[mmomosedc]

Does anyone have any recommendation for a non-vax friendly pediatrician or family doc near Mechanicsburg, PA? We'll be moving there from RI in about a month and I'd like to get set up with a new doc asap after we move. I'm going to miss our RI family doc. :-( Thanks in advance!!

 

[joyvs123]

I just moved to York (south of Mechanicsburg?) and work in Harrisburg and I am also interested in a PED that is open to no vaccinations.

joy

 

[wildflower18]

Tan & Garcia has an office in Camp Hill who accepts non-vax children without too much of a hassle. Ryder and Barnes recently stopped accepting children who are delayed or selectively vaxing.

 

[mmomosedc]

Thanks! I'll check them out. Also my mom passed on to me that she goes to a guy in Mechanicsburg who she likes - John Sullivan. She thinks he might be ok with no vax. I'm going to check him out as well.

 

[annanicole]

I live in Carlisle and take my children to Spring Road Family Practice, I see Dr Ramirez, not only is he AWESOME with kids, he's a great doctor, and is willing to listen to concerns in delayed or non vaxing. He feels parents are just as much a part of the health care decisions affecting their children as the docs are.

a bonus to all of the above, he's extremely easy on the eyes.

:

 

[mmomosedc]

Well, I'm still looking for a family doc or pediatrician. I checked out Dr. Sullivan, but he's not a good fit for our family. I called Dr. Rameriz's office, but he's not accepting new patients currently. I haven't checked out out Tan & Garcia yet. That may be next on the agenda, but I thought I'd check to see if anyone has any other recommendations?

 

[AlexisT]

hrm - I also need a ped. We're pretty mainstream medically, but which peds are BF-knowledgeable, don't push formula or tell you to give rice cereal at 3 months, and don't harass you about parenting choices which have nothing to do with medicine?

 

[MamaMereMere]

If you're still looking, I go to Tan and Garcia. They are inconsistent from patient to patient, and even within their own docs, I've had trouble with them bullying me about our modified vacc schedule.

Dr. John Sullivan is my FIL. I know alot of people that go to him.......

 

[chpiper]

A little south of you...but definitely worth mentioning is Dr. Stonesiefer in Shippensburg. He has a practice that does not work with medical insurance, however he will give you codes to submit to your insurance carrier to get reimbursed...His practice is mostly Amish and Mennonite, but he accepted our family as well as a few of my clients...

He has never even mentioned vaccines at our appointments, and (please no flames!!) doesn't seem to mind that we generally do not do well child check ups...I call on him when we need medical attention and he helps, often recommending herbal or homeopathic treatments (as well as nutritional advice in addition to medications...very laid back practice...

 

[A Mom's Love]

I'm also looking. I'm due in March & will be having the baby at Harrisburg Hospital. I need a doc to check out baby at the hospital who won't hassle me about not doing the Hep B vax.

Looks like Tan & Garcia may be my best bet due to health insurance.

 

[MamaMereMere]

I used Tan and Garcia @ the hospital. Dr. Tan did give me some flack about no eye ointment and no Hep B ("Why?" "Cause I don't have any STDs" rolls eyes and goes ahead with exam) but going in with education on each vax I wasnt getting for my baby helped and also Dr. Kara is good there, too. I do not know how they are about intact boys. I've had a lot of friends who didnt circumcise (thank goodness!) and down the road they had issues with retraction ( a no-no from what I've researched). Hope this helps! We've swtiching to Dr. Zimmerman @ Heritage. Tan & Garcia really was very unhelpful with breastfeeding issues and just told me my daughter had Failure to Thrive and handed me formula 11 months old and we're still going strong!

 

[A Mom's Love]

Hmmm...sounds like Dr. Tan's office is not what I'm looking for. Luckily, Heritage Pediatrics takes our insurance as well. Can you tell me why you're switching to them? I'd love to hear about it. I don't know anything about them other than they look to be in Camp Hill. Are they non-vax friendly? Breastfeeding knowledgeable? I'm anti-circ as well, but it looks like we're having a girl. I guess I need to find a practice where I'm ok with all the docs since it doesn't seem like you get to choose who rounds at the hospital the day you check out. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it could be anyone in the practice. TIA!!

 

[AlexisT]

I'm with Heritage. They seem fairly pro-vax to me (pushed the flu shot), but since I do vaccinate and my dd was already 2.5 when we started there, I haven't pressed the issue or know how far they go. Again, older child, no idea how they handle BF issues. From what I've seen/heard, the non-vaxing families around here seem to prefer FPs to the ped practices.

I'm surprised at hearing about circ issues. Highmark and I think Capital do not pay for neonatal circ so I would've thought the rate wouldn't be as high around here and peds would have to get used to it.

 

[A Mom's Love]

Thanks for the response about Heritage. Aarg! I have about 6 wks. to find a doc that can sign out my baby at Harrisburg Hospital & who takes our insurance as well. Anybody know of a good FP or possibly a ped who can check out babies at the hospital?

 

[MamaMereMere]

i hear Dr. [email protected] Heritage is good, knowledgable about noncirc, nonvaxx(go with education, not just "'cause we don't want to"). Dr. Tan did our hospital checkout and since I refused dd getting Heb B and also eye ointment, he kinda gave me a hard time, but the other docs didnt give me a hard time. Plus, if you're there more than 1-2 days, you're gonna meet more than 1 doc from most practices.

 

[Maggi315]

HI,

I'm a homebirth midwife and also a nursing instructor with HACC. I recommend Heritage Peds to my clients and my children go there. I have had great experiences with the practice and love Dr. Zimmerman. However, I just received a letter from her about the newer policy regarding vaccinations. The practice will no longer be accepting clients who do not vaccinate ON A REGULAR VACCINATION SCHEDULE. This means that if you are not vaccinating or following an alternative schedule, you will need to find another pediatrician.

I wanted to post this so people could look elsewhere if they are not planning on vaccinating. This is a practice with multiple physicians and a NP, so while individuals in the practice may be willing to compromise, the practice policies overrule.

 

[MamaMereMere]

Hmm, now I'm confused as when we made my daughters appt we told then we do a modified and they said ok. I'll have to call on Monday and check it out!

 

[A Mom's Love]

Thanks for posting, Maggi. I will steer clear of Heritage, then. Maybe I'll just go with Tan & Garcia's office for the hospital checkout, then look for a FP. I'm thinking not many FPs check babies out at the hospital but I guess I could be wrong...

Anyone know of a FP/Ped in the area that is ok with non or modified vax? We're still not sure which route to take but definitely won't be doing Hep B at the hospital.

 

[Maggi315]

Yes, definitely check it out. You might want to ask to have Dr. Shrift call you back about it first. The policy is definitely there, I kept the email so I can refer to it as necessary. Again, I really do love the practice and will continue to go there, but I'm being kind of "grandfathered" in.

I hope to finish the masters program I am in now and do a postmasters certificate for family nurse practitioner. This issue is one the main ones I feel we need another option for families in the area. This one and course all the problems I see with homebirthers trying to get care for something as simple as an urinary tract infection.

 

[MamaMereMere]

Dr. Zimmerman will no longer accept us as new patients since we only do 3 of the vaxx.