Dr. Christopher Keith Thipphavong

I’m exhausted enough already trying to manage work, kids, panic atacks, insurance, and medication schedules. I neded a doctor who could help reduce stress, not create more of it. My pharmacist caught multiple issues related to allergies and interactions that should have been obvious from my EMR records. Every time I tried bringing this up calmly, Dr. Thipphavong would react like I insulted him personally. The whole room energy would change instantly. He’d freeze up, stop responding normally, sometimes ramble defensively, sometimes barely speak at all. After a while I became afraid to mention side effects because I didn’t want another uncomfortable appointment where somehow I ended up feling blamed for his mistakes. The ofice staff were always kind though.

Dr. Thipphavong isn’t good at talking with patients and doesn’t seem to understand medication safety. When I ask him basic questions he’s always unprepared, and he never seems to know about the side effects in my records. I don’t think he reads my EMR because he keeps trying to prescribe medications I’ve already tried. There was a few times he prescribed three times the usual dosage. When I point it out, he says I asked for it and just don’t remember. there’s nothing in my EMR to back that up. When I correct him or mention unsafe drug interactions, he gets annoyed. He says it’s fine to get second opinions, but he doesn’t act like it. I ask other doctors in the clinic about his med suggestions, and they’re shocked by the meds he wants to prescribe. One even tells me it’s okay to speak privately with other clinic doctors about his med choices. Every time I bring up that I talked with another doctor in the clinic, Thipphavong goes quiet...like frozen and won’t answer my questions even if… I ask if he's okay. It makes me feel like he shut down. honestly it's really creepy to be alone in the room with him every time he does that.I don’t trust him with my medication management anymore. I’d recommend seeing someone with more experience.

I last saw Dr. Thipphavong in 2023. Every physician I’ve seen at Maimonides since then has independently noted discrepancies between my history and his notes, particularly regarding medication management. During visits, I often observed him visibly shaking or trembling when I corrected him or referenced documentation that contradicted his recommendations. He did not record this and instead wrote that I was “anxious and unsettled.” My reaction was a direct response to his repeated loss of composure, not the other way around. These omissions misled subsequent physicians, resulting in unnecessary changes to my care, including an incorrect anxiety diagnosis and inappropriate medication adjustments. Correcting about a year of records has been slow and disruptive. As of November 2025, my current physician began correcting and flagging entries for future clinicians, and this process is ongoing. Patients should review their visit notes carefully and consider involving another physician in… medication management if the documentation does not match what actually occurred.

Between 2022 and 2023, I reported ongoing side effects from an antidepressant prescribed by Dr. Thipphavong. For seven months, my requests to review these effects were documented but ignored. Unable to tolerate the side effects any longer and Thipphavong’s insistence they were unrelated, I stopped treatment, creating a gap in care. When I returned to MMC in November 2025, my current physician discovered a drug interaction with a medication prescribed by my orthopedic surgeon. Transfer-of-care notes plainly instructed that the surgeon be contacted if there was a problem. Previous and current physicians followed this, but Dr. Thipphavong did not. This oversight caused a treatment gap of over two years, which could have been avoided with proper chart review.

I was a patient of Dr. Christopher Thipphavong at Maimonides Medical Center in 2022 and 2023. English is not my first language. I am writing this review with the help of a friend so I can explain clearly what happened. Dr. Thipphavong kept telling me to take medications that I had taken many years ago. These medications caused serious side effects in the past, including an emergency room visit. This was written in my medical records. I said no. After that, he stopped listening to me. He took me off medications I had taken safely for more than 15 years and prescribed new medications based on what he said he read in research papers. I did not fill the prescriptions. After that, he wrote in my chart that I was “uncooperative” and a “difficult patient.” I understood everything he said, including medical terms. The problem was not understanding. The problem was being allowed to speak. He spoke very fast, finished my sentences, and talked over me when I was trying to find the correct… English words. What he assumed I meant was often not what I was trying to say. When medical topics were difficult, I sometimes wrote things in my native Arabic so I could be accurate and used Google to help translate for him. He ignored my efforts and this gave him power to interpret my words, and his interpretation always seemed to support what he wanted to do, not what I was actually saying. Other doctors at Maimonides never made me feel like a child. They took time to listen, even when I spoke slowly or mixed languages. They also used Google translate to be sure that what I said was exactly what I meant. Dr. Thipphavong made me feel like a baby. He always looked annoyed when I spoke slowly and became impatient during every visit. Because he would not listen when I said no, I asked for a translator. This was something I had not needed for many years as a patient at Maimonides. At first, he agreed. But after I showed my medical records proving the medications caused serious side effects and were not allowed for me, he canceled the translator. My family members and other patients also tried to help translate for me and asked to come into appointments. Dr. Thipphavong kept saying he'll "think about it" but would not meet with them or allow them in the office, especially after I showed him the papers that the medication he was prescribing have bad side effects in my medical history. Those medicine were not allowed to be prescribed. When I showed him these paper records in the office, he began shaking like a child. It was so unusual, I did not feel safe and was uneasy being alone in the room with him. No other doctor ever reacted like that. I told my therapist, Felicia Sitrin, what happened. She said she did not know anything about medications and told me to ask Dr. Thipphavong, even after I showed her my medical records. She also said that sometimes "residents lose their composure". I felt dismissed and not protected. When I asked to speak with his supervisor, Dr. Thipphavong said I couldn't. After this, other doctors treated me as “uncooperative” because of Dr. Thipphavong's notes. I was not believed until a family member helped translate and showed my papers with the medication history. I want to say something important: I was a medical assistant in a hospital in my home country. I am not ignorant about healthcare or medications. The language barrier was used against me. It felt like my difficulty speaking perfect English gave him the power to override my refusal and control my care. That is what frightened me the most. I am also worried that because of my Middle Eastern descent and Arabic language I won't be taken seriously due to bias. Even if I spoke Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, or any other language, patients with language barriers are universal in being treated like babies. I am writing this so patients who do not speak English well are careful and make sure their medical history is respected. Patients understand more than doctors someti

I was treated by Dr. Christopher Thipphavong at Maimonides Medical Center for approximately eight months. I had been stable on the same medication regimen for years, but he repeatedly pressured me to change medications. In February 2024, I agreed to try fluoxetine. We discussed expected benefits and common side effects such as nausea and fatigue. I was not informed about the risk of severe agitation, akathisia, or suicidal ideation. Within two weeks, I developed intense restlessness, insomnia, and escalating suicidal thoughts, none of which I had experienced prior to starting fluoxetine. I contacted Dr. Thipphavong twice and was advised to “give it more time.” No medication adjustment or safety plan was discussed. In April 2024, I went to the emergency department and was instructed to stop fluoxetine immediately. The ER discharge paperwork noted suspected medication-induced akathisia, which was also documented by my primary care physician. In 2025, my PMD reviewed Dr. Thipphavong’s… EMR notes and found that he documented only positive effects of fluoxetine while omitting all reported adverse effects. The notes stated that I was taken off the medication because I was “uncooperative.” This label negatively affected how subsequent physicians at MMC treated me until my PMD’s documentation was added and my record was corrected. I am sharing this to warn other patients. Patients should be fully informed of serious psychiatric side effects, and adverse reactions should be accurately documented. Based on my experience, I would advise patients to be cautious when under Dr. Thipphavong’s care and to closely review their medical records.

I saw Dr. Christopher Thipphavong for about a year at MMC, and over time I became increasingly uncomfortable with his care. When my primary doctor asked me to confirm whether a new arthritis medication would interact with my antidepressants, I brought a simple list of questions tied directly to my medical history. I was surprised that Dr. Thipphavong couldn’t connect the basic information in my chart to the medication risks. He kept suggesting antidepressants I’d already had severe allergic reactions to - reactions clearly documented in my EMR. When I told him I had spoken with another psychiatrist, Dr. Gershwin, for safer guidance - and that I didn’t think he knew what he was doing -his reaction was sudden and alarming. His body stiffened, his hands were shaking, and he just kept clicking at his mouse without replying. I asked if he was okay, but he didn’t respond. The tension in the room made me feel unsafe, so I excused myself and left. After that, the appointments felt strained… and uncomfortable, and I no longer felt confident asking basic medical questions. I was relieved when I was transferred to another physician that July.

Dr. Christopher Thipphavong made me feel unsafe. He kept pushing new medications on me, even though my current treatment was fine. He seemed confident, but didn’t know much about the meds he suggested. During one visit, I told him I spoke with an attending psychiatrist at Maimonides who confirmed the meds he wanted to prescribe were ones I’m allergic to and are clearly listed in my chart. When I told him this, he started shaking, his hands trembled on the table, and I could hear the mouse clattering as he fumbled. He wouldn’t answer when I asked if he was okay and just stared at the screen for several minutes. I left the office because I didn’t feel safe. After that, I asked to only see him remotely and to be switched to another doctor. If you’re considering him, be cautious. Something felt really off about him.

Dr. Christopher Keith Thippavong was one of the residents I saw last year, and my experience with him was honestly frustrating. Things were fine at first. He refilled my meds, checked in about my mood, no issues. Then out of nowhere he started pushing new medications on me, saying he had “researched” drugs he thought were “better.” I said no because my treatment plan was working. I figured he’d drop it. He didn’t. Every few weeks, he brought up another medication he “read about,” like he wanted to test things on me. I finally told him I wasn’t comfortable because he didn’t seem to understand my current regimen. He never asked why it was structured the way it was, never asked about past reactions, and clearly never looked at my history. If he had read my chart, he would’ve seen that every single medication he pushed was one I’d already tried years ago — ones that caused brutal side effects like weeks of insomnia and rashes that left permanent scars. And he still pushed them like they… were brand new ideas. Bro… what happened to due diligence? That’s when it clicked: he wasn’t paying attention to my history at all. And when I calmly pointed this out — with facts — he took it personally. He didn’t stay professional. He looked panicked, hands shaking, tense body language, like *he* was the one being treated. This wasn’t a one-time thing. Every time I brought up something factual that exposed how little he’d read my chart, he shut down and got rattled. Bro can’t handle patient feedback. The last few visits were so tense you could feel it in the room. It was obvious he didn’t want to deal with me. In my experience, he couldn’t handle direct, factual communication without making it about how it made *him* feel. I don’t usually write reviews, but this was memorable for all the wrong reasons. If you see him, double-check that he actually reviewed your chart and knows your medication history. Don’t assume he did — I learned the hard way that he hadn’t.

I was a patient under the care of Dr. Christopher Thippavong at Maimonides Medical Center’s outpatient psychiatry clinic. My treatment plan had been stable and effective for over five years before his involvement. During visits, Dr. Thippavong repeatedly encouraged me to change my medications, stating that he had “read about how helpful” a different drug could be. I declined these recommendations for several months because my existing regimen was working well. After ongoing pressure, I eventually agreed to try the new medication. Shortly after starting it, I developed severe vomiting and weight loss. When I reported these symptoms, Dr. Thippavong told me that vomiting was not a known side effect based on the research he had reviewed. The symptoms were identical to those I had experienced years earlier from another medication. After checking, I confirmed that the newly prescribed drug was, in fact, the same medication, marketed under a different brand name. When I informed Dr.… Thippavong of this and asked to return to my previous treatment plan, he refused and instead prescribed another medication. This new medication caused inflammation, breathing difficulties, and disrupted sleep. Despite these side effects, he declined to reinstate my prior regimen and proposed additional new medications instead. When I questioned his decisions, Dr. Thippavong repeatedly stated that his supervisor had approved the changes and used that explanation to dismiss my concerns. I requested to speak directly with the supervising psychiatrist, but Dr. Thippavong denied the request. I found it difficult to understand why Dr. Thippavong would not allow me to return to a treatment plan that had been successful before his involvement. His supervisor, Dr. Singh, had always been responsive when I raised concerns, either directly or through a resident, and his notes accurately reflected our discussions. When I recall Dr. Singh’s past behavior, I did not believe he would intentionally withhold approval for a treatment plan that worked well and respected patient autonomy. This made me question what and how Dr. Thippavong was communicating with his supervisor and why he was preventing me from speaking with him directly. When I attempted to schedule an appointment through the supervisor’s assistant, the appointment was canceled shortly after Dr. Thippavong spoke with the assistant. At our next session, he appeared irritated that I had tried to contact his supervisor independently. In July, when I was reassigned to a new resident physician through the clinic’s rotation process, the new doctor restarted my original treatment plan. During her review of my EMR, I discovered that Dr. Thippavong’s documentation contained multiple inaccuracies. His notes stated that I had been the one who requested the medication that caused the vomiting and that he had “gently warned the patient” about potential side effects. This was not true. Even more concerning, when I first reported vomiting symptoms, Dr. Thippavong had suggested a diagnosis of bulimia in my chart, despite the absence of any history, symptoms, or discussion of eating-disorder behaviors. His notes also claimed that he restarted the medication “only at the patient’s suggestion” and that he “constantly warned” me about possible vomiting and weight loss. These entries did not reflect our actual discussions or what occurred during those visits. When I later reminded him that the medication had caused vomiting years earlier, he acknowledged that fact, but his chart notes were subsequently revised to imply that I had requested the medication, not him, which was inaccurate. This experience raised serious concerns about the accuracy of my medical records and the transparency of supervision in the clinic. I share this account so that potential and current patients of Dr. Thippavong can review their notes and ensure their medical information is documented accurately.