Imperial Beach Community Clinic

I cannot say enough good things about Nurse Practitioner Opara. She has been absolutely wonderful to me and my family. She takes the time to truly listen, explains things clearly, and always makes us feel cared for and respected. Her professionalism, compassion, and dedication go above and beyond what we could ever hope for in a healthcare provider. We are very grateful to have her as part of our care team and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for excellent medical care.

I broke my ankle, i had to wait days to come here and they rushed through it and all they gave me was a referral, the doctor didn't specify which pharmacy my medication was sent to, and when i tried calling about it they didn't ask for any of my info and instantly put me on hold for 10 minutes, i eventually hung up. It disgusts me how many people in health care act negligent to people in pain seeking care.

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing this message with a sincere and heartfelt plea for your attention and support. I've been a patient at your Imperial Beach clinic for some time, though I had stopped attending for a while. The reason was the constant turnover of doctors and the inconsistency in care. Each time I called, I was assigned to someone new--sometimes even someone in a different state. It became incredibly disheartening, and I felt like just another number in a system that prioritized volume over quality care. But despite my hesitation, I decided to give the clinic one last chance--and I'm so grateful that I did. That's when I met Dr. Chin. From the very first appointment, he demonstrated a level of care, attentiveness, and compassion that I had been missing. He listens, he understands, and he never rushes. Unlike past experiences where appointments felt like an assembly line, Dr. Chin takes his time and truly sees his patients as people--not just cases. Today, even while visibly unwell, Dr. Chin showed up to work. His dedication moved me deeply. It's not often you encounter a provider so committed to their patients, and it inspired me--not just to keep coming back, but to take my health seriously again. When you have a doctor who genuinely understands you and your diagnosis, it makes all the difference. I don't know who will read this, but I truly hope it reaches someone in a position to recognize what a rare and invaluable asset Dr. Chin is. He deserves to be acknowledged, supported, and appreciated for the incredible work he does. Please--if there's anything you can do to support or reward Dr. Chin, I implore you to do so. Patients like me are better off because of him, and I know I'm not alone in feeling this way. With sincere gratitude, Miguel Angel Martinez II

Having worked at FQHCs, I was a little hesitant, but limited in options that take TriCare in the area. I originally came to this office specifically for Dr. Dana Ryan who was AMAZING and stayed with her for over two years. When I returned needing a referral to a specialist, I was informed she had left and in essence of time, I agreed to see Dr. Ritter instead. Unfortunately, my experience with him was disappointing--he spent barely two minutes with me and submitted a referral with an incorrect diagnosis that had nothing to do with the issue at hand. As a result, I had to contact the referrals department three separate times to get the error corrected. Each time I called, there was no documentation or awareness of the previous conversation. This mistake led to a delay of over a month in receiving the care I needed.

One of the worst experiences I've had when scheduled for a physical, not only was this appointment scheduled months in advance I was looking forward to it since I put it off for so long. Such a waste of my time and everyone else involved. I have to say the receptionists staff and medical assistants were very friendly and quick with their process. It was the nurse practitioner Chinyere E. Opara that was assigned to me. She was rude for no reason. She enter the room with her negative energy and asked if I was there for a physical, I said yes. I told her there were a few medical issues I wanted to address and if I needed to make separate appointments for them I can. She rudely said I was there for a physical and she didn't have time to go over anything. I've worked in the medical field for yrs so I had already assumed I might have to make other appointments but with some providers during a physical we go over concerns. I politely asked what did my physical consist of because I was told earlier by the medical assistant I would have to make a separate appointment for a Pap smear. She said that I'm 36 years old so she would go over my vaccinations and look at my records to see what procedures I need done. I told her that I've never been there for physical before she proceeds to look at my record and said you've been here before and I said yes I was there once last year for medication for a sinus infection, but like I said, I've never been there for a physical so you do not have any of my records. She stands up from her seat and says well tell me one of your concerns because your just wasting my time. At that time I got very upset and told her I didn't want to be seen by her. When I made my appointment months ago I was told that my appointment would be with a doctor. I know some offices will schedule patients with staff that are available, but in my experience, these nurse practitioners lately have been very incompetent. I didn't make a physical appointment to go over my vaccinations. I'm 36 years old. I am up-to-date. I scheduled a physical to get a Pap smear, breast exam and to go over my concerns which are tumors in both my brain and breast. I brought records that confirmed that. If only she didn't argue with me how my appointment was going to look like I would have made some progress of the next steps to see the specialists I need. I will not be returning to this clinic, I hope they find staff that actually care about their patients.