I need some advice since I'm fed up with Jeffers and Mann pediatrics. I took my son there yesterday. We waited in the waiting room for 10 minutes...not too bad since they have the train tables. Then we waited for 50 minutes in a window-less exam room for the doctor. She was there for 5 minutes to diagnose an ear infection. I'm sorry but that's unacceptable in my opinion. My three and four year old boys were going crazy. This isn't the first time this has happened eather. We had the same problem at Raleigh Ped's in Garner. Does anyone know/love their kid's doctor and could give a recommendation? Thanks!
Unfortunately, this kind of wait can happen at any practice including adult doctor offices. I go to Raleigh Peds. in Garner and have had to wait in the exam room on occasion but never 50 minutes. There must have been a sick child whose parents called at the last minute for him/her to be seen and it put the whole schedule out of whack. If you switch, you are going to find that this happens everywhere. All it takes is the doctor to get off schedule, unfortunately.
That is why I make my appointments as close to opening time and the time they return from lunch as I can. They cant get tooo far behind by my appointment time. (usually)
We actually all go to a family practice dr. Our experience has always been better at family practice, versus pediatrician.
Hmm. I wonder if different doctors are different at Garner Peds. We see Dr. Hunt and love, love her. I've noticed for sick visits we rarely have much of a wait. Maybe 5 minutes out front and 10 to 15 in the back. For well check-ups I've had to wait longer, so like LJK I always try to schedule them first thing in the morning. I know they keep appts. open during each day for sick visits, so maybe they put priority over those versus well check-ups? I don't know, that's just been my experience.
That's what we do too. Love Horizon and never had a problem. Only once or twice have had to wait, and that's usually because one is out of town on vacation or something like that, and they get backed up.
Dr.Mary Capps at Growing Kids Peds on US70,My kids have been going there since they are born.Never had to wait to long.Also very nice doctors and Staff.
Like I said earlier, you are going to find a wait anywhere you go. I have been taking my children to Garner Peds. for 6 years and my wait is always minimal. The longest time in an exam room was 20 minutes to wait and get blood test results. I like taking my kids to a pediatrician versus a family doctor (not that a family doctor doesn't know what they are doing) however, sometimes pediatricians have a little more extensive training in the illnesses of children. After completing medical school, a lot of family docs only have 6 months of intensive training on children's medicine during their residency. Where as a pediatrician has the full 3 years of their residency only focusing on children. That makes me feel pretty good about choosing a pediatrician over a family doctor. But of course all this depends on how good and interested your doctor is.
In response to Brownsule - I used to take my kids to a pediatrician in Cary, and was finding they were wrong with their diagnosis' quite a few times, and I had to keep going back...I ended up changing to the family dr my husband was going to in Clayton (Horizon), and that doesn't happen anymore, plus it's a lot closer. One thing I will say though, I don't care for the nurse practioner, so we just don't see her anymore, but the doctors there are fantastic! It's also nice being able to have the whole family go there, my husband sees one dr (the one his mother sees, he knows the family history) and me and the kids all see the other one.
My entire family goes to Horizon also. The kids love Dr. Harris and all of the nurses. He never talks to me like I am stupid. I like it when a doctor seems to realize that I know my child better than anyone.
I'm glad that you are happy at Horizons. I would have left if a pediatrician or a family doctor was making wrong diagnosis' also. But just because there is a bad pediatrician in Cary, it doesn't dispute the argument I made earlier. I have had fantastic luck at Garner Peds. In 6 years, never a wrong diagnosis. I still feel better taking my kids to a pediatrician. And I am extremely picky, if I had repetitive problems with any pediatrician or any other doctor for that matter, I would be out of there!
I have to agree, you can encounter that anywhere. My kids go to a ped in Cary because that's where we lived when my first son was born. I love them and don't mind the drive because I really trust them. I've been on the waiting end a few times...never 50 minutes. But I've also been the cause of others having to wait--well not me but my son!! He had a severe allergic reaction to the chicken pox vaccine. When the ambulance came and they were taking him out on the stretcher I heard one parent say "see that's why you should just go to the ER instead of wasting time here." I didn't say anything to her because my son was more important.....but sometimes you can't help emergencies that happen while you are in the doctor's office. I'm not condoning waiting 50 minutes. I would have walked out and asked if they knew what was going on. I had a friend that was forgotten at a doc office!!! I told her she was crazy, I won't wait more than 30 minutes in an exam room before asking questions. I'm not rude, there's a way to go about it and as the patient you have every right to know what is going on. I also agree, I'd rather my kids go to a ped than a family doc but I think that's just a matter of personal preference.
lissa27504- I think you're right, it definitely is a matter of personal preference. My logic is.....I don't want a pap smear or pelvic done at my internal medicine doc, I'd rather be at my gynecologists office. I don't want a skin exam at my regular doc, I would go to the dermatology office. Etc. Etc. Well, I feel the same about my kids, a pediatrician focuses just on kids. But, hey, to each their own.
I have been taking my kids to Kids Care Pediatrics since my oldest was born 8 years ago. They have two offices - one in Smithfield and one at 40/42. We have rarely had to wait more than five minutes in the waiting room or exam room. They make same day sick visits and the waiting time is the same for them. Our doctor is Dr. Tetreault and she is wonderful - I really like that she takes the time to talk to you and answer all your questions rather than try to rush you out for the next patient. Can't say much about the others as we haven't seen them - which I like that they keep you with the same doctor when possible. We have seen the PA a few times for sick visits when the doctor was not working that day and have been happy with them as well.
We go to Carolina Kids which is located across the road from Rex Hospital. We have been with them since my daughter was born 8 years ago.
We left Clayton Peds ( Jeffers & Mann ) for the same exact reason. I could certainly understand having a long wait occasionally as emergencies do occur. However, we had a long wait every single time we went ( and we were going a lot with a newborn baby ). We switched back to Garner Peds. We had been with Garner Peds with our first child but they stopped taking our insurance and that is why we went to Clayton to begin with. We have been back at Garner Peds for a couple of years now and have had absolutely no problems!
To add to the complaints in the doctor's thread ... One time I went in for a regular appointment and waited in the waiting room for 30 minutes. Then I got in the exam room. Because I wasn't feeling well, I fell asleep. I woke up ... TWO HOURS LATER. Obviously no one had come in or they would have woken me up. I poked my head out the door and they had completely forgotten I was there. Then I had to wait another hour for a doctor. I left that office shortly after. This was at Clayton Medical. I switched to Horizons. I was happy there and I will return, but right now I mainly see a specialist for my Lyme Disease.
