My eldest son is over 17 years old now, and we have been seeing Dr Ballou (together with my second son) since he was born. She has never let us down once - not once. More than that, she was quick to spot a chronic and life-threatening condition in our son (Type 1 diabetes), something that I have since learned many pediatricians can be slow to diagnose. But Dr Ballou was on it straight away. I thank my lucky stars a million times over to have her as our doctor. There has been many a time, I have called her in a panic with an ailing child, (even from overseas) and she has always been there for us. We once had to move to another doctor, because our insurance forced us to - I was so appalled by the service we got elsewhere that we came back to Dr Ballou and paid ourselves. When you have a sick child, you want to be able to trust your doctor, you need to be able to rely on someone. Calm, friendly, experienced, knowledgable, good with children. Dr Ballou is that doctor. I have no hesitation in recommending her. read more

I've been bringing my little one to Dr. Ballou for a few years now and she's always been great! I love how she's so personable and down to earth! It's like you're taking your kid to see their Nana for a check up :) My daughter likes her alot! Last time they talked about the Tuskegee Airmen and this time it was about her math struggles! My daughter's 10 and going thru that pre adolescence phase so Dr. B talked to her about what she should use to combat her mini acne problem and about making sure she wears a supportive bra.. Kids a different ages need reassurance on different things as their bodies begin to change and mature and I really appreciate the time Dr. B sat aside to cover all of my daughter's questions and concerns. read more

Takes so long. Judges very much and doesn't try hiding it. Slut shamed my daughter for having sex. SITS IN HER OFFICE WATCHING TV WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS IN EXCRUCIATING PAIN. Don't recommend . The other ladies there are great. Leslie and stephane are THE BEST and deserve way more than whatever their getting paid! But dr ballou herself is awful. Takes way too long and doesnt seam to care about anything. read more

We switched insurance companies last year and I miss Dr Ballou so much!! She was our pediatric for our 4 children for 13 years. She is an amazing doctor, super knowledgeable! She loves people with such a positive energy, and her office staff reflects that attitude. I wish she could train other doctors to practice medicine in the same ethical way I have the pleasure to witness. She always had the children's best in mind. She always kept me in the loop if she had any thought or concerns regarding their health. She took her time with us and the kids loved her and looked forward to seeing Mary (when there were no shots). This is a doctor who deserves a best doctor award. I really really miss her.... read more

Love doctor Ballou ' I will never change my children's doctor especially if she use to see their father and uncles when they were younger ! read more

I haven't been to Dr. Ballou's office in years. Thankfully, I was smart enough to switch pediatricians after she tried to tell me that my daughter had asthma. When I pointed out that my child had never had an asthma attack and politely declined the prescription she was writing, Dr. Ballou was rude and told me not to call her when my daughter was having an asthma attack in the middle of the night. Needless to say, that was the last time we set foot in her office. The only reason I'm writing this review now is because this bad experience came up in conversation and I felt compelled to share it with others. read more

First visit I've got to give it 5 stars. The entire staff was so kind and cordial. Yes, many people have a said Mary is spectacular. ..she really is. And so is Dr Ballou. She answered all my questions and I was able to discuss any concerns I had about my daughter. She was very thorough, gave some suggestions and I was on my way. I was very skeptical going to a new Dr because I had been going to our previous pediatrician for 18 years with my son and due to insurance changes, I had to switch. I was thankful I got a new pediatrician for my daughter read more

Overall, Dr. Ballou has always provided a decent level of care. Her long time nurse, Mary is great, too. But, Dr. Ballou does not spend a lot of time with you (she sees a TON of patients everyday), her appts never run on time-I always end up waiting for 30- 90 minutes to be seen, BUT if you're more than 15 minutes late they won't see you at all and make you reschedule. Also, the parking in the building is quite expensive because they charge by time. Street parking is hard to find, because the surrounding residential areas are by permit only, and the metered parking on Wilshire is only good until 3pm. The worst part of her office is one of her employees, Julie. She can be rude, unapologetic, and unsympathetic.... she can definitely benefit from some basic customer service and empathy skills training- when you work in a doctor's office and are dealing with children and their parents, you need someone with a kinder and more caring attitude. At times, she can be downright mean. read more

I have been going to Dr. Ballou since my daughter was born over 6 months ago. We love Dr. Ballou and her staff. Dr. Ballou is very friendly, patient and has great bedside manners. I have never waited more than 10 minutes in the lobby and 10 minutes in the room. I have come in with 5 to 10 questions or concerns and Dr. Ballou is ready to answer them. I dont feel rushed when we visit. Mary and Julie are very friendly and know my baby by her name. She smiles when we sees them. My only negative is the decor of the office. A fresh paint job would be great for moral and aesthetically pleasing. read more

Dr. Ballou has been and continues to be the pediatrician of all six of my children whose birth years range from 1997-2008. She has provided outstanding care for all of my children, quickly and correctly diagnosing all of their symptoms. She is professional, caring and clearly loves her work. Five stars are not enough to describe the satisfaction and gratitude I feel for this doctor. read more

Dr. Ballou took her time with my daughter and was extremely caring in her bedside manner. She made her feel very comfortable. The staff is very friendly and in the two times I have visited, my wait wasn't very long. It was a nice and refreshing change! :) read more

I really Love her! I may sometimes have to wait a few minutes before she makes it to my room but she's an amazing Doctor. She spends time with us answers all our questions and concerns. And has gentle hands with our baby who is always happy to see her. Not to mention her nurse is great as well! I would recommend! read more

I arrived a few minutes early to a clean and friendly office. The front office was organized and we were greeted immediately by the front office staff. When I met Dr. Ballou, I was put at ease by her friendly and professional manner. I will refer clients, this place is a real treasure. read more

Terrible Dr. I did like the office and the way the sick kids are separated from the healthy kids. Though it sucks that the sick kids don't get any toys or books (makes sense though, Im sure they would have to constantly disinfect everything). The nurse would usually invite us into a room in which the kids could watch a Disney movie. That was nice. Mary the nurse is the ONLY reason we stayed here for as long as we did. She gets 5 stars. LOVE LOVE LOVE Mary the Nurse!!! I like that I didn't have to wait longer than 20 min. One time I had to wait 30 min but that was unusual. Initially I liked Dr. Ballou, I think she's pretty nice with the kids and didn't have a problem with her. . . .then I encountered a series of unsettling experiences. Sometimes when I asked questions she would answer in a rude and abrupt way. I would come in with a list of questions, hoping this would make me feel more confident about my conversations with the Dr. It didn't. Despite my College degree this Dr. made me feel stupid almost all the time. She told me my baby was waaaaay under weight and I told her I didn't give him formula because he vomits every time he takes it. She said in an alarmed voice, "Well what do you feed him then?!?!" I told her I exclusively breastfeed him. She made me feel bad about him being underweight but never asked me about his developmental milestones. He was well beyond all his milestones. I did a search on the net and found many moms that had a baby in the same percentile as mine or lower. The difference? Their Dr. assured them that as long as the baby is being nourished and reaching their milestones, the baby is fine. Looks like mine was the only Dr. that didn't ask about milestones. She said my 5 year old daughter was obese and needed to get on a diet and loose weight. My daughter is not even considered fat, much less obese! I was surprised and asked her if she really needed to loose weight or if she could work on maintaining it since she is still growing. The Doc said, "No. She needs to loose A LOT. She's fluffy" she said with a chuckle. OK, I'm not upset that she said my daughter was obese, it was the way she said it. Really unprofessional. I am someone that is always watchful of my weight I eat healthy. I feed my kids the same way, making sure they are eating a balanced meal. The Dr. didn't ask questions about her eating habits or her activity. She just made this statement and told me she would try to get her in some weight loss program. That was the first and last time I heard about this program. Next thing that happened was my son came in with Nursemaids Elbow, which is a slight dislocation of the elbow). This was the second time this happened to him. The first time we took him to the emergency room and while he was getting his vitals checked the Dr. (I cant remember her name) quickly locked it in place. Within minutes he was using his arm. This time we took him to Dr. Ballou. She supposedly locked it in place then told my Mother-in-law to wait 10 minutes and see if he started using his arm. After ten minutes my Mother-in-law told her he wasn't using it and he still had the dislocation. Dr. Ballou insisted he was fine and that she popped it in place. She said to take him home and if he still wasn't using it at home to call her. After hours he still wasn't using it. I called her and she told me to take him to the children's hospital or the orthopedic hospital. We take him to the orthopedic hospital. The Dr. locked his elbow into place and my son started using his arm within seconds. The hospital staff were surprised and alarmed that Dr. Ballou could think that his arm was fine despite not using it after 10 minutes. I really miss Mary. Honestly whatever she gets paid is not enough. Dr. Ballou....I hope I never ever run into her. read more

Dr.Ballou is the worst Pediatrician I have ever been to. Lets start with Julie, her receptionist. Julie is the rudest, unprofessional, hates her life and job thing I have ever met.....and SHE is the first person you see when you walk in and don't even try to say "hello", especially if she is on the computer. You are bothering her. Then, after you will wait AT least 1 hour to see Dr. Ballou, you will be rushed. She is so uncompassionate, rude, does not engage in your children and does not CARE. She refuses to refer my son to an Allergist and he suffers from extreme food allergies and Asthma. She says "he is fine". Any Pediatrician I have had in the past always refers to an Allergist. It only makes sense that a young child WITH allergies and Asthma have a specialist. My last visit with her (and last), towards the end of our rushed 5 minute appointment, I said...."may I ask you a quick question?''' She looked at me and said" ugh, make it quick". She will make you feel stupid and most of all, even my kids are not comfortable with her. I don't know HOW she is a Pediatrician. I just don't get it. Maybe she is mean cause we have an HMO (which is why I had to find a new Dr), who knows. Its really weird and between the Dr and Julie, you have a match made in Heaven. What Dr would keep on staff a rude and mean receptionist???? Dr. Ballou would. The best part of the office is Mary, who is in the back office. She is friendly and great personality. Also, Dr. Kline is pretty Awsome and HIS staff is amazing. They actually talk to you and are nice to the children. What a mess. There are amazing Pediatricians out there. Dr. B is the worst. If you are looking for a great Dr.... Dr. Monica Asnani, Dr. Bess Raker are two of my favorites and they love their job and your children. Don't waste your time with Dr. Ballou, seriously. It is that bad. read more

The only reason I gave two stars instead of one was because we never got to even see the Doctor. I brought my two sons (ages 4 and 2) to the office for our SCHEDULED well visit appointment. There was no place to sit in the waiting area for "sick" kids. I had mentioned that I thought one of my boys was catching a cold, so they had us wait there, even though there is no where to sit or even stand. We ended up sitting on the floor in the hallway. I was in and out of the office filing out paperwork for one of my boys, being that it was his first time there. None of the staff ever mentioned there would be an EXTREMELY long wait. Not easy to entertain a two year old and four year old in an office hallway for over an HOUR! I walked back in to ask how much longer it would be (I had a baby waiting to be fed at home and thought I wouldn't be gone more than 2 hours!), and was told "a long time". I guess there were many sick children there that day, who had to be squeezed in. Immediately they offered me a reschedule for the following day, as though I have all the time in the world to pull my children out of school and sit and wait at a doctors office everyday. I don't know if we're ever going back, and the sad thing is, they seem like they could care less. I have only been there once before, over a year ago, so we are practically new to the practice, and felt like we were completely disposable. Not to mention, nobody smiles there! I felt as though they were doing me a favor by answering my questions. It would have been nice to have been warned of the long wait when I got there, and maybe even an apology for the 75 minute wait and having to leave without seeing the doctor because we couldn't spend another hour or more there. What a waste of a morning! read more

We tried really hard to give Dr. Ballou the benefit of the doubt. However, no matter who brought my children in to see her, no matter if we were the first appointment or last appointment, the wait time is ridiculous!!! There were times when we were the ONLY ones in the office and she is sitting at her desk having us wait. Even my 7 year old would ask, "What's taking her so long?!?!" But the straw that broke the camels back was the fact that she neglected to disclose information to US about OUR son!!! When I called to question his condition, she left a message with her response but had misunderstood my question. When I called back to make myself clear, she NEVER got back with me. Needless to say, we are done with her and have moved on to another office. And I have to say, this new office is MUCH nicer, they are mindful of the patients time as well as their own, AND they validate parking!! read more

Dr. Ballou is one of the best doctors in the industry. She has treated my entire family. We won't use any other doctor

I LOVE Dr. Ballou! She has cared for my children since they were born. I have a six year old who was premature and she could not have done a better job caring for her and helping my husband and I through the experience. My 3yr old and my 6 yr old love her and her staff as well. Even though my kids run from her because she dispenses the shots, Mary is the best nurse EVER!!! read more