7 Reasons To Choose A Concierge Pediatrician

Gayle Schrier Smith M.D. • Jun 15, 2016

As a physician and a mother, I’ve got a lot of experience on BOTH sides of the stethoscope. While I see patients every day in my concierge pediatrician office, I also make appointments to see the pediatrician for my own kids just like every other parent.

Here are 7 reasons I want concierge healthcare for my kids.

  1. My time is valuable. And my kid’s time is, too now that I think about it. Nobody wants to sit in a waiting room . The varsity soccer semi-finals start in an hour, and I arrived on time for our 2:00 appointment. Concierge doctors don’t keep you waiting. They allow extra time for the unexpected, and they never double book patients.
  2. It takes time for a meaningful doctor-patient relationship to develop, and my kids need more than eight minutes with their doctor to get past the fact that … well, they’re not a fan of doctors. I want them to see the same doctor time and time again so that a trusting pediatrician-patient partnership will form. One thing I know for sure: the very best healthcare arises whenever there is a strong Doctor-Patient relationship.
  3. Over time, doctors who provide a child’s entire healthcare, sick and well, get to know their patients better than the doctors who only sometimes see a child. Familiarity means my child’s doctor doesn’t forget the colicky phase or the picky eater phase when we’re struggling with something new. Seeing the same doctor again and again means someone is counting up all these ear infections and recommending tubes when it’s appropriate.
  4. I want a doctor who knows how to advocate for my child if a subspecialist is needed to listen to that heart murmur or to remove tonsils and adenoids. Concierge physicians know how to make the medical system work for their patients, and it can be a big, overwhelming medical system sometimes. I want my child’s doctor to tell me who the best specialist is . Same for school. If my child has a learning special ability, I want the pediatrician to weigh in at school recommending accommodations to benefit the whole child: mind, body and spirit.
  5. I want individualized care for my kids. That used to mean a care plan that considered my child’s unique needs, but it means much more than that now. Cutting edge technology uses genomics and genetic testing to tell which medicines will work best for my child. That’s individualized care in this modern era of healthcare, and I want that level of detailed knowledge along with the medicine that will work best for my child.
  6. I want to talk to my child’s doctor when I need something. I hate “press-1-press-2-and leave a message for the nurse.” I promise, I won’t abuse the privilege of calling and will always be respectful. We’re all busy, but too many folks consult Dr. Google when they can’t get to a human physician they trust.
  7. Give me lots of ways to communicate with the pediatrician in this day and age so I can choose the best one for me. Email and texting are tools I use every day, and I want to use them with the pediatrician’s office. In addition, and concierge pediatricians know that I get information and share ideas on Facebook and Twitter so they have a social media presence I respect.

I want my children to have the best , and I’m no different than any other parent. As a concierge pediatrician, I have the advantage that comes with being a ‘medical insider.’ I know and understand what top-tier medical care really looks like. If you are trying to decide about investing in your child’s health, I hope my story helps you to make that important decision when you choose your child’s pediatrician.

The DrDownload Blog

By Gayle Schrier Smith M.D. 30 Jan, 2024
It's not what you say... it's how you say it. But sometimes, it IS what you say, and knowing how the experts communicate with children, big and small can often help parents. The post What Mothers Say Matters To Our Kids appeared first on Partners in Pediatrics.
By Gayle Schrier Smith M.D. 01 Dec, 2023
With an organized roadmap to offer checkups and flu vaccines this fall, I’m proud to say that our practice vaccinated more than seventy five percent of the patients and the parents who come to us. It wasn’t an easy task, and there were some families who probably thought our email reminders were annoying. To you, […] The post Flu, Vaccines & Chicken Noodle Soup appeared first on Partners in Pediatrics.
By Gayle Schrier Smith M.D. 01 Dec, 2020
Five years later.  It’s official. Kids, I’ll no longer be asking you to take a teaspoon of medicine. I’m making the call to action for the pharmacists who prepare prescriptions for my patients to kick back any prescriptions if I forget to write in milliliters. The American Academy of Pediatrics came out with the wise advice (they […] The post How to Measure Medicine, Mary Poppins appeared first on Partners in Pediatrics.
By Gayle Smith 29 Nov, 2023
FDA Approves Goat's Milk Infant Formula & the AAP agrees it's an excellent option to nourish infants who are not breastfeeding.
By Gayle Schrier Smith M.D. 10 Jul, 2021
When we ordered a new electronic health record, we picked one build for kids in an effort to improve the quality of the care we provide. One of the things it prompts us to ask about is guns in the home. I’ve always been in the habit of asking about a child’s home setting to […] The post Guns? You Gotta Ask appeared first on Partners in Pediatrics.
By Gayle Schrier Smith M.D. 18 Dec, 2020
The first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Richmond this week.  I’m calling it a shot of hope, and I couldn’t be more hopeful and yes, excited to get my vaccine. As a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, I am always careful to say when I’m speaking on their behalf and when I’m […] The post A Shot of Hope appeared first on Partners in Pediatrics.
By Gayle Schrier Smith M.D. 10 Oct, 2020
This week, it’s about our Children’s Hospital… DID YOU KNOW?? Did you know that I have written about and wished for a real Children’s Hospital for Richmond for more than twenty years?  We could split hairs on the definition of a ‘real’ Children’s Hospital, but I’ll wager that you know one when you see one. […] The post Did You Know We Need A Real Children’s Hospital? appeared first on the original DrDownload blog at PartnersInPediatrics.info
By Gayle Schrier Smith M.D. 24 Sep, 2020
We call it Love and Liquids.  It’s what you do when your child is sick, and as the Fall unfolds, we’re pretty sure it’s going to be a very long winter of illness.  So let’s review the drill for how to get better. At first, you think it might be allergies, but really … you’re […] The post Get Better Faster With Love and Liquids appeared first on Partners in Pediatrics.
By Gayle Schrier Smith M.D. 08 Sep, 2020
I just finished reading an excellent blog post by Emily Oster written to help parents make decisions in CoronaVirus times.  She blogs at CovidExplained.org I’ve grown fond of saying that we are living through history, and in some ways, it softens the daily blows that come with actually having to do that.  This Coronavirus has […] The post Coronavirus Decision Making appeared first on Partners in Pediatrics.
By Gayle Schrier Smith M.D. 30 Jun, 2020
COVID-19 Testing. It’s a featured topic on 60 Minutes in late June, 2020 and their investigative journalism has some surprising discoveries about how the FDA allowed antibody tests of varied accuracy onto the market. “The wonderful, beautiful immunity.”  That’s how the President described antibody protection in folks who have recovered from COVID-19.  We know that […] The post COVID-19 Tests. We Must Proceed With Caution appeared first on Partners in Pediatrics.
More Posts
Share by: