Website for Summit Pediatric Medical Group: www.summitpedsorinda.com

Summit Pediatric Medical Group
4 Country Club Plaza, Orinda
(925) 254-9500

Re: Pediatrician near Montclair for twins
We've used Summit Peds in Orinda, just through the tunnel and easy to get to. 925 254 9500. Any of the docs there would be great. They take BC PPO. Linda F

Hello, Does anyone have any feedback on Summit Pediatrics in Orinda and on the Pediatricians at this practice, particularly Jennifer Dovinchi and Pelen Wu. They seem to be rather new in the practice. I'm seeking trustworthy, reliable, and helpful pediatricians for my 1 year old daughter. Thank you. Parent Seeking Reliable Pediatrician

My daughter has a heart defect and is therefore monitored more than kids with no chronic health problems, so we see more of them than most families would. Our kids are recognized by the staff. The waits are never very long, and they get you to a room as soon as possible to eliminate cross-contamination from sick kids.

While I do wish they were closer (we live in Berkeley), we are very happy with the practice and are willing to travel to get the care we can expect from Summit Pediatrics. Laurel C

I really like all three, Dr. Dovichi, Dr. Wu and Dr. Kudlu. They all have different styles so I would recommend meeting with them before making a decision. My husband and I are very conservative on most issues and so we prefer to have a pediatrician who is similar and have found Dr. Kudlu to be our best match. However, as with all children, we have had things come up or minor ''emergencies'' when I have seen the other two docs and think highly of them both -- and am comfortable talking with both of them. They all have stellar education backgrounds. I think there is a lot of value in a pediatrician who is newer to practice in that they know more about recent research and practice and they aren't ''set in their ways''. All three of these women are moms so they have plenty of first hand knowledge to boot.

I find the practice to be very good. I have always been able to get in same day if needed. I always get a call back from a doc on call within about 10 minutes. The receptionist and nurses are all very pleasant and helpful. I would recommend the practice to any parent with young children. Good luck! Mom from Oakland

Our pediatrician is Kimberly Mar at Summit Pediatrics in Orinda. Dr. Mar is great - fun with the kids, highly professional, smart, willing to listen and she takes the parent seriously. She's quite young (which I think is a plus - my son and she can grow old together) and she's awfully cute (in the best possible sense; no insult at all intended); her colleagues at Summit Ped. are older (to varying degrees - Harris and Chamberlain are getting up there, while Takao is somewhere in his 40s) and provide any necessary "gravitas" a parent might require. I like them, too. And the nurses are uniformly swell. Wendy

I highly recommend our pediatrician, Dr. Kimberly Mar of Summit Pediatrics in Orinda. She is fairly new to the practice which is also the practice of Dr. Loyd Takao and Dr. Chamberlain. I think Dr. Chamberlain writes for the Parents' Press from time to time. Dr. Mar is young and enthusiastic about her profession. I find her to be very honest, caring, and easy to talk with. If I have questions, she takes the time to answer them carefully. The benefit to her being a recent graduate of med. school (I believe she completed her residency within the last three to four years) is that she is well versed in the latest findings and practices. The benefit to her being part of a well established practice is that she can draw on her colleagues for sage advice if needed. I highly recommend her. I'm sure if you were to call and set up an interview she would be more than happy to discuss your concerns. Here's the info for her:
Dr. Kimberly Mar
Summit Pediatrics
4 Country Club Plaza, Orinda
925 254-9500

My 9 month old son has been seeing Dr. Kimberly Mar at Summit Pediatrics in Orinda. The telephone number is 925-254-9500. We really like her and the office staff. Since we only have one car, driving over the hill from Berkeley is really inconvenient, so we had to switch to a local pediatrician. We've never had a problem getting an appointment with Summit Pediatrics and the waits are pretty much non-existent. Dr. Mar is young -- she just finished her residency at UCSF, I think -- so I am pretty sure she'll be accepting new patients. Good luck,

I would like to second Jeannette 's endorsement of Kimberly Mar (in fact, I think we are living parallel lives; I think we also have the same OB/Gyn). At any rate, my 6-month old has been seeing Dr. Mar since birth, and we have been very happy with the care she provides him. We have always had our questions fully and satisfactorily answered; we never feel rushed, she has a very loving and caring manner as well as good credentials, and Sam always seems delighted to see her. She is young, as Jeannette mentioned, but her partners are not, and can provide the "experience," if necessary.

I would also like to suggest the Summit Pediatric Medical Group (in Orinda) to those folks who have Bay Physicians/Alta Bates group and can't find any pediatricians accepting patients. I had the same problem in January. I would recommend both Drs. Philip Chamberlain and Kimberly Mar. My husband and I have been extremely pleased with their medical care.

I just wanted to put in a plug for Dr. Mar, who was recommended last digest. She is our son's pediatrician and we are very satisfied with her. She's pretty young, which means she doesn't have loads of experience to back her up, but this also means she is familiar with recent studies re: child vaccinations, breastfeeding, family bed, etc. We saw another doctor in the same practice and he was a bit behind the times. Summit Pediatrics is also affiliated with Hill Physicians Medical Group.