Philosophy & Approach 

 How would you describe your approach to pediatric care in one sentence? 

Well rounded and all encompassing. I want to discuss developmental milestones and also big life milestones, too—like how you celebrated your baby’s birthday or where your child is applying to college.  

How long have you been practicing pediatrics and how has your experience shaped your perspective? 

Including residency, I have been taking care of children for over 10 years! With time you gain experience, but it’s also so important to remember you don’t know all the answers and to stay up to date with the latest science. 

How do you think about the relationship between a pediatrician and a family? 

This is one of the reasons I went into pediatrics! It is such a special bond. I feel so lucky to be part of a child’s upbringing and to help them become the best and healthiest person they can be.   

How do you stay current? Are you seeing things shift in pediatric medicine right now? 

I try to get most of my information from up-to-date resources such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). There is a lot of misinformation out there, and I think it is our duty to be a guiding light for our patients and stay educated. I have also enjoyed incorporating AI into my practice by using tools such as OpenEvidence, which has taught me a lot about more specialized topics. 

What's your philosophy on prescribing antibiotics? 

I believe that antibiotics can be incredible medicine when necessary. However, they have many side effects, including some that we do not even know the entire scope of. We are experiencing issues with antibiotic resistance, which negatively affects the gut microbiome. I believe it is beneficial to practice watchful waiting when appropriate, which is one of the many reasons that concierge medicine is so wonderful. We can always keep a close eye on the patient and see if their body is able to fight the infection on its own.  

What's something about your approach that you think makes families stay long-term? 

I care. I am fully invested in your child as not only a patient, but as a person.  

Developmental Milestones & Child Behavior 

What's your philosophy on sleep training? At what age do you start that conversation? 

I have recent personal experience on this topic and I quickly realized that every baby is different. That being said, if sleep training is something that feels right for your family, then I am all about it and believe that it works incredibly. It can be hard, but maternal mental health is key in being a good and present mother; often, good sleep leads to a happier mama. I believe getting on a basic schedule from the beginning helps the sleep training experience run smoother. Babies can technically be sleep trained at around four months of age, but again, every family’s situation is different. 

What's your overall philosophy on infant feeding? As a pediatrician, what kind of support can you offer families as they learn what works best for them and their baby?

Fed is best. In the early days, weight gain is one of the most important things in ensuring that your baby is healthy. Although breastfeeding has incredible benefits, a healthy baby is a fed baby.  

That being said, I fully support breastfeeding and will do everything in my power to support that journey if that is what you wish to do. In concierge medicine, we can truly utilize our time together to do more frequent weight checks, as needed, to ensure your baby is getting what they need. I also have resources in the Miami community with incredible lactation consultants that I can vouch for myself.  

What's your view on breastfeeding "goals" or timelines? 

The AAP recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continuing to breastfeed with solids until the baby is two years old. I believe these are great goals, but they’re not always attainable. I will work individually with your family to create appropriate and healthy goals. Combo feeding provides excellent benefits to the baby and is often a more achievable goal.  

How do you approach introducing solids—do you have a preferred method or timeline? 

I typically prefer starting solids closer to six months of age, especially for breastfed babies, but it completely depends on a child’s readiness based on their development. I always say there is no perfect way to start solids—the only thing we must do is start allergens early and often.  

Starting solids can be fun, but it can also be very stressful. I look forward to working with parents to try and make the process slightly less stressful and a little more fun.  

What's your approach to potty training? 

Like many things, our outlook on potty training as pediatricians has evolved over the years. In recent years, we are tending to potty train later, which leads to easier and quicker training. I think it is good to watch for readiness cues and not force it, and also use positive reinforcement to encourage success. 

What behavioral concerns in toddlers do you take seriously vs. tell parents are a phase? 

Before being concerned about a particular behavior, it is good to evaluate what may be contributing to it. Children thrive on a good routine and need good sleep. We also know that increased screen time can increase irritability in children. It is a good idea to evaluate the big picture prior to getting concerned about a behavior.  

That being said, toddlers can have big emotions with poor regulation, so oftentimes these behaviors are normal, but it is still very important to take each concern seriously.  

How do you approach early signs of autism or sensory processing differences? What does your screening process look like? 

Typically we start screening for autism around 18 months of age, but sometimes signs start showing even before that. Early diagnosis is so important because we know that early intervention leads to much better outcomes. Although a diagnosis of developmental delay or autism can seem scary, therapy is never going to harm the patient and can only contribute positively to their development.  

What should a parent do if they just think "something is off with my baby" but can't quite articulate what? 

Parents spend the most time with their baby. As pediatricians, we just get a small glimpse into a baby’s day or life. The beauty of concierge pediatrics is we can really sit and spend time with a family to try and identify exactly what a parent is concerned about. Parents should never be afraid to talk to their pediatrician; they know their baby best and are most likely correct if they have a hunch that something is off.  

What Makes Sollis Different 

What does concierge pediatrics actually mean and how does it change the experience for a family? 

Our healthcare system is broken. Patients tend to feel rushed and unheard, and doctors feel overworked and are constantly juggling short patient visits and increasing administrative demands.  

Concierge pediatrics removes many of the negatives of healthcare and allows for a flourishing patient-doctor relationship where doctors get to practice good, thoughtful, caring medicine and patients get to feel heard and fully cared for.  

What does "peace of mind" mean to you as a pediatrician and how does Sollis actually deliver on that? 

Concierge medicine is incredible because you get one-on-one care from your pediatrician, but at the end of the day we are people who cannot physically be available 24/7.  

That's where Sollis comes in. At Sollis, we have an incredible business model where you have your one-on-one pediatrician who is supported by an incredible team and a full urgent care. You will always be able to contact someone who is fully trained. You will also have help navigating the complicated network of scheduling specialist visits, if necessary. You get more than just concierge pediatrics at Sollis—you get an entire team to support you and your family for primary, urgent, and emergency medical needs.  

What will the panel size be at Sollis compared to a traditional pediatric practice and why does that matter? 

As I am sure most parents are aware, pediatricians tend to have completely booked schedules. Most pediatricians are expected to see 4-6 patients per hour! These types of schedules leave families feeling rushed and do not allow doctors to touch on all issues they would like to discuss. Small panel sizes allow for less wait times and longer patient visits where we can touch on every parental concern and also be able to give excellent education and anticipatory guidance to families.  

What does it mean to have a "care team" rather than just a single doctor? 

A care team means that a pediatrician is supported by an incredible group of medical providers and an ancillary Care Navigation Team to ensure that all parts of your child’s care are taken care of, including referrals, labs, pharmacy, etc.  

Can you explain how Sollis Health combines primary, urgent, and emergency care for kids and why that matters for families? 

Sollis combines all types of care for families. Instead of going to the urgent care, they can come to Sollis and be taken care of by a medical provider who is in direct communication with their primary care doctor. In the rare case that hospitalization is needed, Sollis can also help streamline an emergency room visit at the nearest children's hospital.

Access, Availability & Continuity of Care 

How does having 24/7 urgent & emergency care as part of the same membership affect how you care for patients as a primary care pediatrician? 

This gives me peace of mind. I often have patients who go to the urgent care and I question the care they received there or why they were prescribed a certain medicine. At Sollis, I have direct contact with the provider taking care of my patient and am able to run through the appropriate steps and choose a care plan that we all agree with.  

Are you the only pediatrician here, or will my child sometimes see someone else? 

I will be your one-on-one primary care provider. I will try to make myself as accessible as possible for well and sick visits. You may also be seen by another provider if you come to a Sollis center for urgent or emergency care, but I will be available through the process to guide you and your other clinicians to an appropriate care plan we are all comfortable with.  

Do you ever do house calls? 

Yes, I love doing house calls and encourage them! For instance, these can be helpful for visits with very young babies, as I know that leaving the house can be very hard for a new post-partum mom. 

If I call with a concern after hours, who will I speak with or see? 

I will make myself fully available for extended hours. If I am unavailable, you will easily be able to reach an on-call Sollis team who can resolve any issues and reach me if necessary.  

Can you walk us through what unlimited access actually looks like? What happens if I need you at 11pm on a Saturday? 

I will make myself available for extended hours, but I might have you reach the call center at certain hours instead to ensure that you are taken care of immediately.  

How does continuity of care work at Sollis? Will my kids always see you? 

You will always see me for scheduled preventive care visits and check-ups. I will also try and make myself available for last-minute sick visits. If you are seen by another clinician at Sollis, they will have complete access to your chart and can contact me for recommendations.  

Emergency Care & Sollis's On-Site Capabilities 

The ER is often the most dreaded experience for parents. What does Sollis do to change that? 

Sollis provides a quiet, clean, warm environment for kids and their families. With little-to-no wait time, we get patients in quickly and treatment started as soon as possible to get your child feeling better.  

What happens if my child has an emergency? Can you walk me through what that looks like at Sollis vs. going to an ER?    

Sollis Pediatrics is unique in that not only do you get your well child visits, but you have an urgent and emergency care facility all under one roof. When your child has an urgent medical need, you can give me a call and we can either manage the situation through a televisit or we can make the decision to come to Sollis or if it is a rare case I can guide you that you may need to go straight to the ER. Sollis can handle 90-95% of what an ER can handle, so less than 1% of our patients require a transfer to the hospital or ER. In the case that hospitalization is required, Sollis can prepare the ER of your arrival and advocate on your behalf to ensure your child’s stay is as seamless and comfortable as possible.   

What kinds of things can you handle on-site that would normally send a family to the ER?   

Between our emergency-trained clinical team and I, Sollis can prevent your family from going to urgent care or the ER the most of the time.  We can handle wounds requiring sutures, head injuries that may need imaging or a period of observation, coughs, colds, rashes, injuries that require imaging, prolonged fevers/infections that need lab evaluation, chest x-rays, and acute fractures that require splinting. Unlike urgent care, you will have your primary care doctor’s support the whole time and will have close follow up from our team. 

What diagnostic tools do you have on-site and how does that change what you can do in a single visit?   

Coral Gables has an on-site X-ray and in-house labs, and we coordinate with trusted local medical partners for other urgent imaging needs. 

How does on-site imaging affect how quickly you can give parents answers? 

With on-site imaging we can get answers quickly versus being sent to an offsite imaging center for something like a chest X-ray for a cough or a limb Xray for pain or injury. This can help guide our care to achieve relief for your child sooner.  

Patient Relationships & Working with Parents 

How do you handle it when a child is terrified of the doctor? 

Being scared of the doctor is a normal part of a toddler visit! In fact, stranger danger is a normal milestone that we look for in a healthy child. I approach these patients with patience and understanding and allow as much of the visit to be done in mom’s arms as possible.  

How do you work with parents who like to do a lot of research before appointments? 

Doing research is great. I often learn a lot from my patients by listening with an open mind and following up on their questions with my own research if necessary. I do encourage and try to teach patients about getting information from good and reputable sources.  

That being said, it is also important to establish trust between us. I studied for a long time and have a decade of experience, so I hope you can also trust me and my medical advice so we can have a long, fruitful relationship and give the best care to your child.  

 Do you have relationships with child therapists or developmental pediatricians you trust and refer to? 

Absolutely, I have relationships with many specialists and hope to guide my patients to therapists that they will have a good fit with. Being born and raised in this community and doing my training here has provided me with invaluable knowledge and resources that I hope to be able to pass on to my patients. 

Sollis Pediatrics be available at our Coral Gables Center later this month. Learn more about this exciting membership and unlock complete concierge care for your child here.