How to Choose the Best Pediatric Clinic for Your Child

Empty pediatrician office. Close-up. No people.

What could be more important than your child’s health, particularly during the teen and young adult years? If you’re looking for a new pediatrician, here are some suggestions about selecting the best one for your child’s needs and peace of mind.

Why Choose a Pediatric Clinic?

A pediatrician is a physician with education and board certification in caring for and treating children from birth through young adulthood (age 21). Choosing a pediatrician as your youngster’s primary care physician is important because children–even those fast-approaching adulthood–have different physiology and health needs than their adult counterparts. Kids are not just small grown-ups. They require fine-tuned health assessments, nutrition, safety precautions, and care plans.

Also, a pediatric clinic is equipped to communicate with and listen to young patients and to give them preventive care–vaccinations, for instance–to avoid life-changing diseases and injuries. Your pediatrician desires to establish rapport and trust with patients and their parents and caregivers. Together, they all work toward bringing kids through childhood and into their adult years successfully in all realms–physical, emotional, and mental health.

Choosing the Best Pediatric Clinic for Your Child

How can parents decide on a pediatric healthcare clinic?

Here are the elements of pediatric care you should look for.

Excellent Professional Credentials

Is your prospective pediatric clinic staffed by physicians certified by the American Board of Pediatrics? Is there additional fellowship training with the American Academy of Pediatrics? How many years has the doctor practiced? How many years has he or she been affiliated with the clinic you are considering?  Be sure to check online reviews, too, through Google or the clinic website itself.

Convenient Location, Office Hours, and On-call Availability

Is the office near your home, workplace, or child’s school? Is it accessible through public transportation?

Do office hours include some evening and Saturday hours? Can you reach an on-call doctor or nurse by phone or text? The best clinic will be available to help your child or answer your questions when you most have need.

A Wide Range of Onsite Services

Wellness check-ups, treatment of acute illnesses and injuries, and tracking of growth and development must be available to your child as needed. Also, consider your child’s special health needs, including asthma, allergies, ADHD, diabetes, and others. Is the clinic ready to manage these conditions?

Onsite services should include:

Many Insurance Carriers Accepted

Verify that the pediatric practice accepts your health insurance. Call the doctor’s office and your insurance carrier to find out. Also, learn what copays you may be responsible for.

An Obvious Interest in Kids

This may be the most important aspect of your choice of doctors. Make sure your prospective pediatrician genuinely likes dealing with kids. To confirm this, book an initial consultation where both you and your child talk to the doctor and see if there’s a real patient-doctor rapport. Kids need to trust their pediatricians, especially in their teen years. And so do you. Honest communication is a must-have.

A Premier Pediatric Clinic in Purchase, NY

At BridgeSpan Medicine, we take care of kids of all ages as they grow through the stages of development and transition into healthy adults. We offer onsite lab testing services, along with sexual wellness support, nutritional counseling, mental health screening and counseling, and the finest in medical care for acute and chronic illnesses, conditions, and injuries.

If it’s time for your child’s wellness check-up or their school or sports physical, we’re here to provide these important services and to keep their medical chart and vaccination record up to date. Contact us today to arrange a convenient appointment with one of our pediatricians: at (914) 698-5544, or request a visit online.