Phone Changeover May 30!

Wednesday, May 30 there will be limited access to the office by phone after 4pm. Please only call for urgent medical matters after 4pm on May 30.

Memorial Day Holiday

Both offices will be closed on Monday, May 28, 2012. A physician will be on call for urgent matters.

2011-2012 season Flu Vaccine available (updated April 2012)

Flu season is still underway! April is seeing a continued rise in flu illness. Get protected now: Flu vaccine is still available at East Bay Pediatrics for the 2011-2012 influenza season. Please see the flu vaccine page for more information. The Calendar also lists the days when flu vaccine drop in is not available.

Berkeley Office Elevator down

Starting February 21 and continuing for up to 5 months (through July!), maintenence will be performed on the elevators in the Berkeley office, first one, then the other. Please allow extra time to get to your appointment!

Calling After Hours (added March 2012)

If you have an urgent medical problem with your child when the office is closed, a physician from the practice is on call. (925)254-9203, option number 4. Check the Child Health page to see if this website answers your question. Remember, if you call after 10pm, the doctor is probably asleep! Make sure you speak slowly and keep your message brief. Include the following information:

• Your name and phone number (speak slowly and give area code)
• Your child's name and age
• A brief description of the problem
• Leave the phone number again (slowly)

If you do not receive a call within 30 minutes. Please call again.

Please note that the physician on call does not have access to the schedule and cannot make an appointment for your child.

New Booster Seat Law (added January 2012)

As of January 1, the rules for booster seats in California have changed. Please see the Hot Topics page for more information.

Formula Not the Cause of Newborn Deaths (added January 2012)

Often media hype can be confusing. Read the facts about the recent deaths from Cronobacter on the Hot Topics page.

We are live on ELECTRONIC Health Record ! (updated January 2012)

East Bay Pediatrics has been live on Electronic Health Record (EHR) for three months now. Your doctor may show off the electronic growth chart or may send an e-prescription directly to the pharmacy. Of course, your child's care is our highest priority and we hope that this transition will improve our ability to offer the best quality of care. During this transition period, you may still see us with your child's paper chart for a few more months.

Of note, email through relayhealth.com is still available. Learn more below.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) dosing (added August 2011)

The FDA has recently recommended that infant concentrated drops of acetaminophen, the medication in Tylenol, no longer be available because of concerns of overdosing our youngest patients. McNeil, the makers of Tylenol, has already stopped making the concentrated formulation. Other brands are still available. Please read your labels when giving any medication, and in particular fever reducers to your child. East Bay Pediatrics has updated our medication dosage chart.

Whooping Cough Vaccine required for School Entry (updated June 2011)

For school entry fall 2011, California students entering 7th -12th grade will be required to have documentation of a pertussis booster vaccine. (Pertussis is the bacteria which causes whooping cough and was responsible for at least 10 infant deaths in 2010.) This vaccine is given in the form of Tdap, which includes vaccines for tetanus, diptheria, and pertussis. It is given at age 11 years and lasts for 10 years. Many middle school or high school age children have already received the vaccine in our office. You can check your immunization record on the printout which we give you at your child's physical exam under "Tdap." For more information, see the California Department of Health website.

New Fees (added March 2011)

Starting March 14, 2011, East Bay Pediatrics will begin a new fee policy.

1. Missed Appointment Fee: Families who do not cancel an appointment for a well visit or 30-minute conference by the end of the business day prior to the appointment and/or miss their appointment will be assessed a $50 fee. You will continue to receive a reminder call 48 hrs in advance - this automated system allows you to confirm or cancel your appointment. You can reach us 24 hrs a day to cancel an appointment by calling 925-438-1100, and following the prompts to cancel an appointment. You can also call to change an appointment by calling 925-438-1100 between 9:30am - 12:30pm & 2:00pm - 4:30pm.

2. OTC Prescription Fee: Health Savings Accounts (HSA's or FSA's) now require a prescription from your doctor for over-the-counter (OTC) medications in order to get the tax benefit. East Bay Pediatrics will handle such prescriptions in the same way as school or camp forms: if requested during an office visit there will be no fee; if requested when a child does not have an appointment, there will be a $10 chart pulling fee.

Business Office Expanded Hours! (added March 2011)

The Business Office at East Bay Pediatrics is expanding its hours to better serve you! Starting March 14, 2011, the Business Office phones will be on from 9:30am-12:30pm and 2:00pm-4:30pm Monday through Friday. You can reach the Business Office at (925)-438-1100, option 8 for questions about billing or insurance.

RN Voicemail box (updated December 6 , 2010)

East Bay Pediatrics is happy to announce that our phone advice line now has a voicemail option! If you are on hold and wish to leave a message for a nurse, follow the instructions on the hold tape. NOTE: This voicemail box is for NON-urgent issues only. If your child is sick or may need to be seen by a physician, please hold on the line. Please remember to spell your child's first and last name and leave a phone number where you can be reached. Examples of messages which can be left on the voicemail:

• Your child needs a refill for a medication used regularly. Refill requests should be made at least 48 hours in advance.
• You want to know whether your child is up-to-date on his or her vaccines
• You want to schedule a visit for vaccines only (note: if flu vaccine only see drop-in instructions). Please call at least 48 hours in advance so that your child's chart can be ready for the visit.
• Your doctor asked you to make a follow up appointment more than 3 days away.

Prevnar 13 (added June 2010)

Upon the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), we would like to inform you about a new vaccine – Prevnar-13. This vaccine will replace Prevnar-7 and provide additional protection against diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumonia – a major cause of meningitis, blood infections and ear infections (otitis media).

The vaccine is recommended for all children from 6 weeks to 59 months of age.

• Four doses are recommended: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months and 12-15 months of age.
• Children who have not yet received all 4 doses of Prevnar-7 will complete their 4 dose series with Prevnar-13.
• Children who are under 5 years of age and have received 4 doses of Prevnar-7 should receive one dose of Prevnar-13 to provide the additional protection afforded by Prevnar-13.

Prevnar-13 does not contain thimerosal. The most common reported side effects from Prevnar-13 include fever, local injection site reaction, irritability and a skin rash. We feel that the significant benefits of Prevnar-13 far outweigh the risks associated with the vaccine.

Measles and Pertussis in California! (added May 2010)

The California Department of Public Health has recently issued two Health Advisories: one for measles and one for pertussis.

Since January 2010, nine cases of measles have been reported in California, as many cases as in ALL of 2009. Measles can affect any age group. It is characterized by fever and rash at the same time. Fevers may be as high as 105 degrees; the rash tends to spread downward from the forehead. Measles can be prevented by the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella) which is usually given at one year and at 4 years of age. Those travelling outside of the country should check their vaccine status.

Almost twice as many pertussis (whooping cough) cases have been reported in California in the first quarter of 2010 compared with the same time period last year. There have been four infant deaths from pertussis in California in 2010, all in babies less than 3 months old, compared to last year when there were five deaths over the whole year. The spread of pertussis can be limited by vaccination. Young children are vaccinated through the DTaP vaccine. Adolescents age 11 years and up and adults can be vaccinated with the Tdap vaccine (the vaccine can be given a minimum of two years after the last tetanus booster). In particular, those in close contact with young infants should receive the vaccine.

Learn more about vaccine preventable diseases.

Morning Drop-in Hours NOW 5 days a week (updated January 2010)

Morning Drop-in is now available in both offices Monday through Friday except national holidays (see calendar for specific days). No appointment is needed for patients arriving in either office between 8am-8:45am on weekdays. Please note that your child may not be seen prior to 9am on that day.

Calling All Artists! (added December 2009)

We would like to invite our patients of all ages to contribute artwork for our Berkeley office. We plan to display the artwork in the waiting room and will change the pictures from time to time in order to accomodate all children who want to see their artwork on the wall. Everything from toddlers' scribbles to teenagers' fine art is welcome. We will provide the paper, if desired: 11x15 heavyweight white paper. Please include your child's first name and age.

Now Accepting Blue Cross Prudent Buyer (PPO)! (added June 2009)

East Bay Pediatrics has reached a contractual agreement with Anthem Blue Cross Prudent Buyer (PPO). Effective June 1, 2009, families with this insurance will no longer have to pay for services at the time of the visit. We will bill the insurance company directly. Families will only be respsonsible for non-covered services and co-pays. If you have any questions about this transition, please contact the business office at (925)438-1100, option 8.

Extended Evening Hours

Announcing extended evening hours! East Bay Pediatrics is proud to offer office hours until 7:30pm on some Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Orinda office. If your child has an illness or emergency after normal business hours, please be sure to call the office in advance.

New Appointment Confirmation System

East Bay Pediatrics has started a new automated appointment confirmation system. Expect to be called two days prior to your child's appointment in the early evening hours. There will be an option to press a number to confirm your appointment. We anticipate that this system will make it easier for you to confirm your appointments.

Please note that this system cannot access blocked numbers. If you have a blocked number or if you have any other problems with this new system, please call our business office at (925) 438-1100, option 8.

Email your Doctor!

Health information is protected by the HIPAA Privacy Act. Login to the secure website www.relayhealth.com to email your doctor or order prescription refills. Please use email communications for non-urgent matters as they may not be checked immediately. If you have an urgent medical issue or if you need a prescription within 2 days, please call the phone advice nurses at (925)254-9203, option 6 during business hours. Urgent medical issues after hours can be addressed by the physician on call at the (925)254-9203, option 4.

Richard Oken, MD

Myles Abbott, MD

Mary Jones, MD

Marcia Charles-Mo, MD

Sarah Handelsman, MD

Tracy Evans-Ramsey, MD

Juliana Damon, MD

Christina Vo, MD

Jennifer Miller, MD

Wiliam Rhea, MD

view all physician profiles