Maureen C. Downes, MD

Dr Downes is absolutely amazing! She’s been seeing my son since he was born 11 months ago. Last week I called in on a Friday morning because my son was sick and she was able to see me the same day and she saw us right when I showed up to the appointment even though I was 35 minutes late. She also gave me her weekend schedule and let me know she would be available to call me back anytime that weekend that I had a question other than 2 hours during which she would be at a play and at church. She also called me Friday night to follow up and see how my son was doing. She is incredible! Very caring, extremely intelligent and straightforward. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a good, caring pediatrician.

I have been going to this office for 3 years since my baby was born. I go to one of the associates in the office. I have seen more than one doctor for my baby and find the doctors on most occasions to be competent. However the entire office staff (front office and clinical staff) are all very rude, indifferent, and show no compassion to the patient nor the parents. They do not greet you and do not thank you for anything! They go about their business as if their patients are not present, and they ask rudely for information. I had previously gone to this office years ago for my older child, but decided to switch after a couple of visits due to the poor staff. I switched back to them for my youngest child because my other pediatrician had retired. The nurse will administer shots with a stab and go way too fast to the point of the vaccine material squirting out of the needle. When I spoke with the doctor, she simply gives a shrug, and asked that I tell her nurse to go slower! My last visit I waited 1 hr to be seen, and that was after a lot of coming out of the room to ask when I would be seen, in case they had forgotten about us. The nurse just kept telling me Dr would be in in a few minutes. which turned into 60 minutes. I simply cannot tolerate their treatment anymore. There are better pediatric offices out there in Irvine. I will not be going back.

My husband and I have been taking our son to Dr. Downes since he was born almost 9 months ago. We are so glad we chose her as our sons pediatrician. Dr. Downes’ office was one of many we were looking at when choosing a pediatrician, while I was pregnant. We were invited to go to the office for a meet and greet type thing with Dr. Downes. They do this every month so as to provide prospective patients with personalized time with the Dr. at a time that doesn’t interfere with the parents’ work day and, I would think, at a time that allows Dr. Downes to devote as much time as possible to answering questions. I know I found this to be so helpful. While I made appointments at other offices, I was only given 15 minutes to meet with prospective doctors and ask questions. For me, personally, that wasn’t enough. I was seen late and felt rushed at other offices. So the idea of a designated mini-​seminar was ideal for me and my husband. When we got there, we signed in and each family that was present (I think there were about six during our meeting) received a HUGE gift bag filled with everything baby — bottles, formula, books, coolers, organizers, hand sanitizer, and a lot more. Dr. Downes introduced herself and briefly went over all the other doctors and nurses that practice and work at Irvine Pediatrics. Immediately after the introduction, she, right off the bat, said that the entire practice believes that vaccinations are necessary and will always push for vaccinations. She then said that if there was any parent that didn’t want their child vaccinated, then this might not be the practice for them and that they might want to look elsewhere. I thought this was smart and considerate, so as not to waste the time of any parent who didn’t want their child vaccinated. No one left the room and she continued to explain their vaccination schedule. She also noted that in her 30+ years of practicing, she has seen and treated children with all but one disease in the menu of vaccinations. This was one thing that made me feel confident in choosing her. I like that she has experience. Other reviews say that she’s been practicing for too long and needs to retire, well what I say is that I WANT my child to be treated by a doctor who has seen it all and treated it all. Whenever we see her she always gives us her full attention and I never feel rushed.
I agree with other Unilocalers’ comments about the from office staff. Some can be rough around the edges and others just outright rude, but I only have to deal with them for all of three minutes then we’re seen by the nurses (who are so sweet and genuinely caring) then Dr. Downes.
I also like that the office has walk in hours (M-​F 8a-​9a and Sat 9a-​noon) for sick children. When my son started teething and again when new babies started at his daycare, he will, once in a while, get a cold, runny nose and sometimes fever. It was so nice to be able to take him in the next morning to make sure he was okay. What a relief for parents! We’ve been seen by a number of the doctors in the practice during the walk in hours and all of them are equally as great as Dr. Downes.
They’re also reliable when it come to returning phone calls. Whenever I leave a message with a question, I get a call back by the end of the day.
All in all, I’m so thrilled to have chosen Dr. Downes as my son’s pediatrician. Families who do not wish to have their children vaccinated may want to look for another practice. Dr. Downes will let you know upfront what the vaccination schedule looks like and she’s not shy about it either (which I like!). If this is something that a parent feels so strongly about and if it does hold that level of importance, a parent should always ask about how a practice feels about and handles vaccines before deciding to go there. That was definitely one of my top three questions when looking for a pediatrician for my son.
Overall, I love this practice and Dr. Downes. I’m so pleased and relived to know we have a great doctor for our son. We’ll definitely continue to take our children here.

Doctor Downes is a charming, likable and knowledgable pediatrician who genuinely cares about her patients. Every visit I have had with her has been quick, and my daughter (3mo) loves her! Dr. Downes sings to her to calm her during procedures that normally would upset an infant (weighing, shots, etc.). The staff at the front desk has always been kind and prompt in greeting me (I have only met 1 young blonde woman). The only complaint I have is that it is difficult to speak with someone when you have a question. I am usually on hold for up to 10 minutes, which is a pain when I have an urgent question about my baby. I sometimes just leave a message for the doctor/​nurses so they can return my call (supposedly by the end of the day), however, the last time I left a message, it was never returned. Despite their downfalls, the staff makes up for the shortcomings. They are always pleasant, helpful, cheerful, and knowledgable. I highly recommend Dr. Downes!

Absolutely, hands down recommend Dr. Downes and her staff of doctors! I have been going taking my kids there since my oldest was born twenty years ago. I drive 22 miles now, but still take my youngest there who is 5… such a wonderful group

Rudest staff ever. Seriously who makes fun of sick children? Very unsympathetic & unwilling to listen to parents concerns.
Was told by an Irvine Pediactric doctor that we waited too long to seek treatment & that nothing could be done. I informed her that I brought my son to Dr. Downes repeatedly & was repeatedly ignored. The Doctor began to cry, placed her hand over her mouth & muttered I’m so sorry I don’t know what to tell you. She then left, leaving the door wide open & never returned.
Over 30 minutes passed, I went to the front desk only to find the staff making fun of the patients merciously. At that point we simply gathered our belongings & left.
Less than a week later, we received a certified letter from Dr. Downes & Irvine Pediactrics stating that our son was being discharged as a patient & not to return. REALLY?
I am now left with the task of consoling a weeping timid child who doesn’t understand why the other children tease him so badly. We will never recover from the treatment we received from Dr. Downes & Irvine Pediactrics.

My three children were under Dr. Downes’ care for 20 years. She is truly the warmest, most compassionate doctor that I have ever known. Yes, sometimes you do have to wait to be seen, but she never turns down a sick child, and you can almost always get in the same day that you call. And once you see her, she will spend a great deal of time with you and your child (probably why you have to wait, since she spends a lot of time with each parent and child), until you get all of your questions answered.

This review should have come a long time ago as we have been going to Dr Downes for over 10years for our 3 daughters. She has always been completely professional and compassionate. Her knowledge is above and beyond. Her mantra for us was PREVENTIVE! That mother and friend who thought they should be able to make a decision to NOT have vaccinations was not giving the child a VOICE! The child needs protection. You have no idea who you come in contact with and if your child is not protected from these diseases then your regrets will be fruitless because you can’t back peddle in this situation. People should realize what counts is the care for your child, not how nice the staff is, getting the job done is what is important. LISTEN to the doctor, the professional that has seen and experienced everything and is just trying to protect and care for your child.

I chose Irvine Pediatrics because my OBGYN referred me to them as well as a couple of friends. My son’s primary doctor was not Dr. Downes, however, we saw her because she was on staff on Saturday morning when we had to go in for a walk-​in. I went in to check on my son’s diaper rash and she told me to use athlete’s foot cream (okay not wasn’t so bad) but then she was alarmed by his eczema. Funny thing is he had the same condition when we went in to see his normal doctor, Dr. Tse, just two weeks before and she wasn’t alarmed. Anyways Dr. Downes was very matter of fact when going over what I needed to do to help his eczema. She went over it very quickly so I actually wanted to make sure I got it down correctly so I summarized and asked if I was correct. Then she barks at me «I thought I was clear! I guess not!» WTH… really? I also wanted to ask another question when she cut me off and said «I have sick kids I need to tend to as I believe I have answered all your questions» and stormed off. She may have a lot of experience and she may have some good referrals but I have NEVER had a doctor talk to me in this fashion. She lacks professionalism and although she is not my sons primary doctor, because of her I am now switching pediatrician offices. Also I was not happy that Dr. Tse didn’t mention how bad my sons eczema was especially when I had asked the last 2 visits. I would rather go to a pediatricians office where they actually sit down and answer all my questions AND find ways for preventative care.

I went back to Irvine Pediatrics after switching back to a PPO (previously with Kaiser) but decided to try a different doctor. Overall I believe all the doctors at Irvine Pediatrics are good, but Dr. Downes seems the most relaxed and most experienced while still being patient and understanding. For example, I asked her advice regarding my son’s complicated birth. Not only did she respond with an educated answer based on medical studies, she also related to me with a story of her own experience with one of her children (now fully grown). For me she is the perfect combination of cautious yet practical. She will be our pediatrician for all our children.

Back in 2002, before my son was born, we began interviewing for a pediatrician in the local area. Dr. Downes came highly recommended by both my wife’s OBGYN and our friends in the local area. Based on our research and meeting her in person, we decided to go with and have been with Dr. Downes ever since. Dr. Downes and Irvine Pediatrics has been the primary care provider for both of my children. Dr Downes has 30 years of experience incredible medical AND practical knowledge. The other Doctors (all women) on staff are also great and all wonderful with children. They take the time to answer all your questions.
The office is busy but appointments are consistently kept. Walk-​in is available in the morning without appointment. Check their website for details.
When my son was 17 months old, he came down with a high fever for four days with a rash all over the body. We took him to two local urgent care centers and both times were told it was just a «viral infection,» and should take care of itself in a few more days. Finally we saw Dr. Downes and she suspected and correctly diagnosed him with Kawasaki disease. He was admitted to CHOC and the diagnosis was confirmed and he was properly treated. Thanks to her correct diagnosis, my son was treated promptly and fully recovered without permanent damage to his heart. Through this experience, Dr. Downes earned our trust and deepest gratitude.

The life of a pediatrician must be hard. It’s like groundhog day over and over again, but with sick children. Dr Downes has over 30 years of pediatric experience and it shows! Dr Downes shares her practice with 3 other doctors (that’s how many I’ve encountered). There are 2 entrances to the office; either through an appointment or as a walk in. The walk in for children who aren’t feeling well.
Depending on the volume, even if you have an appointment, you may wait a loooooong time. One time, we were led in and asked to wait in the patient room. Maybe they meant patience room. The doc appeared 25 minutes later. I thought I was going to die since my child was bouncing off the walls.
The doc has encountered nearly every children question that one can think of. Be prepared and write down your questions. Sometimes she’s in a hurry and will ask to read the questions herself. Although I like Dr Downes and I do feel she is very knowledgeable, I do sometimes think that Dr Google has the same answers for simple things.