We have been with this pediatric practice since my 11-year-old son was born, so writing this review…read moregenuinely makes me sad.
When we first started seeing Dr. Julie, I admittedly hesitated because she did not have children of her own. She reassured me that she had practically raised her younger brother and understood what it was like to care for a child. At the time, that reassured me. Eleven years and four children later, my perspective has changed. I believe there is a level of responsibility, research, and decision-making that comes with actually being a parent that is difficult to fully understand until you are one.
I also say this as a post-2020 mom whose children were completely vaccinated according to the recommended schedule for years. It wasn't until my oldest turned 11 that I began asking more questions and deciding that I wasn't necessarily comfortable automatically following every recommendation or the standard vaccine schedule without doing my own research and making those decisions individually for my children.
After 11 years with this practice, we were dismissed because of those decisions.
That was incredibly disappointing. We have loved Christina and Amanda over the years, which makes leaving even harder. However, I ultimately believe it is for the best if the practice cannot respect a parent's right to make informed medical decisions for their own children, even when those decisions differ from the practice's recommendations.
Despite being patients for 11 years, we also very rarely actually saw Dr. Julie. I believe we saw her only once or twice when my oldest was an infant or toddler. The overwhelming majority of our care was provided by others in the practice.
What disappoints me most is how easily a longstanding relationship with a family can be ended over a difference in medical decision-making. A pediatrician can strongly recommend something, explain the evidence, discuss risks and benefits, and disagree with a parent's decision. But I believe there should still be room for respectful conversation and individualized care.
After 11 years, I never expected our relationship with this practice to end this way. I'm sad to leave people we genuinely cared about, but I also want my children to receive care from a practice where questions are welcomed and parents are treated as partners in making decisions for their children.
Edited to share response: yelp star lowered because I feel like this was not a genuine response but an attempt to continue backing her position as Jt doesn't not address the crux of my issue
My response to her as I believe my number has been blocked since.
Thank you for reaching out. I appreciate you taking the time to respond, and I do want to clarify something because I don't think the main point of my review came across the way I intended.
My concern wasn't that you were unwilling to answer questions or have a conversation with me about vaccines. I don't doubt that you are willing to discuss vaccine concerns with parents, and I understand why you didn't personally call me when I had already said I didn't want another conversation about a decision I had made.
My concern is what happens *after* that conversation when a parent ultimately makes an informed decision that differs from the practice's policy. There is a difference between being willing to hear a parent's concerns and being willing to continue providing individualized care when that parent's decision doesn't align with the practice's recommendation.
After 11 years with the practice, that is the part that was disappointing to me. I wasn't asking anyone to agree with my decision or change their medical opinion. I was simply making a healthcare decision for my children, knowing that it differed from your recommendation. The fact that this resulted in our children being dismissed from a practice they had been with essentially their entire lives is what I was addressing in my review.
I also think some of my disappointment comes from the fact that despite being with the practice for 11 years, we had very little relationship with you personally because we so rarely saw you. We did, however, develop relationships with Kristine and Amanda, whom we genuinely love and will miss.
I completely understand that you have the right to establish policies for your practice, just as I have the right to make decisions for my children. Ultimately, those two things are no longer compatible, and I accept that. But my review was meant to explain why, from a parent's perspective, the way an 11-year relationship ended was disappointing and why I would prefer a practice that allows more room for individualized care even when a parent's informed decision differs from the practice's recommendation.
