FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

A pediatrician is a medical doctor that specializes in the care of children. Pediatricians have undergone special training in the health and illnesses of infants, teens and young adults, and the majority of pediatricians are certified by the American Board of Pediatrics after passing a comprehensive exam.

Pediatricians provide preventive health care for children in good health and medical care for children who are acutely or chronically ill. They also provide parents with support and advice with issues such as growth and development, safety and prevention, nutrition, and emotional wellness to foster a lifetime of good health.

Well-child visits are also a good time for parents to raise questions and concerns about a child’s development, behavior, nutrition, safety and overall well-being.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends this schedule for routine well-care visits:

• 3 to 5 days
• 1 month
• 2 months
• 4 months
• 6 months
• 9 months
• 12 months
• 15 months
• 18 months
• 24 months
• 30 months
• 3 years
• 4 years
• And once every year thereafter for an annual health supervision visit that includes a physical exam as well as a developmental, behavioral, and learning assessment.

Immunizations are a series of shots given to children at different ages to help ward off serious, and potentially fatal, childhood diseases. Making sure your child receives immunizations when scheduled is the best way to help protect your child from potentially fatal diseases. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, vaccinations have reduced the number of infections from vaccine-preventable diseases by more than 90%. If you’re apprehensive about vaccinations, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

Your child should not only see the pediatrician for an illness. It is also important to schedule well-child-care exams regularly, beginning in infancy. Also called well-care visits or checkups, these routine examinations provide the best opportunity for the doctor to observe the progress of your child’s physical and mental growth and development; to counsel and teach parents; to detect problems through screening tests; to provide immunizations, and to get to know one another. Well-care visits are strongly recommended as part of preventive pediatric care.

Yes, in fact we strongly encourage parents-to-be to visit our office for a prenatal appointment. This is a great way to get acquainted with our office and our doctors. During this visit, we will answer any questions that you have about our practice or your new child. Visit our expectant parent’s page for more information.

Yes, we always welcome new patients. Contact our office for additional information or request an appointment.

You can schedule an appointment by calling our office during regular business hours, or by requesting an appointment online.

If you’re preparing for your child’s first visit, there are a few things you’ll need. Please provide the following information when you arrive for your visit:

• Insurance cards
• Complete immunization records
• Medical records from your previous pediatrician

**We have Saturday office hours once every month by appointment only.
***In case of emergency, please call 911 or go immediately to the nearest hospital.

For most office visits we encourage you to make an appointment. However we always strive to see our patients the same day for sick visits. We have an on call service and there is always a pediatrician available to assist you. Simply call our office number and you will be connected to the on-call doctor that will be happy to assist you. ***Remember if you have a life threatening emergency, call 911 immediately.***

We understand that sometimes circumstances prevent you from keeping your scheduled appointment. If that happens, please notify our office in advance, as soon as possible (Please give at least 24-48 hours notice). Our scheduling coordinators will do their best to promptly reschedule your appointment.