8 Secrets To Finding The Right Pediatrician For Your Child

When our oldest daughter was born in 2006, we had no idea how to find a good pediatrician. She was born in Georgia, but we lived in New Jersey (we adopted her at birth in an open adoption). That ruled out a lot of the usual sources of pediatrician recommendations, like the obstetrician who delivered her. We had just moved to a new town and didn’t yet know many other young families in the area. And when she was born, Facebook was also still in its infancy, so social media recommendations were limited.

Fortunately, college friends of my husband’s who lived nearby were thrilled with their pediatric practice. So as soon as we made the drive back north with our tiny, beloved daughter, we took her to meet “Dr. John”—half of a fantastic father-son duo of doctors in a practice that has since grown to include several more pediatricians and advanced practice professionals.

We stumbled into a great relationship with a skilled and compassionate group of doctors who have taken great care of all three of our children for the past 13 years, seeing us through vaccinations, the flu, recurrent ear infections, sports injuries, and an ADHD diagnosis. But since you probably want to walk wisely into what you hope will be a long-lasting partnership with your child’s doctor, Northwell Health pediatrician Anila Thomas, MD, has a few tips for you.

There are many resources for identifying a list of possible pediatricians. If you’re having your first baby and expect to stay in the area where you’re giving birth, your obstetrician or the hospital will often have recommendations. If you have an older child and are moving to a new town, check with the nearest elementary school. Pediatricians are often assigned to do the school physicals, and school nurses are also well acquainted with the local physicians.

If you have friends who are already parents, they’re another great place to start. But if you’re one of the first among your crowd to have kids, online groups on Facebook or community websites are also very helpful. They can provide more useful information than random Google or Yelp reviews because you have the opportunity to interact with the people recommending (or steering you away from) a particular pediatrician, and ask specific questions.

Many pediatric offices do “new parent” or “new family” visits for first-time expectant parents; if you’re new to the area, most will arrange such a tour as well. Sometimes a doctor or a practice can sound great on paper, but when you meet with them, they just don’t seem like the right fit. Make a list of your top two or three practices and try to squeeze in a short visit with each. (If a practice doesn’t welcome such a visit, that might also tell you something about their willingness to meet your needs.)

When you visit a potential pediatric practice, consider the travel time and how you’ll get there. Is it reasonably convenient to your house? How is the parking? If you usually take public transportation, is there easy access to the subway or bus?

Ask about office hours. Are they only open on a typical 9 to 5 schedule, or do they have evening or weekend hours? Consider how their schedule meshes with yours. How far in advance do you have to make a well-child appointment? How easy is it to get a same-day sick appointment, and do they have separate waiting areas for sick and well children?

What does their after-hours coverage look like? Some practices outsource after-hours coverage to another practice, while others use an answering service that will connect emergency calls to one of the practice’s own pediatricians.

How many pediatricians are in the practice? A larger practice may mean it’s easier to get your child seen in an emergency, but if you really connect with a particular doctor, how hard is it to make sure that you get an appointment with them specifically? Some doctors may have longer wait times than others, and you might have to decide between a prompt appointment with whoever is available, or waiting longer for your favorite.

Ask how long the doctor(s) have been in practice, what hospitals they are affiliated with and/or where they have admitting privileges, and where they practiced previously. And don’t limit it to the clinical staff. You can casually inquire of the front desk staff, “Oh, how long have you been working here?” If people have been there a long time and seem happy, that speaks well of a practice. (Insider tip: A lot of physicians ask that question of the office staff when they’re considering joining a new practice themselves.)

This means different things to different people. A few examples:

• Immunizations. Many pediatric practices are no longer accepting patients who do not vaccinate their children. If you prefer to take your little one to an environment where all the children are vaccinated, finding out that your doctor has this policy may give you peace of mind.
• Antibiotics. Do they tend to prescribe antibiotics frequently, or are they more reserved with them? This is also a good question to ask of other parents who use the same practice.
• Nutrition. Some practices—and some doctors within practices—are particularly focused on the role of healthy eating in a child’s overall well-being, and open to working with parents on nutritional approaches to certain health issues.

The obvious first question is “Do you take my insurance?” But you should also find out about co-pays and co-insurance, as well as standard fees for other things, like lab work and filling out required medical forms for schools and camps.

Some practices have in-house therapists, social workers, and other behavioral health and therapeutic resources, while others refer out to other offices or institutions. Similarly, some groups will have designated asthma or allergy specialists or other subspecialty-trained clinicians. If your child has a particular need, ask about that area specifically. If they don’t have a resource within the office, where do they send patients who need more specialized care? How easy is it to get a referral?

While all these factors are important, the real make-or-break factor is how comfortable you are with the doctor and the practice. Your pediatrician will play an important role in your family’s life from infancy through childhood and adolescence. Over the years, you’ll be talking to them about everything from night terrors, persistent ear infections, broken arms, and mysterious fevers to sports concussions, puberty and menstrual problems, the HPV vaccine, and birth control. Does the doctor seem open and responsive to your questions? Do they make you feel at ease about sharing concerns? Look for a friendly team that eases your anxiety and makes the visit pleasant, not stressful.

If you choose a practice that turns out to be the wrong fit for your family, you haven’t signed a contract. If your needs change—or your child’s do—or the relationship just isn’t working out, you can ask to meet another provider within the group, or let the pediatrician know that you will be switching practices. Remember, you and the pediatrician are partners in caring for your child’s health, and you need to be able to trust that partner completely.

• Meet Dr. Anila Thomas, pediatrician.
• Here’s what to expect at your child’s first trip to the pediatrician.