I just got my fillings in and I wanted to point out that Amy, Stephenie, Dr. Facer, and a few other names I didn't catch are all awesome! They're super chill and they have their hearts out for all their clients. They even remember all their clients which I find awesome. I don't know how this place only has 3.5 stars (my guess is Karens) since they really are great here. Easy 5 stars. read more

We joined SOCPA after 2 years at another office that was unable to give consistent and adequate care for our autistic son. We've seen every physician in this office and they're all on the same page and treat our family with respect. We applaud their active stance on vaccinating children and their open approach to helping parents understand the science behind our children's health. Since having a second child, they've been so accommodating to get them both in at the same time for annual appointments and are incredibly approachable when we need some extra TLC. I'm so thrilled that we switched. read more

We love this place! We been with SOCPA since my first born 13 years ago. Dr. Chu and Kenneth are our favorites but all their other doctors are wonderful. Both of our kids are their patients and we always feel well taken care of and welcomed at the offices. Even though we leave far from them I still will make the drive because they are worth. My kids get the best pediatric care from them always. read more

I do not recommend this office due to their scheduling mistakes and inability to rectify them. After the first incorrect appointment, I came back for a second time with my 2-year-old daughter. We waited for 30 min, only to be told that they had made another mistake--the doctor was actually at a different office. I was advised to either reschedule for a third visit or wait an additional 1 hour to possibly see another doctor. This is absolutely unacceptable. Keeping a 2-year-old child waiting in an office for 1.5 hours for an appointment that was scheduled in advance is very frustrating. Parents have responsibilities, and children have needs like eating, etc. When a parent comes to an appointment, they do not expect to wait 1.5 hours due to errors in scheduling. read more

I came on yelp to find a pediatric specialist and when our pediatrician's office showed up in the search results I was shocked to see 3.5 stars. What a shame. We have been coming here for over 7 years and I have never had a bad experience. The doctors have been kind, knowledgeable, and understanding. The front desk is professional and courteous. They can always get us in for a same day sick appointment and they never keep us waiting. My kids are excited to come here because they know the doctors are nice and they'll leave with a sticker. I'm sorry I didn't write a review sooner. Than you for the quality care you have given my family all these years. read more

We have had nothing but excellent care. At the Lake Forest office. We have Dr. Chu who is terrific. He has seen our son through different things over the years. We also have at the Ladera Ranch, Dr. Jenna Timboe. We have seen several other doctors who are also very good within this pediatric group. I give them high recommendation as a mom with a child with multiple medical issues. They are truly fantastic doctors who are knowledgeable and have great bedside manners as well. Their staff is excellent. read more

We have gone to a few of the offices and the lake forest office is okay. The Ladera Ranch office has some nice and helpful, but over worked doctors. The front office staff at Ladera Ranch is hit or miss. One visit super helpful and kind people. On another occasion we received a cryptic call about a serious medical issue my on the spectrum daughter deals with and the front desk lady laughed at my request to ask the doctor to send a message to the specialist. I had no idea the doctors here are unwilling to contact specialists working with their patients. If you have a child on the spectrum, I do not recommend this group. They are not up for caring for neurodivergent kids. Healthy kids that need a check up are fine here. read more

We switched from a larger pediatrician chain to this office and have been absolutely thrilled with it so far. The staff here is courteous and helpful, the doctors are top notch, and it is easy to get quick appointments. Highly recommended! read more

Dr. Jenna Timboe and the entire SOCPA team are incredible! With three little ones, we have interacted with just about every provider in the group...and I have nothing but raves reviews! Their kindness, genuine care, and their dedication to pediatric medicine is evident from the moment you call to schedule your first newborn visit! As an RN myself, I am extra critical of physicians...and this group meets and exceeds every expectation I have as both a healthcare provider and mother! Thank you to Dr. Timboe for always going the extra mile for our family! We love you and the entire SOCPA team! read more

I was waiting for 25 minutes for Dr Katherine Williamson , after that long period a nurse came over to let us know that Dr Katherine won't be able to see us due to an emergency . They should handle the situation a lot better, with a baby of three months old , 1 hour waiting is a looonng period. I won't came back again to this office. read more

We absolutely love our Doctor, Dr. Mersch. He's the best. Our daughter had a heart issue in-utero, and when I googled it, Dr Mersch had written the most shared and up to date analysis of that exact issue on google. Amazing to know that your doctors are keeping super up to date. Cannot recommend the Doctors enough. The scheduling is HORRIBLE. Being a busy two working parent family, it does not work for us to leave messages with an answering service and have them call us back 24 - 72 hours later. It's horribly slow and I inevitably miss the call back when I'm in a meeting. Get with the times. Internet scheduling is extremely easy for you to set up. I would give this place 5 stars for professional staff and 1 star for customer service. The doctors are the most important thing, which is why I settled at 4. read more

Dr. Ball has been my daughter's pediatrician since birth, and I can't say enough good things about Dr. Ball and the SOCPA practice. While I don't always get Dr. Ball when we come in for a last minute visit, the other doctors are stellar, as well as the nurses. Dr. Mersch is fantastic, and nurse Melody Mitchell always makes us smile even when we're in there not feeling so great. They are thorough and kind, inspire trust and giggles. My daughter never minds going to the doctor, and I know I'll be a bit sad when she eventually transitions out of a pediatric office and into an adult-focused practice. read more

I really love Dr. Yson-Zaragosa but cannot go back because of my high balance. The office staff is great, from front desk to nurses to the Doctor herself. The billing department really needs help! That's why there are a lack of stars. read more

Have brought both my kids here for the last 4yrs they are kind and always make our visit pleasant. Lance and Dr Ball are the best. read more

Southern Orange County Pediatric Associates - Filling a little sick - Pediatricians Near Me - Ladera Ranch, California

Have been going to this office for over 5 years and have probably seen ever doctor by now. They are all wonderful, I've never felt like they were rushing me through the appointment. The staff also does a great job handling a busy client load. Dr. Williamson is our main doctor and she is so kind and patient. read more

I like the doctors but this office never pick up the phone, it is nearly impossible to schedule an appointment just by calling in. I always end up playing phone tag with the office, which makes it hard when you are a working mom. I need to find another doctor office. read more

Dr. Lo and all the staff at Southern Orange County Associates are absolutely amazing. I highly recommend this doctor and the other doctors is affiliated with this practice. Dr. Lo always takes care of my boys and respect mine and my husband's wishes for how we would like our sons to be cared for. He is very honest on what we should be doing with our boys procedure wise, action plans for specific care, and even offers authentic parenting advice using his own children and his experiences as a parent for examples. I could go on and on with how wonderful they all are. The nurses and front desk staff are amazing and make us feel welcome. read more

The doctors are always changing in this particular office, which makes it extremely difficult to have a long lasting relationship with the doctor. every year we see a different doctor. On top of that, it is almost impossible to make an appointment for annual check up. you can only leave a message and hoping someone would call you back. I let a message on Tuesday and someone called me back on Thursday (two days later) while I was away, and I left two more messages again and still no one called me back. And sometimes, I could not even leave a message for their future scheduling message line because the message box is FULL! read more

We have been seeing Dr Mersch for 16 years now! He is the only pediatrician we have had for our 6 children. We have watched the practice grow and change but the quality of care has remained constant. Dr Mersch is amazing with his patients....talks TO them and treats them with such respect. My children, from the 16 year old to the 3 year old, feel comfortable with him, and so do I!!! read more

My son gets strep throat once or twice every year. He knows what it feels like and can tell us for certain when he has it. I took him to the doctor and Melody Mitchell, nurse practitioner saw him. Request a real doctor! They took a strep test, they said it was negative, I informed them it was negative the last time and after it came back from the lab he was positive, he had white puss on his tonsils, pain in his throat, upset stomach, no appetite, low grade fever, she refused to give antibiotics, we took him straight to another doctor after leaving the office, just a few hours later, all the combined symptoms were seen at the second doctor and they received a positive strep test on site, no doubt, had strep. Don't see this doctor here, a complete waist of time and money, she explained she was a DO homeopathic doctor that rarely gives prescription medicine, my kid is a strong athletic kid in tip top shape, when he says he's hurting and can't go to school, he's sick, they failed to take the overall overwhelming evidence and his long standing medical history of strep into account and sent us home with no prescription at all, not acceptable. He has had strep for 6 years since n a row and third trip to this doctor with positive strep either first test or after it came back from lab. read more

Pros; - Great doctors - Great bedside manner Cons; - rude support staff - long hold times - they hang up on you read more

My children have been coming here for years and we are always welcomed very nicely! The rooms are always clean as are the waiting rooms. The dr.'s all have electronic tablets that have all your children's records on them so they don't have to flip through paperwork to review your child's history. If your child needs a prescription they send it electronically to the pharmacy so you don't have to take it in. I have and continue to refer friends to this practice! read more

First, let me say that I love our doctor, Dr. Ball. He has always been great. That said, the office is awful, particularly if you require after hours care. We were referred to KidsDoc with our 2 month old baby. My review of KidsDoc deserves a post of it's own, but suffice to say I will not be returning. Ever. When we next needed help, I called and was told KidsDoc was my only option. I told them I didn't use KidsDoc and was told by the exchange that it was my only choice other than the ER. I was fuming. I emailed Dr. Ball and expressed my frustration and explained that I would be leaving as I refuse to return to KidsDoc. Dr. Ball told me I always had the option of talking to a SOCPA doctor and I agreed to stay. Tonight, I needed to talk to a doctor regarding my son and the exchange doctor gave me the same story regarding KidsDoc. I told her I was told I could speak to a doctor anytime and while she eventually connected me, both she and the on call doctor acted extremely put out. I suppose it would be a fine practice if you had older children or were not a first time parent, but for us, the after hours options are beyond unacceptable. read more

We have been taking our boys here for 5 years and have had nothing but wonderful experiences there. 4 of the 5 years we have lived in Lake Elsinore which means a 45 minute drive over the 74 to get to there. The staff has always been courteous and both of our boys feel very comfortable with the staff. read more

I couldn't be happier with this practice. We started coming here 3 years ago when we moved to Ladera, and the staff is so friendly and caring. We love Dr. Ball- One of my sons has high functioning autism, which requires a lot of communication with our provider. Dr. Ball is nothing but helpful, and in my opinion goes above and beyond what is expected to make sure my son has the accommodations he needs. We are in the office often since my youngest is only 1. I also love their after hours care Monday through Thursday, as well as their Saturday hours. Makes it super convenient for those inconvenient times when a child gets sick. read more

We love going to see Dr. Ball and all the staff at Socal pediatric ...We are comfortable with all the staff and feel that each person we work with really takes the time to answer our questions and cares for our family.... read more

Dr. Ball is hands down the best pediatrician our family has seen! That is saying a lot being that we've gone through 5 pediatricians since our son was born less than 4 years ago. We never have to wait more than 5 minutes at this office, the doctor comes into the room immediately, and he is super patient with answering all of our questions. Our children love him and so do we! We highly recommend to anyone seeking a pediatrician!! read more

Dr Ball is knowledgeable, compassionate and patient. We take our 2 and 4 year old here, and will when our 3rd arrives. I'm a physician too and feel lucky to have found such a great office. read more

We've been coming to SOCPA since my daughter was born. We love the doctors and staff.

Our pediatrician is great but it's close to impossible to get a same day sick appointment to any of their offices. This is the third time my child has been sick and they tell me they are all booked for the day. read more

Let me start with, I love our pediatrician here Dr. Williamson. We went in for a sick appointment and took the first available doctor, who we have seen before and who isn't known for his bedside manner (which I typically don't need much of), my 16 month old had a rash on his body and what we thought was a teething rash around his mouth and on his face. He had just started daycare and the doctor never mentioned it could be HFM, but just said it's probably viral and no longer contagious, nothing to worry about, which put me at ease. Within minutes of leaving, I began to experience flu like symptoms (full body ache, chills, fever) and the next day both my 3 month old and I also had HFM on our hands and feet. I called the office nurse line to see if there is anything I can do and was told "It will go away eventually (obviously), there isn't anything we can give you, and I hope you have a nice weekend (not what I needed to hear with 2 little ones and myself with HFM)". I expected a little more from this office I have loved so much in the past and am extremely disappointed in the handling of the situation and the condescending tone of the nurse we spoke with. read more

Seriously I call to talk to a dr or nurse after hours and I'm told she will call u right back well after hours are closed and still no call. Can't say this is the first time but seriously ridiculous I would not recommend you using this dr office if you want doctors that actually care about your kids cause these doctors do not. They tell u to go home and give them Tylenol.... Really read more

Love this place. The first time I came, over one year ago, my baby was about to be born and we met our Doctor to ask questions, Dr. Ball. He is very friendly and honest, and we loved hearing that he gets to see his kids as much as he sees ours. Meaning, thanks to the schedule of the practice, all the Doctors at SOCPA have limited after hours care, and leave half their day open for same-day sick appointments. We see Dr. Ball during our regular check-ups, but we've seen a different doctor every time we go in for a sick appointment - which sadly has averaged once every quarter - and every doctor has been wonderful. They have always seen my son with genuine kindness and care. If you feel strongly about sticking with your doctor they can accommodate you, it would just be more difficult for same day sick appointments. read more

This is a great pediatricans office as long as you choose the right doctor. I love Dr. Mersch and would never go to anyone else unless necessary. We had to see Dr. Roberts one night and she was terrible. Rushed us out and gave us the completely wrong diagnosis. read more

We used to see another doctor but because our insurance changed we went here because my husband said it had good reviews. On the first day we went, my girls had strep throat and the nurse that gave the swab to them was very rough and did it so hard that my girls were gagging and crying. My girls have never had a swab done to them like that. When I mentioned it to Dr. Katherine Roberts, she explained that they needed to get a good swab and didn't even really apologize. My old office would let me get my flu shot and this one ran out them even for the kids so I kept having to call and they said they don't give them to adults. The second time we went to get the girls' flu shots, my youngest daughter was screaming like she usually does. The nurse who gave her the shot basically raised her voice at her and said, "you're DONE!" She didn't even say goodbye to us. At least at the other office we used to go to, the nurses had compassion on my children. I felt like crying. After that day, I switched to Dr. Amy Cox. Another thing is that whenever I call the office, they put me on hold forever and don't call me back. read more