and got such a quick response (~30 minutes) that my Rxs had been sent out already. So glad I was recommended to this clinic for my pregnancy care. I feel supported.

My wife and I had an appointment with Elyse Gilbert back in August but were seen by her midwife-in-training. During the visit, she told us that we could choose to do some genetic testing. We asked how much it would cost and she said it would be free since its covered in California. So we said yea wed do it, why not? Fast forward to today (over 6 months later!) we get a bill for lab services from Natera. Apparently, of the three screenings she had done, only 2 were actually covered by the California Prenatal Screening Program. Great, even when you ask how much something will cost and youre given an answer, you still cant trust it. Now we have to submit a dispute with Sutter Health and another one with Cigna via Natera. As if pregnancy wasnt stressful enough, Sutter Health is throwing more on our plate. So irresponsible.Edit in response to Jeremiah:Hi Jeremiah. Calling the billing department was my first action upon getting the bill. I talked with Jim and he told me to submit a dispute via email and to pay the bill now so that I dont get charged more as time goes on while it gets reviewed since it could take a month or more. I only left the review after spending the next hour stressed out and frustrated, on the phone with multiple companies, writing emails, knowing that its all probably for nothing in the end anyway. Regardless of how this turns out, the experience so far warrants a poor review. This is a waste of my time, energy, and money, at a time when I dont have much to spare.

The mission bernal midwives provided excellent prenatal and delivery care. They were very competent, patient, and effective communicators and caregivers throughout!

I have been fortunate to have been under the care of midwives, nurses and OBs at the Mission Bernal clinic for both my pregnancies, deliveries, and post partum care. The clinicians are attentive and competent. They promptly respond to any questions, big or small, over the My Health online app. Without exception, all have made me feel heard and genuinely cared for my well being. In particular, Vanessa Evers was wonderful and is the reason I was able to bravely navigate a few pregnancy and post partum issues. I highly recommend this practice if youre looking for a low intervention, yet highly competent approach to your pregnancy and delivery.

The Mission Bernal midwives, OBs, and staff were so incredible in supporting me through the pregnancy and birth of my son in 2019. I was a first-time, solo mom and felt completely surrounded by an extended family of trusted people. I took advantage of the group prenatal program and met some of my first great parent friends and learned so much from the knowledge and compassionate midwives running the program. When my son was born I had to go for an unplanned c-section. The midwives and OB helped me immensely through this difficult emotional process while also making me feel totally comfortable with the medical aspects of the surgery. I could not be more grateful to everyone at Mission Bernal!

Now that I am on the other side of my pregnancy I know the experience I had at mission/bernal was special. At my first prenatal visit I never felt rushed for time and the midwife took her time to layout what to expect moving forward. She answered each question thoroughly and it felt like I was chatting with a friend, but a much wiser friend. I had unlimited access to the midwives through phone calls and the patient portal, even on the weekends and off hours. I have not experienced that degree of personalized care at previous clinics. Plus the midwives always had additional resources to send me home with so I could find acupuncturists, pelvic floor physical therapists and doulas in the area. An often daunting task to tackle via google alone. They also have staff who helped me with my disability paperwork/questions which is essential as the EDD office is impossible to contact for help.I participated in the prenatal group education which was a little awkward as it was virtual due to the pandemic. But I felt Elyse and Gladys humor and personal touches help me feel more at ease and informed heading into labor. Speaking with other mothers, I know now having that educational component be included in my prenatal care is unique. Plus I made some lovely friends that still meet up with our children well after our group ended.Each step of the process I felt my voice was heard and I was participating in my own care. Especially during my delivery. I had some pregnancy complications that required an induction, an often dreaded process. But the midwives took their time to explain each step and make me feel an active participant in the decision making process. I never felt pressed for time or forced to make a decision when I wasnt ready. They actually offered me a sample birth plan and reviewed it with me prenatally and during labor. It allowed me to ask questions and explore my options for birth that I hadnt thought about before. Although my care was mostly managed by midwives, a complication in labor required one of the OB/GYNs and I found him to be respectful and kind. It was almost like he was there for support, not to just take over. After my delivery, which happened to be with my group leader Elyse, I was given ample time with my baby and partner to really bond and breathe. Elyse even helped me initiate breastfeeding when I was exhausted and overwhelmed. I also appreciated the multiple follow up calls and appointments afterwards. I know some friends only see their doctor at the 6 week visit and I needed some crucial breastfeeding support in those first weeks!If I have another child, it will definitely be with mission/bernal.

I had a mostly exceptional experience with mission bernal! I worked with their team of midwives and doctors for the birth of my first child earlier this year. I actually wasnt looking for a midwife (I just assumed Id be put with an OB) but was really glad I ended up with this team. I particularly LOVED Vanessa..like, I want to hang out with her but also trusted her with everything to do with my baby and all that goes on down there. So efficient, to the point, but super warm and patient. A great combo! I decided to stick with her for the majority of the appointments. Here is my overview:PROS: Midwifes are gods angels on earth. So patient, women-centric, warm and knowledgeable. If you have a regular pregnancy I highly recommend the midwife route...great also they have OBs on the team so theyre always there if needed for escalations.The whole team follows up very quickly with portal enquiries and issues which is great.They ran a great 8-session virtual prep for childbirth with people due around the same time..we are all still connected. The info was very helpful and a great support in the lead up to the birth.The birth itself was super peaceful (maybe I was lucky!) with the amazing Erika and Tia on duty for my delivery, guiding myself and husband. I was so happy with how it all went and knew I was in safe and trusted care.CONS (or..things to consider): If you want to be consistent with the same person throughout the pregnancy, you need to actively request this and go at times when they are in the clinic. Otherwise, you will end up seeing anyone available on that day you book (this can be good or bad depending on your preference). They all talk and share info which is great, but I preferred to have continuity which wasnt always possible with the schedules. I also found this problematic when I had some postpartum issues and saw a few people...felt like it was hard to pick up where we left off when different people were seeing me and prescribing/treating things ineffectively or starting fresh with having to repeat. We got to the bottom of it all in the end but it was frustrating at the time.Be aware of insurance and who is/is not covered. I have an issue where I saw a midwife on one occasion but the bill says I saw one of the MDs who is not in network..so am fighting a battle with UHC/Sutter about this...so just make sure its all covered.Not a deal breaker but the rooms and clinic are super dated...not an issue for me because the team was great but state of the art/modern facility, this place is not. However CPMC Van Ness for delivery is amazing which is where this team delivers at.In conclusion, highly recommended, but with the caveat of you will see different people each appointment unless you make a point not to.

I told my OB here I was taking 5 Aleve every four hours for period cramps and she said it was fine as long as it was with food. I finally went to another clinic who immediately tested me for endometriosis. After I tested positive for Endo they found tons of cysts, a pool of blood in my stomach, organs stuck together etc. The corrective surgery lasted for 4 hours and my periods are so much better. I never leave negative reviews but this was such a miss I felt obliged so other women with period pain don’t go here.

The midwife team here is top notch. We had to decide between UCSF and mission bernal womens clinic and Im so glad we went with the midwife team at bernal!Highly, highly recommend doing the group classes / care route if your schedule allows.They are informative and supportive and view pregnancy as a normal part of life instead of a medicalized event.Special shout out to Kim who led the group classes and Jodi who delivered our baby.FYI - building is dated and old school - dont let that scare you off. The care provided is fantastic.

Mission bernal womens clinic was the best decision ive ever made to have my prenatal care at. All of the midwives and doctors there were super down to earth friendly and helped answer all the questions first time mothers have. Meeting everyone one of the providers at the clinic was super helpful, i feel ive had a special connection with each and every one of them during my pregnancy and postpartum care. Kimberly cirella delivered my baby boy and i can honestly say it was the greatest experience, the way she took care of me and reassured me that i actually have the strength to even push a human being out of me was amazing. I want to say thank you to all providers at the clinic you guys have blessed my life so much. Words cant express the love and appreciation I have in my heart for all of you! Thank you so much for all your support during my pregnancy!

A friend recommended this clinic to me for my prenatal care and this was the best experience Ive ever had. I was very well taken care of, by everyone as a nurse, doctor and especially midwife Vanessa Evers. She is very kind, polite and loving. I am very grateful and happy to have found Mission Bernal clinic and Vanessa Evers because it made all the difference for me.

Im so happy with the care we received at Mission Bernal Womens Clinic. We felt supported by all the midwives throughout our journey (which was especially needed given we were in the midst of the pandemic, pre-vaccine) and I will absolutely be returning to Mission Bernal Womens Clinic should we have another child!

I had my baby in Summer 2021 with the Mission Bernal Womens Clinic and couldnt recommend it enough. I much preferred having midwifes run the practice and then when I needed to switch over to a planned C section, they had such wonderful OBs who stepped in seamlessly. I was devoted to having as *natural* a C Section as possible and the midwives made sure that my (countless) specific asks were met.

I had a good experience at this clinic, my prenatal care was very well attended and guided. ms I felt safe and with all my doubts resolved. my midwife was wonderful, I highly recommend Vanessa Evers.

The prenatal group program is a fantastic way for expectant parents, especially first-timers, to meet and share their experiences with other expectant parents. It is also provides a great environment to discuss important topics relevant to a healthy pregnancy, birth, and newborn care in a way that an individual visit to the midwife / doctor does not allow.

Went for the prenatal, postnatal and c-section for our elder son and got the homely environment there but at night they need to focus on security management, we did not have any security problem but there are several security lapses but excellent service and friendly staff and great doctors, we really enjoyed their service and hospitality. Thumbs up for them.

Thanks for doctors and nurses here for helping me a lot with their professional diagnoses and friendly attitude! I am a foreigner who have no insurances right now. Without their help and resources, I couldn’t afford my medicine. Thank you so much!

Trusted care team , midwives and staff are great , friendly and welcoming.

Always had a good experience here. Really appreciate the team.

1 Star 👎🏼 terrible treatment by their lead doctor Anna Altshuler.