Seasonal illnesses, allergies, broken bones, sprains, scrapes, and eating too much or too little, are all the stuff childhood is filled with. As new parents, we are told to keep a close eye on our children’s physical, social, and speech development. Then, there are all the different benchmarks we’re supposed to compare our kids to in hopes of catching any issues as early as possible.
Supporting our littles in all of these areas of health can be overwhelming, stressful, and sometimes scary. However, having the right pediatrician on your family’s care team can make managing these concerns much easier. Keep reading to find out what to look for in a pediatrician, a breakdown of your options for Terre Haute Pediatricians, and some tips on how to pick just the right doctor for your kiddo.
What to Look for in a Pediatrician
When starting your search for your child’s doctor, it’s important to know what, exactly, you’re looking for. Here are a few key factors to consider as you weigh the options:
Proximity: How close to home is the doctor you’re interested in? The ideal pediatrician has offices either in the same city you live in or a closely neighboring one. When your kid has an urgent health concern that doesn’t warrant a trip to the emergency room, it’s important to know that your go-to medical professional is just a few minutes away. Be sure to keep your search radius small, even if that means you have a smaller number of doctors to choose from.
Experience: How much and what kind of experience do you want your child’s doctor to have? Are you a parent who needs the reassurance of a seasoned, veteran of the pediatrics field? Do you want a younger, newer doctor who is more likely to stay with your child from birth all the way to adulthood? Additionally, if your child has a condition or health concern that will need ongoing monitoring by their pediatrician, it’s important to find a doctor who has knowledge and expertise in treating that specific condition.
Reputation: Does the doctor you’re interested in come highly recommended by your family members, friends, neighbors, or physician? While reputation certainly isn’t everything, word-of-mouth recommendations can help you determine if a doctor’s personality and practice will be a good fit for your family. People are generally pretty willing to speak about the healthcare providers they are happy with.
Office Operations: How does the doctor’s office work? Will your child see just one doctor or multiple doctors within the same practice? If your doctor is unavailable to see your child, are there other physicians who can fill-in? You’ll want to find out if their office accepts last-minute or same-day appointments, how long their typical wait times are, and if the doctor or nurses are available to answer questions or address concerns between your child’s scheduled appointments.
Terre Haute Pediatricians: Local Options
With all that in mind, keep reading for a run-down on all the Terre Haute local Pediatricians. There are two pediatric groups in Terre Haute and both have great doctors on staff.
Midwest Child & Adolescent Specialty Group
Dr. Maria Lily Vasco Dela Cruz has been a board-certified pediatrician since 1996 and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She cares for infants, children, and adolescents. Dr. Dela Cruz has privileges at both Terre Haute Regional Hospital and Union Hospital in Terre Haute, accepts 40 different insurances, and has won multiple awards for being a patients’-top-choice pediatrician. Dr. Lily, as she is known to her patients, is known for her trusted diagnoses, kind and caring bedside manner, and for taking the time to speak with and understand each family she cares for.
Dr. Pablito Dela Cruz has also been a board-certified general pediatrician since 1996. Additionally, he has been a board-certified neurologist, with a special qualification in child neurology, since 1997. Accepting 37 different insurances, he provides care for infants, children, and adolescents. He also has an active neurophysiology practice with a special interest in neuromuscular disorders. Like Dr. Maria Lily Vasco Dela Cruz, he has privileges at both Terre Haute Regional Hospital and Union Hospital. Dr. Dela Cruz, or Dr. Lito as he is known to his patients, has a reputation for trusted diagnoses, really listening to his patients, and always looking for the source of his patients’ problems. Click here to learn more.
Union Medical Group Downtown
Dr. Elizabeth Pino has been working in pediatrics since 1992. She is board-certified and accepts 39 different insurances. Dr. Pino has largely positive reviews from her patients. She is known for being direct, focused, and conscientious about patient care, providing appropriate follow-up when necessary.
Dr. Philip Reed has been working in the medical field since 1988. He is a board-certified pediatrician and accepts 40 different insurances. Again, Dr. Reed has largely positive feedback from his patients. His practice is known for the ease of scheduling, on-time appointments, trusted diagnoses, and how thoroughly Dr. Reed explains conditions and treatments.
Dr. Maureen Crispin has been working in medicine since 2013. She is a board-certified pediatrician who accepts 27 different insurances. Her practice is known for on-time appointments, friendly staff, trusted diagnoses, and accurate diagnoses.
Nurse Practitioner Danielle DeGroote has been licensed to practice in Indiana since 2011. She has almost exclusively positive feedback from her patients. DeGroote is known for clearly explaining all treatment options, thoroughly answering questions, and providing appropriate follow-up care. Her patients describe her as kind, patient, and knowledgeable.
Dr. Anna Elder is the newest pediatrician practicing at Union Medical Group in Terre Haute. She has been a board-certified pediatrician since 2017. While she is still building her reputation, that doesn’t mean Dr. Elder couldn’t be the right fit for your child. For more information on her patient care, call and speak with a scheduler for the Union Medical Group Downtown office. Click here to learn more.
Choosing the Right Pediatrician for Your Family
While there aren’t any bad choices for Terre Haute pediatricians, some doctors on this list will be a better fit for you and your littles than others. Book an appointment once you’ve decided on one doc you’re most interested in, but don’t think your search has ended just yet. At that first meeting, you’ll have the opportunity to speak with the doctor, get a feel for their office environment, and evaluate whether this person is someone you trust to look after the health of your kiddo.
Here are my top tips for feeling out your child’s doctor at that first appointment:
Ask questions.
If you have already made major decisions about your child’s care plan, like sleep training, co-sleeping, taking extra time between vaccinations, etc., make sure your doctor is able and willing to support you in those plans. If you have any specific concerns about your child’s health, ask the physician about their experience with similar concerns. If it’s on your mind, ask.
Trust your gut.
More than just finding a competent, professional pediatrician, searching for the right physician for your child should also be about finding someone you trust, like, understand, and connect well with. Their personality, communication style, and overall bedside manner with both you and your little ones should help relieve your parental stress, not add to it. Give yourself permission to keep looking at other doctors if you don’t have a good feeling about the first one you meet.
Remember that it’s okay to change your mind!
It’s never too late to seek a second opinion! Even after you’ve chosen a pediatrician, you are not locked in for life. If at any point your circumstances change, your child’s health needs change, the quality of the practice declines, or anything else gives you reasons to look for care elsewhere, you are free to do so! You know your child’s needs better than anyone else, so always reserve the right to move on to a different doctor if necessary.
I hope these tips and options for local Terre Haute pediatricians help you find just the right doctor for your kiddo. Littles are only little for a little while! So, it’s important to minimize our parental stress wherever we can; that way we can enjoy creating all those tiny, day-to-day memories that make childhood so special.
For help holding on to those little memories a little longer, reach out to me to discuss an in-home photography session for your family. I specialize in capturing the authentic connection between littles and their families. Take a look at my family photo galleries to start imagining what I can do to document this fleeting moment in your family’s life.
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