Kiwi Pediatrics
(Berkeley & Albany, CA)
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Kiwi Pediatrics
Pediatricians reviewed on this page:
Benjamin Jarrahi, David Kittams, Elizabeth Salzburg, Dr. Wang, Robin Winokur
Jan 2013
Re: Pediatrician for complicated medical problems
Dr Winokur and the other docs at Kiwi Pediatrics have been amazing. They were
recommended to us by our sons cardiologist after he was discharged from a 4
month ICU stay. 4 years later we still can't say enough good things about them!
Jaime
Dec 2012
Re: Intellectual Pediatrician near Berkeley?
Have you tried Kiwi Pediatrics? They are excellent about answering questions and
sometimes they even cite papers when telling me why they are recommending one
treatment over another. Dr. Kittams is the one most likely to cite papers, but I
like all the doctors and they all take the time to answer questions. I've never
felt rushed.
I have 3 kids and they've been going there 8+ years.
Kiwi fan!
I wonder how many people will post for the esteemed Dr. David Kittams ( Kiwi
Pediatrics) 510-524-9400. WAAAAAYYYY too much information for me; I did not choose
medical school for a reason! But, he is well-recognized for his knowledge and
willingness to share. Thank you !
Sept 2012
Re: Pediatrician in Oakland who accepts Healthy Families
We are very happy with Kiwi Pediatrics. My son has been going there since
infancy, and we have actually turned down Kaiser insurance for him so we can
continue there! All the docs are good and the nurses are very helpful too. We go
to their location that is on Alcatraz, not sure if it's south Berkeley of north
Oakland.
Like Kiwis
March 2012
Re: Peditrician who has experience with foster kids and their issues?
We would recommend Kiwi Pediatrics, they have an office in Albany on San Pablo,
and another on Alcatraz in Berkeley. They are both affiliated with Children's
Hospital as well, and have probably 25 years experience each. They have worked
with foster parents, and some of the special needs that the children in the
foster care system bring. Best
Sept 2011
Re: Pediatrician open to co-sleeping and breastfeeding
We love Dr. Liz Salsburg at Kiwi Pediatrics (http://kiwipeds.com/). They
have an office on Alcatraz (652-1720) and another one on San Pablo. She is
VERY pro-
breastfeeding; one of her big activities is working at Alta Bates to promote
breastfeeding. We've co-slept with our various kids on and off and no one in
the office has ever said anything about it.
She spends a LONG time with us at appointments. She listens to and addresses
all our concerns and has really taken the time to get to know our kids. I
really like that they treat the whole child. Our oldest just had his 7 year
check-up and they not only asked about his general health but also whether
he wore sunscreen, used a seatbelt, flossed his teeth, wore a helmet while
riding a bike,....
They give out bike helmets to low-income kids, glow sticks at Halloween,
books to all kids. They have had us come in after-hours to save a trip to
the emergency room, will give us advice over the phone, and have given me
and my husband shots in their office to save us a trip to our doctors.
Anon
Sept 2011
Re: Does your pediatrician take Medi-Cal?
My son has Medi-Cal. We go to Kiwi Pediatrics. They have an office
in Berkeley and one in Albany. Medi-Cal mom
Our doctor takes Medi-Cal: Kiwi Pediatrics (652-1720). We
particularly love Dr. Liz Salsburg and Dr. Benjamin Jarrahi, but
really like the other two as well. Everyone there really takes the
time to listen, they are good about calling/emailing back to
answer questions, they will give me and my husband various shots
(e.g. flu) to save us a trip to our doctor. They really focus on
treating the whole child and whole family.
One of the things we particularly like about them is that they DO
take Medi-Cal. They recognize the importance of health care for
all and don't just limit their practice to people with good
insurance.
Kiwi Fan!
Feb 2011
Re: Woman pediatrician who takes Medi-Cal
Try Kiwi Pediatrics (652-1720) in Berkeley. They used to take
MediCal, not sure if they still do. We've gone to them for years
and adore them. There are two female doctors, Dr. Salsberg and
Dr. Winokur, both of whom are great. They call us back, give sane
advice, and are great with our kids. (We also like the two male
doctors in the practice.)
Anon
May 2010
Re: Bayside (Pinole) or Kiwi Pediatrics?
We LOVE Kiwi Pediatrics, which is a good thing because we
are there quite a bit. We've seen all 4 doctors and like
them all, though I'm not quite as wild about their NP.
They can always fit us in on the same day for an urgent
issue. Once our son cut his head about 6pm on the Friday
before a 3-day weekend and we called, hoping someone would
be there. Dr. Winokur picked up the phone, told us to come
right in, and took care of him. So we didn't need to wait
in the emergency room for 6 hours to get him stitches.
Yay! This was not the only time that she has answered the
phone after-hours and helped us out.
We have emailed questions and requests for prescription
renewals and always gotten a prompt response. We were
asked to email a picture of a rash so we didn't have to
make a trip in. They are also great about answering pages
after-hours.
We fully vaccinate, though we've spread them out and they
are fine with that.
Kiwi fan
March 2010
Re: Pediatrician Open to Alternative Vaccine Schedule?
We go to Kiwi Pediatrics (652-1720) and are very happy with
them. They are pro-vaccine, as are we, but I don't feel
good about giving a baby a huge number of shots at once.
We space them out, getting 1-2 on the appointed day, then
coming in a couple weeks later for another 1-2, then a
couple weeks later for more,... until we're done with that
round. The doctor just told us which one(s) were the most
urgent to get in that batch and we got those first. Not
sure how much of an alternative schedule you want, but
certainly for our slightly modified schedule, we didn't get
any grief.
Kiwi Fan
Check the archives, this was discussed a few months back.
Our pediatrician (Kiwi Pediatrics) were open for us to have
an alternate vaccine schedule and also to refuse vaccines.
We just had to sign a waiver form.
anon
March 2010
Re: Gay-friendly Pediatrician near Berkeley
Kiwi Pediatrics is a great practice. I think one of their
docs imight be queer and they've always been fantastic with
us (two moms). They are incredibly responsive (we have a
kid with very complicated medical issues) and front office
staff is very, very friendly with us. We have Dr. Winokur
but have also worked a lot with Dr. Salzberg. Love them
both.
Jaime
Oct 2009
Re: Best MediCal Doctor in Berkeley
We have been taking our three kids to Kiwi Pediatrics since the
oldest was born 5 years ago. The doctors and front office staff
are very nice, we have always been able to get same day
appointments when we needed them, we've been seen after-hours
for urgent issues, and the two times we've had to take our kids
to the hospital, they've called ahead to ease the way. I highly
recommend them. 510-652-1720
Happy patient
Aug 2009
Re: Post Docs seeking Pediatrician, Primary Care, and Dental
There's Kiwi Pediatrics, which is right next to the McDonalds next UC Village
on San Pablo. It's only a 5-10 minutes walk depending on where you live in
the Village. There are 3 docs there. You can read the reviews. I like them
and I know lots of Village parents go there.
June 2009
Re: Pediatrician who honors an ''alternative'' vaccine schedule
Dr. Winokur at Kiwi Pediatrics has been quite tolerant of my
very alternative vaccination schedule.
concerned Mom
We go to Kiwi Pediatrics in Albany (they have an office in
Berkeley) and we're on an alternate vaccine schedule. They
didn't argue too much w/ me when I proposed it on our first
visit. I just had to sign papers. And when I talked to the
pedi, it sounded like they've got many families they see who
don't get any vaccination. They do try to get you to get
vaccinated, but it's not to the level of badgering, so I've been
okay w/ it. Their new doctor though (I don't remember her name)
is a bit more forceful and I did not like her attitude so I just
make sure we don't see her during our visits.
anon
April 2009
Re: Pediatrician for 14 and 18 year old daughters
My daughter (now 18) has been going to Kiwi Pediatrics since birth.
She has seen many of the people in the practice, all of whom have been
great. Her primary pediatrician there is Dr. Robin Winokur. Robin is
friendly, funny,and low-key.
I did interview two other pediatricians before my daughter was born,
and chose Kiwi because I really liked Dr. Winokur. Nothing has
happened in the past 18 years to make me change my opinion of her, or
the practice. We also saw Dr. David Kittams many times. He also is a
wonderful pediatrician.
We have HealthNet, so I assume that Kiwi still takes new patients with
HealthNet.
The practice has two offices listed below. We go to the one on San
Pablo. It's a bare-bones kind of office. It seems like the practice
hired more staff, so the last few times we went, my daughter was seen
pretty much at the time of her appointment, i.e., no long wait like at
many doctor's offices.
Contact info:
1178 San Pablo Ave, Albany - (510) 524-9400
1744 Alcatraz Ave, Berkeley - (510) 652-1720
Janet
Sept 2008
Hi,
If your kids are patients of Kiwi pediatrics (Dr. Kittams, Dr.
Winokur, Dr. Salzberg), would you happen to know if there is a
consent form that they ask you to sign if you delay /refuse some
vaccinations?
I interviewed several pediatricians who require a form like this, so
I wanted to clarify this issue before I pay for the prenatal meeting
with one of the Kiwi doctors.
Also, I am curious about people's recent experiences with Kiwi in
general - is it easy to get the same day sick appointment, are you
happy with how after-hour calls are handled? I called them a couple
of times to find out more about the practice and thought the
secretary was somewhat unfriendly and not very helpful.
Lydia
My daughter was a patient of Dr. Winokur at Kiwi Pediatrics for
the first 4 years of her life. They never asked us to sign a
consent form... we delayed all of her vaccinations. Dr. Winokur
would just ask us ''which vaccines do you want to do this
time?''
We left the practice about a year ago because it was very
difficult to get same-day sick appointments and they didn't
return quite a few important calls. I found the receptionists to
be pretty rude at times, though I think that they were just put
in a tight spot because often there was just one doctor in the
office. We rarely got to actually see Dr. Winokur. Usually it
was a nurse practitioner (both of whom were great, once you got
in to actually see them).
We switched to Berkeley Pediatrics, Dr. Lisa Kalar. Dr. Kalar
has been willing to work with us spacing out our kids' vaccines
(I don't think that they take patients who are not going to
vaccinate at all). I absolutely love her. She has such a
WONDERFUL bedside manner for parents and kids. She gives us lots
of time for questions. If she's in the office (she doesn't work
every day) we always get to see her for a sick appointment. They
always get us in in a timely manner when one of my kids is sick.
Recently my daughter was really sick over the weekend and the
doctor on call met us at the office on a SUNDAY MORNING to see
her! I can't say enough about how happy we are there....
Happy Berkeley Pediatrics family
Hi,
We've been going to Kiwi for over 4 years and we like it. The
office staff is not always stellar in terms of paper work(though
the Alcatraz office is very nice), so don't judge by that. I'm
not sure if they require a form, but it wouldn't shock me. I
have a family child care and I am required to get a signature
for all alternate/non vaxers. It might have something to do with
disease control tracking (herd immunity is null at less than 70
or 80% vaccinated, and several childhood diseases are on the
rise again) so they may be required to report.
That said, when we considering the vaccination question with our
son, they were very open to our conversation. They were
definitely wanting us to vaccinate (almost all doctors and
western med professionals want you to), but were fine talking to
us about it, and let us make the decisions.
Same day appointments are usually easy, as are phone calls when
you just need some pink eye meds or something (though they
advocate breast milk for most pink eye. It works!). For after
hours stuff though, we go to Night Owl in Pleasant Hill. They
are open weekends and evenings and are awesome for the
inevitable Saturday night ear infection.
Kiwi mama
I can't answer your question about vaccinations, but since you
asked about overall impressions of Kiwi, I figured I would write
in. We've seen them (mostly at their San Pablo office, but
sometimes the Alcatraz one) for the past 3 years. Our primary
doctor is Dr Winokur, but we've seen all the doctors in the
practice over the years. I like them all a lot. All the
doctors seem to be extremely knowledgeable. I like the fact
that they don't rush to push antibiotics...they have a ''wait
and see'' policy unless it's medically necessary to drug the
kids. Winokur is a bit more ''businessy,'' than the others but
is still really kind to the kids.
I have a few complaints: It's often hard to get a same-day
appointment. I have had to just bring my sick kid in and wait in
the waiting room in hopes that they could eventually squeeze me
in. However, to give them credit, when my kid has been REALLY
sick, they have always found a place for him that day, even if
they have to do it during their lunch hour. They don't have
evening or weekend hours. They have a hotline to call
after-hours...you get to talk with a nurse or dr (often not from
the Kiwi group) but you can't see anyone except at the emergency
room.
The after-hours thing is annoying, but not enough to make me
switch practices. We are generally really happy with Kiwi.
Content Kiwi Mom
I did not defer the shots for my daughter so can't comment on
the form. However, I can comment on the office staff and Dr.
Salsburg. My daughter began seeing Dr. Salsburg at the 2 week
wellness check up and she is now 3. I have been very happy with
Dr. Salsburg's service.
However, I do agree that the office staff don't appear to be the
most professional whether in person or over the phone. I am
currently dealing with my second billing issue with them. Both
times my claims were denied because Dr. Winokur whom my daughter
has never seen check off some box making her condition a
pre-existing condition. Both incidents were for one of those
you come home from work and find your child sick. Neither case
was a preexisting condition. So you call the afterhour number.
Which by the way I am happy with their service. But calling the
office to try to get someone to explain the billing issue has
been a headache.
c.
I have three children, the oldest of whom is 10 years old, so I've been to the
MD a *lot* and I love Kiwi pediatrics. They were recommended to me by another
pediatrician who sends her kids to them! They take a very practical approach
which incorporates how your family's life works. They will suggest several
alternatives when appropriate. They do not demand you do anything, nor do they
guilt-trip. They do give candid opinions and I appreciate that. Dr. Winokur is
our primary. I have to say I rarely have trouble getting in to see her, and if
it's a same-day sick kid visit they'll tell me if it's an appt with the NP, and
if it is, I have the option of asking for an MD instead. I also really like
Salzberg, and Kittams is a good doc too, though our personalities don't mesh as
well. (Someone posted about Robin [Winokur] being kind of ''businessy'' but I
think she's shy, frankly. Once she warms up to parents she laughs a lot. And
she's always great with kids.) I also really like their NPs. I've had their MDs call me on the weekend and at night
long after office hours. I think they're very compassionate and generous with
their time. Finally, I support them because they take MediCal, which many
pediatricians won't do because the reimbursements are so low. But they believe
in community health, so they do their part. Clearly they see their work
primarily as a calling and a profession, not a money-maker. I just wish I
could find a GP for myself as terrific as they are.
Wouldn't change for anything
We've only been using Kiwi for about a year and have no other
practices to compare it to.
That said, yes, they do require that you sign a form if you
refuse/delay vaccinations. In general, I'm please with how they
don't push too hard on the vaccination issue. The nurse didn't
push too hard the first time. And thereafter the doctors just
reminded us that we can come in whenever to get our vaccines.
Never had to do a same-say sick appointment. I've called 2-3 times
with questions when baby got sick. Usually I end up leaving
voicemail and the NP calls us back in a few hours. Both instances
they recommended we wait it out.
We use the San Pablo office and yes, I also find that the
secretaries are not really friendly. The office is pretty old. The
waits are really long sometimes if you have midday appointments
with doctors. Appointments with doctors (for wellness checkups)
tend to be feel rushed, even if they answer all your questions. We
rotated through all the doctors and nurses for each of our wellness
checkups in order to see which one we like.
I think I like the doctors approach. I got the feeling through our
phone calls that they tend to take a wait and see attitude rather
than prescribing medication immediately. Though for all I know it
could be because they're really busy and don't want to us to go in
unless it's obvious we need to. That said, I really don't like
feeling like we don't get enough time w/ the doctors, so we're
looking at Private Pediatrics. But they don't seem to have as lax
an attitude on vaccines.
anon
March 2008
Re: Pediatrician open to no/few vaccines?
Hi, we are ''up to date'' with our vaccines, so I can't say from first-hand
experience that we would be totally supported if we had chosen not to. However, I
can recommend our Ped's practice: Kiwi Pediatrics (Dr. Kittams, Dr. Winokur, Dr.
Salzberg). They have been very willing to discuss my concerns about some of the
new vaccines and have been willing to let me hold off on one of them. I also
remember their names coming up in a similar post about 6 years ago when we were
also looking for a ped. Though, that is second-hand information.
anon
Sept 2007
Recently our 1 year old son was sick and we took him to see his doctor (Dr.
Salzberg) at Kiwi Pediatrics. She gave us her pager number and told us to page
her any time if his condition worsened. It did and she sent us to the hospital.
She called there us at midnight to tell us the results of his tests and what they
meant and what the next steps were for us. It was great having someone that we
knew and trusted looking out for our sick son.
I wanted to put in a plug for Dr. Salzberg and the other kind, dedicated doctors
at Kiwi Pediatrics.
Mom of a (now) healthy kid
July 2007
We are moving to El Cerrito from SF and looking for a new pediatrician for our 9 month
old. There were comments in the archives on the Berkeley Pediatric Medical Group (on
Walnut St) and Kiwi Pediatrics on San Pablo, but the comments were from June 2006. I'd
love to hear any more recent experiences. At the Berkeley group we could see Drs
Cuthbertson, Davenport, Franks, King, Kulshrestha, or Lang; at the Kiwi group, we could
see Drs Kittam, Salsburg, or Winokur.
I would really like a doctor who will take the time to answer my questions and is not
afraid to give advice (our current doctor is a fan of the Socratic method, it seems).
Extended or weekend hours would be a plus.
Thanks!
Susan
We've been taking our 16 month old twins to Kiwi pediatrics since their birth and have been
very happy with them. David Kittams is their main doctor, but we've also seen both Dr.
Salsburg and Dr. Winokur. David Kittams is fabulous for spending as much time with you as
you need and answering all of your questions. He is generally just a very nice and very
smart guy. And I'm embarrassed to admit that when our twins were only a couple of weeks
old and we were having problems with our daughter (very bad reflux, failure to thrive) we
actually paged Dr. Kittams at 4 am with an utterly ridiculous, non-emergency question, and
he talked to us for half an hour and was so reassuring -- I think he's very understanding
of new parents! Not that I'm recommending paging doctors for non emergencies...
Dr. Salsburg is also great. I don't have as much experience with Dr. Winokur but I know a
lot of people like her too. The office doesn't have weekend or late hours, but I've never
had trouble getting a same day week day appointment when I've had a concern and in fact a
couple of times when I've called at the end of the day Dr. Kittams himself has answered the
phone and answered our questions.
I can't comment on the Berkeley Pediatric Medical Group, but I can wholeheartedly recommend
Kiwi.
Happy Kiwi mom
[Editor] reviews were also received for Berkeley Pediatric Medical Group
October 2006
Re: Berkeley Pediatric Medical Group
i have a 4 month old and we were recently looking for a pediatrician as well. in
addition to berkeley pediatrics group, we were recommended kiwi pediatrics (drs.
winokur, salzburg, & kittam). they have locations on san pablo ave and alcatraz
ave. so far, we have been very happy with our experience there. we've seen all 3
doctors and all seem very well-informed and supportive of our decisions. their
office on san pablo isn't the most glamorous, but the quality of care is excellent.
highly recommended
new mom
June 2006
We are expecting a baby very shortly, and we are still wondering about which
pediatric group to go with. I checked the bpn archives, and all reviews are over a
year old.
We visited Dr. Salzburg at Kiwi pediatrics on Alcatraz, and were left with an ok
impression. The practice's philosophy of care matches up relatively close with what
we are looking for, but the treatment/consultation and waiting rooms were tiny, parking
was scarce, and frankly, the location was a bit sketchy. Anyone have a more
favourable opinion of this office, or the Kiwi office on San Pablo? How is the front
office at that location? Any opinions on the other doctors in the practice? Dr.
Salzburg is set to go on sabbatical within the next month or so.
Thanks in advance for your advice, we are hoping to find a pediatrician and location
that suits our needs.
We've been using the San Pablo office of KIWI for almost 17
years, and have been completely satisfied with the excellent care
form all of the doctors and nurse-practitioners. Parking is easy
there (in thier lot). The waiting room is a bit small and
perfunctory, but the care is always top-notch. Friendly
reception staff, too
R.K.
I have been taking my boy to Kiwi Pediatrics in Albany, on San Pablo
since being visited at Alta Bates by David Kittams, MD, at my son's
birth, and will be taking my soon-to-be-born next baby there as well.
While Dr. Kittams is my child's primary doctor, I have happily had
appointments with a few others in the practice as well, including the
PA, and have always been very satisfied. Dr. Kittams, in particular,
is so warm and friendly, and really takes the time to get to know you
and your family and not just do the basics. Despite being a ''well-
seasoned'' doc, he keeps himself up to date and seems to truly love
his work. While I have had to wait in the examining room at times,
the wait has always felt worth it, and has always come with profuse
apologies. As well, I have never felt hurried during an appointment.
Kiwi Pediatrics is very welcoming to diverse families of all kinds,
and low income situations. Kiwi's nurses are truly amazing in their
skill at delivering shots quickly, and as painlessly as possible. The
front office is small, but has toys, and I've never spent much time in
it. The office staff seems efficient and friendly enough. A Happy
Kiwi Consumer
I had the same reservations about Kiwi Pediatrics location and office
facilities when I took my 5 day old son there. Being a new mom I
didn't know what to expect but I almost did not stay for the
appointment. I'm very glad I did, though. Dr. Salzsburg has been
fantastic, very supportive and wonderful with my now 5 month old son.
I was having a very difficult time nursing and she spotted the problem
right away and got us in within a week to a top specialist (he needed
a frenectomy). We've been nothing but pleased. Good luck!
btw
Don't judge a book by it's cover! Both my children are with Kiwi
Pediatrics, and I really love the Dr.s and staff there. They are kind,
honest and speak directly to my children with great respect. I have
met Dr. Salzberg, Dr. Winnoker (Dr. Robin), Dr. Kidams and a few
interns. They have ALL been great and most importantly my kids feel
completely comfortable there. As a Mom, they always manage to fit my
child in when an issue is urgent. They are always causious with
medication, never over medicating but ALWAYS medicating (in the case
of my daughter's pneumonia - immediately and with great haste!!!)when
necessary. I have consistantly, for going on 10 years been very happy
with Kiwi Pediatrics and can't imagine (actually refuse) leaving. As
for the offices - I guess I've never notices what you are
uncomfortable with. They are clean. What more do you want? Keley
keley
We've gone to both practices and while I liked the doctors at Berkeley
Pediatrics I wasn't that crazy about how they handled sick
appointments. Sometimes it was an argument to bring in my child and
when I finally did the wait was very long. At Kiwi pediatrics they
are really great about giving you a quick appointment for any reason.
We are please with Dr. Salzburg but also like the nurse
practictioners. Yes the office is not that impressive looking but the
service is very good. I have switched practices a few times and am
very happy with Kiwi but I also heard of a wonderful practice in
Hercules. It's definitely more of a drive than Berkeley or Albany but
I'm sure the care and service is top notch. We had seen Dr. Pleet at
Rainbow Pediatrics (now not around) and that same Dr. has started her
own practice in Hercules. It's called Herculean Babies Pedriatics and
I'm sure it's terrfic. The number is 964-
9647.
Good luck. Happy for now
I'm sorry for your sake that Dr. Salzburg is going on sabbatical
- she was our son's pediatrician for 1.5 years and she is
absolutely fabulous in every way. Yes, the office is a little
shabby, but the location is actually fine, not that sketchy
(close to Sweet Adeline - a very nice bakery - and easy to park
there). But Dr. Salzburg and Kiwi Pediatrics in general are
great. Every visit, Dr. Salzburg treated us like old friends -
remembered my son from visit to visit, and even asked me about
how things were going with me, and remembered details of our
lives. She respected our parenting choices (including my
continued breastfeeding, sometimes cosleeping, no circumcision,
etc). My son loved her. She was really super gentle with him
and he never had any negative reactions to going to the doctor,
even though that's where he got shots.
That's another thing - the nurses and office staff there are
great also. The woman who gave the vaccinations could get the
needle in and out before he even realized he was getting a shot.
Several times he never noticed at all, even after the fact.
We also saw Dr. Winokur at that office, and she was also great. We
only saw her a couple of times though, so I can't really
comment further.
I was so sad to leave that office when my work changed our
insurance to Kaiser... we like our pediatrician now but don't get
anywhere near the same kind of special, personalized care
anon
I have all four of my kids at Kiwi Pediatrics and I love the office.
we go to the Alcatraz office but started out at the Solano one. The
neighborhood is fine, I have never had any problems there. The
parking can be tricky but I usually find parking on the street right
in front of the office or in front of the stores around the corner.
The office is very personal but not fancy. In my opinion these
doctors are not in business to make a lot of money so they are not
going to impress you with a fancy new shiny office. The people are
caring and very very good at what they do - taking care of children.
I have seen all the doctors - Dr Kittams, Dr Salzberg and Dr Winokur.
They are all wonderful and go out of their way to help. They all came
in once and sometimes twice a day to check on my newborn who was in
the NICU recently and then Dr Salzberg came back to the hospital after
her rounds on her lunchbreak to see my newborn before he went home so
that I wouldn't have to bring him into the office the next day. Dr
Winokur called not once but twice on the weekend to check on my older
son who had a rash to make sure it was getting better and not worse.
Dr Winokur is listed as one of the 100 best doctors in the Bay Area
year after year. Dr Kittams is thorough, careful and precise. The
staff at the office is always very helpful, they remember my kids
names etc. They have always gotten me in to see someone on Friday
afternoon when the cough or whatever is starting to worry me and we're
heading into the weekend. I can't say enough good things about Kiwi
Ped. It's the people that make a good pediatric office, not the
decor or parking
kiwi ped mom
Our son (2 1/2) and daughter (4 mos.) are Kiwi patients. We have
been VERY happy with the practice! We primarily see either
Elizabeth Salzburg or Robin Winokur, and occasionally David
Kittums -- we were just in the office last week with Dr.
Salzburg and she is going on sabbatical for 4 months to England
with her family starting in August. We have found the physicians
to be very responsive, kind and thorough, and the rest of the
staff to be great. Whenever I have called with a question for
one of the doctors, I have received a callback that day. The
practice does provide care to a diverse patient base, and the
office is in a funky neighborhood, but we find that to be
refreshing -- and we have found parking to be super easy --
street parking usually right out in front! Email if you want
more info -- my son won't let me write any more now!
Stephanie
although the alcatraz location started out great for us (we literally lived a few blocks
away) & the actual doctors were ok enough, i have an endless list of complaints about kiwi
pediatrics ~ here are a few i think of off the top of my head:
*when waiting at the nurse's window to check in or out, we were often ignored while the
nurses talked on the phone (which is understandable if it's another client, but most of the
time you could obviously tell it was personal), to each other (same comment as before), or
even filed their nails (literally! this happened more than once). i also saw this happen to
many other clients, though i did see a few treated with more warmth.
*the last time we had an appointment, we arrived 15min early (my personal policy) & waited
for an hour without anyone explaining to us what the hold up was. my 3 1/2 yr old was having
a hard time waiting & getting hungry & tired & upset when he saw others come in after us &
get called back before us. so i encouraged him to ask (thought it would be a safe place for
him to practice some autonomy as he's a fairly shy/clingy child) he went to the doorway of
the nurse's area (did not go in) & said ''excuse me, when is my turn?'' (we'd practiced what
& how to ask) & the nurse said quite curtly ''it will be your turn when it's your turn, you
need go sit down & wait & stop bothering me'' my son returned to me absolutely crushed! i
comforted him & tried to calm down. i then shared my perception of the situation (focussing
on being respectful) with the nurse & was told she was ''busy'' & the doctor would see us
when they had a chance. we still were not given any estimate of time, or our place in line,
or anything. when i relayed the experience to the doctor they said they'd been backed up &
were sure the nurse didn't mean to 'upset' us (no one ever really took responsibility or
offered an apology or even empathy)
*there has been an off-limits piano in the cramped waiting room for at least the past 4yrs ~
what's that about?! *lol*
*their hours are ridiculous (10-12 & 2-5 m-f)
*every time i've
tried to get an urgent care visit, it's been an incredible hassel ~ we're treated as if
we're inconviencing them.
i've tried to switch a couple of times but medi*cal is kinda tricky ~ if you have /any/
appointments of any kind scheduled they get cancelled & i have to get my son's dental needs
taken care of first. i would highly recommend finding a different doctor.
wishing you the best of luck & congratulations on your new adventure,
a very dissatisfied customer
We *love* Kiwi Pediatrics. We go to the San Pablo office, though.
I've never been to the Alcatraz one. The San Pablo office is in a
fine neighborhood, but it too is a little dingy and has a small
waiting room. But the doctors are really good -
- in addition to Dr. Salzburg, we like Dr. Winokur a lot, and Kittams
has also been fine too. The front office can be brusque, and you
often get voicemail when you call, but they are quite good about
returning calls promptly and are competent and efficient.
The practice has been very responsive to us, from when we were
freaking out when our son was a week old and his temperature kept
dropping below 97, to when he had an on-and-off ear infection for
three months. In the latter case one of the nurse practitioners gave
us her personal cell number as well as pager over the weekend so that
if we ended up needing antibiotics she could call a prescription in.
The visits also allow lots of time for questions, and when we've
needed to be seen quickly, we have been.
No place is perfect, but we like Kiwi a lot and think that the most
important pieces are all there
Happy with Kiwi
June 2006
Re: Pediatrician for newborn who accepts United HC insurance
I have United HC insurance (specifically their Definity Health
program) -- and both my children (age 13 mos and almost 5yrs) go to
Kiwi Pediatrics (they have an office on Alcatraz and one on San Pablo
btw Marin/Gilman). I've been going to them since both my children
were newborns -- and like them! Hope that helps!
anon
April 2006
Re: Queer-Friendly Pediatrician
Dr. Salsburg is our son's doctor and we LOVE her. She's very
friendly, takes time to answer all our questions, and calls us
back promptly. We aren't a queer family but she didn't blink
when I was talking to her about my sister and her wife.
anon
I wish to second the recommendation for Dr. Salzburg, and indeed the entire practice
at Kiwi Pediatrics on Alcatraz in Berkeley. They also have an office deeper in
Berkelety on San Pablo.
Our pediatrician, Robin Winokur, is not just a highly-regarded clinician: she has an
excellent, warm, kid-friendly demeanor. I never feel rushed in that practice. Though
I am not queer myself I would recommend her to any of my queer friends w/o hesitation.
I see all kinds of families in the waiting room and it is simply a very welcoming
practice.
I also respect the practice b/c they take MediCal which many practices refuse to do.
I will say that their receptionist, Hazel, is brusque. After eight years with the
practice I've come to respect her knowledge and efficiency. Still I look forward to
the day she cracks a smile. Get past her, however, and the rest of the staff is
fabulous.
My closer: I chose Dr. Winokur because a friend who's a pediatrician takes her kids
there. Hard to say better than that!
anonymous
March 2003
We are currently shopping for a pediatrician for our soon-to-be-
born baby. I read very good things about Drs. Winokur and
Kittams in the archives, but didn't see anything about their
other partner, Elizabeth Salsburg or the doctor who is subbing
for Kittams during his sabbatical, Dr. Wang. What can you tell
me about either of them? I really liked Dr. Winokur, but aside
from well-baby appointments, it seems like you have to see
whomever is available. Also, how long is a typical wait in the
office for an appointment? We had to wait quite a while (it was
the end of the day)- is that common? Finally, what has been your
experience with using the Children's Hospital Pediatric Advice
Line, which is what they want you to use during evenings and
weekends?
Thanks!
milli
We have Dr. Salsburg and are happy with her, she follows thru has
called several times to elaborate on things shes looked into, very
proactive, orders tests to be safe even if chances are small that
something is wrong. But have your questions written down. I
sometimes forget to do this and there is always a little bit of a
rush and I can't remember everything. But she has been very
responsive when I call. As for same day appts I always get them
when needed no problem, but only once have I gotton Dr. Salsburg,
every other time I get either Martha Richards (I think it's
Richards) or Carolyn Conlin, both excellent nurse practioners. I
have had to do some waiting, but not every time. The NP's are more
on schedule than the doctors in my experience. My neighbors ped is
Kittams and she says she usually has to wait quite a while, but
says he is very thorough and takes lots of time with you. I have
spoken to Winnokur on the phone and she double checked a diagnosis
once, sharp and knows her stuff. Not especially motherly. The
childrens people are great, but don't expect them to always agree
with Kiwi, but they have always been friendly, helpful and
informative.
We had to switch from our first pediatrician (at Rainbow
Pediatrics) because of insurance issues. If I have any regrets
about this, its that sometimes I feel a little rushed. I only
notice this because our previous pediatrician never seemed rushed
and I never went home having forgotton an unwritten down question.
In the scheme of things it's a small complaint and I feel we are
getting quality and compassionate care.
anon
We've been using Dr. Winokur and Kittams office since my 13-
y.o. was born, and we've been very happy there. I cannot say
anything specific about the two newer physicians there, since
we have never seen them, but we do like the nurse practitioners
we've seen. We go to their San Pablo Ave office (near
MacDonalds close to Gilman) and rarely have to wait very long
in the waiting room (at least compared to my own doctor!).
Occasionally there is a longer wait, since there may be more
than the usual number of sick patients they have to fit in.
They always fit in sick kids that day. Overall, we love the
office, and find all the professionals competent and friendly,
and feel our concerns as parents are really listened to. We
have not been thrilled, however, with the Children's Hospital
advice line. We've only called a couple of times, and they
always end up sending us in to their emergency room (and we
have a fairly large co-pay for that). It seems they don't want
to take a chance of giving the wrong advice, and want a
physician to actually examine the child. Of course, this
always takes hours. It makes us reluctant to call them. That
is a downside.
R.K.
Hello,
We have been seeing the Dr's at Kiwi for two years (although not
Wang) with very happy results. Dr. Kittams was our son's main
Dr. in the beginning, but have actually opted to see either
Winokur or Salsburg instead for most checkups. Dr. Salsburg is
very friendly and welcoming and just a pleasant Dr. Our son
likes her, too! I'm not sure if vaccinations are an area of
''concern'' for you or not, but in regards to that she does offer
her advice but seems to respect your decision, too. (We have not
fully vaccinated.) We have had to have several referrals (to
Children's Hospital for inguinal hernias, allergy testing through
blood testing and have had no trouble getting the referral.
I've also used the advice line at Children's. They get back to
you quickly, according to the urgency of your child's situation
and have given helpful advice.
gldsbubba
We are devoted Kiwi patients. We came to Kiwi after a bad
experience with the big, and popular, Berkeley Pediatrics.
Though the facilities aren't that of the bigger snazzier
pediatric offices, the care is excellent! Any and all of the
doctors and nurses are fantastic. We love Robin (Dr.
Winokur) and Dr. Wong is amazing with kids, though he's
only around for the next year. Dr. Salsburg is great. Carolyn
and Martha are the nurse practitioners and we'll gladly see
them any time the doctors aren't available - in fact, we
usually see Carolyn for our well-child checkups. The front
office has improved markedly - Alcera and Ronda have
helped us out tremendously. And, the Advice line has been
literally a life saver for us. They will get you an urgent care
appointment after hours if you need it, so that you won't have
to wait in the long lines at the ER at Children's - an major
time saver. We recently had a lot of sickness at our house
(that darned RSV virus) and got to see all the Kiwi's in
action. Hope you have a positive experience too, if you
decide to join. Good luck.
Kiwi afficianato
Our pediatrician is Robin Winokur, but we have seen a lot of
Salsburg and Wang, both of whom are great. My baby is a year
old, and they are very sweet and attentive to her -- they relate
to her well and are quite kind. Salsburg has more experience
than Wang, but they are both good at answering all of my
questions (I usually have a lot of questions!) and taking as
much time with me and my baby as I feel I need. I think all of
the doctors at Kiwi are great and I recommend them without
hesitation.
Amy
We've been going to kiwi pediatrics since our son was born 16
months ago. We've seen all the providers at least twice and
have been really happy with all of them. Dr. Salzburg is
friendly, easy to talk to and VERY pro-breastfeeding (though I'm
quite sure she won't be judgemental if breastfeeding is not your
choice). Both times we saw her for well-baby check-ups, she
took lots of time with us and made sure that all our questions
were answered. We've seen Dr. Wang once for a well-baby visit
and once when our son spiked a big fever. Both times he was
very friendly and professional and took all the time we needed.
Our son really liked him, too. He's the newest doctor in the
practice, but he seems to know his stuff and he doesn't seem to
have any ego issues about asking the more experienced providers
for advice when he feels it's warranted. As far as your concern
about not being able to pick your provider for sick child
visits, that's not really something we worry about. We feel
equally comfortable with all the doctors (in fact, in the car on
the way home from our last appointment my husband and I were
talking about maybe picking a primary provider from the four of
them so that our son could get to know that person well, but we
couldn't decide which one we liked best). The last time our son
was sick, I called at 4:00 pm and the front office person
managed to get our son's chart from their Alcatraz Ave office to
their San Pablo office for an appointment at 5:30. About the
Pediatric Advice Line, I've only used it once but my experience
was good. The nurse was calm and helpful and then the next
morning Dr. Wang called to make sure everything was okay (even
though I had not requested that a doctor call back).
Kathryn
I have been taking my son to Drs. Winokur and Kittams for some
ten years and have been very happy with them. About long waits,
well, this can happy anywhere and it's generally better to go for
morning appointments if possible. But even for the afternoon,
most waits are no more than 10-15 minutes. Last time my son, now
13, was in for a check-up we saw Dr. Wang, a young man who had a
very relaxed and friendly manner and who seemed knowledgeable and
patient. I have only spoken to Dr. Salzburg over the phone about
a prescription, but she seemed very nice and pleasantly
practical. I would recommend the ''kiwi'' practice wholeheartedly.
Dianna
We take our 17-month-old to Kiwi Pediatrics, and we have had
nothing but good experiences there. We almost always go to the
San Pablo office, by the way. Dr. Winokur is our regular
pediatrician, and she is absolutely great -- a doctor who
listen to parents, but also makes direct contact with the
child. She never seems rushed in appointments, despite the busy
schedule. We do, however, always try to schedule our
appointments in the morning, preferably first thing, because
that way we won't run into back-up from earlier crisis
situations. Dr. Salzburg, whom we've also seen, is a gem: she
seems to be the one who does a lot of the call backs, and her
advice is always calm, sympathetic, and reasonable. The NPs in
the practice are also winners -- I think they have a group
ethos of listening well. The nurses in the office are good,
too: the one who has given most of the vaccines to our daughter
appears to have a velvet touch, since we get very little
crying. The off-hours hotline is good, though it's somewhat
frustrating that it's not available in the mornings before the
office opens. One last observation is that we chose this
practice because they seemed to be less judgemental and less
likely to hand down absolute doctrine than some of the others
we looked at. While they encourage vaccination, I've been told
they don't get too preachy if you want to defer some of the
controversial vaccines, and certainly, when our daughter had an
ear infection, there was no rush to dose her with antibiotics,
and she was able to recover on her own -- we liked that.
They've also been great about offering feedback that doesn't
feel judgemental on feeding, sleeping, and behavior issues.
Alexa
Oct 2002
We love Doctor Robin Winokur! We have had nothing but good
experiences with her, her staff, and her associates since we
started taking our newborn daughter there last year. The office
looks a little downmarket, and the hours are somewhat limited,
but I always get called back if I have a question, and the
doctors and n.p.'s in the practice are sympathetic and
supportive, willing to talk to the neuroses of new parents
without making us feel like ninnies. Plus, the nurse who has
given our daughter her shots is an artist -- she does it so
quickly and so skillfully that the baby hardly cries at all.
Alexa
We have been very happy with the pediatricians and
especially the nurse practitioners at Dr. Winokur and
Kittams' office on San Pablo Ave. near Harrison
(unfortunately right next to McDonald's). You could take the
bus or even walk from Solano and San Pablo. We had less
satisfying experiences at two other local practices, so we
have been thrilled that this one is working out well. The only
drawback is they don't start answering their phones until 10
a.m., and it's sometimes difficult to get seen with a sick
child until much later in the day if you call right at 10. The
receptionists are no more gruff than you'll typically find in
this area, and the nurse practitioners are really personable.
We've actually only seen the doctors for our physicals and
one or two sick visits, but I'm certain we could see a doctor
if we insisted.
Maria
Unfortunately, I didn't have nearly so positive an experience
with the Kittams/Winokur office as the two folks who commented
in the last letter. One post said that ''The
receptionists are no more gruff than you'll typically find in
this area...'' I, and my mom friend who also quit seeing them,
felt that one of the receptionists was particularly unhelpful and combative
even when the office wasn't particularly busy. For example, one time when
I brought my child into the grimy waiting room that is for both sick and
well kids, I went to the window to check in. When this woman did not turn
around from her filing after I stood there with a squirmy baby for a
while, I called out 'Excuse me!'' and gave our names. She turned
around slowly, walked over to
the window, pointed a six-inch fingernail toward the ceiling and
said ''Can't you read the sign?'' At the very top of the window
was a piece of paper with something like ''Back in a minute''
writen in fine ballpoint. I also must mention that I counted
that day and there were 14 separate signs posted all around her
window, most with an unfriendly tone. I spoke to the nurse
practioner, who we loved, about this incident. The next time we
came in, virtually all the signs had been taken down. However,
every visit there was some new rudeness to us or to
others in the lobby. I am still angry, because I bent over backwards
to be friendly, punctual, and considerate in my dealings with the
office staff to try to make it work, and they were just unbearable.
It is such a shame. Carolyn, the NP, was great with our baby, and
Robin answered questions I had on the phone in a very caring way.
Getting treated like a human at Berkeley Pediactrics now
Like a previous respondent to this question, I felt
uncomfortable taking my children to Dr. Kittams' office in
Albany. I found the clinicians to be caring and thorough, but
the receptionist's behavior made me feel uncomfortable about the
overall atmosphere of the office. Both on the phone and in
person, she tended to be combative--for instance, saying, ''we're
a business, not a charity'' when I brought my son in for his
immunizations, and challenging my belief that my one-year-old
needed to be seen one day when he was screaming as if in
terrible pain for over an hour, biting his hands to the point
that there were purple bite marks on them. I have felt much
more comfortable since switching pediatricians--my children now
see Dr. Perlman on Telegraph Ave in Berkeley, where it seems
that the receptionists are a bit more laid back and responsive
to parental concerns.
s.r.
I feel compelled to comment in regards to Dr. Kittams office. My
son was a patient of his for years and I have nothing but the
best to say about all of the doctors in that office as well as
the staff. Whenever I needed my child to be seen (emergenicies or
regular appointments) they were of the utmost help. His staff
was always helpful, courteous, and friendly. This also applies
to his Berkeley office. My child is older and is no longer a
paitent of Dr. Kittams, however, when asked for a pediatric
recommendation I always feel comfortable recommending him
and Dr. Winokour. By the way, I never felt uncomfortable with
them or their support staff. I don't believe that you can find
pediatricians who are more competent or caring.
A. H.
May 2002
Re: Pediatrician who has time for longer appts
We switched our Pediatrician to Robin Winokur recently. The office rarely has
anyone else in the waiting room and she spends a lot of time with us. The
other doctor in her office is not quite as alternative as she is, but he is
not bad. Her office is located on Alcatraz in Oakland. Janet Pearlman in
Oakland is also supposed to be good in terms of alternative medicine and
attachment parenting, but I do not know about spending much time. She is
open to interviews if you want to ask her. I hope this is helpful.
Benedicta
I would recomment Dr. Kittams (510)652-1720 on Alcatraz in Berkeley. He is wonderfull and
definitely takes the time to discuss all your concerns and is very patient and caring with
children. He never seems to be in a hurry, is full of down to earth advice and gives great
consideration to your peronal choises.
By far outranks all the other pediatricians I've had to deal with!
Lotte
We had the ''rushed doctor'' experience at Pediatric Medical Group, and we left mainly for that
reason. We are now with Drs. Winnokur and Kittams in Berkeley on San Pablo Ave. near Gilman. Both
the doctors and the physician's assistants take lots of time, yet I've never had too wait any longer
than I did at Pediatric Medical Group. In addition, the two doctors and physician's assistants I've
met were very personable and attentive to our needs.
We go to the practice of Robin Winokur and David Kittams. One thing I've really
appreciated about them is that they do take time with us at each visit. I have
never felt hurried by them and they always answer our questions, chat, etc. I have
also found that both of them are good about being friendly and playful in connecting
with my child, and also very patient during those times when she hasn't exactly
wanted to cooperate. Their office staff knows us by name, and if we call with
questions we get a call back from one of the doctors or nurse practitioners on the
same day. Finally, when we have needed to go in or just wanted to go in on the same
day because we had some concern, we have always been accomodated.
Suzanne
2001
Re: Limited Immunizations & Alternative Medicine
I have found Dr. Robin Winokur to be accepting of our decision to only
partially vaccinate (basically, we did tetanus only).
I gave her copies of the medical research papers on vaccination that I'd
read from very straight sources (like JAMA, for example), so that may have
helped her understand my position, (or atleast led her to realize that I
probably wasn't going to change my mind.) I don't think she agrees with
our decision, but she accepts it and hasn't pressured us to vaccinate once
it became clear that we were informed on the topic. The vaccination issue
aside, I feel very confident in Dr. Winokurs abilities and have been very
happy with her focus and attention during the office visits. When my 18
month old daughter got a terrible stomach flu on a Friday evening last
January, Dr. Winokur and her partner Dr. David Kittams, made
sure that the Children's Hospital advice line nurses knew about what was
happening with my daughter, and either Dr. Winokur or Dr. Kittams called
two or three times a day over the weekend to find out how my daughter was
doing.
Her
office is located on Alcatraz, just west of Adeline, less than a ten minute
walk from Ashby BART.
Go to Dr. Kittams/Dr. Winnokur! They're great. They applauded my having a homebirth,
and have been very flexible about vaccinations. They are on San Pablo Ave, between Gilman
and Marin, and the 72 bus stops about half a block from their front door. They and their two nurse practitioners are all EXCELLENT. Lael
As far as alopathic physicians go, I would recommend Robin Winokur. She was
very accepting of homebirth and came to our home for my son's first visit.
She is also tolerant of alternative viewpoints regarding vaccinations. She
gives her opinion, but supports you in making your own choices. My son was
seen by her for several years. Jody
Try Drs. David Kittams and Robin Winokur. Our homebirth midwives recommend clients to them. Our son ended up being born in a hospital, but we were supported in our intention for a homebirth. Our son is now nine months and we have yet to vaccinate. At every well-baby visit, the doctors have gone over the vaccination schedule and given their recommendations, but we've never had a problem when we responded, "Not today." They have two offices, at 1178 San Pablo/Gilman and 1744 Alcatraz, which are accessible by bus. The San Pablo phone number is 524-9400. The Alcatraz number is 652-1720.
Paul
I found Robin Winokur to be vaccination-flexible, though my questions had to
do with delaying them instead of not doing them at all. She definitely
thinks you should, and will say so, but doesn't pressure you too hard. Her
practice partner, David Kittams, will give you a VERY hard time. They have
two offices, one on Adeline a couple of blocks from the Ashby BART station.
The other is near San Pablo and Gilman, I think. Christine
I am glad to hear so many parents are happy with Dr. Winnokur and are able to
recommend her to others. She was also our home birth pediatrician, yet I
found Dr. Kittums very straightforward about not continuing the care for my
daughter due to my not vacinating her. I was very dissapointed and hurt, but
that was many years ago. Hopefully things have changed for the better at
their practice.
Oct 2000
Re: Need a new pediatrician
I've been happy with Robin Winokur. We decided to only partially vaccinate
(tetanus only), and I felt that Dr. Winokur was relatively open to that.
(I'm sure she'd rather us do all the vaccinations, but she didn't pressure
us, especially after I gave her copies of all the medical research papers
I'd read on various vaccinations...).
She has always taken time with our appointments, so I haven't had the sense
that she's just itching to get on to the next patient as is sometimes the
case with doctors. When I've had a question, I've gotten a return phone
call within an hour or so.
Heather 12/99
When I moved to Berkeley I had a really hard time finding a doctor, for my
16 month old, who was
supportive of our choice to not fully immunize and to use alternative
medicine. After much scrambling
around and getting over my naive shock I found Dr. Robin Winokur,
Hills Physicians, who I really like.
Shes very open minded, professional and has a good sense of humor. The only
draw back I've noticed is
having to wait, up to an hour once, which is very hard with a kid. I have
only heard of one other doctor
in the Berkeley area who will even see un immunized children, and sadly I
don't remember their name.
Dr.Winokur's number is 510.652.1720. She has 2 offices so you may want to
find out which one is closer
to you.
Alexandra (12/99)
I've been very happy with our pediatrician, Robin
Winokur, for the kinds of reasons you mentioned. She's
been very open about very limited immunizations and
waiting to begin the ones we chose; she answered my
questions clearly and didn't question my choice at
all. She's open to alternative medicine, and has
mentioned an alternative choice she had heard of at
least once, though that's not her expertise; her
practice is straight western medicine. She's smart,
and thinks things through for herself, instead of
going by the book. So I've felt like I've gotten good
information from her, and not the pressure that I've
felt from two other pediatricians to do things their
way. I also haven't felt the fear I've felt in other
doctors if I don't follow the standard protocol, maybe
fear that they'll be held liable or whatever. Robin
has given some good common-sense advice, when I've
asked, about feeding, sleeping, etc., but seems to
support all different points of view. When there was a
possibility of a serious problem with our child, she
talked it through with me, did some reading of her own
on the issue, and was supportive of a very
non-interventionist approach that I decided on, that
two other doctors had argued strongly and
threateningly against (and which turned out to be the
best thing). She's known to be a good diagnostician
when there is a real problem, which I think is due to
her intelligence and ability to look at things in a
fresh way. She's been very responsive on the phone
when I've had questions. She has two partners whom
I've also seen, David Kittams and Joli Niazi; they're
both very nice, but I've found neither of them to be
nearly as open nor as smart as Robin. So I just make
sure to make my appointments with her. Her office is a
little disorganized sometimes, but the staff is nice.
I've had to wait a little while, but usually not more
than a few minutes, and maybe once half and hour. She
has an office on San Pablo and Harrison, and another
on Alcatraz.
I know some people who take their children to the
Hahnemann Clinic, for homeopathy with Christine
Ciavarella, and who also see the medical doctors they
have on staff there. I don't know these doctors
personally, and I felt that I wanted to have a more
standard pediatrician, but you might want to check
there. I'm not sure if they could handle all the
medical things that might come up with a child or not.
But they would certainly have an understanding toward
alternative points of view there.
8/99
My daughter has gone to Kittams & Winokur since she was born. She is
now a healthy nine-year-old. I like both David Kittams and Robin
Winokur very much. I have my daughter's check-ups with Robin now so
that my daughter has the experience of having a woman doctor.
We go to the office on San Pablo near Gilman. The office is a little
funky, but the quality of the care more than makes up for it. We
haven't had any major illness or health problems, but we have gone in
on the weekend a couple of times when we had concerns. (Once my
daughter inhaled a plastic jewel the day before we were leaving on
vacation.) My daughter once had an unusual skin condition, but Robin
diagnosed it quickly. She said that it was only the fourth case that
she had ever seen.
Both David and Robin are friendly and warm and relaxed. And I don't
think that they over prescribed antibiotics, which I like. Before my
daughter was born, I did interview two other pediatricians, but I
chose Kittams and Winokur.
Pat 8/99
I don't have experience with Healthy Families, but do with two of the
pediatricians you mention: Drs. Winokur and Kittams. Both my children have
seen Dr. Winokur for the last 3 years and we have been very happy with her
care. She is calm, and down to earth, and always speaks directly to the
children first rather than the parents. I have always been impressed with
her thorough annual exams and good public health-type questions about, Do
you always wear your seat belt in the car? Do you have any guns in your
home, etc.? to the kids. I've seen Dr. Kittams -- her partner -- less
frequently, but also liked him. It can be a little frustrating to reach them
in an emergency because they work out of two offices, but Robin Winokur has
just given us her pager # on a couple occassions so we could get her
directly and not go through office staff. Good luck.
8/99
The staff in Drs. Winokur and Kittams's office is great. the are warm and caring,
and they always have time for your questions. I truly recommend Dr. Winokur.
8/99
Regarding the Pediatricians with the Healthy Families program: I had a very
positive experience with the Kittams/Winokur group. I only used them for
nine months when my son was a baby six years ago (my insurance changed and I
had to switch pediatricians) but I thought they were great. Bright,
open-minded, relaxed, attentive...very real people. My only complaint at
the time was somewhat long waiting times before being seen, but I think it's
because they spend a good amount of time with each patient. I would highly
recommend them!
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 09:31:44 -0800
From: Dianna
Re: South Berkeley pediatricians: I can heartily recommend Dr. Robin
Winokur, of Winokur and Kittams. They have an office on Alcatraz, just
off Adeline. Dr. Winokur is a wonderful doctor, knowledgable and relaxed,
fun for the kids.
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 11:51:40 -0800
From: Jon
About the Winokur and Kittems pediatrics practice, we started
with them when our daughter was born. I'm sure they're excellent
doctors but we transfered to Berkeley Pediatrics because we felt
that Winokur and Kittems were way overextended, being just two
doctors with two office locations. This is fixable, of course, but it's
something that should be considered when evaluating doctors
in general.
From: Elizabeth
To the person looking for a pediatrician,
I really like my daughter's, her name
is Robin Winokour and
she is located on Alacatraz Ave in Oakland,
her practice takes health net. She is very relaxed
and she even came to our home after our daughter was born
to do a newborn check up since our daughter was born at home.
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