Dr. Stephen VanPelt, MD
Sports Medicine Specialist
900 Hyde Street, 11th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94109
At a glance
4.73 stars (91 reviews)
95% are satisfied with this provider ·
Accepts 23 insurances
Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna, Medicare, UnitedHealthcare, more+ ·
Has 20+ years of experience
Graduated from Emory University, Doctor of Medicine
Works at Stephen Van Pelt
4.73
91 reviews
Bedside manner
4.8
Wait time
4.4
Recent reviews
Dr VanPelt gave me excellent care and saw me right away. He diagnosed my back problems after having me do some gentle stretches and used a spine model to give me a breakdown of what happened to my body.
Would recommend to anyone with sports-related injuries.
March 28, 2019Evan Q.Verified patient
Dr. VanPelt and his staff are pros, he knew what what going on, showed me on his phone app the exact muscle group causing my pain, showed me how to treat and I was on my way. 15minutes with Doc, great experience in the room but I am still reeling from everything it took to get in there.
I'm starting to understand that what I care about in a clinical experience does not align with what is available. I was expected to sign forms sight-unseen, consent to being charged by both the provider's office as well as the rent-seeking facility without knowing rates beforehand. My insurance's customer service was unable to sort me out and repeatedly said, "that's just how it is." When I got back to the front desk, I heard a similar line, "this is how it works, sorry." I know every front desk in that building is sick of dealing with persnickety people like me and should advocate for a system that works better.
Today, I wait for an out-of-pocket bill with an unknown cost, from two or more organizations that want their cut from my misfortune.
I'd be more inclined to believe this was a worth-while transaction if it didn't feel like I was set up to get fleeced for a doc to tell me I'm out of shape, take OTC painkillers, rest. I am grateful for the guidance, but are we really going to keep looking at each other like this system is working for anyone?
April 2, 2018Stephen J.Verified patient
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In-network insurances
Aetna
BlueCross BlueShield
Cigna
Medicare
UnitedHealthcare
Aetna
BlueCross BlueShield
Cigna
Medicare
Popular visit reasons
Ankle Problems
Arthritis
Bunion
Foot Problems
Hand Problems
Spine Deformation / Scoliosis
Sports Injury
X-ray
Ankle Problems
Arthritis
Bunion
Foot Problems
More about Dr. Stephen VanPelt, MD
Dr. Stephen A. Van Pelt graduated from the Emory University School of Medicine in 1976 where he later completed his residency/fellowship in General surgery and Orthopedics at Baylor College of Medicine.
Dr. Stephen Van Pelt specializes in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Surgery and has been in practice for over 39 years. Dr. Van Pelt is affiliated with Saint Francis Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Van Pelt serves as the Team Physician City College of San Francisco. He has interest in how computers and graphics can improve the quality of patient care
Education & experience
Education
Medical School - Emory University, Doctor of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine, Residency in General Surgery
Practice
Stephen Van Pelt
Affiliation
Saint Francis Memorial Hospital
Professional memberships
American Academy of Sports Physicians
American College of Sports Medicine
National Athletic Trainers Association
Background
Languages spoken
English
Gender
Male
NPI number
#1891808465
Stephen VanPelt does not participate in Zocdoc to offer online booking at this time
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Next available: Apr 27
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Next available: Apr 27
Dr. Paul Roache, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
0 mi909 Hyde St, Ste 501, San Francisco, CA, 94109
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0 mi909 Hyde St, Ste 501, San Francisco, CA, 94109
Offers telehealth
Dr. Hemalee Patel, DO
Internist
1 mi559 Clay St 1st Fl, San Francisco, CA, 94111
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Sports Medicine Specialist
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1.5 mi2299 Post St, Ste 107, San Francisco, CA, 94115
Next available: Apr 24
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Sports Medicine Specialist
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Next available: Apr 24
Dr. Umesh Sabharwal, MD
Allergist
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Next available: May 12
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Next available: May 12
Dr. Roberto Concha-Foley, DPT
Physical Therapist
0 mi1217 Polk St, San Francisco, CA, 94109
Offers telehealth
0 mi1217 Polk St, San Francisco, CA, 94109
Offers telehealth
Patient reviews
All reviews have been submitted by patients after interacting with the practice.
Overall rating
4.73
Wait time
4.40
Bedside manner
4.84
Your trust is our top concern, so providers can't pay to alter or remove reviews. We also don't publish reviews that contain any private patient health information. Learn more here
91 reviews
Most relevant
It's a lovely office. Delightful staff and a doctor who pays kind attention to the whole person and provides excellent care.
November 21, 2011MW
Fabulous doctor. Dr. VanPelt was able to figure out what was causing my back and neck pain immediately. Just great!
December 14, 2017Casey C.Verified patient
Really appreciate your prompt attention. Excellent courteous office and great Doctor! Captain Gerry
April 19, 2012Rtsongerry R.Verified patient
Very upllifting, optimistic and soothing. Sets one on the right and shortest path to recovery.
February 2, 2017Boyko B.Verified patient
Excellent Doctor. Took time to listen to me and then explained his prognosis in great detail.
July 15, 2016Initials hidden
Dr. VanPelt was awesome, but the paperwork and registration process took forever.
July 5, 2016Initials hidden
Dr. VanPelt was personable, professional, caring, and informative.
January 30, 2013Nicolas B.Verified patient
Doctor VanPelt is a real professional. I highly recommend him!
August 27, 2013Iullia S.Verified patient
Fine - he has a voice impairment but I can understand him
More than 1 year agoInitials hidden
This review is not about the quality of Dr. VanPelt specifically but rather as a caution and alert to the deceptive and unfair billing practices of his sports medicine clinic and St. Francis Hospital.
I would warn against anyone making an appointment at the clinic unless you want to be charged twice for your visit and end up like me, incurring a significant out of pocket expense for what was basically a routine office visit.
I have relatively good PPO insurance through Blue Shield and recently received a bill a few weeks after seeing Dr. VanPelt with one charge for the visit and a second charge for the facility (St. Francis Hospital) which left me with a substantial charge.
To be clear, I have visited other orthopedists with offices at other hospitals in SF/Bay Area and have not experienced this practice before.
Health care in the country is already problematic enough without billing practices like this.
September 5, 2019Quintin M.Verified patient
Dr VanPelt gave me excellent care and saw me right away. He diagnosed my back problems after having me do some gentle stretches and used a spine model to give me a breakdown of what happened to my body.
Would recommend to anyone with sports-related injuries.
March 28, 2019Evan Q.Verified patient
DO NOT GO HERE. They will charge you a facility fee for simply being collocated the hospital and not tell you about that charge. It’s ridiculous.
July 12, 2018Nisha G.Verified patient
Dr. VanPelt and his staff are pros, he knew what what going on, showed me on his phone app the exact muscle group causing my pain, showed me how to treat and I was on my way. 15minutes with Doc, great experience in the room but I am still reeling from everything it took to get in there.
I'm starting to understand that what I care about in a clinical experience does not align with what is available. I was expected to sign forms sight-unseen, consent to being charged by both the provider's office as well as the rent-seeking facility without knowing rates beforehand. My insurance's customer service was unable to sort me out and repeatedly said, "that's just how it is." When I got back to the front desk, I heard a similar line, "this is how it works, sorry." I know every front desk in that building is sick of dealing with persnickety people like me and should advocate for a system that works better.
Today, I wait for an out-of-pocket bill with an unknown cost, from two or more organizations that want their cut from my misfortune.
I'd be more inclined to believe this was a worth-while transaction if it didn't feel like I was set up to get fleeced for a doc to tell me I'm out of shape, take OTC painkillers, rest. I am grateful for the guidance, but are we really going to keep looking at each other like this system is working for anyone?
April 2, 2018Stephen J.Verified patient
Big fan of Dr. VanPelt! Thanks Doc!
November 5, 2017Nathan O.Verified patient
Great doctor
June 15, 2017Simon O.Verified patient
Thank you Doctor VanPelt! Doctor VanPelt really helped me, not only with my injury but also with my concerns about long term recovery and rehabilitation. It was important for me to get actual medical advice on appropriate and allowable exercise for recovery rather than the "common wisdom" you find on the internet which turns out to be wrong in my case. Thank you! The visit was not only very professional but also very friendly and in relaxed atmosphere. And also thank you to very friendly and professional staff.
May 16, 2017Marta Z.Verified patient
Dr Van Pelt was very nice and helpful - I saw him for a shoulder injury and he gave me a couple exercises to work on. HOWEVER - THIS HOSPITAL BASICALLY ROBS PEOPLE! I absolutely would not come back here. Following my visit, I paid my bill to the doctor. The following week I received a separate bill from the hospital / Dignity Health. They charged me a very large facility fee (think in the hundreds) for services rendered (the services were a 10 minute chat in the doctors office)! I have great health insurance but they wouldn't cover this ambiguous charge. I've called the hospital multiple times to find out more about this charge and no one can give me a straight answer. Do not go here - don't let dignity health rob you of hundreds of dollars for absolutely no reason.
March 16, 2017Sianna P.Verified patient
Stephen is an awesome doc. He's very knowledgeable, humble and direct. I will for sure return if I ever have any issues with my elbow.
February 8, 2017Jermaine J.Verified patient
Doctor was very pleasant, knowlegeble and told me simple ways to fix my ankle without having to spend time and money on unecessary xrays or physical therapy. He told me simple exercises i can do it at home.
January 25, 2017Zeila S.Verified patient
He was great! Very kind and caring, and offered a few treatment options. Can't say enough good things about his bedside manner. He clearly wanted to partner with me to find a solution.
January 17, 2017Carlisle U.Verified patient
Dr. VanPelt was great - took the time to listen to my symptoms, inspect my knee, and even offered to take me across the street to where PT is located to see if they could teach me a few simple exercises to help me heal faster.
June 1, 2016Initials hidden
Dr. VanPelt was very professional and helped me right away. He was very knowledgable and I would recommend him for shoulder injuries.
More than 1 year agoAllessandra M.Verified patient
Dr. VanPelt was awesome. In less than three hours, he examined me, ordered me an MRI, got me scheduled for an MRI, examined my MRI scans with me, and developed a course of action. I could not be more pleased. Oftentimes you feel your doctor is just trying to rush to the next patient. Absolutely not the case with Dr. VanPelt. He answered every question I had in full detail and ensured I knew exactly what was wrong with me. I would 100% recommend him.
February 16, 2016Rachel L.Verified patient
I have seen him for 3 different injuries and he has always been able to competently diagnose the problem, and doesn't always say "just rest" like most docs I've seen!
November 12, 2015Lauren S.Verified patient
Really a great experience. Dr. Van Pelt was friendly, knowledgeable, and thorough. He asked me a lot of questions, listened attentively, and responded to my concerns in a kind, but direct manner. I highly recommend him.
July 22, 2015Dominic P.Verified patient
Dr. Van Pelt was very patient and explained his diagnosis in full detail. He went out of his way and spent extra time to make sure that I was set up with the proper physical therapist on my next visit.
June 5, 2015Pablo T.Verified patient
Dr. Van Pelt was extremely kind and competent. I felt comfortable and at ease, and he quickly diagnosed my rhomboid injury. I had some anxiety about it because I've suffered other long-term athletic injuries, but after talking with Dr. Van Pelt I feel confident I can make a full recovery.
April 21, 2015Initials hidden
Professional, friendly and knowledgeable. He took the time to answer all my questions. Gave me a diagnosis right away and paired me with the physical therapist immediately. Excellent service.
February 13, 2015Carol C.Verified patient
Dr. Van Pelt was great - he was knowledgeable, happy to answer all of my (many) questions, and even asked questions to ensure that the reservation and sign-in experience was pleasant.
October 24, 2014Initials hidden
Very knowledgeable and personable. Appointment was quick and to the point; gave me very succinct but informative explanation of my injury.
December 24, 2014Initials hidden
Very professional, kind, patient, and knowledgeable. He is very thorough when answering questions and explaining injuries and options. I would highly recommend him!
July 18, 2014Vivian D.Verified patient
I've taken my kids to a few different orthopedists over the years and never found one I liked or trusted until today. I do not think I'll ever see a different doctor. He was great - practical, wise and great with kids. He knows how much they want to get back to active and gives them a plan to work on to get back in the game.
August 29, 2014Initials hidden
Dr. VanPelt was great in my frist visit to his office. He explained things well and tried to lighten the mood. I walked out feeling more confident about my injury and that I was on the right track to recovery. Only, downside was that the office staff were quite short with me and couldn't really assist with what my insurance would/would not cover. They also had the appt in their system at 11am, when I had a confirmed zocdoc appt at 9:30am. Luckily, the Dr. was able to fit me in, but definitely call the office staff to confirm your appt with them as they didn't seem to rely on zocdoc.
August 5, 2014Initials hidden
Very nice and knowledgable doctor.
October 11, 2013Initials hidden
Dr. VanPelt was fantastic - thorough, kind, and very forthcoming with explanations about exactly why I was feeling pain in my knees, as well as how to fix it. Would definitely recommend him!!!
More than 1 year agoInitials hidden
Dr Van Pelt is excellent, he is honest and thorough, the office is great, all staff is attentive and kind. The physical therapy department has changed my viewpoint on PT.
More than 1 year agoStephen L.Verified patient
Excellent doctor, compassionate and professional.
June 8, 2013Initials hidden
Positive experience. Nice guy. I didn't have a serious injury, so can't comment much on his knowledge, but I definitely thought he was a nice guy that was concerned about making sure everything is OK.
February 13, 2013Initials hidden
EXTREMELY warm and kind. I felt better just talking to him!! I was afraid I had an injury but he just told me to stretch and I'm feeling so much better. Thank you so much Dr. VanPelt for a wonderful visit. (The views from the room were AMAZING TOO!)
More than 1 year agoInitials hidden
Dr. VanPelt has a way of instantly making you feel comfortable. He instantly put a smile on my face with his great sense of humor. Dr. VanPelt was helpful with explaining my xrays and guiding me in the path to recovery.
July 17, 2012Jessica S.Verified patient
Dr. VanPelt was very thorough and very nice. He really cares about the patient's well-being and wants to make sure he can solve all the problems I had.
June 21, 2012Jonathan Y.Verified patient
Great visit. I received excellent diagnosis, advice and treatment. I highly recommend Dr Van Pelt to anyone with a sports medicine problem.
September 7, 2012Pamela G.Verified patient
Dr. VanPelt was thorough in his exam and very specific about the diagnosis and treatment. Overall he was kind, concerned, caring and very competent. I will definitely continue to see him as long as my orthopedic problems persist.
September 8, 2012Initials hidden
Dr. VanPelt made my first ever sports injury visit a wonderful experience. His approach is warm and friendly and his diagnosis was thorough. Luckily, his physical examination ruled out the need for immediate xrays or MRIs and even better, he was able to connect me with one of his physical therapists right on-site to run me through a set of take-home exercises as part of my physical therapy. Next follow up visit will be in month – and I look forward to it! (And yes, this office really does have some of the best panoramic views of SF I've seen... I'm not sure how this dr and friendly staff get any work done!)
May 24, 2012Mark M.Verified patient
Dr. VanPelt immediately prescribed an xray. He sent me with a prescription downstairs. I had to wait awhile. When I finally got my xray it was sent by computer to his office. So when I got back upstairs he was already reading it. He showed me and explained exactly what had happened to my ankle, and gave me directions for how to treat it. He got the sports medicine store downstairs to stay open for 15 minutes so I could get down there and buy the ankle brace he prescribed. Overall it was an excellent experience.
May 15, 2012William E.Verified patient
Dr. VanPelt was great!
July 13, 2012Jessica S.Verified patient
I've only been in to visit Dr. Van Pelt twice but it feels like he takes my concerns seriously and is invested in my health. I was pleasantly surprised during my interaction with him and the staff.
June 28, 2012Initials hidden
July 30, 2019Paull Y.Verified patient
January 13, 2019David L.Verified patient
October 4, 2018Sulaiman A.Verified patient
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Which hospital is Dr. Stephen VanPelt affiliated with?
Dr. Stephen VanPelt is affiliated with Saint Francis Memorial Hospital.
What practice does Dr. Stephen VanPelt work with?
Dr. Stephen VanPelt works with Stephen Van Pelt.
Where is Dr. Stephen VanPelt's office located?
Dr. Stephen VanPelt's office is located at 900 Hyde Street, San Francisco, CA 94109.
What are common reasons for patients to see Dr. Stephen VanPelt?
Dr. Stephen VanPelt frequently sees patients for Arthritis, Hand Problems, Spine Deformation / Scoliosis , Sports Injury, and X-ray. You can see other visit reasons for Dr. Stephen VanPelt on their profile.
What languages does Dr. Stephen VanPelt speak?
Dr. Stephen VanPelt speaks English.
How do patients rate Dr. Stephen VanPelt in reviews?
91 patients have reviewed Dr. Stephen VanPelt. The overall rating for this doctor is 4.73/5. They have a 4.84/5 rating for bedside manner and a 4.4/5 rating for wait time. You can read individual reviews and ratings on their profile.