Pediatrician Help

Hi!
You are so smart to be taking care of things so early. I was not so wise and ended up with a 3 day old in a terrible office with sick children everywhere (good offices separate sick and well children) so kudos to you for being organized! Anyway, after a lot of post baby searching for a good doctor, I finally took my ob's advice and went to the office of Dr. Bertha Gee-Lew. She has a great staff and is located in Banker's Hill/Hillcrest. ###-###-####) They are very down-to-earth,they actually answer the phone when you call and are very laid back. When my daughter was in preschool she was sent home with a small infection that my original doctor said to ignore for a few days(and this was after leaving several messages that went unanswered). I had a bad feeling about it so went into Dr. Gee-Lew's office which is right across the street from me without an appointment. They saw her that day,treated her,all without us even being patients. We've been going there ever since. Incidentally, the infection turned out to be impetigo which can escalate rapidly if not treated immediately. Good luck!

HI K.,
I take my daughter to see Dr. Brett Gerber at the 550 Washington Building. I find him to be a top notch doctor. As a pediatric nurse practitioner, I find myself to be VERY picky and I couldn't say anything but wonderful things about him. He has picked up on things that no one else has and is very conservative with antibiotics. He treats when neccessary, but is not over aggressive iether. His bedside manners are incredible. He is the only person that can even walk near my 18 month old with a stethescope on! That includes myself and my brother, who is also a nurse! One evening I had to take my daughter to urgent care and the office was so good on follow up that they called by 9 am the following morning to make sure that she was taken care of and to see if we needed anything. They ALWAYS get back to you quickly! His phone number is ###-###-####. There are 3 other pediatricians in the office that are great as well.

Hi K. - Dr. Schwartz is on Washington St in Hillcrest and is a great doctor - I like him and his attitude. His wife works with him and is a great RN and my daughter sees her as well - I don't know how he feels about vaccination schedules - I started seeing him before my daughter went into Kindergarten and in order to be in the private school you had to have certain vaccines.

They have Saturday hours as well and he was voted Best Pediatrician in San Diego Magazine's "best doctors" issue. Oh and he is a member of Children's Healthcare Medical Associates - from what I am reading a lot of people like that group!!!

If you go to see him during the week I have to warn you - the only thing that I don't like is the wait - sometimes during flu season it can get a bit crazy.

Dr. Geelew (sp?) is another doctor friends see and Dr. Brownlee is another popular doctor - both of these pediatricians are in Hillcrest as well.

Interviewing now is a smart thing to do - and as for what to ask them - don't ask them anything more pressing than "tell me about yourself and your practice" that way you can get a good read as to personality and bedside manner. After the baby is born (congrats!) you'll have plenty of questions to ask then. My best to you and your baby!

Hi Keri, you don't need to worry about that right now, when you deliver, they will give you a referal,With all three of my babies, tha's how it worked I didn't have a ped picked pryor to giving birth. J.

Hi K. - first of all, congratulations to you on your first baby! I understand how overwhelming it can feel but I promise you that everything will come together. There have already been some great referrals. Of course, it will depend on what is right for you and what health care coverage you have. I am with Scripps and have been seeing Dr. Annie Kupelian for 7 years. She is in Carmel Valley which might be a little far for you. She's very kind and gentle, is an excellent listener and is understanding about such things as vaccinations and parent's choice. I'm sure you'll find someone who is a good fit for you, and as someone else pointed out, you can always change doctors if you're not happy with your first choice. All the best to you and your family. C.

Hi K., I was also a mother (again) at age 39 1/2. I would highly recommend Dr. Christine Wood, Pediatrician. She is in the Encinitas area. I know it is a bit of a drive, but well worth it. She has written books like, How to get your kids to eat great and love it. She works in a more holisitc approach. She is my granddaughters pediatrician. I wish she were my sons, we have Kaiser, I would not recommend mine. Fortunatly, I hardly ever have to take him to the doctor. Dr. Wood is a personal friend of mine, I do not know if she is taking any new patients, but the center where they work, they all work together and have similar principles.
Her website is www.kidseatgreat.com, if you would like to check it out and find out a little more her. She is an excellent childrens advocate and is on many local boards making a difference in childrens health.
Sincerely, D. Gates ###-###-####

We see Dr. Emma Raizman @ 550 Washington (5th Ave runs right into it) SHe is fantastic, she is encouraging, gentle, an advocate of breastfeeding (but not overbearing about it) encourages natural remedies when appropriate (she has NEVER suggested any meds for my son, even w/ a scalp issue and gunky eye), flexible with vaccination schedules ( I just went over this w/ her) and genuinely cares about the well-being of my child. She takes adequate time during our visits to answer all of our questions. We are really lucky to have found her!!!!

I have a wonderful pediatrician that I found for my 2nd baby (wish I had him for my first). His name is Dr. Scott Upton and he is in an office on Aero Drive. He is relatively young, in his 30's so he is up to date on the latest issues. He has a fabulous bedside manner, is easy to talk to, and really listens. He is absolutely perfect and I am very picky. My son who is now 5 was hospitalized several times from age 2-4 and I interacted with a ton of doctors at Children's hospital and at Kaiser. I can tell you that I could not have found a better doctor. Another benefit of Dr. Upton is that he treats adults too - so our whole family goes to him and it think it's really good that he can see everything from that total perspective. My daugter is 2 years old and he has been her doctor since she was born. He is now the doctor for my whole family. Another good thing - he always has some time slots available for immediate needs. In other words, it doesn't take 3 weeks to get an appt. If I were to call today and needed to be seen, they'd find a slot for me tomorrow, or the next day. In case you want to meet him, the office phone number is ###-###-####. The staff is great, and they have a playroom for the little ones in their office. Good luck! If you want to email me directly, it's ____@____.com.

I use a pedriatricians office in Hillcrest that we love. We see Dr Whitney Edwards but all of the Dr's at the practice are wonderful. Their number is ###-###-####. They are at the end of 5th Avenue in Downtown Hillcrest where 5th meets Washington. They are a very popular Ped's office with Hillcrest mommies. I ve found this office to be more sensitive then most about my concerns and there are definately very cautious with antiboitics. I listed a few things to look for/questions to ask a Ped's office (this Ped's office has them all)
- Do they have a nursing line to call and ask questions?
- Do they have extended night and weekend hour?
- Do they have a separate waiting room for sick and well children?
- How close is the office to your house? Its no fun making a 30 minute drive with a sick
baby in the car.
- Are they usually on time or running late? They will usually be honest. I really isnt fun to have to wait for an hour if your baby is sick. If they admit they are usually late be wary of using this doctor. Some Dr's will tell you they are always running late but that is what you have to deal with because they always try to get sick kids in fast. They should be able to de both so dont but that excuse.

I hope this helps!

K.,

We have been with our pediatricians for 6 years. They are great! They are located in Kearny Mesa. The office is Children's Primary Care Physicians. The phone number is ###-###-####. My 9 year old daugher's doctor is Stephanie Powell and my 5 year old son's doctor is John Hansen. I am very particular of where I take my children. They are phenominal and would not go anywhere else. I hope this helps you.

I also love the doctors at Childrens Healthcare Associates (same place that Kelly and Debbie mentioned). We see Dr. Nakahara who we were referred to when we were stationed in SD. Loved her from the first visit. She is so patient and friendly and i have never felt rushed. They also take the time to go over imms/flu shot details and respect your decision. I've seen just about every doctor there and have been very happy with all of them. I also love that they have separate rooms for sick and well children. Good luck!

I'm switching peds myself so I won't recommend mine. However, I'm told that the childrens hospital here in east lake/chula vista is really good. My husband has the address that we were given and that is where we are looking at bringing our little one. One thing I would suggest, that I wish I did, was schedule a meeting with the pediatrician before the little one comes along. That way you can see how they are, how their views are on medicine, breast feeding vs formula etc. I am a nursing mother and I found out that not all pediatricians are supportive of breastfeeding. I really feel that meeting with the pediatrician ahead of time is the only way to make sure it is a doctor that will be on the same page as you.

I live in University Heights and had a hard time myself, but I actually found a great pediatrician at Scripps Mercy Medical Group. They have a website as well you can check out. I have had some interaction with all of the doctors there and they are all great. Our primary is Dr. Cheryl Jennet and we LOVE her, she is super friendly and knowledgable. The staff there is great and they are great about calling you back right away and taking care of your baby. My daughter is now 3 months old and thriving! It is on 5th and Washington in the same building as the 24 hour fitness and the validate your parking ;)

Okay, I have polled my playgroup and they have overwhelmingly responded by recommending Dr. Tami Nakahara with Children's Medical Assoc. on Washington Ave. Several moms have sent many of their friends with kids to her and everyone just loves her. She is very much into "natural health" and will work with no/alternative vaccination schedules. She is a strong supporter of breastfeeding and very cool about vaccines, they are really happy with the service they've received so far. Dr. Nakahara listens well, spends time answering our questions, and is really flexible. Hope this helps.-M.

Both of my daughters are seen by Dr. Carson at Children's Healthcare Associates on Washington/5th. Dr. Carson is our primary, but over the last 3.5 years, we have met with every other doctor in the group and have been very happy with the care and advice. The waits can be a little long at times, but I try to be patient knowing that the doctor is probably taking the time to thoroughly answer another parent's questions just as he always has mine. And when my 2nd daugher was born with some unexpected complications and was in the NICU for several weeks, the doctors came by often to check on her and called us personally after hours....just wonderful attentiveness.

HTH!
K.

When I was pregnant (I only have one child), it was critical for me as well to find a pediatrician that I connected with, but also had the same values I had. They did give referrals while I was at Mary Birch, but I was super glad that I was able to give my Pediatrician's name when they asked, and was able to make an appt with my daughter's Pediatrician a week after she was born for a new born check-up.

Our doctor is absolutely wonderful. He has the same values as we do which is important (if you're more of a naturalist, then you want a doc that flies more in that direction...if you're more into conventional meds and stuff, then you need a doc that flies in that direction). This is definitely not something to "worry" about, because you WILL find someone. So, don't stress.

We chose our doctor for a myriad of reasons, but something to find out about doctors is what hospitals are they affiliated with should your child require hospitalization. Find out how many patients in a day they see (this matters because we often are "rushed" when we see doctors...I didn't want my daughter's Pediatrician to rush us since we were new parents). We also inquired as to his style with some of the nurses. It also helped that our best friends use him for their daughter since she was born, and she's now 16 and still loves him.

Our Pediatrician actually communicates with the child primarily when they are able to talk about how they feel and what's going on in their lives (right around 2-1/2 or 3yrs old). I LOVE that because my daughter is empowered to talk about it directly with him. I'm there simply as a support mechanism. He's also flexible with immunization schedules, but makes his recommendations without strong pressure. His name is Dr. Gary Chun, and he's located in Mission Valley right off Friar's Rd. on Metropolitan. His office phone # is ###-###-####. Best of luck from one 39 yr old Mom of a 4yr old to another! You'll do great!

Hi K.,
I highly reccommend Scripps Clinic pediatricians. One thing that I find very nice as well, is the ease in getting appointments. We tried Children's Primary Care Physicians and it is very tough making an appointment (usually 15 - 45 minutes just sitting on the phone waiting to make appointments, then weeks+ to get in. Also on average I'd wait in the waiting room for at least an hour before being taken back to an exam room. At Scripps you get through very quickly - no waiting involved. They are wonderful doctors. Who has time to waste?!!

Congratulations on your precious baby on the way! Although you'll have some stress, try and enjoy every minute with your dear-one. I have three children, 9, 6, and 4. They are growing up before my eyes. They aren't babies for very long, so enjoy!

Hi K.,

I was referred to Dr. Bertha Gee-Lew (someone else mentioned her too) But if you are delivering at Mercy, her practice is the main pediatrician's that go there to check out your baby and discharge them. Anyways she is the best. Wait time's aren't horrible for her and her partner, Dr. Supulveda is great too. They are in Hill Crest. But they only take patients on referrals. So you can use my name if you are interested.

In talking to other Pediatricians, I have been told to take my kids to her till there 21 if I can. But she does only accept PPO Insurance.

Remember you can always change pediatrician's if you aren't happy with them.

sounds like you have some great recommendations already, I have heard good things about Scott Upton as well, but my main advice is to find someone CLOSE to your home, trust me, when your baby is sick, you do not want to be driving 30 minutes away to see the doctor! Also, do a search with you insurance to see who is covered as well....I use a Dr. with Childrens Primary Care Group in La Jolla, and they have really great doctors and offices all over, but I am not sure about the Hillcreast area.....Good Luck and Congrats!!

I love my ped. Dr Linda Smith. ###-###-####. The whole practice is great. The only problem is they aren't on time for appts. But I would rather have them then anyone else!