The Hassenfeld Institute provides a comprehensive list and map of pediatric practitioners in Rhode Island.  The map will provide names of providers at the practice, information on the location and details about the practices. Examples of these details include; insurance type they accept, whether they are accepting new patients, languages spoken or translation services etc. We encourage you to use this detailed and easy-to-navigate resource to help select the right pediatrician for you!

Find our map of pediatric providers here

Another way to find pediatricians is by asking for referrals from your current doctor or your obstetrician/midwife. Alternatively, you can ask trusted family or friends for recommendations. If you would like to do some research on your own, you can visit the Find a Pediatrician tool on the American Academy of Pediatrics website and browse through their list of board-certified pediatricians. You can also approach a number of institutions for names of doctors in your area. Some examples of these are local medical societies, community or teaching hospitals and major medical centers.

BOARD CERTIFIED PEDIATRICIANS

Before you meet or talk with the doctor, it is important to prepare a list of questions. While these differ based on the medical history of your child and your personal preferences, we have outlined a few types of questions that might be helpful to you. These include specific questions to ask the pediatrician and questions to ask friends.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Do you want someone who practices alone or a group practice?
• Would you like a pediatrician who takes charge or one who encourages involvement in decision making?
• Do you want a pediatrician of a particular gender or age?
• Would you prefer if your pediatrician is a parent too?

Questions to ask pediatrician:

• What is their potential to be available during an emergency?
• Who can help your child when they are not available, with regard to appointments and calls?
• Which hospital do they admit children to?
• What managed care programs does the pediatrician participate in?
• How are acute illnesses handled? 
• How are complex illnesses handled? Will the pediatrician help arrange for specialists and help in coordinating care?
• What are their philosophies on various issues, including breastfeeding, circumcision and weaning, for example?

Questions to ask friends who use this practice or to assess after first visit:

• Does the pediatrician seem truly interested and attentive towards the specific needs of your child, that you discuss together?
• Do the children get along with the pediatrician? Does the pediatrician interact with them or only you, the parent?
• Do the staff and pediatrician answer your questions comprehensively?
• Do the staff at the practice and the pediatrician seem kind and compassionate? Are your interactions hurried or rushed?
• Are calls answered quickly? Are they returned in a timely manner?
• Is the waiting area clean? Is there a long waiting time?
• Are the appointments conducted in a rush?
• Does the pediatrician appear to be up to date with current issues in pediatric medicine?

Once you have answered these questions, it would be helpful to sit back and reflect on your experience before reaching a final conclusion. These are some questions that you can keep in mind:

• Which pediatrician seemed like the best fit with regards to interacting well with your child as well as yourself?
• Which pediatrician’s personality and beliefs on parental philosophies matched best with yours?
• Which pediatrician was most open to feedback, questions or concerns?
• Which office was the most pleasant, with the shortest wait time?
• Which practice had the simplest procedures with regard to billing, scheduling appointments and other matters of convenience?

We hope these steps will help you choose a pediatrician. This information has been compiled using the following resources, and we encourage you to visit them to learn more:

• Healthy Children Website
• AAP PEDIATRIC HANDOUTS