We were referred by our pediatrician who was retiring to a specific doctor, came in, had check up. Months later called to make an appointment due to a need, and was told would be 6 months wait to get an appointment, or we could start over with a new doctor recently joined back from retirement. Would you like this? If yes go here. read more

Extremely good doctors. Super responsive. Dr. Pabari is our daughter's pediatrician and she is amazing. Very caring and they follow up to check on the child. They always have a doctor on call which is important as new parents. read more

The whole staff here is great, the nursing staff are always thoughtful and caring, and the office is super welcoming and comfortable. But, the best part is having Dr. Pabari as a pediatrician. She cares so much for my daughter, and all of her patients, I'm sure. She's totally holistic and takes care of the whole family, giving us information in a way both my husband and I understand (despite very different ways of learning) and truly takes her time with my daughter, who is actually excited to go to the doctor when it's check-up time. We're huge fans of Dr. Aurora as well-- she's also tremendously attuned to my kiddo, very thorough, and extremely warm and thoughtful. The follow-up calls from the doctors to check-in as well as the after-hours service is so reassuring. It's a gift having the support of Dr.'s Pabari, Aurora, and staff in managing our little cub's health and happiness. read more

Was having trouble finding a pediatrician for my 3 year old, and my soon to be newborn. I wanted a "small town" doctor feel as I couldn't stand the 5 minute, cookie cutter, visits I was getting at Kaiser. Dr. Arora was wonderful, took her time, and made my daughter feel comfortable. The rest of the staff were so welcoming and friendly. They didn't push the Covid vax on me and seemed neutral and fact based. I saw some reviews mentioning that they are a "Christian doctor's office" but they didn't push god or anything so I don't know what people are talking about. I'm an atheist and don't care about anything but getting the best care for my kids. This place is the best. read more

If I could give this practice 10 stars, I would! I was first recommended to Dr. DeVilliers before my son was born, Jan 2020, by a fellow mom and dear friend. Dr. DeVilliers has been their family's (3 children) pediatrician for years now. Upon meeting Dr. DeVilliers for the first time in person after delivery my baby boy. I knew she would be a perfect fit as our family pediatrician. She is absolutely kind, gentle, has a calming way about her, attentive, thorough and is intensional in including "us as parents" in all medical decisions. She's also very patient! As a new mom and someone who researches things at nauseam. She has been so kind to answer every question I have and so caring and thoughtful in putting my new mom concerns at ease. The practice overall is a reflection of their leaders! Everyone is kind, attentive, welcoming and they all have such sweet spirits which clearly demonstrates their love for what they do and the children the care for Here's an example of exceptional care. My son had a high fever last night. I called their after hours number @ 8:15pm, the person on the line took my information and my child's symptoms and told me the on call Dr. would call me back in 20 minutes (they called in 15). After speaking with Dr. Lan and getting a plan in place to help make my 14 month old comfortable, we all went to bed. At 5:40 AM, my son woke up again with a high fever. I called the after hours number, they had my details and information from the previous call already in the system. They said an advice nurse would return my call and they did. Unfortunately, I was away from my phone when they called so they left a message they would try again in 10 - 15 minutes. My phone rang 12 minutes later. I spoke with the advice nurse and she made a few recommendations. We all went back to bed @ 6:30AM and by 9:46AM my phone rang. It was the after hours pediatrician, Dr. Lan. She was calling to follow up on baby's symptoms and recommended we schedule a Telehealth appointment this afternoon for a follow up! What a meticulous and soothing experience! To say the process from the first phone call to less than 24 hours was superb is an understatement. They absolutely CARE about their patients and the parents; their after hours operating CARE exuded that! I am truly grateful for such loving care from this practice. They radiant God's love for people and especially his innocent children. Thank you for standing out, showing such compassion and for providing attentive care (NOT service, there's a HUGE difference between the two), which seems to be lacking in the medical field these days. For anyone complaining about their transparency of their faith and belief in Jesus Christ. I truly feel sorry for you. These people show the love of Christ to everyone the care for. In a world filled with so much hate and vile behavior. It's these types of people and businesses who are needed more than ever before. If you don't agree with their beliefs which they've been transparent about. Instead of bashing them for being honest, please take your business elsewhere. At the end of the day, your child and family will loose out on exceptional care because of your intolerance to other people's beliefs and approaches to medical practices. Sincerely, The Bernal's read more

Absolutely lovely doctor (Dr Deviliers), office staff, and billing dept. Exam rooms can feel a little tight but I don't mind because Dr D spends time answering my questions and shows true compassion and interest in my baby's health and well-being and I never feel rushed. Excellent place, we will be long time clients. read more

An outstanding office with incredible doctors. We have been a patient for 4 years and can tell you that these doctors ACTUALLY care about your child's well being. We switched from 4 different doctors until finding Care First. With other doctors it felt like we were just a number or just another transaction. These doctors actually dig deep, talk about diet, lifestyle, developmental stages, concerns. They have a great knowledge of modern medicine with a blend of compassion. Highly recommend if you are in need of a real army of doctors behind you as you embark on this journey, parenthood. For those complaining about the Christian aspect: Choose another doctor for those reasons, don't bash their practice and outstanding care because you are feeling sensitive about the fact that they stand for Jesus. read more

This rating is for their billing department who do not know how to take care of their billing. How can someone prove to you they have sent a payment when you do not accept any proof? Just because you do not know which banks are linked to the insurances that pays you payments, you keep calling and disturbing people for a bill they have paid? Your nurse/billing lady has called me more than 10 times for a $9 bill she could not find in a wrong bank account. read more

Dr. De Villiers was very nice and spent a good half hour with us, I had no problem with her, but my billing experience was a nightmare. It's partly due to the fact that we had insurance with Anthem Blue Cross through Covered CA, which I do not recommend for anyone, but this office did little to help. Bear with me for all the details of our experience with the billing at this office. When we came for my child's 2 year appt I believed Care First would be in network since Anthem Blue Cross was listed on their website. They made no mention of it when they took my insurance card so I continued to assume that the visit would be covered in network. I even got a bill from Care First for $36 noting that the rest was billed to insurance. Then I got the EOB from my insurance saying that nothing was covered. 3.5 months after our original visit I got a bill from Care First for $476, for my son's 2 year well-child checkup which included one injection. This time the bill noted that since we were Covered CA the visit was out of network. I looked into our insurance and discovered that indeed it would not cover anything for an out of network doctor, but I still felt that $476 was exorbitant for a well-child checkup. After several calls back and forth with the billing office, they offered to remove a $147 "Prolonged Service" fee. That fee was listed on the bill in the "Insurance" column, so my total due would still be $476. When I expressed my concern that the cost was so high and asked if they make any deals for cash patients, or if they were above the going rate in the area, I was told that that is the going rate, they pay for the vaccines so that costs what it costs, and the doctors time is expensive and I just needed to pay it. Note that the $476 included $155 for the Pentacel injection, which according to the CDC costs private sector clinics $16.09 per dose. (reference: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vfc/awardees/vaccine-management/price-list/) So I paid my bill and won't be back. In summary, the doctor is nice, but avoid if you have ANY insurance concerns. Their rates are high and if there's any chance you might get stuck footing the bill yourself, it's a pricey mistake. EDIT: I forgot to add that they also have a $160 annual fee to be part of their practice that is non-billable to insurance. Although they may waive it for financial hardship. read more

This is a difficult update to write. My child's medical condition was misdiagnosed, and the medication prescribed had a very negative effect. What's worse, while in the throws of the medicine's negative side effects I brought my child in for another consult. The doctor made us both feel that the only thing that was amiss was was in my child's head! The next day after calling again to speak with our Ped. (not who we saw the previous day) the Doc. we did see, called back to say "after reviewing the chart," and seeing the medication my child was on, it's clear to her the symptoms and the underlying cause may well be due to the medication!! After more research we realized that this medication should really only be used as a last resort not a first step. I contacted the clinic and tried to have a dialog, to no avail! We self referred to a specialist who diagnosed the problem immediately. It was corrected with minor surgery seven weeks ago. Since then the original problem is gone. read more

We called several pediatricians before we found Dr. Devillier's office. My husband and I were really concerned about our son's vaccination schedule and wanted to customize it so that it is similar to the European vaccination schedule. After calling around, most pediatricians were not okay with this idea and would only take us as a patient if we complied with their vaccine policy. Dr. Devillier's office gladly accommodated our needs and did not pressure us in any way. The past two times my son got sick, I was able to call after hours and get in contact with an on call doctor within 20 mins. I really love this service and appreciate the fact that they do this. Since my husband and I are cash patients, this saved us trips to the hospital and unnecessary expenses. In addition, they provide an extra discount for cash patients if you pay in full at the time of the visit. I highly recommend this office! read more

We found out about this practice from some friends at church and are really glad we chose Dr. De Villiers as our daughter's pediatrician. Our first encounter with the practice was when Dr. Pabari came out to Good Samaritan the morning after our daughter was born to do the initial pediatrician checkup. She was so kind and gentle with the baby and had a great bedside manner. We really appreciated it, considering this is our first child and we are picking stuff up as we go! We finally had our first appointment with Dr. De Villiers a week or so later in the office and were equally impressed. She is so relaxed/friendly with our daughter - even when she was demonstrating her superior lung function and capacity by screaming bloody murder during her physical exam. My wife and I appreciate her calm and professional demeanor when explaining things and answering our questions. The office itself is very homey/family oriented - the desk staff are pleasant and friendly and so are the nurses/assistants. The decor is wood paneling - a far cry from the clinical white so often seen in other practices. One thing to note about this practice is that they don't run people through assembly line style - they take their time with each patient. This may result in you having to wait a bit, but it also means you get more time with the doctor when your name comes up. In my opinion, that sort of trade-off is a no-brainer. I am so glad we found Care First and I can honestly recommend them to any parent, whether they are first timers or old pros. read more

Facility is a bit small, but don't let that put you off when you first walk in - these guys are wonderful. They're meticulous when it comes to follow up, and staff is caring and goes the extra mile. The doctors themselves obviously care for the children a great deal and love what they do. There's no rush to get patients out the door, which is common from what I hear often from other parents. We drive a bit farther to get to them, but we feel the trip is well worth it for our little one. We've experienced one emergency, and the doctors were quick to respond, quick to inform us, and made sure to follow up on a timely basis. We've worked with Drs. Mellema and Pabari and would gladly recommend both. Dr. DeVillers is also terrific, from what we've seen in the office. Can't go wrong here. read more

Dr Pabari is excellent. The office staff are great. Great doctor, excellent quality of care. Highly recommend Dr Pabari. I give her and the office staff 5-stars. I am knocking off stars due to the fact that their billing department is seriously lacking. For example, we have received bills 2 years later. We have also received statements saying that we are all up-to-date and then get hit with a bill for old charges months and months later (even after we spoke to someone confirming saying we were good). Then they send demand letters for payments that you were told you were up to date on or previous statements shown as $0 balance. Their statements are written in a very confusing manner - and can be an inch thick! It's a difficult and a time consuming process to stay on top of their billing. I give the billing department 1-star. 5-stars for Dr Pabari and the office staff. 1-star for billing = 3 stars. read more

Our daughter has been seeing Dr. Pabari since day one. She is amazing and a wonderful health care provider. Not only that, but she is also caring. Honestly, I cannot tell you how careful and gentle she has aways been with our baby. She is incredibly through when examining and diagnosing her patients. She has ALWAYS called me back when I've left messages or emailed the office. Even if we end up playing phone tag, she still calls and makes sure my problems (admittedly the problems are usually ridiculous and probably just my paranoia acting up, but she never, EVER makes me feel like a nut case) are resolved. I wish we could have stayed with her, but we moved to Washington. If our daughter could have kept seeing her until she was 18 we would have done it. Dr. Pabari is a gem and we all miss her so much. We still send occasional emails with photos of our daughter letting her know how we are doing. Thank you Care First for the best health care and for your caring and loving style. We miss you! read more

My daughter's pediatrician is Dr. Margaret DeVilliers. We think she's great. She is so patient and attentive. She has a very calming demeanor that even my always-active-and-on-the-go daughter picks up on it and becomes butter in her hands. She welcomes my involvement in the decision-making process and supports my philosophies. Her office staff is always friendly and helpful. They have a well kid waiting area and a sick kid waiting area. Both are child-friendly (toys) and clean. It seems that I never wait more than 5 minutes for our appointments, and after shots I've been able to nurse in the exam room until I was ready to leave. I've called to ask questions and she herself has called me back within hours of leaving my message with her staff. Another doctor in the office, Dr. Mellema, seems old fashion and sometimes I think he could use a "seminar" or two just to refresh himself. He's also a bit condescending, at least with me. When Dr. DeVilliers isn't in and my daughter needs to be seen, I much prefer Dr. Meenal Pabari, also in the same office. She's more on the same lines as DeVilliers, listens well with an open demeanor. read more

Dr. Mellema has been fantastic for my daughter. No toddler enjoys a visit to the pediatrician but Dr. Mellema really takes the time to make her feel comfortable. She hasn't cried there yet - even when she gets a shot. He also does a very thorough examination. This was a real contrast to our first pediatrician whose office was a zoo and who needed to get us in and out in 10 minutes. Dr. Mellema's tips on child psychology have been a godsend. He says that the terrible twos are neither inevitable nor even normal. They can be avoided. He was right about that and all the other experts are wrong. Thanks to him, my wife and I have endured much fewer temper tantrums than other parents we know. My one complaint - You need to watch their bills carefully. They make mistakes. They still get 5 stars because Dr. Mellema would be worth it even if they deliberately doubled their prices rather than accidentally double billing me. Also - I voted no for "Appointment only". That's because if you have an emergency, they can always get you in that day. For routine care, they require appointments like any other medical practice. read more

If I had to describe Dr. Li with one word, it would be compassionate. She's also a mother. She remembers how difficult it was to take care of a newborn. She understands where you're coming from, relates on every level and knows how to comfort you and reassure you that things will be okay. Our son had jaundice and it was extremey stressful having to get his blood drawn everyday and come to the office only to hear that it has gotten worse. Dr. Li consoled us and outlined everything we had to do so that he can get better. I was so stressed out, I started to tear and she started to tear too because she knows what it feels like to worry about your child. You can tell she genuinely cares. There's something just really warm about her. She never rushes through her sessions with us. I was worried about breast feeding and she took her time in helping me and we successfully expressed some milk (I was so relieved!). I always walk out of our sessions feeling accomplished. Dr. DeVilliers knows what she's talking about. You can tell she's very knowledgable and has been working in this field for a long time. She gives really good explanations for questions and you walk out of your appointment feeling like you've got a good grasp on things. I don't know if its her voice or maybe the British accent :), but when she talks, it's very calming and soothing. We had a list of questions for her and instead of feeling overwhelmed, she's tackled each one with ease. The appointment didn't feel rushed and she took her time with everything. My son had to get his blood drawn on Memorial Day. The office was closed but they said they take voicemails, so they would call us back with the results. I thought the front desk person would call us back and it would be a short conversation, but it was Dr. DeVilliers who called back and we spent 15 minutes talking about next steps. I appreciated the call back, especially on a holiday and from a doctor. read more

We have been seeing Dr. De Villiers since my baby was born about a month and a half ago. She has a very calm and nice demeanor and excellent bedside manner. She doesn't talk down to us super nervous first time parents and makes my baby feel very comfortable with her. Appointments have been easy to make, even when calling for a same day appointment. All calls have been returned quickly, even after hours. We have seen Dr. Trojner on a day that Dr. De Villiers wasn't available and she is also very nice. Seems very knowledgeable and also treats nervous parents with a lot of respect. She took her time to answer all of our questions which I really appreciated. Dr. Pabari I have only talked to on the phone but she has also been very nice and reassuring. She asked more things than I had thought of when I called with some concerns. Oh, the office as others mention has sick child and well child waiting rooms which is very nice when you have a newborn and I am sure later on as well. So far our experience has been excellent and we trust it'll continue to be that way. read more

We visit Dr. Meenal Pabari since our children were born. We took two of our daughters at this place. Dr. Pabari is very good at her skills. Also she spends a good amount of time discussing all our children's need. She also remains available over the phone to answer any question. She follows up on all our needs. We really appreciate Dr. Meenal Pabari for her work as a pediatrician. read more

Always a pleasure bringing the kid into such a positive environment. Even though it was just a flu shot everyone is so friendly.

Dr. Li and the staff at Care First have been absolutely amazing. As first time parents, we always have a ton of questions and concerns - and Dr. Li has addressed each and every one of them with the kind of patience you wish every doctor had. She is professional yet compassionate and it's obvious that she genuinely cares about her patients. She personally follows up every time we call in with questions. Once, we were supposed to check in a week after our appointment to update her on my son's condition - he had gotten better and I completely forgot to follow up... she remembered to check in with us and when I didn't pick up my cell, she also called the house! The office is always very responsive and we've never had a problem getting in to see someone on short notice. We have also seen Dr. de Villiers and Dr. Parabi - both are excellent. We recently relocated back to the East Coast and I can say that one of the things we will miss most about the Bay Area is Care First and Dr. Li. read more

My infant son has been a patient of Dr de Villiers since he was born in June of 2014. We love Dr de Villiers and through my son's battles with wheezing, RSV and pneumonia we had to come in a lot and have ended up seeing the other doctors in the practice as well. The entire staff learned my son's name and were extremely kind to us. Nurse Charlotte is very sweet and has a special, gentle way that she talks to the children. Dr. Pabari ended up being on call for many of our son's check-ups while he was sick and she was also great. On a slightly different note, I struggled very hard with postpartum depression in the first six months of my baby's life, and the Care First staff was very kind to me. Dr de Villiers cared enough to ask how I was doing, not just how baby is. In the end, I feel like this is good for the well being of the whole family, so it gets back to the baby as well. They also use PPD screening tools, which is unusual for a pediatric practice, but very helpful for new moms who may be suffering. Before we decided on Care First, I read the reviews about the religious aspect of the practice and felt apprehensive about it, but I have to say that this has not been any sort of an issue or conflict in terms of how the staff has cared for our family, and it hasn't come up in any so far. Although I am not Christian myself, I think that in this case it doesn't seem to do any harm if they include biblical references in their correspondence. read more

This was a new doctor for us because we just moved. My daughter really likes Dr. Devillers and was quick to develop a rapport with her. At age 12 it is important to have frank and candid discussions with your children and their doctor, we were able to do both. Office staff was pleasant, and efficient. Dr. Devillers spent a lot of time during the physical and made my daughter feel comfortable. It was only our first visit but it was great so far. They are busy and book out but I was squeezed in on a cancellation without much problem. read more

Fantastic. Health insurance is so complicated and further messed up by poor implementation of Obamacare, we had to switch pediatricians to ensure we had coverage. Blue Shield told us that Dr Meenal Pabari was in our network, so we set up a consultation with her after reading great reviews online. We were not disappointed. Dr Pabari was warm, communicative, and she didn't rush us. Furthermore, we later found out that our plan was NOT accepted by their practice, and the office billing staff even offered to help us get to the bottom of the problem and to find a doctor that was covered! After spending 45 minutes in their office, Dr Pabari didn't even choose to charge us for her time. We really appreciate her as a doctor and hope that we can take our baby back there once universal healthcare actually becomes universally easier to figure out. read more

Dr. Margie practices good common sense when it comes to treating children. This is something that I highly value in my doctors to day a quality I feel like is missing over and over again. She is through and helps all the patients in what ever stage they are in. read more

I feel comfortable there. I did a different vaccination schedule for my kids and they accommodated us. read more

Great office !! The staff at Care First is top knotch. They make you feel like you are not a number, but a real person coming in w/ your child. They always make time for you either on the phone w/ questions or in office. Dr DeVilliers and Dr Pabari are wonderfully caring and professional. They give the best guidance and help you make the best decisions for your child/ren based on facts and their open and honest experiences. I feel my child (nearly 3 years old) has the best care possible in the Bay Area w/ Care First Pediatrics. read more

We have been with Care First Pediatrics for 10 years. They are wonderful. When insurance regulations changed a few years ago, this practice asked patients to pay a voluntary annual fee so that the practice could continue serving patients in the same manner. We happily agreed to this nominal annual fee. The doctors here are attentive and professional, the office is always able to accommodate an urgent visit, they always have a doctor on call to answer my questions...I have had my calls returned in the middle of the night and on weekends. I never, ever feel rushed during an appointment. They take time to talk to me and to my child. They see my son as a person and speak with him extensively during his visits, and have been doing this since he was a toddler. They educate him about his growing body and how to be healthy. Nurse Charlotte and the rest of the staff are patient, kind and gentle. This is a great place to bring your child. I was an extremely anxious new mother who called all the time and brought my child in for every single little thing. I have really appreciated the loving support provided by the team at Care First Pediatrics throughout the years. They are true partners that help me care for my child. Also, I was surprised to see the yelp references to religion and patients being offended. I am an atheist and have never experienced anything unpleasant. I think there is a small written sign hanging unobtrusively on the back wall of the lobby about Christian doctors or something? read more

My daughter has been a patient at Care First since she was born 8 years ago. We interviewed Dr. Mellema while pregnant with her and knew immediately that he was the Dr. for our daughter. Over the years we've seen all the docs (there are 3) and had positive experiences every time. We now see Dr. Trojnar (Dr. Mellema retired last year) and at first I was very concerned that Paige wouldn't like the change, but she loves Dr. Trojnar even more than Dr. Mellema! The office staff are consistently pleasant and efficient. We never have to wait to be seen, and I never have to worry about getting a same day appointment when she is sick. I also love that the staff are all the same, there is very little turn over which I think indicates a healthy work environment. I would recommend this practice to anyone looking for a Pediatrician. read more

Dr. Pabari is awesome. She is very thorough and takes the time to answer questions. She is also very patient with the kids and makes sure that they have a good visit. I am happy with the service that I received at this office. I have gone through a few pediatricians to find the right one and this office definitely fit what I was looking for. read more

My children have been seen at Care First for many years, and though we have very few medical issues, our care has been good - though the office is antiquated. We have since moved on, and a big part of that decision is about their end of year letter to all patients including references to death, punishment, and sin. I have to assume management is religiously extreme. I am guessing they watch Fox News excessively. While my assumptions could be wrong, at the very least they show little understanding that the rest of us might not be enthusiastic Christians. I would rather not do business with this, and I don't want my young children exposed to these philosophies. I received this in the mail from Care First: "The worlds's brightest scientists would take an eternity to understand the body's complexity. Using the biggest microscopes to try to examine the smallest parts, we seek to understand how God has made us. Each little piece is commissioned full time to accomplish its precise task. But when one takes a break, the body suffers and repair must be made, without which the body will continue to deteriorate until it finally dies. The same is true of our soul, and having sinned against a just God and rebelling against his requirements, we too are bound for death. But 2000 years ago, God's Son was born to take this punishment upon himself, and suffer the verdict of our sins - the wrath of God. And Jesus, unlike any other, displayed his power over death when He rose again...He is alive! And has said about the worst of sinners, "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinner to repentance" (Lk. 5:31-32). Wow! May this be a joyful time for us all as we take time to celebrate the birth of our Savior. This is the day thee Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Happy Birthday, Jesus!" Seriously. I really received this in the mail from them. read more

I hate to leave a negative review for such nice people. Dr. De Villiers is a delightful person! Sweet, and non-threatening to children, I very much appreciate her approach and demeanor. She also goes above and beyond to spend the amount of time we need from her. There are multiple serious problems with this practice, however. The one that concerns me the most is the non-scientific approach to medical care. Dr. De Villiers still believes there's a link between autism and vaccines, that inoculations are unnecessary and driven by Big Pharma, believes that modern unexplained health problems can only be caused by vaccines, and is convinced that evidence of inoculations causing health problems is being covered up by the government. All that doesn't matter, as long as she provides the vaccinations we request. The problem occurs when she casts doubt with people who are ill informed. My child's mother is such a person. She is easily seduced by conspiracy theorists and alarmists. The end result is we have an unvaccinated child due to Dr. De Villiers's unconventional opinions and conspiracy theories being presented to manipulable individuals. If it were completely up to me, we would have run from this practice many years ago. Another red flag for me is a doctor who advocates "boosting your immune system" with homeopathic remedies, who refers us to people who are experts in Eastern holistic medicine, and who has religious overtones throughout the office. I am extremely concerned about my child getting medical treatment from such a doctor if there were a life threatening situation! The medical care isn't the only problem with this office. I was completely insulted by the way one of the other doctors treated me. It was unprofessional, insensitive, and sexist. I wrote them a letter with my return address, asking for corrective action, and they responded by writing a letter to my child's mother instead of me. To make matters worse, they took weeks to respond to my repeated queries, and ultimately defended their own actions. Care First Pediatrics is not a medical practice that I can endorse in good conscience. There are plenty of other reputable Pediatricians out there. read more

I wish I could leave negative stars here. This might be my very first negative review for a business. This office is very deceitful. I'll update my review soon but save yourself the headache and go somewhere else. The office manager Richard and billing lady Linda seem to not care about their reputation at all. Being the nice and understanding guy that I am, I gave them a chance to walk away from the situation but all they did was upset me more. So if you don't want to have any surprises when it comes to billing and the headache that comes from dealing with money hungry/lying people DO NOT COME HERE. Other people have left similar reviews. Care First will be seeing me in court. read more

Care First Pediatrics has been our children's pediatricians since 2006. We were recommended to them by Dr. Belton who had been my OBGYN at the time. All the care that we have received has been very good and we have seen all the doctors in their practice at one time or another. Some doctors we feel more comfortable with than others (personality wise, that is) but all have extended better than average care. Each doctor is thorough and attentive and they call personally to follow-up giving their time generously. In fact I remember once when my fifth child had gotten ill as an infant and Dr. Pabari called to follow-up several times very diligently within a few days time. She had mentioned that she was so worried about him that she did not sleep well. That's dedication to be sure When my sixth baby was born last November Dr. Pabari was very attentive to certain issues that might be a problem for my baby and made sure all the tests and procedures were done before we left the hospital so that we would not have to make additional trips up to San Jose to do them. I had my sixth baby on a Friday morning via c-section and she came each day on the weekend and spent more than a half hour with us, even on Saturday and Sunday, examining our baby and talking with our family. She spent time talking with our other children and even answering a question that my eldest child (who wants to be a physician someday) had about the muscles of persons with disabilities that confined them to wheel chairs and offered to show him some exercises that those patients do the next time she sees him. That is very generous of her and my son was very delighted. So many doctors are ready to simply rush in and rush out and that has never been the case with this practice. We have always been able to get appointments quickly when we need them and I do feel they go out of their way to accommodate family schedules. That is certainly something to be appreciated because a lot of doctors would not do this. The only thing that could ever be an issue for us is if all our children should need to be seen at once. In the past when we tried to schedule non-urgent appointments for all of our children at once they would not do it because we have so many children and I guess that if we made the appointments and then perhaps decided to cancel it would hurt them as a business. That's understandable. We have also found that they have been respectful of our choices regarding vaccines whether they fully agree with it or not. Again, this can be a very hot issue between pediatricians and parents and in the end not all doctors are willing to respect parental choices. First Care Pediatrics has never made this an issue. I remember seeing a religious letter of those around Christmas time but never thought much about it and forgot it ever existed. I am a Muslim and never once had any issues with this practice in regard to religion. Never have they personally discussed religion with us. The letter, as I see it, was simply an exclamation of their joy for their holiday/beliefs and wishing other families who might celebrate it a happy holiday. I cannot find any offense in that at all just because I have different views. It seems strange to me that someone would judge the merits and ability of a practice and the doctors practicing in it on this alone. However, it could be said that their deeply Christian convictions probably has a strong bearing in their level of compassion, integrity, and humble service to others but that should really be deemed a pro and not a con. I respect that they are not lying about who they are and what they believe to please other people or for worldly gain. I understand how difficult it can be to stay true to one's convictions when it is easier to simply blend in. We choose to continue to have these doctors care for our children even though we moved to Gilroy. We would definitely recommend them to others. read more

Pro: The doctors here are wonderful. very kind, patient, and caring. I never feel rushed. Con: The office is really, REALLY, outdated and a bit on the dirty side. equipment is rusted (weighing machine) and torn (exam tables) extensibly, walls are dirty and wallpaper peeling. I really want to love them because the doctors themselves are so great, but I can't get past how how unsanitary it feels in there. If they could clean the place up and update equipment, I would give them 5 stars, and have no reservations about continuing to bring my child there. read more

I have been with Care First Pediatrics for over ten years now, and could not be happier with the care my child has received from Dr. DeVilliers, Dr. Mellema (now retired), and Dr. Pabari since birth. My child was born with severe allergies and food intolerances, yet, with the support of Care First Pediatrics, we have been able to manage her condition very well. Dr. DeVilliers recommended and collaborated with allergy and GI experts to give my child the best possible care, and see her come out super healthy from the most critical years of her allergy condition, including accommodating a special vaccination schedule. Dr. DeVilliers and Dr. Pabari are knowledgeable, and kind, and it is a true pleasure to have them as our trusted pediatricians. I saw some comments regarding issues with insurance coverage, and find it really inappropriate to penalize the practice for not doing one's own job to understand what the insurance covers, and where it is accepted. Care First Pediatrics is very good at billing the insurance, and their billing department has always been very responsive regarding our queries. In over 10 years, with two difference insurances, we never run into any issues regarding unexpected charges. Care First also has very reasonable rates compared to other practices. read more

What a great pediatric office! Our doctor is Meghan Trojnar and I think she's wonderful! We interviewed her a month before my daughter was born and she was very patient to answer all our questions and address any concerns. She has a very soothing way about her that instantly put me at ease. When our daughter was born Dr. Trojnar was out of town (we knew this would be the case in advance) and we had the pleasure of meeting Dr. de Villiers who did the initial exam on our little one. She was also wonderful, very caring and gentle. Although our daughter's bilirubin level was slightly elevated she was very balanced and conservative in how she handled it with us so that we weren't unnecessarily alarmed. Dr. Trojnar did the follow up visit and was completely up to speed when she came in for the visit. Everything was handled efficiently and professionally but with a wonderful personal touch. We've also seen Dr. Pabari who helped us when we were having feeding issues the first week. We came in, exhausted from a sleepless night and with a very unhappy baby and Dr. Pabari was able to figure out the problem very quickly. She was very supportive of my desire not to supplement with formula and gave us other options so that it wasn't necessary. I've seen Dr. Trojnar at well visits and one sick visit since this initial care and am always happy to visit the office. It's small, but in a cozy way. Everyone is very kind and patient. They give you the time you need and answer any and all questions without making you feel silly for asking (and I've had a list of questions at each visit). And, although they support having your child fully vaccinated, they are understanding of alternate choices you might make. I'm sad for when we move from the area because we'll be leaving this first rate pediatric group behind. They have definitely set the bar high for any future pediatricians that my daughter will see. read more

My children have been patients of Dr. DeVilliers and Care First since they were born, 17 and 15 years ago. We have seen all the doctors there multiple times. I am giving them five stars because the positives of the practice far outweigh the negatives. Positives: The doctors are excellent with the patients and take the time to communicate fully with the parents. Their bedside manner is as good as it gets. This is the absolute best thing about the entire practice, as I believe there is nothing more important than the doctors. The staff are also great with the children, very friendly and knowledgeable. They will always squeeze you in the same day in case of an emergency. Once they even kept the office open late, when I called and told them my son had to come in right away. The doctor and receptionist waited for us to get there even though we couldn't make it until 10 minutes past closing time, and they didn't make it seem like we were causing any problem at all. It was amazing. They go out of their way to be helpful and accommodating. They have mailed and faxed me records that I needed for my kids' sports activities, always taking care of it the same day I called. Negatives: Since Dr. Mellema left, there is no male doctor. Now that my son is older I think he would be more comfortable with a male for his checkups than a female, and I find it unfortunate that a male doctor is not available. The wait can be horrendous. I realize this is because the doctors take plenty of time with their patients, and once they finally see you, you do not feel rushed at all. But, we have waited over an hour past our appointment time on many occasions. When they finally get you into the exam room, the nurse takes the information, and you can still sit there 20-30 minutes more, waiting for the doctor. Bring a good book! Despite these drawbacks, still a 5-star establishment due to the phenomenal care and outstanding doctors. read more

Great pediatrician group. There are 3 doctors and we've seen them all and they're all caring. Not once have I ever felt rushed or that my questions weren't valid. You're treated like a respected human being and you feel your kids are well taken care of. I also couldn't say enough about their staff. Especially the front desk staff who ALWAYS answer the phones cheerfully AND try and work out whatever scheduling issue you're having. You never hit a dead end when trying to schedule an appointment. Just today, I had a last minute need to come in and the front desk person said "the doctor is fully booked today...but, let me see if there's any way we can get you in" - just a rare-ity these days. Couldn't say enough about the place. And we had another pediatrician before this one. We had so many complaints that we took the time and effort and hassle to find another one. We feel like we struck gold. read more