Dr. Gregory Scott Brewster, MD

Nothing strikes more fear in all of us during this Era of Covid-19 (well, except for the virus itself), than the thought of a trip to the ER. Under normal conditions, an ER visit is very stressful, but in the Era of Covid-19, it’s incapacitating. Yet, here I found myself on a Monday morning after experiencing lightning streaks coming out of my left eye all weekend. It was mystifying and scary. A quick trip to Dr. Google led me to a possible diagnosis, a detached retina, and these words, “ seek medical help immediately.” I live smack dab in the middle between two ERs. I found out the hard way, that while one will offer a slick, state of the art environment, you will encounter indifferent, uncaring staff and wait times up to 8 hours. The other ER features a setting reminiscent of the TV series, M*A*S*H, all due to ongoing construction of brand new facilities. I chose the latter. Why? Because a previous visit 18 months earlier showed a well-oiled machine, despite… ER patients lying on gurneys in hallways. The staff were attentive, nurturing, and very efficient. This ER, Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center, proves that it’s not the setting that matters. It’s the STAFF! And this is where Tarzana ER excels. From the friendly check-in to triage to the ER doc, EVERYONE was top-notch. Especially the doc. I’m a veteran of many ER visits, so I know an exceptional ER doc when I see one, as in the case of Dr. Gregory Scott Brewster. I have not met a more compassionate, attentive, sympathetic and driven ER doc. Ever. He goes far beyond what is required. I listened for two hours as he not only took care of at least a dozen patients, but chased down specialists and patients’ personal MDs on the phone. In my case, it took him 2 hours to find an ophthalmologist willing to see me. Yet he never gave up. Even when he finally found one only to have the cell phone call dropped, he persevered. And found me the best retina specialist I could possibly get. And if that’s not enough, Dr. Brewster followed up later with a call to see how my visit went!!! I am stunned and incredibly grateful that such a professional exists. And it says a lot about the organization which hires him.

Excellent bedside manner