JR Richard Kotomori, MD

Dr Kotomori changed my life, I met him in 2009 after the loss of not only a job, but a great boss whom was a family friend. At that time, I also was adjusting to having my first daughter. Soon after my first visit, so much more unfolded ... Adding to my grieving for a family friend/Dr & adjusting to life with a newborn baby. Dr K has been there throughout it all, & not once has he made me feel as if I was a bother or that anything else was more important at the time of my appts . He explains new medications, and offers great advice to cope with so much that we all will or have experienced in this life . No two people will experience that loss or new addition , the same . Dr K treats me like a human being, & he shows empathy for struggles I've been through. He doesn't just write notes and not even look up from his desk, like past psychiatrists. My previous experiences only were at Kaiser & 15 yrs ago however, I don't think I'd ever even consider moving , due to what loss I'd incur by… not being able to see Dr K for his truly incredible wisdom filled appointments for mental health . I may not be perfect ...yet... No one is. Thank you to an incredible Dr and staff.

Just over a month ago, I called Dr. Kotomori's office to make an appointment. They told me (after taking several days to "run my insurance") that they did, in fact, accept my insurance, so I made an appointment.  A little over a month later I arrived at my scheduled time, but then the office manager informed me that the doctor will NOT accept my insurance but, instead, they would happily accept $350 cash out of my pocket for the visit. Since they admitted the supposed "insurance error" was theirs, I asked them to remedy the situation by honoring the $180 deductible for the visit, which was the insured rate amount they quoted me when I first arrived. They refused. I could not see the doctor unless I paid the "cash patient" rate of $350. I could not afford to pay the $350, so I was turned away.  Rest assured, the staff  did not seem remotely interested in addressing this issue in any meaningful way. I pleaded with office manager to be seen that same day (the day of my… appointment), but she simply refused (the doctor was too busy or some nonsense like that), she became irritated and then finally suggested I go elsewhere for my healthcare needs.  At first I thought the "insurance switch" could have been a legitimate error, but now I am reasonably convinced the situation reeks of some sort of bait-and-switch scam. After some digging online (and specifically on this site) I learned that I am not the first patient to have been lured into what seems to be a bait-and-switch type scenario by Dr Kotomori's office. According to other reviews on this site and others, it seems even sick children have been turned away under strikingly similar circumstances. I will definitely go elsewhere for my healthcare needs, but rest assured I am looking into all potential avenues of recourse to prevent this sort of thing from happening to other patients, especially the children.  All patients, and especially patients within our unique and commonly marginalized patient population, deserve to to be treated much much better, with at least some minimal level of professionalism, ethics, and compassion.

Dr. Kotomori asks many questions and allows you to talk about all of your concerns. He is very, very good at honing in on the problem and gives you options. He is very laid back and immediately sets you at ease. I would definitely recommend him to anyone with a teenager.

This is arguably the only psychiatrist worth seeing in Riverside. Definitely, if you have a child or young person in need, do not waste your precious time with anyone else. He is caring, listens, and quickly puts the puzzle together. He gets the diagnosis right & knows what meds will work & in what amounts. He tells parents what to expect, when to worry, and when not to. He will tell you what you may not want to hear but must--ie, that your parenting skills need improving. He is also very good with adults of all ages & people from many backgrounds. It is extremely hard to find someone of a mixed cultural heritage in psych in the Inland Empire, so this makes him all the more valuable. Grab any appt time you can get; it's worth taking your child out of school. As the day progresses, he can get behind schedule, but don't get upset because remember, he is giving people (& will give you) much needed attention. Bring something your child and/or you can do quietly, snacks, etc. Staff is… awful, but my family has wasted our time at places with nice staff & ineffective psychologists/psychiatrists elsewhere, so all I can say is try to ignore them. They recently began charging an extra $1 for credit card copays, so bring check or cash.

Awesome doctor. Smart, intuitive and proactive. The office staff are curt, short and almost rude. One hasn't smiled once in all the time I have been going there.

Spent a good amount of time on first visit asking questiona and familiarizing himself with my problems.

This Doc was confusing. Made me really upset.