Chestnut Hill Hospital Pediatricians

[Brooke]

I'm about ready to pop a baby in 5 weeks and I have been repeatedly told I need to find a pediatrician.

Chestnut Hill Hospital looks like a good place to start, especially since they're affiliated with where I'm delivering. Does anyone have any suggestions on pediatricians or practices there?

[stonefly]

We have a few friends that go to Kids First behind the Staples in Chestnut Hill at Mermaid Lane. They all have good things to say.

Please post a review if you go there.

ETA: Looks like the name may have changed: http://www.chop.edu/locations/primar...hill/home.html

[The Count]

We have a few friends that go to Kids First behind the Staples in Chestnut Hill at Mermaid Lane. They all have good things to say.

Please post a review if you go there.

ETA: Looks like the name may have changed: Pediatric & Adolescent Care, Chestnut Hill | The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Most of the young professionals I know in East Falls seem to send their kids to Kids First in Chestnut Hill and really like it.

[Brooke]

Thanks. I will give them a call. I don't know if I'm "young" since next month I'll be "advanced maternal age" but heck, I'll take her there anyway...ha.

[nola]

Not at Chestnut Hill Hospital (though they referred us there for some labwork), but if Mt. Airy Pediatrics (Germantown & Mt Pleasant) are accepting new patients, I highly recommend them. Dr. Cady is our regular ped, but we've seen Drs. Macolino & Tatar, as well as nurse practicioner Susan, and have always been satisfied.

Mt. Airy Parents' Network is another great resource for ped recs, general parenting info, and really all things NW Philly.

[Garret]

We take our little men to Kids First Chestnut Hill (or whatever it is called now) and love it there. We use Dr Fitzpatrick (or Patrick Fitzdoctor as our 3-year-old calls her) as our primary and she is really warm and great with the kids. Lots of our friends use Dr Mary Klein and love her, though all the docs there seem great. We have seen every doc, RN, and NP in the place at this stage and have no complaints.

I would definitely make an appt to meet with the doc you choose before the baby arrives. If nothing else, it gets you familiar with the parking, check-in procedures etc. of the office and you can get your insurance info on record so you don't have to be rifling through your wallet for that on your first checkup. The last thing you need is extra stress on your first visit when you have barely figured out how to unstrap the car-seat or which end of the baby the poop comes out.

[Mt. Airy Brewer]

We take our little men to Kids First Chestnut Hill (or whatever it is called now) and love it there. We use Dr Fitzpatrick (or Patrick Fitzdoctor as our 3-year-old calls her) as our primary and she is really warm and great with the kids. Lots of our friends use Dr Mary Klein and love her, though all the docs there seem great. We have seen every doc, RN, and NP in the place at this stage and have no complaints.

I would definitely make an appt to meet with the doc you choose before the baby arrives. If nothing else, it gets you familiar with the parking, check-in procedures etc. of the office and you can get your insurance info on record so you don't have to be rifling through your wallet for that on your first checkup. The last thing you need is extra stress on your first visit when you have barely figured out how to unstrap the car-seat or which end of the baby the poop comes out.

Use CHOP pediatricians above CVS. Dr. Kline is a great doctor and so are the other pediatricians we have seen from that office. Make sure you have a welcome visit with them before hand. It is a great opportunity to ask any questions about the doctors and the practice.

[Mt. Airy Brewer]

I'm about ready to pop a baby in 5 weeks and I have been repeatedly told I need to find a pediatrician.

Chestnut Hill Hospital looks like a good place to start, especially since they're affiliated with where I'm delivering. Does anyone have any suggestions on pediatricians or practices there?

The reason they tell you that you need to have a pediatrician is because your pediatrician has to see the baby and check it's health before you can leave the hospital.

[Brooke]

Ah...question: how long does your insurance cover your infant? Like, do I have to get a policy for her the day she is born....or is there a grace period where she is covered under mine? I have Keystone HMO....and as I type this I realize I should be asking the insurance co....

[Garret]

I think it is 30 days IIRC that your insurance automatically covers the baby before she needs to be added to the insurance.

Also, Kids First Chestnut Hill, and CHOP Pediatric Care Chestnut Hill are the same place. The one upstairs from the CVS on Germantown Ave / Mermaid Ln, in case our posts were getting confusing.

[Reds]

Ah...question: how long does your insurance cover your infant? Like, do I have to get a policy for her the day she is born....or is there a grace period where she is covered under mine? I have Keystone HMO....and as I type this I realize I should be asking the insurance co....

If you plan to add the baby to your policy, you have 30 days from the date of her birth to add her and her coverage will be retroactive to birth.

[horned_ostrich]

Echo the kudos for Kids First Chestnut Hill. Fitzpatrick is our primary pediatrician, but we've seen most of the docs there and have had positive experiences with them all.

[NWPhillyRealtor]

Another thumbs up for Dr Fitzpatrick and Kids First.

[Brooke]

Thanks guys. Looks like it will be CHOP/Kids First and thanks for the heads up about insurance.

[Tocchet]

The reason they tell you that you need to have a pediatrician is because your pediatrician has to see the baby and check it's health before you can leave the hospital.

That's not exactly true - your specific pediatrician does not have to be the pediatrician who checks out your baby at the hospital - you can also have the hospital's on-call pediatrician do the check if your particular pediatrician does not have privileges at your delivering hospital.

We use Dr. Ingersoll at CHOP/Kids First Chestnut Hill and really like her.

Oh, and make sure you double-check all the insurance paperwork you receive. My wife had to scour hers because she was finding all kinds of billing error/coding mistakes, including one saying that she had surgery requiring anestesia (sp) at 39 weeks.

[Brooke]

Will do, thanks. Calling CHOP tomorrow to get an "interview appointment" set up...If only finding drop-in daycare was this easy!!

[Mt. Airy Brewer]

That's not exactly true - your specific pediatrician does not have to be the pediatrician who checks out your baby at the hospital - you can also have the hospital's on-call pediatrician do the check if your particular pediatrician does not have privileges at your delivering hospital.

We use Dr. Ingersoll at CHOP/Kids First Chestnut Hill and really like her.

Oh, and make sure you double-check all the insurance paperwork you receive. My wife had to scour hers because she was finding all kinds of billing error/coding mistakes, including one saying that she had surgery requiring anestesia (sp) at 39 weeks.

You are right but who wants to look for a pediatrician the day you leave the hospital and try to find one that will fit you in for a 2 day old appointment? CHOP is booked solid. We had to schedule appointments 6 months out.

[Brooke]

Just to follow up: I met with Dr. Klein a few weeks ago at Kids First at CHOP in Chestnut Hill and was really impressed. All the staff was really caring and considerate. The woman I booked the appointment with seemed to be really concerned that I was matched with a physician I'd like and she ended up being right.

Dr. Klein just returned from maternity leave from having her 3rd child, lives in Germantown with her family and seems to call it like she sees it. It's definitely a good fit. Parking in the lot seems really easy and it's a very large facility but Dr. Klein assured me that 80% of the time, it's her seeing her patients and not some other doctor. From the sounds of the reviews here though, seeing a different doc there wouldn't be so traumatic!

Thanks all for the reviews.

[justdey]

I'm glad you connected with Dr. Kline. She is our pediatrician and while we've only seen her once since moving to the area, we really like her alot. She's very friendly. Her oldest also goes to the same school as my kids.