Please take a moment to read our most commonly asked questions. We're always available to answer your questions and encourage you to contact our office if you have a question that is not answered below.
Q: What is a Pediatrician?
A: A pediatrician is a medical doctor who 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.
Q: What is a Nurse Practitioner?
A: A nurse practitioner is an advanced licensed clinician with a Master’s degree and extensive training. Nurse practitioners are board-certified and are able to provide comprehensive care to patients and their families. Like pediatricians, they provide preventive health care for children who are acutely or chronically ill.
Q: Can I meet my pediatrician before my baby is born?
A: 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.
Q: How often should my child see the pediatrician?
A: 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.
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.
We recommend this schedule for routine well-care visits:
- 3 to 5 days
- 1 month
- 2 months
- 3 months
- 4 months
- 6 months
- 8 months
- 10 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.
Q: What is the best way to schedule an appointment with your office?
A: You can schedule an appointment by calling our office during regular business hours.
Q: Is your office accepting new patients?
A: Yes, we always welcome new patients. Contact our office for additional information or request an appointment.
Q: Why does my child need to receive vaccinations?
A: 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.
Q: If I have a question for the provider, how should I contact them?
A: Please call the office with your question. We try to answer calls between patients, at lunch, or at the end of the day. Please understand we do our best to get back to each patient as soon as we can while staying on schedule for our patients in the office as well. Please leave us a number that is most likely to be picked up, whether home or cell.
After hours, if you have an urgent matter that cannot wait until the next business day, please call our office number. An answering service picks up calls and sends them to the on-call provider. Please allow up to an hour for us to get back to you. If you feel you have an emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.