FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do you have hospital privileges?

Our physicians have hospital privileges to care for newborns at Adventist Health Glendale and Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena. For admission of sick kids, we are affiliated with Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Huntington Memorial, where we stay in close contact with the pediatric hospitalists who care for our kids. 

Return to Top

Up until what age can we bring our kids to your office? 

We see established patients (infants, children, adolescents and young adults) from birth through their 23rd birthday. We see new patients until their 18th birthday. Please note that a parent, legal guardian or approved caregiver must always accompany any child less than 18 years of age to each appointment. Also, a parent or a legal guardian must accompany a child to their very first visit to Glendale Pediatrics.

Return to Top

Do you schedule Meet and Greet sessions?

We have paused on Meet and Greet sessions during the pandemic.

Return to Top

How do you schedule your appointments?

Same-day sick visits, follow-up appointments, and well child physical exams can be scheduled by calling our office at (818) 246-7260. If your appointment is non-urgent, you may also leave an appointment request via portal message. When scheduling these appointments, please inform our staff of the complexity of your visit so that appropriate time can be scheduled.

Our physical exams are often scheduled weeks or months in advance. If you need a physical exam for your child earlier than we can routinely schedule, we can place your child on our waiting list to call in the event of a patient cancellation. 

Return to Top

Are you open on weekends?

Yes. We are open on Saturday mornings (from 9-11am) for urgent same-day visits. We do not prebook these visits. If your child has been sick and you feel he/she needs to be seen before Monday, call us on Saturday morning at 9 am to schedule. We try to accommodate our sick patients as best we can, so the wait times can be longer than during the week. Please note that we do not have an advice nurse available on Saturday morning. We do not accept walk-in appointments.

Return to Top

Do you accept walk-ins?

We do not accept walk-in visits. Please call to schedule an appointment.

Return to Top

Do you have same-day appointments?

We start every day with open appointments for urgent visits. If your child requires urgent attention, we will work hard to accommodate you. Please call that morning at 8:45am to speak to one of our staff members to schedule a same-day appointment. 

Return to Top

Is there a nurse we can talk to?

During Monday through Friday business hours, we have licensed nurses to help you with your questions and concerns. All have many years experience, both as nurses and as parents themselves. They can give advice, help you decide if you need an appointment, communicate with your physician and obtain laboratory and radiology results.

Return to Top

What if I need a refill of a prescription?

If you need a medication refilled, please call your pharmacy first to request a refill. They will contact us directly if you are out of refills. Please give us at least 2 business days for regular medication refills. If your child is on a controlled substance (some ADHD medications, for example), please give us at least 5 business days. Please note that we do not refill prescriptions after office hours.

Return to Top

Do you call in medications over the phone (after hours and on weekends)?

Please note that it is our office policy not to call in medication prescriptions over the phone after hours and on weekends. Please call during regular business hours.

Return to Top

What happens if I call after hours?

If you call after hours, you will be given a list of options. Messages left on our general mailbox will be returned the next business day. You may also follow the prompts on the message to page the doctor on call. 

Return to Top

Will we be able to see our primary physician for all appointments?

We will always try to give you an appointment with the doctor of your choice, but sometimes this is not possible. We suggest that you book your next well child appointment when you check-out. Otherwise, please call well in advance. When your child’s doctor is out of the office or has no availability that fits with your schedule, we will offer you an appointment with one of the other doctors so that your child can be seen on a timely basis.

Return to Top

Do you double-book appointments?

We do not double-book appointments, as this increases waiting time and is unfair to our patients. However, we occasionally need to have patients come in immediately - for example, an asthmatic child in respiratory distress - but we book out time to catch up whenever feasible. We try hard to stay on schedule as best is possible, though this can be very difficult. Please understand that if you are waiting, it is generally because of an unpredictable situation that has caused us to fall behind schedule. We pride ourselves on providing excellent care at all times, even when it's inconvenient. Should you ever need it, we will give you and your child that time and care as well. 

Return to Top

What is your cancellation policy?

We ask that you give us 24 hours notice for cancellations so that we can fill the appointment time. Please note that there is a charge for no-shows and late cancellations.

Return to Top

What happens when we arrive late?

If you arrive too late, your appointment time has passed. Late patients are the most common reason that we get behind. While we will try to do what we can accommodate late patients, they may need to be rescheduled.

Return to Top

How do I send in a form or document?

You can upload forms to our portal, fax to 818-502-9247, or send it in the mail. 

Return to Top

Do you take our insurance?

We are contracted with multiple PPO health insurance plans. Please confirm with the membership department for your specific health plan. You may contact our staff members to obtain our tax ID number if it is requested by your health plan.

Return to Top

What are your thoughts on immunizations?

We believe immunizing your child is the most important step you can take to avoid the preventable infectious diseases of childhood. We endorse the current schedule of vaccines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Answers to many commonly asked vaccine questions can be viewed at the websites listed below. 

We require your child to have at least one MMR vaccine and one DTap vaccine to be a patient at Glendale Pediatrics. We would be happy to discuss this policy with you in person. We also schedule influenza vaccine clinics throughout the flu season.

Return to Top

What are your thoughts on circumcision?

Circumcision is rarely a medically necessary procedure, and there are several pros and cons. Most parents make decisions about male infant circumcision based on their personal beliefs. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a policy statement suggesting that there is some moderate health benefit of circumcision but not enough to recommend routine circumcision for all infant males. At parents' request, we perform newborn circumcisions in the hospital (Adventist Health Glendale only) or in the office for infants two weeks and younger. We use local anesthetic for pain control.

Return to Top

What are your thoughts about antibiotics?

Most childhood infections are caused by viruses. Viral infections do not resolve or improve with antibiotics. Some bacterial infections will resolve equally quickly without antibiotics. Certain infections require antibiotics to get better, and for those, it is extremely important to complete the prescribed course. 

Return to Top

Our Location

Find us on the map