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Dr. James O'Brien, MD

Dr. James O'Brien, MD

Pulmonary Disease*
45+ years of experience

Dr. James O'Brien, MD is a pulmonologist in Waltham, MA and has over 45 years of experience in the medical field. He graduated from NEW YORK Medical College in 1975. He is affiliated with medical facilities such as Danbury Hospital and New Milford Hospital. He is accepting new patients and telehealth appointments.

2.4 Star Rating
Based on 16 reviews 2.4 Star Rating (16 reviews)

Practice

85 1st Ave Waltham, MA 02451
Telehealth available

Make an Appointment

(781) 895-7960

Hospital Highlight

Dr. O'Brien is affiliated with Danbury Hospital Danbury, a highly rated and top awarded hospital for pulmonology.

At a Glance

  • Areas of Expertise
    Dr. O'Brien specializes in the areas of Internal Medicine & Pulmonary Disease. • See board certifications
  • Offers Telehealth
    This doctor offers telehealth appointments. Call the office to schedule an appointment.
  • Practices at Top Hospital
    Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™ • See hospitals
  • Hospital Satisfaction
    Patients said they were highly satisfied at this doctor's hospital. • See hospitals
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Dr. O'Brien's Reviews

Likelihood to recommend Dr. O'Brien

2.4
16 ratings, 8 with a written review
5 star
25%
25%
4 star
13%
13%
3 star
0%
0%
2 star
0%
0%
1 star
63%
63%

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Initial visit:Took a good history and listened well. Recommended appropriate followup and alleviated my concerns.
What went well
  • Listened & answered questions
  • Explained conditions well
  • Staff friendliness
  • Appointment wasn't rushed
  • Trusted the provider's decisions
  • Wait times
What could be improved
  • Difficult to schedule appointment
Helpful
Jan 07, 2021
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Excellent! Dr. O'Brien was one of the kindest and sweetest doctors I have ever seen. He took the time to explain illness and treatment with me.
What went well
No results
What could be improved
No results
Helpful
Susan P – Jun 02, 2020
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Excellent. Anwers all questions , explains dx. adequately and goes the extra mile in providing documentation..
What went well
  • Office environment
  • Appointment scheduling
  • Listened & answered questions
  • Explained conditions well
  • Staff friendliness
  • Appointment wasn't rushed
  • Trusted the provider's decisions
  • Wait times
What could be improved
No results
Helpful
RSC – Aug 02, 2019
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I have seen some negative reviews of Dr. O’Brien and I wanted to add my perspective to provide some fairness and balance. First, we need to recognize that someone who has a negative experience is far more likely to comment than those that are satisfied with their visit. That said, I have had some bad experiences with other sleep doctors. However, I have been seeing Dr. O’Brien for several years and every visit has been positive. He is excellent at explaining things, prompt, professional and personable. All his staff that I have interacted with have been the same.
What went well
  • Office environment
  • Appointment scheduling
  • Listened & answered questions
  • Explained conditions well
  • Staff friendliness
  • Appointment wasn't rushed
  • Trusted the provider's decisions
  • Wait times
What could be improved
No results
Helpful
Greg Chasko – Aug 01, 2019
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One of the worst specialists I've seen. I switched to a new sleep doc & when he looked at my chart, he said Dr. O's data and conclusions don't match up AT ALL, rendering my MSLT faulty and requiring a repeat of this 2 day stressful sleep study. I wish I'd never gone to him in the first place. What a waste of my time and money! Not only is he incompetent, he's rude, & he didn't even bother to look at my chart before appts so he never remembered why I was there or what I needed or what I'd tried.
What went well
No results
What could be improved
  • Didn't listen or answer questions
  • Didn't explain conditions well
  • Appointment was rushed
  • Didn't trust the provider's decisions
Helpful
Oct 07, 2017
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One of the WORST doctors I've ever seen. Started literally every appointment saying "I'm going to change your LIFE today with Provigil," a medication I REPEATEDLY told him didn't work for me. He put me on Nuvigil, which gave me side effects. I called the office & he told me to discontinue it. Next appt, he said he was gonna change my life with Provigil. Reminded him it didn't work. He tried to write me a script to try Nuvigil, which HE had just taken me off. Try reading my chart first next time!
What went well
  • Office environment
  • Staff friendliness
What could be improved
  • Didn't listen or answer questions
  • Didn't explain conditions well
  • Appointment was rushed
  • Didn't trust the provider's decisions
2 others found this helpful
Helpful
Aug 01, 2017
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13 minutes late, and the receptionist dressed in a polka dot shirt covered with a pajama top and a snowman hat told me I had to reschedule and I couldn't be seen for another 2 months. Hope nothing is actually wrong!!
What went well
No results
What could be improved
  • Office environment
  • Difficult to schedule appointment
  • Staff wasn't friendly
3 others found this helpful
Helpful
Anna M in Torrington, CT – Dec 22, 2016
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The doctor refers to himself in the third person all the time. Pressures you into using equipment that you would rather not have and said that I would not be able to have a procedure without a CPAP, because it would be malpractice. One other thing he said is there is not a weight problem in the country and people are overweight, because they do not get enough sleep.
What went well
  • Appointment wasn't rushed
  • Wait times
What could be improved
  • Didn't listen or answer questions
  • Didn't trust the provider's decisions
5 others found this helpful
Helpful
Farmington, CT – Nov 03, 2016
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Leave a review

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Know Before You Go

About Me

biography

Dr. James O'Brien, MD is a pulmonologist in Waltham, MA and has over 45 years of experience in the medical field. He graduated from NEW YORK Medical College in 1975. He is affiliated with medical facilities such as Danbury Hospital and New Milford Hospital. He is accepting new patients and telehealth appointments.

  • Pulmonary Disease

  • Internal Medicine

*Healthgrades does not verify qualifications for medical specialties. Please verify your provider's specialty and qualifications directly with your provider and applicable medical board.

  • New York Medical College

    Medical School, 1975
American Board of Medical Specialties®
American Board of Internal Medicine®
- 
Internal Medicine
- 
Pulmonary Disease
For detailed information about any of the below board actions, please search for the provider's records on the linked state licensing board or the Federation of State Medical Boards. To learn more about the difference between these sources, please refer to our FAQs.
Healthgrades has not received any data indicating a board action exists for this provider.

Healthgrades receives board action history for physicians and physician assistants. The information displayed here is sourced from independent information providers, such as state board websites, and may not be the most up-to-date information. Healthgrades makes no representations with respect to the accuracy of any information provided here and assumes no responsibility or liability for such information.

Learn more about medical license public record check

Focus on Asthma

Locations

Practice

Boston Surgery Center LLC85 1st Ave Waltham, MA 02451
1
Ear Nose & Throat Institute of Connecticut PLLC599 Farmington Ave Farmington, CT 06032
2
ProHealth Laboratory950 Yale Ave Wallingford, CT 06492
3

Practice

Office515 Middle Tpke W Manchester, CT 06040
4
  • Call
  • Fax
  • Hours
    • Mon: 8:00am - 5:00pm
    • Wed: 8:00am - 5:00pm
    • Thu: 8:00am - 5:00pm
    • Fri: 8:00am - 5:00pm
  • Directions

Affiliated Hospitals

  • Danbury Hospital

    24 Hospital Ave
    Danbury, CT 06810
    Recipient of 28
    hospital awards

    America's 250 Best Hospitals Award™ (2025, 2024)

    Superior clinical outcomes in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia

    Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™ (2025)

    Superior clinical outcomes in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia

    View all awards

    How patients felt about the care they received at this hospital.

    87%
    Patients said they were given information about recovering at home

    3% higher than the national average

    74%
    Patients said that doctors always listened to them and explained things well

    2% lower than the national average

    View all patient feedback

  • New Milford Hospital

    21 Elm St
    New Milford, CT 06776
    Recipient of 14
    hospital awards

    America's 250 Best Hospitals Award™ (2025, 2024)

    Superior clinical outcomes in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia

    Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™ (2025)

    Superior clinical outcomes in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia

    View all awards

  • Midstate Medical Center

    435 Lewis Ave
    Meriden, CT 06451
    Recipient of 4
    hospital awards

    Patient Safety Excellence Award™ (2025, 2024)

    Top in the nation for providing excellence in patient safety by preventing infections, medical errors, and other preventable complications

    Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ (2023, 2022)

    Top in the nation for providing excellence in patient safety by preventing infections, medical errors, and other preventable complications

    View all awards

    How patients felt about the care they received at this hospital.

    86%
    Patients said they were given information about recovering at home

    2% higher than the national average

    79%
    Patients said that nurses always listened to them and explained things well

    4% higher than the national average

    View all patient feedback
Learn more about how Healthgrades measures Hospital Quality