Frequently Asked Questions

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 (AAP) 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.

For after-hours calls, our office utilizes a phone triage service staffed by qualified pediatric RNs.  Call our main office number and you will be prompted to acces the after-hours service. There is a $36.00 fee for this service that cannot be billed to insurance.

IN THE EVENT OF A LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY, CALL 911.

We recommend that our patients find a new primary physician at age 21.

Yes, we always welcome new patients.  Contact our office for additional information.

You can call our office during regular business hours, Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm. We are closed for lunch from 12:00pm to 1:30pm.

Every effort is made to arrange your child's well care and follow up visits with the physician of your choice. When your child is ill, he or she may see any one of our physicians.

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.

We recommend that your newborn be seen in our office 1-2 days after discharge from the hospital. Our staff understands the importance of this first visit and will make every effort to schedule this visit promptly.

Your child should not see his or her pediatrician only for illnesses.  It is also important to schedule regular well child care exams, beginning in infancy.  Typically called well-child 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-child checkups are strongly recommended as part of preventive pediatric care.

Well-child checkups 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 (AAP) and our office recommend the following schedule for routine well-child checkups:

• Before the new baby is dismissed from the hospital or at 48 to 72 hours of age
• Two to four weeks of age
• Two, four, six, nine, 12, 15, 18, 24 and 30 months of age
• Annually starting at 3 years of age

• For routine medications (other than controlled substances) please call your pharmacy to request a refill. Allow one business day for all routine prescription refills.
• For prescriptions that require prior authorization from your insurance company, please understand this could take several days for approval.
• Prescription refills for controlled substances are refilled Monday through Friday only. You may submit a request during non business hours through our patient portal and it will be addressed next business day.

For non-urgent referrals: When one of our doctors refers you to a specialist, please allow 3-5 business days for office staff to process your referral. You will be notified via the patient portal with referral details.

For urgent referrals: when one of our doctors determines that you need an urgent referral, your referral will be expedited. Please check your patient portal for your referral information.

You will receive a call quickly with any lab results that require urgent attention. Other abnormal lab results will be addressed promptly by the provider that ordered the labs or tests. Normal values are reviewed and addressed by the physician that ordered them.

To help protect your child from many serious infectious diseases, we follow the immunization schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Please discuss your immunization questions and concerns with any of our pediatricians.

Immunizations are given to children early in life at different ages to help prevent serious and potentially fatal childhood diseases. 

Making sure your child receives recommended immunizations when scheduled is the best way to protect your child. Our practice believes that all children should receive the recommended vaccines according to the guidelines provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the CDC. Vaccines are safe and effective in preventing diseases and health complications in children and young adults. Regular vaccinations help children ward off infections and are administered as one of the safest and best methods of disease prevention.

If you are apprehensive or have any questions, please give our office a call at 805-466-6622.

Our office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm, closed for lunch from 12:00pm-1:30pm.

Please refer to our Insurance page to review a list of accepted insurance providers, if you are unsure if we are in your network, please call the member services number on the back of your insurance card.

As all children are different, we advise following several appropriate steps to advance your child's diet based on age and development. Please discuss these steps with our providers at your well care visit.

Yes, we promote breastfeeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends breastfeeding babies for the first six to twelve months. Breastfeeding helps defend children against infections, prevents allergies, and protects against a number of chronic conditions. While experts believe that breast milk is the best nutritional choice for infants, breastfeeding may not be possible for all women.

Some women have specific medical considerations that impede breastfeeding; others choose to feed by formula because of discomfort, work schedule, or lifestyle choices. In these cases, an iron-fortified, milk-based infant formula is a good alternative. We will gladly discuss your diet and feeding concerns at your child's well care visit, or please call during office hours to speak with our experienced nursing staff.