Pullman & Ariza Pediatrics

Location! Location! Location! That's the only good thing about Pullman & Ariza Pediatrics.

This charming doctor officer in the amazing West End neighborhood is... full of rude people. Just call them and you will see.

Posted 10/29/09 | Report Abuse

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I echo the concerns of many who have previously commented. My main concern lies with nurse Sue Stone, who seems COMPLETELY incompetent. I have had several conversations with her regarding numerous problems/questions regarding my newborn son (who is now 8 mo's old), she NEVER seems capable of giving me a straight answer. It is as though she has no medical training at all. Her methods for drawing blood are also unsettling. Dr. Pullman is also a concern. I am sure that she is competent as a physician, but her 'bedside manner' stinks. She is rough, rude and curt in conversation. The waiting room is disgusting, and they definitely over-book. We've spent up to an hour and a half waiting to see the doctor with no apologies. That being said, my husband and I have had good experiences with both nurse practitioner Dierdra and Dr. Anderson. They are both patient and kind and seem to know exactly what they are doing. But after reading some of these reviews, I may start looking for a new doctor, too. Anyone know where Dr. Valois is headed?? Our very limited experience with her was fantastic.

Posted 08/23/09 | Report Abuse

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Wow...I have never seen such unprofessional behavior. My main concern lies with Nurse Sue Stone. She is absolutely incompetent. I have given her several chances. My daughter is 16 months now. I am in the medical profession and I am shocked by her lack of skills. I understand making mistakes or missing a blood draw and have some tolerance for that. However she is lacking universal precautions and basic safety when drawing blood. Her demeanor is equally demeaning and disappointing. She tries to appear "chilled-out" but it is an attempt to disguise passive-aggressive behavior. Except when she is drawing blood. Then she freaks out. She basically tortured my daughter regarding drawing blood. I wont go into detail as it is too long and terrifying. Also both of the nurses do not pull back the needle when giving intramuscular vaccines. This is always done to ensure the injection is in the muscle and not vein. Their responses were actually funny when i politely questioned their method. Not sure what to do about that except to request at that moment they pull the needle back prior to injecting the vaccine to make sure they are not in the vein. I'm not looking forward to that exchange. Bottom line... only allow Theresa to draw your infant/child's blood.
Its scary, plus the exam tables are not cleaned/wiped down after each use. This is basic and in a hospital we would never let a patient even sit on the same bed a previous pt used without sanitizing it. Deidre and Dr. Ariza and the other NP are consistently professional and truly care. If you talk to other parents in the waiting room you will see you are not alone in your concerns. I once made one comment and all the parents in the room voiced their concerns to me.

Im switching once I move. I voiced my concerns with one doctor and she brushed me off. I guess there's no desire for growth or improvement which is sad. It also isn't fair to the children. As far as the front desk is concerned I consider the most critical concerns are with those involved with direct patient care. The others can be over-looked if they are inconsiderate. That is often the case in many medical offices. However, I have found if you are really polite and patient the front desk staff is cordial.

Posted 07/31/09 | Report Abuse

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I have been taking my sons to Dr. Ariza since they were newborns. We love her. My boys, who are afraid of all things medical, love her. She always takes the time we ask of her during office visits. Yes, we have to wait sometimes - but there's not one doctor I take either boy to (Opthomologits, ENT's Speech Therapists...) who doesn't have waits and I've learned when to schedule appointments to avoid waiting times... Personality is key and sometimes people don't click - that's why you are supposed to interview with Doctors BEFORE you commit to a practice - it's shameful that people are using this as a forum to insult doctors and nurses and nurse practitioners who are highly qualified, well respected and do care very deeply about their patients. Sometimes you get back what you give out in life - perhaps the people who've had bad experiences at Pullman and Ariza experienced a bit of that.

Posted 01/14/09 | Report Abuse

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The Pullman Ariza practice is the worst medical practice I've ever been to. The reception and staff is ruder than anything I'd ever encountered before including several dr's in NYC. Dr Valois was quite good, and Pullman is probably competent in most ways relevant to being a pediatrician, however, she is cold, sometimes rude and often inconsiderate. On some occasions we had to wait in their cramped, filthy waiting room for two hours. Again, Valois was quite good, but Pullman (I can't speak for Ariza) always made us feel rushed and several of the assistants are equally as rude and inconsiderate. We dreaded going so much. We used to dread it for days before the appointment and, between the long wait and the rudeness of the staff, it was miserable ever single time we went. We simply couldn't deal with it anymore and we switched right around our son's first birthday. Aside from their personality problems, their main problem is that they overbook excessively. They simply can't handle the patients they have. It's absolute chaos.

Posted 01/10/09 | Report Abuse

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Overall, my experiences with Pullman Ariza pediatrics has been very positive: well-informed and caring doctors, stellar nurse practitioners (Heidi and Deirdre), reasonably quick response to out of hours calls. Our family have been with them for four years now and have never considered switching. Contrary to the comments of some, we find we get as much time as we need to ask and obtain responses to our questions.
There have been some disappointments: Some of the front office staff are in need of client service training and some nursing assistants have administered jabs to our kids with woeful dexterity. Also, wait times for "scheduled" appointments can be extraordinary (1 hour may be average).
Like others, I am a big fan of Dr Cohn. Pity she left. But, the team is still strong. I trust they are very busy, hence, the long wait times. If they could address this and the other deficiencies noted above, I think this practice would be world class.

Posted 12/29/08 | Report Abuse

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The only reason we have stayed with this practice is Dr. Valois. Now that she is leaving we will too. She is an amazing physician. Ariza and Pullman are the worst. I can see why Dr. Valois is leaving.

Posted 11/30/08 | Report Abuse

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We have had very good experiences with both Pullman and Valois. We had an informative pre-natal appt with Dr. Pullman during which she happily answered all our questions including questions about immunizations. We also interacted with Dr. Pullman several times in the hospital because of jaundice issues. We were pleased with those interactions. We've spent more time with Dr. Valois since our daughter was born in Sept 08. We have found her to be extremely personable and informative and we have been really pleased with the way she has handled our daughter -- and us. We have also had very good interactions with Nurse Sue. Based on our experiences thus far, we'd certainly recommend the practice.

Posted 10/16/08 | Report Abuse

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Some of the reviews are on the money about the long wait times and the front staff, but Dr. Valois is amazing. We almost left the practice before she arrived, but now we are glad we stayed. She is intelligent, caring, gentle with our son, and always spends enough time to answer all our concerns. We have recommended her to everyone we know.

Posted 05/13/08 | Report Abuse

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I can't even begin to describe how terrible I feel about the experience I just had with Dr. Ariza. It's a long story, but the jist of it is that she wouldn't take the time during a morning sick visit to explain to me how I should administer the three different asthma medicines that she had prescribed, so she asked me to make an afternoon appointment for a later date. When I showed up for that appointment, she told me I was going to be charged $160 (out of pocket) for a consultation. All I wanted was five minutes of her time so I could understand what she had prescribed my son, but she wouldn't give me the time of day unless I coughed up the cash.

These people are arrogant, rude, and seem only to be in this business for the money. Do yourself a favor and stay far, far away from this awful practice.

Posted 05/12/08 | Report Abuse

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These people are simply unreal. You really cant believe how bad it is. I challenge you to talk to anyone that uses this ofc and not hear complaints on the long, long waits, the rude front desk staff.
Dr Pullman should be a Vet because she has the perfect bedside manner for a cow. Although if that was the case the PETA would file suit and save the cows. You cannot believe how bad this place is. We took our child in after a 4 day stay in the hospital and were not even allowed to see one of the doctors. They pawned us off to a nurse. YES, we had been in the hospital and we couldnt even see our doctor.
These people treat you like your child is a widget on an assembly line. They get to you when they can and dont give a rip about your child. clearly they lost the love of children that they must have had a one point to go into this business. i suggest that they get out of the business and if you are considering taking your child here...STOP, RUN...go anywhere but here.

Posted 03/15/08 | Report Abuse

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We went to Pullman and Ariza after my infant son had 6 ear infections his first year and the first pediatrician thought I was a "nervous mother" and did not take my concerns seriously until he came down with pneumonia - yet was laughing and not looking very ill. They were and are terrific.
What is written here is true: the front office staff is just-so-so (they have never been rude to me) and the bills come with mistakes. Sometimes they don't come at all, but since they moved, the desk staff seems more competent and the practice now has a professional billing company - things are better on that score. The doctors and nurses ALWAYS return my calls and the MDs, Nurses and PAs are top notch.
When we have made an appointment, we have always waited an hour or more, so don't go thinking you'll be there for a short length of time. However, when we have gotten in to see either Dr, we have spent a 1/2 hour or more - necessary when our son has been ill with strange combinations of things and when we also discovered he had serious learning disabilities. Because it is MY child, I'd rather wait for a doctor who gives me the time we need. I know they are doing the same for the other kids and parents. We use the drop-in when the situation gets complicated - like the time the strep didn't respond to the amoyxicillin prescribed at Nightime Pediatrics. Otherwise, we go to Nightime Pediatrics in Rockville for the occasional mishap or sore throat. As far as exams go, my now 8 yr-old son has a great fear of anything done with his ears - they have been as gentle as possible, but he still cries. He likes Dr. Pullman a lot. If you can't be REALLY patient, go elsewhere.

Posted 03/05/08 | Report Abuse

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We have had some of the most bizarre experiences with this practice. We toy with the idea of leaving, but the doctors, nurses and PAs are what keep us coming back.

Dr. Pullman has been a rock for our family, very involved with us and very responsive. When our first child was born, we panicked over his crying, we called her at 3am and she returned our call within 10 minutes.The other docs are top notch. We really loved Dr. Cohn, but she only sees the newborns in the hospital as of right now.

The office staff is horrendous, the billing person is merely a figment of our imagination. I have never actually spoken to her on the phone. She is either away from her desk or "working" from home. On time, there was only one person, worth repeating, ONE person, who could make appointments. It took forever to get her to call us back. We finally had a heart to heart with Dr. Pullman. We told her of our talk of leaving the practice. She took our concerns very seriously and was very upset to hear such negative things about her practice. We continue to complain when it is warranted. We stay because of the doctors and don't want to leave because of the office staff.The doctors are kind, caring and very knowledgeable. But I would love to see an overhaul of the office staff.

Posted 01/02/08 | Report Abuse

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This is a horrific practice! I regret not reading these reviews before taking my newborn here. I stayed with them for 7 months hoping they would improve but they have not. I have never waited less than 1.5 hours and my last visit I waited over 2 hours with my son screaming and crying because he was sick. Dr. Pullman saw me standing in the hallway outside of the exam room for over an hour and didn't offer to help. The doctor who finally examined him told me that it wasn't her fault, that she went into the exam rooms as they were given to her by the assistants. When pressed she told me she takes her patients first. DO NOT TAKE YOUR CHILD HERE. I am going to write my OB/GYN and inform him that he should not provide the name of this practice to anyone else!

Posted 12/31/07 | Report Abuse

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We chose these guys b/c they are near our neighborhood, and we have no complaints. Everything works very smoothly, the staff is very professional (rude? not our experience at all) and we never leave with unanswered questions or unhappy children. The docs are good with the kids and I was very impressed with how their newest doc made the check-up into a game. She played with our daughter while checking her tummy, legs, and other parts. I didn't even realize that the check-up was being done until it was over.

As for those who complain that their kid cries during the check-up and after leaving, I don't know what to say. Kids cry. Especially when they're being poked and prodded by a stranger and when they are often uncomfortable to begin with due to a sickness. We've always found that Pullman & Ariza are sympathetic to those reactions and try to keep them to a minimum.

I suspect that this is one of those instances where people with a negative experience write a review while the majority with a positive opinion are silent. I know that our opinion has been nothing but positive.

Posted 12/18/07 | Report Abuse

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I guess we're in the minority on this site, but we love Drs. Pullman and Ariza. Both doctors know all of my kids, interact with them playfully, but still conduct a thorough examination. They are straightforward with parents - maybe some interpret that as aggressive, but I prefer not having someone sugarcoat for me so that I don't have to guess what the real story is. They were more than willing to refer us to experts in the field to get even more obscure things checked out, and were always happy to follow up when necessary. I think many of the issues surrounding long waits for appointments have been resolved in the new offices, although it's certainly not as quick as some of the large factory pediatric practices where there's always an intern (who you've never met before) ready to see you. I love that they take their own call, we've only had to make middle-of-the-night calls maybe 5 times in 6 years, but in each case, one of the two doctors called us back quickly, sending us to the hospital when necessary, keeping us calm with detailed instructions and follow-up calls at home when more appropriate.
Also, I love being able to go into walk-in hours 4 days a week to check out small stuff that's not worth scheduling an appointment for. What a great system!
The front desk staff is nothing special, the nurses are only OK, but the pediatricians and the nurse practitioners in this practice are really excellent. Personality is certainly important when you pick your kids doc, so go and meet them first - but our experience has been very positive.

Posted 11/27/07 | Report Abuse

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I admit I'd read these reviews before taking my son to the practice, but assumed they were from over sensitive parents.. Unfortunately, I was wrong and they were right. I've tried both Doctors - Pullman and Ariza and they both use violent techniques for physical examination. My son sobbed and screamed after his examination, he had been pulled and yanked around and clearly hurt by the exam. This has happened with both doctors. Pullman made him cry for over an hour and a half, something he's NEVER done before, not with accidents or shots or anything.So please, these reviews are spot on. Don't subject your babies to these violent doctors.

Posted 11/13/07 | Report Abuse

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Pullman & Ariza Pediatrics is a terrible choise if you love your child.

First problem: the recepcionists are rude. They talk to you like you are the child. They don't trust you. My baby had eczema and I decided to go there during the walk-in time (8am-9am). They didn't let me go to the Well Room. We stayed 45 minutes in the Sick Room with a lot of kids with diarrhea, cold and fever. She only had eczema...

Once I came 3 minutes late and they send me back home. But I never had wait less than 1 hour for a regular appointment there.

Ah, the bills always come with several mi$takes. And be prepared to call a million times the finance person. She will never call you back.

The doctors are ok, but they don't respect you. I changed to Dr Lang and we are very happy now.

Posted 11/12/07 | Report Abuse

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Take your kids to Iraq for healthcare before you go to this place. They make the terrorists look like nice, considerate, caring people.

They always make you wait a minimum of an hour before you see anyone....even for scheduled appointments. your time means nothing to them.

The front office people are the most rude, arrogant people you will ever meet in your life. It is astounding that these people get away wiht such attitude. I have several friends that use this practice and they all agree the front office staff are ruthless but everyone puts up wiht it because the office location is close to home. well, if that is the most important thing in a doctor that is caring for your child....go for it.

they just dont "get it." they dont care about your child. apparently its just a business to them...but its my child!

Posted 09/06/07 | Report Abuse

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