Dr. Tontz is amazing. He made me feel like family. He listened to my concerns. He always explained everything in simple terms. I could tell he loves his profession. In the past, some doctors I have dealt with seemed only to fix you. They didn't seem to care about you as a person. With Dr. Tontz, you could feel his compassion for you. Two thumbs up for Dr. Tontz.

California Orthopaedic Institute is by far the best orthopaedic office in San Diego. My entire experience has been above what I ever expected. The office is very nice and clean and up to date. The entire office staff seemed very happy and to enjoy what they do. Which really makes me feel like I'm at a good place. Staff at a medical office says it all, in my opinion. Every person that I interacted with in the office was so kind and happy and normal . Often when you go into a doctor's office it's white walls and dry unfriendly staff, not here. This office is wonderful.. I recommend seeing any doctor here. From start to finish, the experience is the best. Thank you for making me feel important.

I'm not sure where to start with my wonderful experience today at California Orthopedic Institute. So I figured I would make this review my step by step process.

I received a call from the office letting me know that I have a referral to be seen at the office. Never ever have I had an office call to let me know they have a referral for me to come to the office, usually I'm having to call offices several times to see if I can be seen. I was scheduled in a timely manner as well as treated kindly and they allowed and answered all of my cares and concerns.

I arrived to my appt and was so thrilled to see such a beautiful , clean, modern and organized office. I was greeted with a smile and a friendly hello, as I was very nervous for my first appointment. The kind gal at the front desk helped ease my worries and assured me that I was in good hands, and I cannot agree more, keep reading ...:)

I was then called for my appointment on time by a very friendly and happy gal who introduced herself to me. I'm sure she could tell how nervous I was. It was such a reilef to have my nerves settled when I started speaking with her and she explained to me what may happend during my visit. As I was brought back to the patient rooms, I noticed very cute holiday decorations and it was so cute to see an office in the spirit. I walked back with her and seen other gals smiling and making me feel at ease. I was then taken into the exam room and was treated with such care, kindness and assurance. She explained everything to me. It really helped my nerves even more.

I waited maybe 6 mins if that for the DR to come in. He was very kind and friendly as well as professional and knew what he was doing. He reccomened I get recent xrays in which I was very thrilled to know they have xrays on sight. I waited maybe 4 mins and a sweet, happy & kind gal came and escorted me to get an xray. I was then explained everything very clearly and kind from the xray tech, I have had many xrays in my life and never has anyone been so patient with me. As well as taken so many shots of my problem areas..he took what the DR asked of him and then I was escorted back to the exam room by the same sweet gal.

The DR then came back in about 4 mins and explained to me what the plan to move forward will be. I agreed and bonus is, they have an MRI on sight. So I am able to get it done at the same place. Good ol insurance has to ok it and then I will be able to go to the same office. He also stated that he would like me to make an appointment to give me the results. I thought that was such good patient care, in the past at offices I will not mention, I have only gotten a quick phone call and no questions asked.

Now I just wait for my referral from my insurance company :)

Overall my experience was 100% plus incredible and I have seen plenty of doctors. I highly recommend everyone to the office. Esp if you are nervous or scared. You are in good hands.

**** I prefer to leave names out of who I seen at the office for my privacy.******

My name is Susan H and I went through 2 knee surgeries over the past year and I just wanted to let you know what a GREAT job Eden, Kristy and Shane did for me. I am a very independent woman who will DO the work it takes to heal. I feel that all three of them helped me A LOT in my recovery.

I should have written to you sooner, but recently I had a shoulder injury and my Dr. sent me to a different PT group. After just one visit, I realized how WONDERFUL and professional your group is. The PT I saw (at the other group), stood at the desk and had a conversation for 9 minutes with the receptionist before calling me in.....he was already 5 minutes behind. Then when he saw me, he simply gave me a paper with exercises on it and told me to come back twice a week to work out and just let him know if I have any questions. I insisted that he watch me do the exercises and he was a bit upset with me. WHAT????? The next day, the exercise sheet was accidentally thrown away at my house, so I called early morning to ask him if he would get me another.....he said he would have it ready in 2 days.......... It was THEN that I called my Dr. and told him I need a referral to California Ortho Group where they truly care about my Health and WellBeing.

That certainly was NOT the way I was treated by your staff. They made SURE I was doing the exercises correctly, with the help of their aides. When I went on vacation Eden made sure I knew exactly what to do while I was gone. Kristy helped me to not be so fearful of moving through a bit of pain in the beginning. They were PRICELESS. I sincerely knew I was well taken care of and always told Dr. Adsit when I saw him, but NOW, I know better than ever what a GREAT staff you have. AND Patricia, your receptionist is ALWAYS great at working with my crazy schedule.

Thanks again to your staff for a job very well done.

Hello, I was a patient at California Orthopedic Institute in the Physical Therapy Department this year for 12 visits due to a broken elbow. I would like to commend my physical therapist, Jackie Tamayo, during these visits because of her professional and excellent patient care.

Jackie has a depth of knowledge in her field that she shares in such a kind manner that it encourages compliance. While some of the therapy was painful (stretching), Jackie knows how far to push the area, and she even knows when she could push the stretching--and me--a little further. This ability only comes from experience and an innate sense of the issue and of the each patient's tolerance.

She keeps me well-informed and takes immediate action to find solutions to any questions or issues I present. Additionally, she has good suggestions for exercises I can do at home to increase results. When I have difficulty with an exercise, she gives options that met the same criteria. She also makes sure I am scheduled properly for appointments.

Jackie supervises and conducts activities in her area with skill and tact. Although she handles many patients at once, she's aware of everything going on around her. Often she is working with one patient while a tech is helping another, yet her quick, acute observations allow her to make suggestions to the other tech or patient that improves the exercise/therapy.

She has excellent interpersonal skills. I see many patients from different walks of life enter the office. Jackie handles them all well. She treads the fine line between being professional while maintaining a friendly and personable appointment with each one. She handles late and early patients with equal poise, and she always maintains her composure.

Anyone can have technical knowledge that he/she passes on, but to have the other attributes Jackie possesses is rare. Jackie's multiple talents are a definite asset to your team, and she is an excellent representative of California Orthopedic Institute.

Best Regards,

Diana

I don't often do this, but I'm sending you a note to compliment Francesca, on her her knowledge, skills--both with people and physiology-- and depth of experience, to bring out the best possible results in physical therapy.

In my case, I've had some issues with a hip and my lower back area, in which she has overseen substantial improvements in both, even though her focus was on the latter.

I'm glad she is at the clinic and look forward to having her "fix me" should I have a need for more physical therapy in the future.

I would certainly highly recommend her to anyone.

Best,

I had severe back issues about 8-10 years ago that got so bad, I could only stand at about 45 degrees. I live in Huntley Il.

I had visited 3 spine surgeons before I met Dr. Tontz who was practicing in Huntley then. I was diagnosed having

spondylisthesis and spinal stenosis.

He initially had me do all possible therapy that could be done first then decided surgery would be necessary.

He performed a lumbar laminectomy with fusion. There were rods and screws added as part of the surgery.

The following morning, I was standing up straight as a board. I had no back pain afterwards and am pain-free

today with full mobility. I asked if I could ever play golf again and he told me if I did the followup therapy I could.

I was playing golf in 3 months.

I will be forever grateful to Dr. Tontz for his talents, demeaner and great bedside manner.

Frank Gonsowski - Huntley Il.

I

I would like to take a minute to give KUDOS to Jackie. She has been my PT therapist since February 2018. Today was my last visit. Jackie from the beginning has been such an awesome therapist. She always greets me with a warm smile and asks how I'm feeling. She always makes me feel comfortable in my worst of pains from my injury. I am thankful to have had Jackie work with me towards my long recovery. I looked forward to my therapy sessions because I knew that Jackie would help me feel better and guide me to recovery. I was constantly taught new stretches and exercises and explained why certain movements made me feel worse or better. Jackie always made sure I was doing my exercises properly even when she had a busy table. Seeing Jackie multi-task was very assuring that I would get the best treatment. I'm also thankful for her assistants.

If ever in the future I am in need of therapy again or if a friend or relative needs someone, I would request & recommend Jackie.

Thank you,

Dr. John Austin performed a Total Hip Replacement in early May and I can not be happier with the results. The pain I was having with my hip was affecting everything in my life. I missed out on so many things because I just couldn't tolerate being that mobile. I had the "anterior approach" which was recommended by Dr. Austin. No muscles are cut and recovery is much quicker. I was able to walk the first day of surgery and progressed from walker to cane in a very short time. Physical therapy and home exercises helped in this process. Today I am pain free and back to walking daily for exercise.

Dr. Austin is very thorough and answers all your questions. I am a retired nurse so have worked with a lot of physicians and found him to be kind, caring and professional. Even the nurses on the surgical floor where I was patient said he was one of their favorites. They said he wants his patients to be comfortable and can be contacted at any time if they have questions or concerns.

Mary, his assistant, was very helpful to me in organizing my post op rehab care at the University Care Center. It was a great place to be post op. She is very knowledgeable and returns phone calls in a timely manner.

I have been very satisfied with the results of the surgery and care provided by Dr. Austin and Mary.

I am an interpreter and have experience with many physicians in the workers compensation field. I chose to see Dr. Tontz for my medical issue because I have a lot of confidence in him. I was very pleased with my experience and would highly recommend him and any of the physicians at California Orthopedic depending on your need and their specialty.

The receptionists at the front desk are very nice, friendly and helpful as are the nurses and entire staff.

Francesca Barton did physical therapy for my broken foot and I want to tell you what a wonderful job she did for me. She was very thorough in explaining what the procedure would be and was. She asked a lot of questions which showed me she cared about my recovery. And her foot manipulation or message (I call it) was very effective. Every day I could see my foot get better. Also, she addressed all the questions I had and took special care to make sure all of my concerns were met. You have a really good employee there. Thank you so much.

I am a patient of Dr. Tradonsky with a frozen right shoulder. I started PT with Francesca about 6 months ago and my strength and mobility has improved dramatically. Working with Francesca I was able to achieve my goal of throwing a baseball / football again which was virtually impossible when I walked in the door.

I am writing to express my gratitude and appreciation for the care I received from Francesca. I went to another PT group before COI and was told they couldn't do anything else for me. I really wasn't sure if I was going to get "back to normal" but now I'm almost there. Francesca always took the time for "hands on" work and customized a home routine for me, both had a significant impact on my recovery. I looked forward to coming to the PT sessions and knew that Francesca was there to help me achieve my goal no matter how long it took. She was always positive, encouraging, helpful, instructive and supportive.

Francesca is a true professional!

I am writing this testimony to commend and bring to your attention one of the best assets the California Orthopedic Institute possesses, Ms. Francesca Barton. I was a patient of hers during my rehabilitation from both knee laparoscopic surgeries and rotator cuff surgery. Francesca made my treatment visits bearable and helped me get better quicker. She understood my pain and was attentive to my needs as a patient with injury. Francesca also eased me through the different physical exercises that I could do even at home.

I was discharged from treatment on April 3, 2018. Francesca truly made a big difference on how I have learned to manage my injuries, treatments and healing.

I finished my physical therapy sessions today with Francesca. She is a superb therapist!!!! I could not have asked for better. I am 72 years old, had a long break in my fifth metatarsal, surgery with plate and screws, and 10 weeks non-weight bearing. Francesca brought me from a scared, weak, unbalanced, sore, swollen footed self to a confident, balanced, strong, normal footed self! She provided excellent visual aids, so I could do exercises at home. And she gave me hope when I had none. And during our sessions, her massages of my foot and demonstrations were excellent. She never compared me to anyone else but instead took me from where I was to where she and I wanted me to be. I consider myself stronger than I was before surgery. She is truly an outstanding

professional in her field.

The facilities were always clean and well-lit.

Also I want to commend the people at the front desk for their efficiency and pleasant demeanor. I never waited more than 5 minutes.

Thanks,

JoAnn

I just completed 8 PT sessions @ COI with Francesca Barton during November & December. I had lower back issues & was referred by Dr. Tontz. I wanted to let you know about the superb quality of care I received from Francesca.

Francesca's expert assessment and plan of action for PT is incredible. She takes time and care with each patient. Her personal attention, focus, guidance, exercises, and kind words of encouragement were so helpful to me. She knows her "stuff." Francesca provides such outstanding one on one PT while juggling a very busy Office. She's amazing!!

My back is feeling really great! I know I have helpful, practical exercises & resources to utilize, thanks to Francesca! The Staff is so helpful, kind, & caring as well. The other Staff members I interacted with were Eden, Ashley, & Mirsha. I appreciate their generous time & expertise as well!

Many thanks & continued success!!