★
I have been a patient of the Cardiovascular Center in Redding, CA for nearly two years, and unfortunately, much of that time has been wasted under the so-called "care" of Jennifer Briner, NP. If you are considering seeing her, let me save you the frustration, the wasted time, and the mounting copays: don't.
I was referred here by my primary due to a dangerously elevated heart rate and high blood pressure. From my very first appointment with Briner in late 2023, I knew something was off. Her dismissive, nonchalant attitude was palpable -- as if my concerns were a nuisance rather than a medical issue. She ordered the usual round of tests (stress test, cardiac monitor) and shuffled me through a couple of prescriptions. Months later, after endless waiting and money out of pocket, I still had no clear diagnosis, despite my monitor clearly showing SVT, PVCs, and PACs. Instead of digging deeper, she simply cycled me through medications that were ineffective at best and harmful at worst. Ironically, the only medication that actually helped me was the one originally prescribed by my GP -- the one Briner essentially ignored.
Then life got more complicated. In 2024, I had a house fire. Around the same time, my primary stopped taking my insurance. That left me without access to the one medication that worked, and without consistent care. By May 2025, I was desperate to get back on track. I finally got an appointment with Briner -- only to get a call three days before saying she "wouldn't be in" and I'd have to reschedule. Fine. I pushed it out another week.
Today was that appointment. My slot was 1:20. I arrived at 1:10. By 1:35, I had an EKG done, and then sat alone in an exam room. Nearly 45 minutes later, Briner finally walked in. What followed was not an appointment -- it was a drive-by. She spent all of three minutes with me, most of it with her back turned, scrolling through my chart. She asked three perfunctory questions, barely listened to my answers, and made it very clear she was uninterested. When I explained I hadn't been able to get refills of the one medication that worked because of insurance changes, her "solution" was to prescribe me a medication I had already tried -- one that not only failed to help but gave me side effects. Then, with no shame, she said there was nothing else she could do, and that I would "need to see a doctor" -- conveniently scheduled out another eight weeks.
That was it. Three minutes, no plan, no compassion, no accountability. Just a quick box checked, another copay billed, and a patient sent out the door with the same problems they walked in with.
It is hard to overstate how unacceptable this is. Heart problems are not something you can afford to treat with indifference, and yet indifference seems to be Briner's specialty. She is dismissive, rushed, uninterested, and -- worst of all -- ineffective. If you are her patient, you will not be heard, you will not be helped, and you will absolutely not receive the kind of attentive, competent care that cardiology demands.
To be clear: the Cardiovascular Center itself is not the issue. The office staff are polite, professional, and consistently kind. I believe there are good providers here. But Jennifer Briner, NP, is not one of them. She has repeatedly shown me that her patients' health is not her priority. If you value your time, your health, and your peace of mind, I urge you to avoid her entirely.
This has been, without question, one of the most disheartening, frustrating, and frankly despicable medical experiences of my life. Consider this a warning.
