Crofton Pediatrics

My son is currently seeing Clair Hawkins a certified nurse practitioner (CRNP) at Crofton Pediatrics. We love Clair and she has already helped us get him to fix his reversal of days & nights and help us have him sleeping through the night (9 hours strait) by 2.25 months. I also had a silly new parent question I left on her voice mail, and she called me back in an hour!!! No visit needed :) I love the effiecency of their office. There is a separeate waiting room for sick childeren. This is great because I don't want my infant getting sick by going for his checkup!!! They always have a kids movie like "Bugs Life" playing on monitors thoughout the office which helps to entertain young children. They don't have toys or piles of books but these are things that frequently spread infection. If your child needs a toy as a distraction bring one from home, then you know where it's been. Also I have not had to wait more than 5-10 minutes to see Claire when I have come!!! And then they are just being curtious to give you time for your papers IF NEEDED. :-) The visits can be overwhelming with paperwork OR you can download them at home and have them already completed before you leave your house. I do this all the time!!!! Another person mentioned that they repeat the same paperwork. This is because many things can change from one visit to the next (i.e. developmental stages). Parents often forget to mention things like a change of address or home daycare change to their doctor. Either of these changes could mean new exposure to lead paint and so the screen for this possibly mind altering problem every visit. Plus repeat paperwork doesn't take long if nothing has changed. It really is simple!!! Another person also mentioned a separate counter for appointments and payments. I have found that separate people/counters means the person who is taking my money can also easily and correctly help me with my billing question. Other offices have a secratary do all payment, scheduling, etc. but this wide variety may mean she doesn't know specifics. For example why your insurance didn't cover the visit. That secretary may need to take 3 days to ask their billing specialist who is parttime. When my insurance declined to pay for my initial visit, Crofton Pediatrics resolved it that day within 5 minutes!!! This group of offices also has the bonus of weekend hours, which many private/smaller practices do not have. Their doctors also rotate staffing "Night Time Pediatrics" so my child can be seen at any time of day by the same group of doctors/nurse practictioners. If you think you're the type of parent who will have alot of questions I would recomend a nurse practitioner over a doctor because in general they have more time to talk to you, regardless of what office group you choose. more

We first used Crofton Pediatrics when we moved to town because it was one of the closest offices to our home and because it seemed to have many doctors to choose from. I was hoping we would find someone as intelligent and helpful as our previous pediatrician. It just never happened. Both of my children were seen by doctors at Crofton Pediatrics. My son when he was 2, my daughter as a newborn. On every visit I had to fill out a STACK of papers, often with the same questions that I had filled out on the previous visit. It was tedious and difficult, given that at every visit I was trying to manage two children, one being a newborn. The friendly atmosphere was never there. In fact, I often felt as though I was doing more work than they were. Concerns like my son having 3 bulls-eye marks on his legs (a possible sign of Lyme's disease), were brushed off without sufficient explanation or compassion. The entire office works like a conveyor belt. Sign-in at the front desk. Move back to a "pod" (a group of 3 or 4 rooms specific to the doctor you're seeing). Move to the pharmacy (if needed). Move to the check-out desk to pay your bill. Move to the scheduling desk to make your next appointment. This "efficient" model may work better for them as a business, but it's lousy for patients who are accustomed to better service and more friendliness. I recommend finding another place. more