Kaiser Oakland Pediatricians
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Kaiser Oakland Pediatricians
Pediatricians reviewed on this page: Linda Armstrong, David Bacchus, Dr. Bradman, Thomas Carlson, Siew Chan-Warner, Leo Cheng, Elizabeth Culler,
Roberta Cunningham, Sylvia Delius-Maxwell, Robert Dorsett,
Dr. Duran, Arlene Fischoff, Dr. Garcia, Dr. Gentemann,
Elizabeth Gray, Daniel Junge, Chesney Kennedy,
Sheila Mackell, Donald Mangravite,
Susan Minger, Swati Mukerji, Dr. Phu
Katrina Saba, Noah Simons, Mary Spiller, Shirley Tang,
Meera Tatapudy, Ann Tipton,
Dr. Tsai, Gail Udkow, Tim Yaeger
Nurse Practitioners reviewed on this page:
Colleen Shipler, Caskey Weston
More Advice about Kaiser Pediatrics
Feb 2008
We are soon to deliver our first child and are in the process of looking
for a pediatrician at Kaiser Oakland. Does anyone have any
recommendations? I looked at some on the website, but they are a few
years old and was wondering if anyone had more recent experiences.
Thanks in advance!
Janelle
Hi,
We have the wonderful Dr. Fischoff as our primary pediatrician
at Kaiser Oakland; she's the one that sees our son for all his
well baby checkups. When she didn't have a ''same day''
appointment available, the way their practice works, one of
the other pediatricians will see him. ALL of the doctors
there have been great. Because all their records are
computerized, any of the Doctors can see him and know his
history. Between all the normal colds, fevers, ear infections,
weird looking rashes, and first time Mummy concerns, I think
we've seen every one of the pediatricians at least once and
we have been pleased with every one of them. If you have
language concerns, many of the doctors are multi-lingual, so
you can ask the appointment clerk for assistance.
By the way, the pediatrics building at Kaiser Oakland is valet
parking only, which is truly wonderful while managing car
seats, strollers etc.
Davey's Mummy
Oct 2007
Re: Kaiser PCP, OBGYN & Ped. recommendations
David Bacchus at Kaiser Oakland Pediatrics is one of the best clinicians I
have met. He is experienced and thus has excellent clinical judgement. I
appreciate his watch and wait approach and his willingness to dialouge about
our desire to wait on vaccines. My son was born at home and Dr Bacchus
discovered a very subtle but significant birth defect the first time he
examined him. We have always gotten same day appointments with him during
illness so I think he is taking new patients. Satisfied customer
Oct 2007
Does anyone have recent experience with pediatrician Dr. Bacchus at Kaiser
Oakland? I need to choose a pediatrician for my soon-to-be-born baby.
Older BPN posts recommend him highly but I'm curious about recent
experiences with him, particularly with newborns (and neurotic parents).
Thanks!
Ashley
My primary pediatrician is Dr. Gail Udkow at Oakland Kaiser, but when she is
busy I ALWAYS request Dr. Bacchus. He is a wonderful doctor, he listens to
parents, spends extra time if neccessary and I never feel rushed. My
children love him. I would not hesitate to choose him as your pediatrician.
Happy with Oak Kaiser!
We love Dr. Bacchus, but mostly because he is very low-drama and it fits in
with our parenting philosophy quite well. I know other families who also
use him, but sometimes feel like they want something more/different, just
because he's not really going to give you much more than an ''uh huh'' about
typical parenting laments (like ''my baby's not sleeping''). However, we
also use Kaiser for our traditional, western medical needs (vaccinations,
antibiotics as appropriate, well-baby check ups) and we look elsewhere for
truly customized advice and services (out of pocket).
He's cut and dry, but definitely takes time to answer your questions well,
follows up within 24 hours himself, and has done a great job following up on
some details with my son's medical history. My son, who doesn't much care
for others handling him, sometimes even cracks a smile for him, which is
huge. We're happy with Dr. Bacchus (and Kaiser in general).
Bacchus fan
I really would recommend against Dr. Bacchus if you are a
higher needs mom. We had Dr. Bacchus as our son's pediatrician for nearly a
year, but recently switched to a different doctor.
I chose him because people on BPN recommended him, but I found him to be
terse almost to the point of rudeness. He seems to have very little
patience for mom-anxiety. I don't feel that I was all that demanding, but
as a first time mom I probably did ask questions that a more experienced
parent would not. Overall I found his answers to be unhelpful or anxiety
producing. He also does not seem to be very sensitive to the attachment
oriented style of parenting. His attitude towards our son's frequent night
nursing was to just cold turkey stop feeding him.
I could really go on and on with the
stories, but after about 10 months of feeling irritated and not satisfied an
especially terse and unhelpful e-mail just sent me over the edge and I
switched pediatricians. Now we have Dr. Gentemann. We have only seen her
once, but she seems like such a better match for a first time or anxious
parent. She was so nice and reassuring and when I totally freaked out about
my son's labwork she called me at home that same day to explain what it all
meant. My overall advice to you is trust your gut. I know people on BPN
have loved Dr. Bacchus and there is a woman in my mom's group who is a fan
also, but I didn't feel Dr. Bacchus was a match for me almost from day one,
but I stuck with it way longer than I should have. Good luck in your
search!!
Anonymous
I have been bringing my son to Dr Bacchus since birth and he is now 5 months
old. Dr. Bacchus has been thorough and listens to all my questions (I bring
lists!). He responded to my email quickly and didn't tell me I was crazy for
bringing my son in on a Saturday when he was a week old to look at his
umbilical cord, which was fine. He instead took the time to explain to me
what was normal for a healing umbilical cord. He's very much by-the-book and
doesn't do too much cooing over my son. I know that shouldn't matter but I
want my pediatrician to think my son is as cute and playful as I do. Hope
that helps.
Diana
I have 2 kids who have both seen Dr. Bacchus since they were newborns and we
love him. I am a super neurotic mom and any little rash, weird looking
bump, or strange looking poop and I call the Dr. He has never made me
feel dumb about any question I asked and is very reassuring and calm. He is
also very prompt about calling or emailing me back whenever I contact him
without going into his office. Not only do I like him but he has made my
kids feel totally comfortable with him. I highly recommend him.
kids excited to go to Dr.
Hi,
I saw your post and wanted to give you my beaming report about Dr. Bacchus.
I recently referred an friend to him and she, too, is really happy.
I have taken my son to Dr. Bacchus since he was born and have only positive
things to say. He is very gentle and spends a good amount of time talking
to both baby and parent(s). He is respectful and non-alarmist which is
especially great if you are a first-time mom. my son was born with a rare
eye disorder which Dr. Bacchus saw and we were able to get treatment. He is
also very respectful around immunizations, i.e. he gives you the information
(and his opinion if you ask for it) and is non-judgemental. I must add that
I have decided to fully immunize (with one exception), so I don't know how
he would respond if one opted out of shots all together.
Good luck!
Anon.
Welcome to the world of neurosis, oh, I mean parenting. Okay, my daughter is
nearly 8. Her doctor is Fischhoff. However, as you know from being a Kaiser
patient you see whatever doctor is in when you have the flu, etc. Because of
everything from a growth (actually, a wart, yes, I am neurotic also), to
severe colds, flu, ear infections and a bladder infection, we have had an
opportunity to ''try out'' many Kaiser pediatricians. While only two in 8
years have been worthy of ''I'd rather take my kid to Hayward rather than
have Dr. ****'' I have to say, on the whole they are mostly great.
Here is my list in order of the doctors I prefer when Fischhoff is not
available: Bacchus, Tatapudy, and Garcia. I get one of them almost every
time – they are all great. Sensitive to parents and child, know their
diagnosis, know when a medication isn’t working and actually make eye
contact and talk to each baby / child. In the case of infants, all of these
doctors allow you to hold your baby on routine visits and the great thing
about Kaiser doctors is that the injection clinic gives shots not the
doctor. Your child never learns to associate pain with their doctor, they
learn to associate being taken care of and healing with their doctor.
Kaiser Pediatric Fan
Dr. Bacchus is currently our physician. We've had him since my son was 3 and
my daughter was born. They are now 7 and 4. I have been happy with him. He
is very gentle and laid back about things, and he has been very responsive
when needed.
happy patient
Dr. Bacchus has been our pediatrician for 5 years and we've been really
happy with him. He's great with my girls, very respectful and engaged. He's
thorough and straight forward but not pushy and I trust him. I've had my
neurotic moments too - he handles it well. He's friendly and normal and I'm
suprised he's got openings.
Jill
Sept 2007
Our Oakland Kaiser pediatrician whom we loved has moved on, so we are looking for
recommendations. We'd like someone who is open to a slower vaccine schedule, and to
co-sleeping. We chose someone from the older BPN posts who was fine,
but perhaps not the best fit. Any other suggestions appreciated.
I have a 3 week old and got assigned to Dr. Phu simply because he was available. I
am thrilled with him. He assumed we were co-sleeping and didn't bat an eye when I
told him we were going to wait for a year before considering any vaccinations. He
is gentle with my baby and talks to him as he works. He provides more information
about what NOT to worry about than things to worry about, so I always leave
feeling relaxed and listened to.
Lyssa
I just had a baby 2 months ago and we are working with Dr. Mary Spiller at Kaiser
Oakland. She is terrific.. takes all the time you need to discuss questions and
concerns. For example, when I voiced some concerns about vaccinations, she ranked
them in terms of priority for me and told me why each was in that spot in the
ranking. Pretty impressive for someone who works for an HMO, in my opinion.
Audrey
We just love Dr. David Bacchus at Oakland Kaiser. He is very progressive and is
wonderful with our little boy -- he's seen him since birth and my son is now 2.
Dr. Bacchus supported my decision to space out junior's vaccinations, and he
supported our decision to cosleep -- though I have to laugh, because when I
complained to him that cosleeping was leaving ME sleepless he did roll his eyes a
bit!
Still I think he's great.
Lisa in Oakland
June 2007
Hi - I am due with my first child in July and would love recommendations for
a great Kaiser-Oakland pediatrician.
Thanks!
Audrey
I would recommend Dr. David Bachus at Kaiser Oakland. Our boys have been going to Dr.
Bacchus for over 8 years (since they were very young). He treats them kindly and
respectfully, and they feel comfortable and relaxed with him. Donna
March 2007
We recently moved to the Bay Area, and we need to find a new pediatrician for our son and a
good family practitioner for us. We are flexible on location, but Kaiser Pleasanton or
Oakland would be most convenient. It is especially important for us to find a pediatrician
who is a good listener and who doesn't make parents feel rushed during visits. Thanks!
Rebecca
when we were with kaiser, we saw Dr. Elizabeth Culler.
http://www.permanente.net/homepage/kaiser/pages/c5795-top.html
she was patient and easygoing, didn't try to tell us how to
parent (no intrusive questions re: sleeping situations, etc.),
and did not push the issue of vaccinations when we declined them.
she was helpful and available by phone to discuss issues related
to the health risks of traveling to india when we needed that. as
i recall she's pretty strictly allopathic in her approach, so if
you want info on other approaches to healthcare, i'm not sure she
would be a useful resource. (this is as of 3 years ago... people
change)
signed: too ''crunchy'' for kaiser, now.
Our 2 year old daughter has seen Dr. Saba at Kaiser Oakland since
she was an infant (we hopped between several docs during those
first few months before we settled on Dr. Saba). We love her -
she's been very thorough, patient, and available to us. My
husband and I have very different communication styles and she's
been able to speak to us both on a level that we are very happy
with. When we've had doubts about vaccinations (or other issues)
she's been very thorough and not at all pushy in explaining why
she recommends a certain course of action. In between visits I've
emailed her several times and she always gets right back to me.
All that said, as far as I can tell all of the pediatricians at
Oakland are great - it would just be a matter of finding one you
and your children get along with. And, of course, deciding if the
Oakland campus setup is manageable for you. Oh, and sorry to say
I don't have a GP recommendation. Neither me nor my husband see
our GPs often enough to feel strongly either way about them.
Good luck and welcome!
happy Oakland Kaiser mom
March 2007
Hi, I'm new to Kaiser and really need to find a good doctor (can
be a pediatrician or a family practicioner) for my 1 year old
daughter. Since I have delayed a handful of her vaccinations,
getting into the room with someone who say, doesn't agree with
this at all and vehemenently opposes it, would be a downer for
me. I'd like recommendations on Dr.s who are open, kind, patient,
give plenty of time to the appt., and who also consider
alternative care options....Any suggestions/rec's for either
facility. Thanks in advance!
New Kaiser Mama
I really like my daughter's pediatrician at Kaiser Oakland. Her name is Dr. (Chesney)
Kennedy. My daughter has been very healthy so my experience has been limited to well baby
checks. My daughter has had all her vaccines so not sure what kind of vibe you might get
from Dr. Kennedy as far as delaying vaccines but I would check her out.
Jennifer
I can highly recommend Dr. Donald Mangravite (pronounced ''man-gra-vee-tee'') at Kaiser
Oakland. My son is only 5-months-old, but Dr. Mangravite has seen him since birth and we've
been in more times than with a normal infant for various reasons (circumcision inspection,
colic, head injury, etc.). Dr. Mangravite is very experienced, warm, caring, funny, and
makes himself available through email (which you can sign up for on Kaiser's website). I
absolutely love him and am extremely pleased with the care he has given my son.
katie_b
Also recommended: Richmond Kaiser pediatricians
November 2006
I would like to hear any positive/negative experiences with Kaiser's Richmond or
Oakland pediatric services, mainly regarding appointment availability in ''urgent''
cases. Can you get an appoinment for the same day if needed? We've not chosen our
doctor yet, neither are not sure whether to take Kaiser or United Health Care, so I'd
be happy to hear recommendations on any other pediatric services in/near Berkeley
MM
We joined Oakland Kaiser for the first time about a year and a half ago. I'm never
switching to another provider again if I can help it; I really, really like Kaiser. Yes,
you can get same day appointments for urgent care, even on Saturday and Sundays (although
not necessarily with your primary pediatrcian). Their hours are great and you can call any
time/day for advice and appointments. In my experience it's such an easier system to work
with, especially if you need to see specialists, get a prescription filled, get blood
drawn, etc. It's all in house so you don't have to deal with paper work if referred to a
specialist, your doctor takes care of everything via the computer. To see a specialist with
our old health plan I was constantly having to pick up paper work, call different offices
to see if paper work got through, etc. My first experience at Kaiser was for my annual well
women check up. My gyno noticed some excema and asked if I'd like to see a dermatologist. I
said yes, she rolled over to the computer and said ''There's an appointment available in 10
minutes across the street, could you make that?'' With our old plan I would've waited a
week for the paper work to go through.
Your doctor can also just send any prescriptions via computer to the pharmacy which is
usually in the same building. I also find that I'm paying less at Kaiser for prescriptions
than with our old health plans. I also like their preventative approach to medicine, and
the Oakland facility (the only one I know) has a Health Education Center where you can
purchase things like yoga mats, books, and check out videos or books on various health
related subjects.
Another great thing is that in the pediatrics building, there is a pediatric pharmacy and
injection clinic. So when my son has needed blood drawn or shots, we just take the elevator
down a couple of floors and we're good to go, versus having to get in the car and go to
some place like Quest Labs where they might not be as experienced working with little
children. anon
Kaiser Oakland's pediatric department is WONDERFUL. Our pediatrician is Daniel Junge and
he is just amazing and incredibly thorough. I have a toddler who was diagnosed with a rare
medical condition and both Dr. Junge and my son's pediatric hematologist/oncologist are
helpful, responsive, and quick to help me out if I have questions or if I've had
difficulties with places like the ER. I developed a fantastic relationship with our pedi
hem/onc nurse and I know I can call him whenever I have concerns about my son and he also
calls me regularly to check in after my son's had a bout of illness.
I started off in Walnut Creek, only because I ended up giving birth there because Oakland
was full and they wanted to see us at the Walnut Creek facility for the first week of my
son's life. There, I waited with my jaundiced preemie FOREVER for lab results and for the
doctors who were nowhere to be found. Seriously. I was there for HOURS. And I thought that
because the facility looked so much nicer and perhaps because WC is less densely populated,
that I would have better care. Nope. When at Oakland, I never wait more than 10 minutes for
my appointment. I have been able to get urgent care on the same day whenever I need it and
my pediatrician is always notified when my son has had what I will just call a ''medical
episode.'' Once he is notified, he always makes sure we have a follow up visit the very
next day. Since we have to work with several doctors, it would be easy for my son's care to
get nightmarishly confusing . However, they really work well as a team, coordinate his care
and are ALWAYS up to date with each other. My friend, whose son has Cerebral Palsy, and who
also goes to Kaiser (and has Dr. Junge), is also impressed by their care. She often makes
her appointments back to back, so she books her check ups right after her son's physical
therapy appointments. Even though these appointments are back to back, she has come into
Dr. Junge's office and he will already have read the PT's notes and is prepared to discuss
any concerns. Kaiser often gets a bad rap but I can say that I have been more than
impressed with Kaiser Oakland and with my pediatrician--so much so that I never want to
move! I'm so glad I chose them instead of a ppo. Oh. The only ''negative'' I would have to
add is that sometimes the injection clinic and pharmacy get a little full and the wait can
be annoying. But you can plan around that if you are organized. If you plan your
vaccinations such that you get there right at the beginning of the day or right after they
open from lunch, you're fine. As for the pharmacy, if you have a routine prescription that
can be mailed to you, they will do that free of charge. It's great. happy mama
Dr. Bacchus is my son's pediatrician at Oakland Kaiser. We've been very pleased with his
services. I've called the advice nurses several times and have gotten good information
from them. I've been able to get same day urgent appointments the two times my son needed
to be seen immediately (not with his own pediatrician, but with two other very competent
doctors). I don't have any complaints. anon
We've been happy with Kaiser Oakland pediatrics, and because it
is such a big facility/staff there is usually no problem getting
a same day appointment with a doctor (usually not with your
primary pediatrician, of course). happy to be a Kaiser member
Our 22 month old son has seen Dr. Cunningham at Kaiser Oakland his entire life! we have
been very happy with her, and she is very responsive on email as well.
As for emergencies, we have been to the ER three times (for breathing/asthma), and all
three times they have seen us right away. (I assume all infants go right in). We were very
satisfied with the treatments. For urgent care, we have always been able to get in same
day, even once in Kaiser Roseville when we were travelling. We don't always get Dr.
Cunningham, but the other doctors we've seen have all been fine. In addition, the asthma
nurse has called us directly a couple times to follow up on how things are going (good so
far)
Bryan
See More responses to this question
August 2006
We're new to Kaiser Oakland and only 10 pediatricians are
accepting new patients. Any comments on any of the following?
We have a 5-mo. old daughter. A doc that listens well and
doesn't feel threatened by Qs is most desired! Thanks. Dr.
Bolden, Dr. Shaunda Johnson, Dr. Fan, Dr. Mangravit and Dr. Ubkow
I recommend Katrina Saba, MD. She cared for both of my sons until it became more practical
for us to start using Kaiser Richmond. I found her to be thoughtful and caring during both
routine and distressing visits (my first son and I were in a car accident when he was a
baby) and respectful when I decided to veer from the Kaiser schedule for vaccinations
anon
I had Dr. Udkow for both of my daughters but didn't end up feeling comfortable with her and
found a new doctor. She was very pro-vaccein and seemed impatient with my questions about
them. She also did not seem updated on breast feeding and how a breast feeding baby's sleep
patterns may be different then a bottle fed baby. I ended up leaving my appointments and
calling the lactation consultants for help. I asked the lactation consultant for doctor
recommendations and switched. With my older daughter that has scoliosis and was experiencing
pain. Dr Udkow dismissed her feelings and told her that scoliosis doesn't cause pain - end
of story
anonymous
We have gone to Kaiser Oakland pediatrics for 7 years and are very
satisfied with the
pediatricians our children have seen. We were assigned to pediatricians
randomly
and we're very happy with our pediatricians. They work in groups so if
your child is
sick you may see another doctor in the group and we liked everyone of the
pediatricians in our group. They all are good communicators and have
great bedside
manner.
You can e-mail your doctor at Kaiser so you can easily ask questions. My
husband
e-mailed his doctor on Saturday and got a response in a few minutes; we
could not
believe it. The doctors care about practicing medicine first and do not
have to be
distracted by running a business. They are all board certified.
j3
Nov 2004
I'm going to have my first child in a little over a month and
was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for
pediatricians at Oakland-Kaiser?
Would appreciate any feedback--good or bad. I believe they
assign you to someone at Labor and Delivery, but I'd like to
be able to do some background research so that I can
choose.
Thanks so much for any feedback.
sue
Recommendations received:
Linda Armstrong
David Bacchus (2)
Leo Cheng
Elizabeth Gray
Katrina Saba
Noah Simons
May 2004
I just found out yesterday that my work is switching heath
insurance from Blue Shield to Kaiser - in 3 days (!!!).
Can anyone recommend a pediatrician at Kaiser Oakland whom they
absolutely love??? We are looking for someone who is not going
to push antibiotics all the time (although appropriate
antibiotics are fine), who is open to alternative care, and is
willing to spend some time with us and get to know us. I am
also still breastfeeding, and would like someone who will
appreciate and back up our decision to let our son wean himself
when he's ready. And I very much appreciate doctors who can
schedule a same-day appointment when necessary, and who respond
fairly quickly to a phone call. We have such a great
pediatrician now that I am almost in tears at not being able to
continue with her.
I saw a couple of recommendations on the website but wanted
some more input, specifically docs that are easy to reach
and/or see quickly, since most recommendations on the site say
that the doc can be hard to access.
Jen
Recommendations received:
Thomas Carlson (2)
Roberta Cunningham
Daniel Junge
More advice:
I go to Oakland Kaiser and have to say that the entire
ob-gyn/peds department has been WONDERFUL! I know, it's a shock
given Kaiser's reputation (and many of my own experiences prior
to my baby); my son is 8 months old now and I've found everyone
from prenatal to postnatal to be quite amazing. Our
pediatrician's name is Rebecca Eakins, but I need to tell you
that I've seen just about everyone there. My little guy got a
few bad colds after beginning daycare so I was in and out and
would make appointments with whoever was available. Everyone
appears to communicate and listen well. I think you'll be
surprised at the great service (I know I was).
Abby
June 2003
Our beloved Kaiser Pediatrician is no longer doing clinical
work. Any RECENT recommendations for an excellent
Kaiser (Oakland) pediatrician?
Laurie
Recommendations received:
David Bacchus
Roberta Cunningham
Ann Tipton
Re: Pediatrician for my first child Nov 2004
Dr. Linda Armstrong has all of our support since the birth of
our daughter seven months ago. She has been helpful in
answering all of my questions, I arrive with lists of them.She
has called the following day after my daughter recives her
shots to see how she is feeling. She is very much into
explaining everything that is going on with your child and
listens to your feedback and responses. She is also great with
children and babies, and has a very caring aura about her. We
had no idea who to choose at the hospital, but we feel lucky
that Dr. Armstrong was assigned to us.
kristie
David Bacchus
Re: Pediatrician for my first child Nov 2004
Love Dr. Bacchus. He is never hurried. Will answer all your new mother concerns
thoroughly.
Dr. Bacchus Fan
Re: Pediatrician for my first child Nov 2004
David Bacchus, MD, at Kaiser Oakland has been our sons'
pediatrican for the last 5 years. My husband and I are very
pleased with him. He takes the time to thoroughly discuss the
situation and answer any questions. My one son had a rather
uncommon problem and he nailed it right away.
Donna
Re: Seeking excellent pediatrician
We love our Pediatrician Dr. David Bacchus. He sees both
my boys and spends time getting to know them. He has a
great disposition. He's conservative with administering
meds and/or antibiotics for every little thing, which is one of
the biggest reasons we see him for health care. Give him a
try, I think you'll really like him!
Amy (june 2003)
dr. baccus is fabulous. listens, is patient, and explains
options. believes in vaccines but is open to waiting and
choosing.
Jen (March 2003)
We have been very happy with Dr. Siew Chan-Warner, and, when our son got
old enough to want a male doctor, Dr. Bacchus. Both of these are warm,
friendly, respectful people who don't make me feel rushed or ignored.
They return phone calls amazingly fast. However, our kids have been
exceedingly healthy (we know we're lucky) so we don't have any experience
with them in difficult circumstances. But we have a lot of confidence that
they can handle the Kaiser system and advocate well for their patients.
Avi (2002)
I'd like to recommend Dr. David Bucchas at Kaiser Oakland. He has one or two kids of his
own, listens well, and has good suggestions. On note, I've found that the medical assistants
seem hurried at times, but the registration clerks have always been friendly. There have been
times when my child has seen other pediatricians in the group, when Dr. Bacchus was not a
vailable, and I've liked them all. For my money one of the best things about Kaiser Oakand
is that they have Saturday and Sunday appointments. On more than one occasion I've called
Sat or Sun for more minor situations that *could* have waited until Monday and I've been able
to come right in to the office and see a doctor on that weekend day with no long waits. They also
have pharmacy, lab & xray right there on site.
Dr. Bradman
We are also new to Kaiser. My 16 year-old daughter just saw Dr. Bradman
(female) who is listed as a "pediatric/teen doctor" at Oakland's Kaiser. We
both liked her a lot. (Nov 2001)
Re: Can you recommend a pediatrician you absolutely love? (May 2004)
Dr. Carlson has been our daughter's pediatrician for a year, and
we love him. He is kind, gentle, open to evidence based
alternative medicine, a supporter of attachment parenting, and
spends much more time with us than I thought was possible at
Kaiser. Our daughter was sick last week, and we were able to get
a same day appointment, although I don't think this is always
possible at Kaiser. He calls us to follow up on lab work, and
has always answered our questions thoughtfully and sensitively.
We feel extremely fortunate.
Sarah
Re: Can you recommend a pediatrician you absolutely love? (May 2004)
I LOVE our pediatrician at Kaiser, his name is Dr. Thomas
Carlson. He would most definitely be supportive in the
specific areas you mentioned: nursing, and he is is no way an
antibiotics pusher. Dr. Carlson has always been extremely
friendly, and he's a good listener. I've never felt like he's
rushing us out, and he takes time to answer all of our
questions. I really think he's great, and I know several other
parents who use him as thier primary pediatrician, and they are
just as happy. He also just seems to really love amd enjoy
kids. I like the way he talks to our baby (who, by the way, is
now 10 mos. old and has been seeing Dr. carlson since he was 2
days old.).
Re: Pediatrician for child with food allergey (Sept 2003)
No pediatrician recommendation unless you've got Kaiser (then
Thomas Carlson is GREAT!), but wanted to share that my son's
exczema cleared up when Dr. Carlson suggested that I stop eating
meat and dairy because of the antibiotics and hormones - his
skin was clear within a week! (at 6 months, so eating only
breastmilk) Since then, he's had flare-ups the few times I ate
meat, so I'm trying to be really diligent. No problems with
organic milk/cheese/yogurt, or eggs with no antibiotics/hormones
so far. You might want to try it? Good luck!
amy
I highly recommend Dr. Thomas Carlson. He is my son's
pediatrician, and we are VERY happy with him. He asks relevant
questions (doesn't just read to you from the standard form that
you'll be filling out each visit) and is genuinely interested in
your answers.
He is also a father of a young daughter, so you feel as if he's
going through it all with you, and also interested in child
development at each stage.
He's great. Sweet and genuine, and clinically competent. Good
luck deciding!
Kaiser mom (March 2003)
Siew Chan-Warner
Re: Kaiser pediatrician for a Preemie (April 2002)
We've been very happy with Kaiser Oakland pediatricians Dr.
Siuw Chan-Warner (sometimes goes by just Dr. Chan) and Dr.
Baccus. We switched to Dr. Baccus when our son became shy
about a female doctor, but he still likes Dr. Chan. Our
kids weren't preemies, and we haven't had any serious
illnesses, but for routine care, these doctors have been
great. They listen, they take time, they are very
responsive. In this day and age, it's such a relief to have
good pediatricians.
Avi
Re: Pediatrician for my first child Nov 2004
I recommend Dr Leo Cheng. He was so amazingly gentle and kind
with my daughter when she was tiny. He snapped her onsie back
up! I know this might seem subjective, but he really seemed to
care about my child. And he is a great technical doctor, of
course. Good luck with your new baby.
Annie
My daughter (2 and a half) has had Dr. Elizabeth Culler as a
pediatrician, and we've been very happy with her. She is young and
very nice, reassuring in manner. She seemed quite knowledgeable.
Fortunately, we've not had health problems to deal with, just well-baby
checkups, so I can't comment on how she would be for a major health
problem.
Mimi (March 2003)
Roberta Cunningham
Re: Can you recommend a pediatrician you absolutely love? (May 2004)
I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the pediatricians at
Kaiser. We had Dr. Roberta Cunningham who seemed great - took a
lot of time, was open to a more no-drug approach etc. When she
was on maternity leave, even her temporary replacement seemed
great.
mom
Re: Open-minded about not vaccinating
I just recommended Roberta Cunningham to someone else looking for
a Kaiser Oakland Ped. She's very low-key with regard to
vaccinations. She highly recommends them but went along with our
plan to get them slowly, one at a time, and some not at all.
Best of luck. (June 2003)
Re: Seeking excellent pediatrician
We love Dr. Roberta Cunningham. She's got 3 or 4 children of
her own and a really natural way with our son - now 2 1/2. She's
also low pressure with regards to vaccines. She does recommend
them but is fine with a slowed-down schedule for them.
Happy Kaiser Mom (June 2003)
We go to Roberta Cunningham. I really like her. She listens
well and has good advice. I have left messages for her and she
calls me back. She seems to be very up-to-date on what is
happening in pediatrics.
One time we saw Meera Tatapudy, she was very kind and gentle.
Joan (March 2003)
For most of the last 9 years, we have had Roberta Cunningham as
our pediatrician. I like her very much. She always spends a lot
of time with my children and is has always answered all my
questions very satisfactorily. At 18 months, my now 5 year old
had a heart mummur, which is fairly common in young babies but
Dr. Cunningham recommended that she be seen by a cardiologist
anyway. It turns out that my daughter has a minor heart defect.
I am very grateful to Dr. Cunningham, particularly as several
pediatricians at Kaiser Walnut Creek (where we then living) had
not taken the heart mummur seriously.
Dr Cunningham has 3 young children, as do I, so she understands
how hectic life can be! She is very nice, but a little shy, so
if you are looking for an outgoing ''touchy-feely'' doctor, you
might want to pick someone else.
(March 2003)
our regular pediatrician is dr. cunningham who we like very
much. she has kids of her own and our kids are not afraid of
her. the others that we have seen on other occasions that i
would recommend are drs. junge and tatapudy. they were very
thorough and competent.
suzie
(March 2003)
I can't say enough good things about Dr. Roberta Cunningham. She has cared wonderfully for my
2-1/2-year-old twins since they were two days old. She has one or two children herself, so her
advice is peppered with personal experience, which is always valuable. She's very easy-going,
and equally comfortable with boys and girls (I have one of each). She is very knowledgeable but
not insistent that you take her advice on everything, and she's good at getting back to you when
you need to reach her by phone. As is typical at Kaiser, she is not always available for a same-day
appointment, but she is backed by some very wonderful pediatricians with whom we have also been
very happy. As a side note, Dr. Cunningham (who was the pediatrician on call when our twins were
born) was not the doctor to whom our children were assigned for their first appointment, but it was
easy to request a change. I think Kaiser Oakland typically assigns newborns to
doctors-in-training (interns?), some of whom are great and some of whom are a bit wet behind the
ears.
Mary (2001)
Sylvia Delius-Maxwell
I had a bad experience with Dr. Delius (discouraged me from
breastfeeding my son while ill) but a friend takes her son to
Dr. Delius, and loves her. And this friend breastfed her son till 4.
I love Kaiser; we've had great experience with them!
Jennie (March 2003)
Sept 2001
She was just recommended to us, and I checked ucbparentsnet website to see
if anyone else had something to say about her. Nothing there. Anyone else
have experience with her they'd like to share with me? Thanks in advance!
Madeleine
I have two sons who are seen by Dr. Delius-Maxwell and she is very capable,
friendly and a great listener. Be prepared to wait a little when you see
her for your appointments but it just shows that she takes some time with
all her patients. I have been through three pediatric doctors at Kaiser
and she is a keeper.
Carolyn
We had to see her once with our infant daughter when our regular
pediatrician was not available.
Our daughter had a slight topical infection, and she recommended
systemic antibiotics. When we asked her about the possible dangers or
long-term effects of giving antibiotics to such a young baby and about
whether there were other alternatives we could try first, she dismissed
our questions as invalid and told us that if we didn't follow her advice
that we risked having her get deathly ill and end up in the hospital. We
felt bullied. I suppose some people would think she had good advice. It
turned out that our daughter healed well with topical antibiotics. Jane
Re: Pediatrician for child with food allergey (Sept 2003)
After a run around we ended up with Dr. Duran at Oakland
Kaiser. He is a sub-specialist in Pediatrics and
Gastroentronology. Our son has had food allergies since he was
six weeks old and we are going through the painful process of
trying foods in an isolated way for a full week. Allergy
testing and shorter trials are not good we found from the Dr.
If you are kaiser I recommend seeing Dr. Duran. The allergist
was a big waste of time for us.
Arlene Fischoff
Arlene Fischoff. We recently switched to her on the recommendation of
friends after our pediatrician moved to the other side of the bay, and have
been very happy with the care she has given us (son 26 mo, daughter 5 mo.).
The only drawback is that she does not work a 5-day work week, so it is
more difficult to see her on extremely short notice.
Bob (10/98)
Elizabeth Gray
Re: Pediatrician for my first child Nov 2004
As you can see from past advice in the archives Dr. Elizabeth
Gray is mentioned. For me and my son who was born two months
early we have had a great fit with Dr. Gray.I was very
concerned about his health and growth, as
any new mother is. She was and is really sensitive to my needs,
questions and concerns even the most repetative questions where
met with understanding and reflection. My mother even was here
visiting and asked her some of the same questions that I had
been asking...she was great, calming and insightful. I have had
a very positive experience with her and have never had any
problems getting appointments. I mearly called and asked for a
message to be left with her when I was told her appointments
where full. Good luck and trust your instinct.
Ms. Z
From: Andy (10/98)
we used Kaiser for 3 years and the pediatric care was by-far much
better than the adult care. We used Elizabeth Gray who is a very popular
but excellent pediatrician. She listens to you and can adjust her
responses for your individual needs (i.e., she cares). Unfortunately,
most of the peds we saw for urgent care are part-timers that seem to
fill up their time at kaiser at nights and weekends. It was always
difficult to see Dr. Gray.
Re: Can you recommend a pediatrician you absolutely love? (May 2004)
We have switched back to Kaiser Oakland after a brief experience
with another HMO, and our primary reason for coming back was
that we truly missed the pediatric care at Kaiser. Our
daughter's pediatrician, Dr. Daniel Junge, is excellent. He's
great with our almost 3 year-old and has always gone the extra
mile to return our calls, research issues, and offer us choices
for her care. We rarely see anyone else because they always
seem able to work us in to his schedule.
When our regular doctor Dr. Cunningham was on maternity leave, we had Dr. Daniel
Junge assigned to us, who I also like very much. He is
very dedicated and was particularly wonderful with my 2 year old
son's excema problem; at one point, searching the Kaiser
pediatric facility for the pediatric dermotologist, who he
thought might be in the building that day. This meant we didn't
have to get a referral to the dermotology department. Dr Junge
has also been very good at calling me back about problems;
recently he called me at 9pm regarding a refill of antibiotics.
There are some wonderful pediatricians at Kaiser Oakland!
mom of 3
(March 2003)
Sheila Mackell
From: Barbara (3/98)
Sheila Mackell has been our pediatrician for 8 years. She's great, but
hard to get appointments with.
Donald Mangravite
We've seen Dr. Mangravite at urgent care and were very
impressed. He is very knowledgeable and gentle. If we
weren't so happy with our doctor (Minger), we would have
definitely switched to him.
julie (March 2003)
From: Patrick (10/98)
Dr. Mangravite has been seeing my kids for well over ten years now and all
of us--15-year old boy, 12-year old boy, 9-year old girl, ex-wife, and me)
have been completely satisfied and pleased with him. He's gentle,
thorough, caring, easy to talk to, answers questions completely in plain
language, respectful of both parents & kids, and just an extremely pleasant
person to deal with in sometimes stressful situations. If he's available,
take him.
From: Trish (3/98)
Dr. Donald Mangravite is excellent. My kids had another pedi for several
years but when one of them had an emergency situation and couldn't see our
regular pedi, I met Dr. Mangravite. He's kind, gentle, considerate, and
thorough. Both my daughter and son like him very much.
Susan Minger
Editorial note: Susan Minger now practices at Kaiser Alameda (June 2003)
I highly recommend our wonderful pediatrician, Dr. Susan Minger, at Kaiser
Oakland. She's not the cuddliest of doctors, but she is extremely
responsive and responsible. Very smart, very well educated, good common
sense, just great.
Treats kids like people. I can't recommend her highly enough.
Jusith (2001)
Swati Mukerji
I saw Dr. Mukerji until I turned 19 and they wouldn't let me anymore. I
LOVED her. She is very calm and reassuring, and has an amazing memory for
people.
Laura (March 2003)
We have Dr. Mukherji--signed up with her on the over-the-top
recommendation of a friend--and *love* her. She is gentle, a good
listener, very straightforward, and has a sweet nature (always
smiles at my son). We are a single-parent family and still
breastfeeding at almost 3 and she is completely supportive.
Jennie
(March 2003)
We saw Dr. Mukerji one time for an urgent-care appt., and I liked
her a lot. She was very good with my daughter and was able to very
quickly look in her ears (we were worried about an ear infection).
Mimi (March 2003)
My recommendation is Dr. Swati Mukerji. My two children have been treated by
her for the last 15 years. She's wonderful, interested, takes her time, calls
at home, remembers the children, and is very easy to speak to. I went through
two surgeries with her, and a sudden death in the not-quite immediate family .
She has always been there for us when we needed her. The only down side is she
is popular and she takes her time, so sometimes you have to wait awhile in the
waiting room for your appt.
Lucy (2001)
We were happy with Dr. Swathi Mukerji. She's an older woman, very gentle,
and she always seemed to have plenty of time to talk and answer questions. She
saw our daughter until she was about a year old, when we moved out of the area
6 months ago..
Amy (2001)
From: Corazon (2000)
I would like to second Judy Simon's recommendation of Dr. Swati
Mukerji. She was my children's doctor from infancy to young
adulthood. I believe she is still at Oakland Kaiser as my 18-year old
saw her this past summer for her pre-college physical examination. We
all think she is wonderful and she is also a parent. I originally got
Dr. Mukerji's name from a very assertive friend who had gotten her
post-delivery nurses to tell her who they thought was the BEST
pediatrician at Kaiser. Actually, I think there are many fine
pediatricians at Kaiser. You get to meet them during those Urgent
Care appointments when your own doctor isn't on duty that night.
Another favorite name that comes to mind is Dr. Dorsett whom we saw
several times when Dr. Mukerji was unavailable.
Re: Open-minded about not vaccinating (June 2003)
Try Colleen Shipler. She's a Nurse Practitioner, not a doc.
But, she's very open-minded and also very good with the
little ones in terms of bedside manner.
Brightstar
Re: Kaiser pediatrician flexible on vaccines (March 2002)
I highly recommend Colleen Shipler, NP. She is open to
delaying and working w/you on vaccines.
Re: Pediatrician for my first child Nov 2004
We recently had to switch from Aetna and East Bay Pediatrics to Kaiser due to my
being laid off in July. Our son's Aetna cardiologist (he was born w/ VSD)
recommended his wife, Katrina Saba, who is a pediatrician at Kaiser. She returned
from maternity leave in August, I believe, so she has a toddler and a newborn at
home, which means for me that what I am going through is what she is going
through at the same time, which is great. She is patient and was willing to put off
some of my son's 2-4-6 month vaccines after discussing it with me. Also, she
shares her practice with another doctor whose name I am not recalling, but she was
very nice/competent as well when my son's skin issues required a visit. I like this
because it means less upheaval if you need a last minute appointment, as you're
likely to see one or the other for sick appointments.
c.
Re: Pediatrician for my first child Nov 2004
Yes, Kaiser does assign you a pediatrician if you don't choose one, but I believe you
will automatically get a resident. I did both times. Now, all of the residents I had
were great, but they don't tell you straight out that they are residents, and I think
they should at least tell you. There is always a senior attending around when they
are on duty, and many times they (senior attending) get called into the room.
The other thing you should know about the residents is that a lot of them leave after
their third year. So if you get attached to yours (as I did) you will have to follow
them to another Kaiser Facility or choose another staff doctor.
Currently we see Dr. Noah Simons (resident) and he has been really great, very
thorough (as are most of the residents we have seen, I have found).
We have also seen Dr. Chan (staff) and she is wonderful. Dr. Mangraviti is also
excellent, and very experienced. I also like Fischoff (sp). Since you will mostly see
random doctors for urgent care (another down side to having a resident, they are
not in the office everyday, they could be on rotation in the hospital, for example)
you will probably get to know some of them on your own.
The two best Kaiser Pediatricians I ever experienced (in my opinion) are Dr. Weiss
(Alameda) and Dr. Brad Lewis (I think he is at Walnut Creek now) but I hear that the
Oakland Facility is a center of excellence for Pediatrics, and I have been very happy
with the care there.
pg
One time we saw Meera Tatapudy, she was very kind and gentle.
Joan (March 2003)
We've also seen Dr. Tatapudy (can't forget that name, so
interesting!), but just once, and she was fine.
Jennie (March 2003)
Gail Udkow
Oct 2007
Re: Kaiser PCP, OBGYN & Ped. recommendations
I can't recommend a good GYN in Alameda, and the Alameda Pediatrian's are
limited - but my children see Dr. Gail Udkow in Oakland. She was also my
Pediatrician. She is wonderful. We have also seen Dr. Bacchus in Oakland and
he would be my second choice if and when Dr. Udkow retires.
Good Luck!
Alameda Kaiser Patient
March 2003
My 8-year old son is a patient of Gail Udkow, and we all love
her. She is not ''touchy-feely'', but I am very comfortable
talking to her about any concerns. She is a no nonsense, capable
person who, as a mother herself, understands the fears that
parents have. She has never dismissed any of my concerns.
mizzbee
From: Dorothy (3/98)
I'm responding to the inquiry for a pediatrician at Kaiser-Oakland.
I heartily recommend Dr. Gail Udkow. She's a no nonsense,
intelligent and caring doctor. She listens well, advises well, and
her demeanor with children is wonderful! My 4 yo loves her and looks
forward to going to see her. She was my salvation when my son was
hospitalized at 11 days old due to dehydration (bad breastfeeding
experience-another story) as she not only took excellent care of my
son, but also of my psyche! The Kaiser at Oakland is a teaching
hospital and she will have students conduct routine exams from time
to time (not without consulting you first). When she comes in to
evaluate their progress it is obvious that she is well respected by
her students as well. I called her office line (she actually answers
her phone when she's in) to ask about a homeopathic remedy and was
given an opinion from both her medical doctor and her mommy (she
has kids of her own) point of view. She's a gem!
Re: Kaiser pediatrician for asthma (Feb. 2004)
Our pediatrician at Kaiser Oakland is Dr. Mukerji, who is
*wonderful*. BUT she doesn't really deal with the asthma issues
much--Kaiser Oakland has a *terrific* asthma nurse, Caskey
Weston, who is the one who set up our Asthma Treatment Plan and
who monitors my son's asthma. As a team, they have done a great
job. I'm quite pleased with Kaiser in general, and with their
treatment of my son's asthma in particular.
Jennie
Tim Yaeger
About ten years ago my children first had Dr. Yaeger as their
designated M.D. He has been very pleasant to talk with and he's
answered questions directly with good factual information. However
we've only seen him twice. Generally we go in for the same day
appointments because of minor crises or the expediency of being able
to see someone on a day the kids and I are available. Same day
appointments are on a which ever M.D. is available basis.
Frances (July 2000)
In response to doctors for teens at Kaiser: My son sees Dr. Tim Yaeger
and I think he's the greatest doctor. He takes time with Jared and is
always willing to answer my questions. I would highly recommend him
and so would Jared. My daughter sees Dr Chan-Werner who is not on
your list. She is very thorough and respects the girl's wish to see
her alone. Anna also has called the teen clinic on her own and likes
the way they respond promptly. She thinks very highly of being able
to call on her own and get good advice and quick appointments. I
don't recall any specific doctor that she's seen through the teen
number. Jan (July 2000)
2001
Though we just changed health care providers and no longer are members of
Kaiser, we had excellent pediatric care by Dr. Katrina Saba, Dr. Tsai and
another, male Ped. whose name eludes me now. He had just come back from
working in villages in Costa Rica or some place like that. I found all
doctors there to be patient, attentive listeners who really cared about my
daughter. The injection nurse, Katsi Murakawa, was incredible, by the way.
She worked fast and was sweet to the squalling babies and worried parents.
I really was impressed by the care at Oakland Kaiser. - Hilary (2001)
March 1998
Sometimes I feel like, between my 12 and 7 year old, I've seen every
doctor there. Other ones I recommend:
Robert Dorsett and
Shirley Tang
Barbara
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