Dr. Alex Balekian, MD

Dr. Balekian works at Providence Mission Heritage Pulmonary Clinic in Mission Viejo. His office staff in the clinic are WONDERFUL. I have never seen a Providence doctor that wasn't empathetic and caring. Dr. Balekian was nothing but dismissive and inattentive. He is a medical gaslighter and severely needs continuing education on addressing his implicit biases about women. I have had a very traumatic past two weeks interacting with hospital systems and being misdiagnosed but not improving. Plus, I cannot breathe. Obviously, that is why I am there to see you. He has the audacity to say I "strike him as an anxious individual" and hints that this is what he thinks is causing my shortness of breath. I had just told him I have taken benzos multiple times and it did not help. He is not a psychiatrist and I doubt has never even read the diagnostic criteria for Anxiety Disorder in the DSM-5-TR. How ignorant. I just explained how I am not getting answers...and I haven't been able to breathe for… 2+ weeks. Of course I am anxious. I reviewed his clinical note following my visit and there was ample missing and incorrect information. He did order lung function tests and promptly sent me the results the same day, but did not provide any help as far as to next steps or express any empathy for what I have been goin through. A simple, "I wish you the best" or a "I hope you feel better soon" would have easily made a difference in my overall experience with him. Sad to see he has affiliation with USC Keck School of Medicine. Not a good representation of a T r o j a n doctor. He asked me if I'm willing to accept there's nothing wrong if the tests came back normal. Wow. Terrible to hear from a doctors mouth. I will always medically advocate for myself and search for answers when I can feel something is not right in my body. Just because you did not find answers does not mean no one else will. Horrible experience.