Seeking a Pediatrician in Berkeley

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Parent Q&A

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Pediatrician in Berkeley who is open to alternative medicines
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Feb 11, 2024
(2 replies)

We ended up going with Genevieve Palmer in Walnut Creek even though we live in Berkeley. She was a personal recommendation from our ob/gyn at UCSF. She was very open to alternative therapies and a modified vaccine schedule.

We were unimpressed with East Bay Pediatrics. They might have the best docs in the world, but we’ll never know because we never got to interview them. The staff didn’t bother to return our six (!!) messages and we got conflicting info from two receptionists when we called.

Feb 14, 2024
Looking for a pediatrician in Berkeley
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Aug 22, 2022
(6 replies)

We had our first child in May and have been very happy with East Bay Pediatrics (upon the recommendation of many parents)! Dr. Miller is our primary physician but have also seen Drs Oceguera, Handler, & Damon (https://www.eastbaypediatrics.com/our-doctors.html). If you deliver at Alta Bates, one of their docs will be on rounds and will come visit you & the baby in L&D recovery which I found made the process of getting our baby’s initial appointments very seamless.

Aug 27, 2022

Recommended:

East Bay Pediatrics
Pediatrician near West Berkeley
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Jun 20, 2022
(4 replies)
Pediatrician in Oakland or Berkeley
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Jan 26, 2022
(4 replies)

I can't recommend Berkeley Pediatrics enough! All the doctors are amazing, the staff, nurses and medical assistants are all great. They are UCSF affiliated. The office is not remodeled but that doesn't matter; it's the care that's important.

The doctors take their time with you, your appointments are not rushed. They really care about their patients. With that being said, pre-pandemic, there were times we would wait a while to see the doctor during our appointment. However, that didn't bother me because during my appointment our doctor wasn't rushing to catch up. When with the doctor, the doctor's full attention is on your child and the care they need. I also greatly appreciate their take on all preventative care. If something is going on and while it's probably nothing, they refer you to a specialist/seek testing immediately vs. the it's probably nothing let's wait and see approach.

We personally have long term experience with Dr. Learned and Dr. Woods, but have seen the others on same-day sick appointments in the past. You can't go wrong with whichever doctor you choose.

Feb 2, 2022

Recommended:

Berkeley Pediatric Medical Group

Our kids go to East Bay Pediatrics (https://www.eastbaypediatrics.com/) and the doctors are wonderful. Our primary doc is Dr. Tracy Evans Ramsey, but we've also seen Dr. Handler, Dr. Handelsman and Dr. Vo regularly and they're both fantastic. Before we had our first daughter we were able to set up a meeting with Dr. Tracy to make sure she was a good fit and it was reassuring to know her by the time our baby arrived.

Feb 2, 2022

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East Bay Pediatrics

Congrats on your little one! We’ve been very happy with Dr. Pickering at East Bay Pediatrics (and also loved the other doctors we’ve seen there). Dr. Pickering has done so much to put our first time parent anxieties at ease while also being thorough and thoughtful with any questions or issues that came up. Would highly recommend!

Feb 2, 2022

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East Bay Pediatrics
Pediatrist recommendation in Berkeley/Oakland
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Jul 5, 2021
(2 replies)

I highly recommend Berkeley Pediatrics in north Berkeley. We have been going there for seven years now and have had an excellent experience. We also know a lot of other families who take their kids there and all have had a great experience. We see Dr Olivia Lang, but I think all of the doctors (most are UCSF-trained) are excellent.

Jul 7, 2021

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Berkeley Pediatric Medical Group
Pediatrician in North Berkeley
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Feb 28, 2021
(7 replies)

Berkeley Pediatrics is fabulous.

Is your insurance through you or your partner’s employer? If so, I would set up a call with someone knowledgable in his HR to walk you through your specific plan and how to use it, especially if this is your first time dealing with US insurance.

US insurance is very nuanced, can get complicated, and varies greatly across types of plans so getting generic responses on here might not be helpful - they may actually do damage if it turns out the advice doesn’t work for your plan.

Mar 3, 2021

We go to Berkeley Pediatrics on Walnut St. and love Dr. Lang. We've seen a couple of other doctors there and really like them. It's a sweet, family-oriented practice in an old house in Berkeley. The only downside is sometimes they aren't running on time.

We have Aetna insurance. If you know what insurance you have, you just call either your insurer or Berkeley Pediatrics to see if they take that insurance. (That'll be true with any practice)

Mar 3, 2021

I highly recommend Berkley Pediatric. They've been around for ages and really are wonderful. Our pediatrician is Kalar but she can be in high demand. We've seen several other doctors there though and all have been thoughtful, patient and helpful. It can be kind of a pain to get in with them at first, something about their phone system, I recall having a hard time getting anyone to pick up for new patients.... but it's very worth it to keep trying.

Mar 3, 2021

I love Berkeley Pediatrics for my daughter. We see Dr. Michel, but I've heard nothing but good things about the entire practice. Do you know what kind of health insurance you're going to have? When you call them to set up an appointment, they will ask for your insurance info and let you know if they don't take it. This is a common practice, as they don't want their patients paying out of pocket.

Can you say more about the questions you have about the health system?

Mar 4, 2021
Pediatrician in Berkeley
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Apr 21, 2020
(5 replies)

Hi Praneeth,

My name is Sandy. I'm a mom of a one year old. Our pediatrician is Dr. Annemary Franks at Berkeley Pediatrics. Dr. Franks is a very warm, caring and understanding doctor. I highly highly recommend her. Here are some examples of her being one of a kind:

a. at the hospital after I delivered the baby, she came for a well visit and knew that I was having an emotional day, she hugged me without asking me too much

b. she's called me the day she received test results on my baby even if its 8 pm at night because she knew we would be worried

c. she's always listened to my concerns with compassion and empathy
Sincerely,

Sandy

Apr 22, 2020

Recommended:

Berkeley Pediatric Medical Group
Seeking Pediatrician and Kid-friendly dentist in Berkeley
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Apr 1, 2019
(6 replies)

Second the East Bay Pediatrics vote - they have two offices, one on Regent St in Berkeley (across from Alta Bates) and another in Orinda (pretty easy to get to from Berkeley), it's right off the freeway. We see Dr. Jonah Schey, but he's moving to Boston in August. We are SUPER bummed, but will switch to another doctor in the same office.

Apr 4, 2019

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East Bay Pediatrics
Seeking a Pediatrician - UnitedHealthcare - Berk/Oak
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Sep 20, 2018
(5 replies)

Not sure about the insurance but they take mediCal so seems likely to me

My almost 3yo and I really like Paula Brinkley and her office group, in Berkeley

Paula Brinkley, MD - Stanford Children's Health
2915 Telegraph Ave #200, Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 843-4544
https://goo.gl/maps/Y8jwx1Ap9f92

Sep 26, 2018

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Bayside Medical Group Berkeley

We have United Healthcare and we go to Berkeley Pediatric Medical Group (now called Sutter East Bay Medical foundation) at 2500 Milvia (Milvia and Dwight.)

I have teenaged twins who have been going there since birth, and we have liked the practice. Our primary doctor is Dr. Petra Landman, but we have also seen many of the other doctors when she is unavailable. We have been happy with Dr. Landman. She is very down to earth, seems on top of the latest research, and is very willing to consult her fellow practitioners for additional expertise if needed. We also like Dr. Kowaleski, and haven't had a bad experience with any of them.

I will just add a caveat that our kids have overall been pretty healthy, so we haven't had to use the practice for any serious health issues. Mostly annual checkups and the occasional bump, bruise or fever.

Sep 26, 2018

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Sutter Health Pediatrics on Milvia
Seeking excellent female pediatrician in Berkeley/Oakland
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Apr 3, 2018
(10 replies)

We love Karin Schiffman. She's in solo practice. Her office is vey well run. I've never had issues with billing or had to wait more than a few minutes for an appointment. She gives you her cell phone for after hours. She responds to email quickly. She's very evidence based in her practice and takes her time with you. For a newborn your appointments could be 30 minutes or longer if you have questions. I love the solo practice aspect, but it does mean that if you have an emergency after hours you would need to use Urgent Care. I have three kids and we've only had to do that twice.

Apr 4, 2018

Recommended:

Karin Schiffman, MD

Dr. Katya Gerwein at Bayside Medical Group: she identified my son's physiologic heart murmur at week 1 or 2 and heard it whenever she examined him (she sent us to a ped cardiologist, who diagnosed the heart murmur), but few other pediatricians we've seen (we moved briefly across country) recognized it during basic exams.
We also had positive experiences with other docs there, Dr. Boal, Dr. Brinkley, Dr. Perlman and (not a female, but I really liked him) Dr. Linn.

their practice administration used to have some issues, but they've really improved immensely!

Apr 4, 2018

Recommended:

Bayside Medical Group Berkeley

I’ve been taking my son to Stanford Children’s on telegraph. We go to Dr. Brinkley, but I know all the other doctor’s are just as friendly. They also have an off hours number to call in case of an emergency, and will also squeeze you in for an appointment if you’re worried about something.

http://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/location/bayside-medical-group-berkeley?utm_source=local&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb

Apr 4, 2018

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Bayside Medical Group Berkeley

We love Kiwi Pediatrics. They keep up-to-date on best practices, can get us in when we need to be seen (including after hours for urgent issues), and have had us send pictures of rashes, etc. when we are traveling to let us know if we need to take the kids to a local doctor or if it can wait until we get back.

Apr 8, 2018

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Kiwi Pediatrics

Dr. Charles-Mo has been my daughters' pediatrician since they were newborns. We have weathered vaccines, sprains, new vaccine studies, flu, strep throat, acne, etc. throughout the 20 years with her. I trust her implicitly. We have Blue Cross now and had Healthnet in the past.

My daughters are now in college and do not want to see anyone else. She said she can keep seeing them until 28 I believe.

Apr 18, 2018

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East Bay Pediatrics
Pediatricians in Sutter East Bay network?
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Jul 24, 2017
(5 replies)

Hi, we are due with our first child in the next two months, so are the hunt for a pediatrician. We currently use Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation for our OBGYN, so figured maybe it is best to stay within the network. Thus, I would love any recommendations. Also, it looks like there are some threads about Berkeley Pediatrics, so curious if there is much of a difference between the two practices.

Thanks for the help,

Andrea

Jul 24, 2017

I just had my first in June and we went with Dr Swearingen. She has been great at answering emails (or her team) and takes time to explain everything and answer all our (ok my) first time parent crazy questions. Since it is a big practice we have seen a couple other peds but we like her the best so far.

Jul 26, 2017

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Sutter Health Pediatrics on Milvia

We've been using Karin Schiffman for our almost 1-year-old daughter from the very beginning. She's very caring and takes the time to follow up by phone on more serious issues. Compared to Sutter, having a one-person practice is so rare and special these days.

Jul 27, 2017

Recommended:

Karin Schiffman, MD

Hi Andrea and Steve, congrats on the new addition to your family! :) Berkeley Pediatrics is not affiliated with Sutter, but all the pediatricians at Berkeley Ped. have admitting privileges at Alta Bates hospital (which is likely where you will deliver?). My OBGYN is also at Sutter East Bay, and we went with Berkeley Pediatrics for pediatric care, for a few reasons: (1) the doctors could see our baby in the hospital and release him when appropriate; (2) we heard/read so many great things about this practice; (3) they are covered by our insurance; (4) their office (in the Gourmet Ghetto) is relatively close to where we live. Our son has been seeing Dr. Lisa Kalar, who is a fantastic pediatrician (but really, we've seen almost all their other docs and NPs on occasion over the last 4 years and they are all really good). In fact, I am expecting my second baby (late Aug. early Sept.) and we will continue to use Berkeley Pediatrics. The "transition" between Sutter and Berkeley Ped. was really seamless as far as I recall - anyway these are very different types of care (OB vs. pediatrics) and I am not sure it really matters to keep doctors in the same network (but hopefully you will hear from other parents who have this experience and can describe some advantages... I just cannot think of any, at least in our case). Since your baby will essentially become a "new patient" in any network, you essentially start from scratch anyway... perhaps pediatricians and OBGYNs within Sutter do talk to each other and intersect in some ways, but I would be surprised if that were the case. Bottom line is, I would go with a pediatrician you feel excited about, and comfortable with. You still have time to schedule interviews with a few of them, and pick a doctor you click with and who aligns with your general ideas about baby/child health and development (just a random example: if your family is vegan, it is a good idea to get a sense for how supportive a particular pediatrician will be of your dietary choices for your baby... this can be important down the road!). Good luck with finding your doctor - and don't hesitate to contact me directly if you have any questions.

Jul 31, 2017

Recommended:

Berkeley Pediatric Medical Group

I love Dr.Salsburg at Kiwi Pediatrics SO much. I love the whole group. They were originally recommended by my midwife and then the NICU docs when my son was born, as he had a heart condition at birth. Eight years later we are still there and I expect to stay until we leave the area. This is a practice that serves the community with doctors well-known and loved by the local hospitals. I had a parent in academic medicine so that is my lean BUT more than that I respect a practice that serves the community and takes medi-cal. Do you wait sometimes? Yes, but that is because these doctors will sit and listen and give you attention. Simply put, they are wonderful.

Lindsay

Aug 7, 2017

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Kiwi Pediatrics
Seeking Berkeley Pediatrician Recommendations
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Mar 7, 2017
(12 replies)

We have been with Berkeley Pediatrics for 17 years. If you stay that long, your children will eventually want a doctor of their same gender. Maybe start off by meeting with Dr. Franks, who is helpful as she is also an experienced mom, but all the doctors there are completely friendly and competent.

Mar 8, 2017

Recommended:

Berkeley Pediatric Medical Group

We love Dr. Michel at Berkeley Pediatrics! Really kind and thorough - and is always happy to answer any questions. Also if your kid is sick, I find that I can almost always get an appointment on the same day if you call in the morning when they open.

Mar 8, 2017

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Berkeley Pediatric Medical Group

I have a newborn and just started at Berkeley Pediatrics with Dr. Learned who is rather young/new to the practice. I chose Berkeley Pediatrics because I like their approach, and like that they emphasize having your primary doctor see you as often as possible. So far we really like Dr. Learned (have had 2 visits). I would imagine you would find them completely welcoming to LGBT families but I can't speak to that directly. I also interviewed Sutter East Bay Pediatrics and liked them as well, but the doctor I met with splits her time between their Berkeley and Orinda offices, so I felt it might be harder to see one practitioner consistently.

Mar 8, 2017

Recommended:

Berkeley Pediatric Medical Group

We've been seeing Lisa Kalar at Berkeley Pediatrics for our 7 month old. Dr. Kalar has been wonderful. She has an excellent bedside manner with our daughter as well as with me and my husband, she seems up on her research and thoughtful about applying it to our particular circumstances, helpful with parenting conundrums without being dogmatic, and responsive with emails/calls when needed. My husband and I feel great about having her care for our daughter.

Mar 8, 2017

Recommended:

Berkeley Pediatric Medical Group

We were also at UCSF before moving to the east bay (actually stayed there for some time after #2 was born) but due to high turn over of physicians and the long haul over the bridge for appointments we made the leap to East Bay Pediatrics and couldn't be happier. They have 2 locations Berkeley and Orinda and the physicians and staff are wonderful! We see Dr. Abbott who is caring, kind, charismatic and old school (in a really good way). They have an after hours clinic where both my kids have received excellent care. Overall we have been VERY happy with the switch.

I had Hill Physicians insurance group and was able to change from Hill Physicians SF to Hill Physicians East Bay with no trouble.

Mar 8, 2017

Recommended:

East Bay Pediatrics

We have a 21-month old at Berkeley Pediatrics, and we've been very happy both with the regular checkups and with their responsiveness for sick appointments. We mostly see Dr. Learned, who is one of their newer doctors, but we also saw one of the other doctors when my son was sick and we were equally satisfied.

Mar 9, 2017

Recommended:

Berkeley Pediatric Medical Group

I can't say enough good things about Private Pediatrics, Dr. Nadoolman. He has a solo practice in Berkeley. He is loving, compassionate and a great doctor. We have been patients of his for 15 years. I don't know any doctor that will see you anytime of the day or night, make a house call when needed, see you on a holiday. He is the best.

Mar 11, 2017

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Wolffe Nadoolman, MD
Pediatrician in Berkeley
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Jan 18, 2017
(10 replies)

We love our pediatrician Karin Schiffman. She is in a solo practice, which we really like. I never feel rushed in my appointments, there is never a long wait, she responds quickly to emails via their online system and phone calls, the front staff is great and I've never had issues with billing.

Jan 25, 2017

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Karin Schiffman, MD

We love our pediatrician - Myles Abbott at East Bay Pediatrics. They have offices in Berkeley (Regent Street near Alta Bates) and Orinda. We have seen many pediatricians in the practice and we like them all. They have convenient drop in hours for vaccines, and they always find a way to fit us in for a sudden illness or ear infection. We used to have Aetna and they accepted it.

Jan 25, 2017

Recommended:

East Bay Pediatrics

Hello- we have a 6 year old and 4 month old (both girls), have aetna insurance and have been going to East Bay Pediatrics for about 2 years now. They are great! Jennifer Miller is our primary doctor and she is fantastic...warm, caring, thoughtful and thorough. They also have a great scheduling for sick appointments and offer urgent care hours in off times (which we have, unfortunately, had to use twice) and are located just adjacent to Alta Bates. We found them through a recommendation from our previous neighbors (who were both doctors) and who had 3 boys who saw another doctor in the group who they also highly recommended. Best of Luck.

Jan 25, 2017

Recommended:

East Bay Pediatrics

We love Kiwi Pediatrics. They are very responsive to our concerns and have been great about answering questions that we call in or email to them. Twice we have been travelling and have sent a picture of something that happened to one of the kids and they emailed us back with advice about what to do. We have gone in after hours to get stitches. The doctors are up-to-date on the latest research and can answer obscure questions. And they are really nice.

But the thing that I love the most is that they work hard to prevent kids getting sick or hurt. They do stuff like give out bike helmets to low-income kids and pass out glow sticks at Halloween so kids will be visible to cars. They give out books to kids and have a "Take a Book/Leave a Book" shelf in their Berkeley office.

Jan 26, 2017

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Kiwi Pediatrics

We love Dr. Lisa Kalar at Berkeley Pediatrics. We have been seeing doctors at this practice for 21 years and have been very happy with the care we've received there. One of my children has multiple serious chronic health issues, and Dr. Kalar has been extremely supportive and helpful, acting as both advisor and sounding board as I navigate the world of specialists and difficult decisions. I should actually remember to tell her directly how grateful I am.

Feb 1, 2017

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Berkeley Pediatric Medical Group
Pediatrician in North Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito area
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Nov 4, 2016
(2 replies)

Our daughters have been patients at Kiwi Pediatrics for 8 years. We have been very happy with the care that they have received. The staff is always friendly and the doctors are very knowledgeable. They take a lot of time to answer questions and engage with our kids. I have never felt rushed there. The facilities are not fancy but do not let that deter you! I highly recommend.

Nov 4, 2016

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Kiwi Pediatrics

Berkeley Pediatrics. All of the doctors are wonderful. We've liked Dr. SO and Dr. Lang in particular. They are bright, friendly, and genuinely care about our child and our family. Weekend help and after hours calls have been readily available to us. I can't recommend Berkeley Peds with more love or confidence.

Nov 9, 2016

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Berkeley Pediatric Medical Group
New Pediatrician in the East Bay
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Aug 1, 2016
(4 replies)

We have been seeing Dr. Petra Landman since 2004. My kids, now 15 and 17, still go to her and Dr. Landman has been perfect at adjusting and meeting them "where they are" developmentally since they started at 3 and 5. Both kids, boy and a girl, are comfortable. She gives us all the information we need and in a clear fashion. Her office, with Sutter East Bay is on Milvia, just south of Dwight. She asks about diet and health habits, school, developmentally appropriate questions about friends, school, and now - drugs and sexuality. We have a good experiece throughout their childhood.

Aug 3, 2016

Recommended:

Sutter Health Pediatrics on Milvia