website: http://www.hilltoppediatrics.info

Re: Pediatrician in United Healthcare Insurance system
I highly recommend Justin Sweder at Hilltop Pediatrics (510) 222-5437. He takes United Healthcare (and other insurance too). I have found him to be open- minded and practical in his care of my daughter. I appreciate that he doesn't automatically prescribe antibiotics for my daughter's ear aches; in fact, in many cases, his "wait and see" approach resulted in no antibiotics. Although we have not had a need for it, I know he has recommended acupressure for other kids under his care. What I really like about him though, is that he takes the time to connect with my daughter during her appointments. He talks to her like she is a person, rather than a child, which I love, and is patient and really listens when she responds. My daughter loves Dr. Justin and I trust him implicitly. Dr. Justin fan

Re: Pediatrician in Contra Costa who speaks Spanish
I know a Great pediatrician at Hilltop Pediatrics. I am a pediatrician and trained with him at Children's Hospital Oakland. He is fluent in Spanish too. I'm 95 % sure that his practice takes Medi-cal. Here is his info: Dr. Justin Sweder Pediatrics - specializes in the physical, emotional and social health of children from infancy to young adulthood. Hilltop Pediatrics (510)222-5437 2970 Hilltop Mall Rd Ste 305 Richmond, CA 94806-5274 Would trust him 100% with my kids

I'm looking for recent feedback on Hilltop Pediatrics. There is an old review (2001) which states wait times at the office were very long. Is this still the case? Which doctor(s) do you recommend? How easy/hard is it to get an appointment for a sick child? What about afterhours/weekend care? Thanks in advance! J.

My sons (ages 10 and 9) were patients of Dr. Boyd at Hilltop pediatrics from the day they were born until about a year ago. Dr. Boyd is a wonderful person - calm, kind, and caring. Dr.s Feldman and Lackman are also very nice people (I'm not familiar with Dr. Leigh). We chose to leave the practice for several reasons. First and foremost, the wait can be horrendous. We had to wait for over an hour on many occasions (yes, we had an appointment). The waiting room is rundown and what toys or books there are are almost always broken. The support staff changes frequently and usually seems harried. When my 10 year old son had unexplained seizures, it took way too many phone calls from me to get any response on their part (not the Doctor's fault - no one was giving him the message). In my mind this was an emergency and they wanted me to make an appointment for a week in the future. Again, I must emphasize that we really liked Dr. Boyd (and we have several friends whose children continue to see him), I just didn't feel that the practice was run as well as I would like. susan