Wallingford Pediatrics

Good: Amye was great: very bright, competent and sweet with our new born. Her mix of natropathic and and western medicine are exactly what we were looking for.. Bad: the reception was abrupt, rude and confusing. She didn't make eye contact or introduce her. We were seen to an uncomfortably small room with a beat up desk and a generally aneceptic feeling. Amye's assistant was nice, but picked a bandaid off the floor and put it in the desk drawer (!!!!). After our visit with Amye, her assistant came back in with the gauze, bandaid which she was holding opened, w the bandage part held in an ungloved hand, when we asked her to wash her hands, she had an attitude.. Improvements: The final straw was the call 2 hours before my visit to confirm for a visit 2 weeks away which I had not scheduled, and almost no apology for misscheduling me. Too bad the support staff is so shoddy!. more

I cannot recommend Wallingford Pediatrics and Dr. David Springer highly enough. I have seen him with both of my children since they were born. I find great comfort in his experience and his gentle, non-invasive approach. I have many friends who leave their pediatricians offices feeling anxious and usually with prescriptions or referrals to specialists. I walk out of this office feeling comfortable and confident that my children were given a thorough exam by the eyes of experience. Dr. Springer knows, in the first moments of looking at my children, exactly what is wrong (or more often, NOT wrong) with them. He has seen enough well and sick children to know when more testing is needed, and when nature needs to take it's course. I really appreciate that neither of my children have ever been prescribed antibiotics and more conservative applications of simple home remedies have been offered. We have had one health issue which required a more advanced approach and it was given with a calmness that kept my mama-panic in check. His bedside manner is gentle and directed to the children, even as small babies, so that they feel he is THEIR doctor and that he is paying attention to their needs. We have also had good experiences with Betsy, the Nurse-Practitioner. The atmosphere of the clinic is friendly and relaxed and I never feel judged for my parenting choices. Whether breast or bottle feeding, immunizing or not, co-sleeping or crib-sleeping, they will both offer their medical advice without a moral agenda getting in the way. If you are looking for a pediatric office where you can feel like you're going to the country doctor, and at the same time trust that modern techniques and close at hand, this is the place for you. more

My husband and I took our children to see Dr. Springer and felt comfortable with his skill level and knowledge. However, when we needed to schedule another appointment he was booked out for quite a while. At the receptionist's advice we agreed to see Dr. Hebner who we were told was "in network." Dr. Hebner was pleasant but the reason we choose Dr. Springer is because we were told he had a holistic approach. Hebner however did not evidence comfort with alternative approaches to our children's care. We were later charged the full amount for the visit with Dr. Hebner. Apparently, though told otherwise, she was not in network. So basically we charged 175 per child to see--not the doctor we wanted but the one that was recommended by the receptionist. It took me (no exaggeration) more than 6 hours to sort this out with the insurance company, the company contracted with Wallingford Pediatrics to handle their billing, and with the office manager for Dr. Springer. Twice I was told I would be issued a refund and twice (after not receiving it) I had to call and find out what went wrong (zero follow up on their part). In my opinion the mistake was made by a representative of Dr. Springer’s/Hebner’s and they are responsible for the mix up. This matter is still pending and has left such a bad taste in my mouth that we are looking for a new Dr. for our children. I am so disappointed that they put money before doing what was right. more

My husband and I took our children to see Dr. Springer and felt comfortable with his skill level and knowledge. When we needed to schedule another appointment though he was booked out for quite a while. At the receptionist's advice we agreed to see Dr Hebner who we were told was "in network." Dr Hebner was pleasant but the reason we choose Dr. Springer is because we were told he had a holistic approach. Hebner however did not evidence comfort with alternative approaches to our children's care. We were later charged the full amount for the visit with Dr. Hebner. Apparently, though told otherwise, she was not in network. So we basically we charged 175 per child to see, not the doctor we wanted but the one that was recommended by the receptionist. It took me (no exaggeration) more than 6 hours to sort this out with the insurance company, the company contracted with Wallingford Ped. to handle their billing, and with the office manager for Dr. Springer. Twice I was told I would be issued a refund and twice (after not receiving it) I had to call and find out what went wrong. In my oppinion the mistake was made by a representative of Dr. Springers/Hebner and they are responsible for the mix up. This matter is still pending and has left such a bad taste in my mouth that we are looking for a new Dr. for our children. I am so disappointed that they put money before doing what was right. more

We love Dr Springer and Dr Hebner. more

For all of the things stated here already, Dr Springer has helped our family make healthy choices and responsible decisions ... and we truly value his combined eastern / western approach. We have only had one dose of antibiotices - and that was for strep. His recommendation to use "garlic-mullein" drops to soothe the ears rather than antibiotics helped us avoid drugs for ear infections that cleared naturally. He also provides very good age-appropriate coaching and guidance for us as we raise our two boys, now age 5 and 2.5. The comments are correct - he is very busy - so we do tend to ask for him when we call and prefer to wait for an opening on his schedule rather than see the other two practitioners (unless it is an emergency, of course). We have sadly moved out of the area and are seeking someone like him...tough shoes to fill! more

We chose Dr. Springer after the birth of our second child a year a half ago, seeking an MD who offers natural and homeopathic remedies. It seemed like the perfect combination for our ideals for healthcare, and when we have been lucky enough to actually get an appointment with Dr. Springer he has given us just that. Unfortunately it is rare that we have been able to get into see him, downright impossible in a reasonable amount of time each time we have called to schedule well child care appt., and there is no direction from the office staff about how to get around this, how early to schedule well child-care, and of course the more pressing issues that require a more immediate appointment are pretty much out of the question. We naively assumed Betsy Ormond and Dr. Hebner had his same philosophy until having a hunch that this wasn't the case from our ongoing appointments with each. One of the nursing staff confirmed by "warning" us that Dr. Hebner tends to be just the opposite, traditional western medicine favoring antibiotics and early vaccinations. We feel confused and tricked that this "balance" of approaches is not forthright in a practice that is built under Dr. Springer. Dr. Springer's approach is ideal, he is just possibly too successful and sadly nearly unavailable more

When we first visited Dr. Springers office, I noticed a newspaper clipping about the Doctors recent Award for NOT precribing antibiotics to children in many cases....the award (and monetary gift) from an insurance company! That initially struck me as maybe a bit of a conflict of interest. My son, who is ADHD, had been seeing a highly respected ADHD specialist for seven years, until our insurance company dropped that Doctor and then assigned Dr. Springer to us. Dr. Springer, on our first visit, made it clear he was "not comfortable" with my sons' medication he had been on for seven years. As a parent, I have always had a great concern for my childs well-being, and especially when it concerns taking this type of strong medication. He had been thoroughly checked out every three months for potential side-effects, and has always come up up clear and in good health. Today the Doctor made the sudden decision, without consultation with us, to refuse to have his medication prescription filled. Cutting my son off of his necessary medication cold-turkey without consultation is absolutely the most unethical move I have ever heard of by a Doctor, who refused to discuss it with me when I called, and simply left his office (early) for the day. This doctor has clearly demonstrated that he is putting the interests of the insurance companys before the interest of his patient. DO NOT RISK YOUR CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING!! SEE SOMEONE ELSE!! more

When my husband and I were looking for a ped. for our newborn (who is now 5), he wanted an MD and I wanted someone who used natural remedies. Dr. Springer was recommended to me time and again by my childbirth educator, midwives and Children's Hospital Employees. He was absolutely wonderful in my interview with him. Then when DD was born, he amazed us with his nature and kindness to her. He introduced himself to her using her name and told her he was going have her show us what she could do as an infant, and what is normal. She was so calm and still is around him. After she was about 9 months old, I began using his nurses for well child, as I felt totally comfortable and my DD was never ill. When DD#2 came along, I think she saw him only a couple times. The well child appts don't require that we see the doc, and I totally trust the nurses, Betsey and Sharon. They are wonderful! Dr. Springer is not only an outstanding professional in his field, he seems to have excellent communication between all members of his staff, who are all stellar. The ones who appear to be weak links don't last long. You can be assured that Dr. Springer is out to hire only the best to care for your children. Kids like him, too! On my first visit, Dr. Springer said he had some patients up until they were 21 and he would eventually have to encourage them to go to someone else! I think that's pretty sweet, and you'll find Dr. Springer very sweet. Run, don't walk to get into this magnificent practice! more

Wallingford Pediatircs in its continuing efforts to provide excellent care has hired a new pediatrician. Dr. Claire Hebner joins Dr. David Springer and ARNP Betsy Ormond. Claire has 10 years of experience in pediatrics and her mission as a physician is to develop a partnership with patients and their families to support physical and mental wellness from infancy through late adolescence. Claire lives in the neighborhood with her 2 kids and husband and looks forward to practicing medicine in the area she lives and plays in. more

Same as Wallingford Pediatrics. more

We have seen many a pediatrician, and without a doubt, Dr. Springer and his staff are the BEST, hands down. They listen to you, don't hurry you or demean you, and the kids like it here. It's a busy practice, but never once have I felt like it was a factory or kid mill like most other pediatric offices around. I used to drive up from Renton just to go see them, they were that much better. These providers truly care about kids' health, and Dr. Springer is far and away one of the most intelligent and nicest people I've ever met. We also saw the ARNPs (Betsy Ormond mostly - GREAT provider!) You can tell they really care about kids. He told us that he now works primarily with adolescents and was finishing some post-grad work in homeopathy. My midwives recommended him, and so do many parents. I always recommend Wallingford Peds to my childbirth class participants. more

Dr. Springer is the only MD at this office and it is a bit tricky to get an appointment with him. However, the ARNPs, who we usually see, are absolutely wonderful. Not only is their bedside manner wonderful, but they offer naturopathic remedies for minor ailments, don't push antibiotics for every little cough and have a more staggered vaccination schedule if you are worried about overwhelming your little one with multiple shots right away. The after hour care is wonderful as well. My only complaint is the parking. Three spots in their lot and the remainder is street parking - not always ideal when you have a squirmy toddler with you. more

The first time we met Dr David Springer he thought we had already met, the second time we came in he thought it was our first visit. By the third appointment he seemed to know us. The practice is pretty busy, but for good reason. He's a very good pediatrician. He doesn't make you feel hurried, he has a good manner with kids, he asks a lot of good questions. He will sometimes recommends or prescribes homeopathic or natural remedies. He does not over-prescribe antibiotics. He will work with you if you choose not to vaccinate. It is hard to get an appointment with him sometimes, so you may have to see a nurse practitioner for some visits, such as when your child is sick. But you can usually schedule all of your well-child visits with him. My older child actually looks forward to her appointments. The practice was recommended to us by several midwives and friends. more

We really like Dr. David Springer at Wallingford Pediatrics. He was one of the most progressive doctors we interviewed prior to our first child. He will suggest naturopathic remedies and definately won't overmedicate or over innoculate. He is very respectful of our mixed ethnicity. His practice extends into his own MPH research as well. Our midwives love him too, since he's got an incredibly realistic and open viewpoint. The office also has a lactation consultant. David was recently rewarded for his best practices: http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=gooddocs07m&date=20050407 more