I’ve heard nice things about your group, but which doctor I should choose?
The first way to narrow your choices would be to call our office to find out which doctors are accepting new patients. You may want to consider at which office the doctor sees patients. Drs. Frizzell, Pendergrass, Livingston, and Scott see patients at our Downtown Office. Drs. Pendergrass, Ellis, Sepulveda, Mathis, and Best see patients at our East Office location. You can also view profiles of all our physicians on our website. 

How do I let the doctor know I want them to be my baby’s pediatrician?
We will be informed when the baby appears on our newborn rounding list provided by the hospital where your baby is born or when you call to schedule the baby’s two week checkup. Keep in mind that not all our doctors are always able to take new patients. It is best to call a month or two before the baby is born to make sure the doctor you want is accepting new patients. 

How will the doctor know when my baby is born?
When you check-in at the hospital you will inform them who you’ve chosen to be your baby’s pediatrician. (To make your check-in much easier you can pre-register with the hospital where your baby will be born. To pre-register with Methodist-Germantown you can visit www.methodisthealth.org, to pre-register with Baptist-Women’s visit www.baptistonline.org.) Every morning our on-call doctors visit newborns at Methodist-Germantown and Baptist-Women’s Hospital based on the list provided to us. The scheduled physician from our group will visit you and your baby each day you are in the hospital. 

Will my baby always see his own doctor?
Research shows that your child will receive better care if one doctor provides most of your care. We aim to provide continuity of care for your child by scheduling the appointment with a particular doctor for the majority of your visits. In doing so, we recognize the emotional benefit for you, the patient, and the staff as well. If your doctor is not available for any reason, then of course, you may see one of the other doctors. 

When does my baby need to have check-ups?
During the first year your baby will need wellness visits at 2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months old. This is primarily to keep up with childhood immunizations. The immunization schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics is available on our website. 

What do I do if my baby is sick?
If your child is sick and you want the doctor to see him/her, call our office for an appointment. If your child is sick and you would like advice on how to care for your child at home, our nurses can help. The nurses are trained to make decisions about patients that need to be seen by the doctor and how to provide home care for children that may not need to see the doctor. You may be asked to leave a message and a nurse will return your call. Both of our offices have walk-in sick hours from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Because of the volume of patients in the morning it is still best to call first. 

What do I do if my baby is sick after-hours?
In emergency situations (for example if your child is not breathing, is choking severely, is unconscious, or is having seizures) you should call 911. For other urgent matters you can call our answering service at 901-542-5765 (this number is also provided on our office after-hours voice message). The operator will obtain all necessary information for the on-call nurse to return your call. At our East Office on Saturdays from 8:30am to 11:00am we have walk-in hours for sick children. Our East Office is located at 6215 Humphreys Blvd. Suite 300, Memphis. The phone number is (901)821-9990. 

Will the doctor see my baby if he/she is admitted to the hospital?
In the event your child has a sickness or injury that requires hospitalization, the pediatricians in our group are experts in the care of sick children. We routinely prefer to hospitalize at LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center, but we also see patients at Methodist University Hospital and Baptist East Hospital. The staff physicians in our group will oversee the child's care and arrange for any sub specialty visits that may be necessary. 

Who can I contact if I have other prenatal related questions?
If you need more information you may contact our Prenatal Contact Donna Pendergrass at (901) 531-6380 or use this feedback form on our website.