Scripps Coastal Medical Center Encinitas – Pediatrics

Just wanted to add I received a call from Scripps Patient Advocate office and I returned the call and left a message and never heard back. Makes me wonder how concerned they are about any issues with their new Pediatrics office.

We’ve been going to Scripps Coastal (formerly El Camino Pediatrics) since our preemie twins were released from the hospital almost 2 years ago. From day 1, we were greeted with care and concern for our preemies by Estela and her office staff by having a room ready so that there wasn’t interaction with our newborns and any potential sick kids in the waiting room. Our main Nurse Luz and Dr. Michelle Dern are wonderful! Our children are always given the highest degree of care and any concerns we (as parents) have are answered honestly. We never feel rushed and on the flip side, never have to wait around for long periods of time to be seen. Additionally, on the days we are not scheduled with Luz or Dr. Dern, we’ve been happy with the other Doctors, Nurse Practitioners and nurses. This is all around a well run office and staff that works very well and efficiently together.

Love all the Drs and nurses here. My kids have been going to Dockweiler and Levy their whole lives. Luz is so great, she remembers everyone and is so sweet!

Love love this office. I live in Vista and don’t mind the drive to Encinitas just to see Dr O’Leary. He’s such an awesome dr. My son was terrified of Drs. and Dr O’Leary changed that. I like that my son gets to see the same Dr for all his visits. Totally recommend this office.

We drive almost half an hour away, 45 mins or more during heavy traffic, just to see Dr. Michelle Dern and nurse Luz R. This tag team is amazing. They are both very thorough, very sweet, and so caring. My kids dislike doctors but they don’t mind so much when they see these 2. My Noah had sugar in his urine when he wasn’t feeling well and we knew it was probably due to the Popsicles he ate but to make sure they ordered blood work and I had to get this done ASAP. Luz called me every other day to make sure I haven’t forgotten. I know they have so much patients but they genuinely care about their patients. The staff in this office is also very accommodating and courteous. It makes the drive up very worth it. Wish all medical providers were like Dr. Michelle Dern and Luz R. They get my referrals and 5 star recommendation, for sure!

Dr. Escuro has been our child’s pediatrician for over a year and we absolutely love her! She is always patient and kind. Never feels like she is in a rush.
We had an amazing experience this morning with Dr. Dockweiler and her nurse. Our son got a large cut in his palm and they fit us in immediately on a Sunday morning. The two were patient and kind with our son while they fixed his wound and we didn’t have to spend the day in the ER! We were in and out in 20 minutes. Grateful and happy today for the help!

I switched Dr’s to Dr O’leary after a recommendation from a friend whom also sees him at El Camino Peds. Finally, a Dr my husband and I liked. He really took the time and I felt a connection right away. I was relived since this would be my Son’s Dr for years to come. But then, my nightmare happened.
2 weeks ago on Friday I had an appointment for my sons 2 month check up and first round of vaccines. Dr O’leary called me an hour before my appointment and said that they were out of the DTAP vaccine alone and that they would be getting in later that afternoon. I absolutely understood and rescheduled for following Monday morning. When I arrived, we waited for over an hour to be taken back. Let’s take a minute and talk about the waiting room. Nasty! It is so dirty and there are sick kids everywhere coughing and sneezing. This is the case EVERY time I go there. They should defiantly look into a well and sick spaces for their waiting room. The floors had crumbs from previous kid snacks that looked like it had been there for days. Their chairs were grimy and sticky. We didn’t even sit down and not to mention hoping my 2 month old son wouldn’t catch any of the nasty viruses all around us even though he was completely covered in his carseat.
My 2 month appointment went OK, loving Dr O’leary, but then, he said, I still don’t have the DTAP vaccine in the office and I needed to ‘drop by’ sometime in the next few days to get it. Are you kidding me? (Any mom can understand how scary this is) I called the next day and spoke to a Kathy and she confirmed again that the vaccine was still not in. She promised that she would call me back as soon as it arrived. 3 days later still nothing. I called, and called and left a message for their office manager Penny. No call back. That’s when my husband called and spoke to a nurse named Denix. She said they had «1» vaccine and I needed to rush and get to their office that day. I got my son drove 45 minutes to the office. When I arrived, I checked in with the front office representative named Kathy. The rudest most obnoxious front office person you have staffed there. She didn’t know why I was at the office and said they were out of the vaccine. I explained her the situation how my husband just got off the phone with one of the nurses and told me to come down. She again said, I am sorry, I understand (in a sarcastic robotic way) that she did not have the vaccine in. If I didn’t insist her check with the back, she would have sent me away. Sure enough, after she checked, she said, «OK, have a seat, they are saving the vaccine for you». 10 minutes arguing with Kathy, when she could of just confirmed with her back office people. She belittled me when I was expressing my concerns, and she kept looking at me with a blank stare and at one point rolled her eyes to the guy sitting next to her.
In the exam room, the same nurse my husband spoke to, Denix, advised me to take my son out of his car seat, and lay him on the table. As I was taking him out, his pacifier fell. I set him down, and went over to the sink to wash my hands and his paci. Seconds later, I hear my son screaming crying. She had given him his vaccine without me looking or being there with him! I was livid and so upset. I burst into tears as I asked her about information about after care from the vaccine or any side affects I should be looking for. She said, «I’ll give you a hand out», and walked out. I couldn’t believe what had happened. She knew this was my son’t first vaccine, and she gave him the shot without me looking? There was no explanation on what she was doing, what vaccine it was, and its possible side effects I should be looking for, she quickly administered the vaccine and out she went. How can you give a vaccine to a 2 month old for the first time without their parent there?
As I walked out, I was clearly upset and someone from your corporate office was there, and she tried to console me. She also seemed shocked to what had happened, and said that she wanted to bring the situation to Dr. O’leary. She said he was with another patient and that he would be in to talk to me. An hour later, no Dr, and I just wanted to get away as fast as I could from this place. I walked out. No one since has followed up with me. I left messages for their office manager Penny, spoke to someone from corporate, the Dr knew my situation and no one cared to call me. This is by far the worst experience I have ever had in a medical office. This is not how you treat patients. This entire team needs some major training on communication, bedside manners, organization & follow-​up.
I have many friends whom also go here and I am making sure they know about my experience and all the mommy blogs I am on I will warn them about this entire practice. Please, if you are looking for a pediatrician, do not come here. They are horrible, and you are just a number. Having a medical background, they run an unethical practice. Stay far AWAY!

El Camino Pediatrics is now Scripps Coastal Medical Center– Pediatrics.
Staff is the same, doctors are the same… just a new group. Their old Unilocal page is still up.