Longwood Pediatrics, LLP

Thank goodness we’ve only had to have regular, annual check-​ups here for the most part. I like our dr. very much, and the practice came highly recommended by a surgeon we know at Children’s Hosp. The nurses are very sweet and wonderful with kids.
So, I don’t have any raves or rants. The only thing that’s made a big impression on me is from an administrative standpoint.
#1) I had to call *several* times to get them to send a medical form to my son’t school, and they never did it. Beyond frustrating. After the THIRD call and several weeks, they finally did it.
#2) I specifically asked that they scan and email the form to his school, and they said they would not do it When I asked why, the receptionist (person who answers the phone?) said they didn’t have the capability. When I told her I would be surprised if they didn’t have a copy machine there that could also scan a document, she then said that actually it was because it was a matter of privacy. When I told her this was a much more secure way of transmitting information than sending a paper to a fax number where anyone could pick it up and read it, she just said ‘we can’t do that.’ Later I spoke to someone else in the office and they reiterated it was not something they could do. Still have no idea why. This seems ridiculous — not to mention seriously behind the times, and a non-​secure way to transmit sensitive, personal info.
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#3) I called last week (it’s February 2016) to make an appt. for my son’s annual check-​up this Fall, His birthday is in October. I said any day but Wed. and Fri. is ok because that’s when he’s in preschool. They told me they had nothing available until 2017. WHA??? I’m calling NINE MONTHS IN ADVANCE! I checked with all my mom friends and they were like, hu?! Time to get a new dr! We’ll stay for now, but we’ll see how it goes. The good news is when I needed to get an ‘emergency’ appt. for a rash a few months ago, they got me right in.
So — there you have my experience with Longwood Pediatrics so far.

Love, love, love these guys! 3 kids — going for 16 years. Doctors and nurses are all great and the kids have always had a great experience.

Love, love, love these doctors. They have weekend hours, sick appointments readily available and you can see them for many minor injuries instead of having to go to the emergency room. Dr. O’Connor is our primary and he’s wonderful. We’ve seen other doctors for sick visits and have had a good experience with everyone. Wait time is minimal and the staff is courteous.

Overall very pleased as a whole. Both of my kids have been going here since birth. They are now 14 &11. My kids are complicated and they have been very responsive. The relationship with Children’s has been beneficial to me for specialists which I use more than I wish .
Recently when my daughter developed some health issues Dr Ryan was right on top of things and all is well .
Two very minor complaints. I wish they had satellite offices somewhere not down town. And to be noticed with certain members of the practice, not their normal doctor, you have to advocate forcefully sometimes. As they tend to be rushed as are all doctors this is not unusual.

We love Longwood Pediatrics and are huge fans of Dr O’Connors! I did tons of research before picking a pediatrician –talking to many friends of friends/​coworkers in the Boston area and looking up online reviews and Longwood Pediatrics was the clear standout. Our eldest daughter started seeing Dr O’Connor at birth so we have known him just about 5 years. He incredibly knowledgeable, takes everything seriously, is always willing to patiently answer any questions that we have and is really great with kids. I have always gotten the sense from him that he genuinely cares about his patients which is really nice. Our girls also really like Dr O’Connor (despite the fact that they tend to be shy around adults) which makes going to Longwood Pediatrics a pleasant experience for us as parents.
We have often been able to see Dr O’Connor for sick visits – and I really appreciate the effort the practice makes to get your child into his/​her doctor for sick visits when possible. We have occasionally seen other doctors in the practice too (Jones, Young, Cloherty, Ryan, and Binney) and all have been very nice. The whole practice functions really well as a team and even when you see other doctors – you truly feel as if the care experience is integrated – which is great.
We are such big fans of Dr. O’Connor that we have continued on with Longwood Pediatrics despite having moved to the suburbs a few years ago.
Beyond the fantastic care – I also really like the newly renovated offices. They look great! The one piece of advice I would offer to them is to convert one of the office spaces into a big «family friendly» sized bathroom. I find the small bathrooms hard to navigate with two toddlers in tow.

Fantastic Practice! Attentive, kind and caring! We just moved to the area and LP was a given as a suggestion, I am so glad we chose them. Not only do they give great care and convenient they seem truly interested in our concerns and treat us as we are their only patient. We are treated like customers buying a service which is what we are doing but it was the first time I felt that way. They are fantastic!

Awesome place awesome doctors… my son has dr. o’conner and he’s just awesome!!! They did a complete renovation on the inside which is great also… I would recommend this office if you want great care for your child.

As they say when there are no unique medical issues that you’re dealing with everything is great. Longwood is very responsive and convenient. They are a huge practice and there is always a doctor available for sick visits. The nurses also always call you back with in 15 minutes or so. The problem for me isn’t in the practice itself but in the ability of the doctors to identify a unique problem with a child and address it accordingly.
I’ll make a very long story as short as possible.
My son has been going to Dr. Amy Ryan for 3 years. Until at a 1.5 years I didn’t start calling and calling and asking for referrals for specialists (which i didn’t really get) Dr Ryan did not think there was anything to worry about with my son. She on her own could not see any reason for concern. After consulting family friends who are doctors I started asking her for a referral to a Neurologist and an Orthopedist. My insurance does not require me to have a referral, but if you call those specialists the fastest apt i could get was 4 months out for an orthopedist and 6 months out for a neurologist. My doctor friends let me know that I can ask my sons pediatrician for an expedited referral. I was informed that if the doctor calls and expresses concern the specialist office can get you an apt the next day. I spend 30 minutes with Dr ryan on the phone begging her for an expedited referral to the specialists, but all i got was a generic referral. (Later when I confronted her about this she did apologized and expressed remorse at the fact that there must have been a misunderstanding with the the nurse that was calling in for the referral)
With an onset of every new symptom she was seemed more lost and would refer me to the ER. Although she was extremely responsive to my calls of distress and I have to say that I’m grateful for that, but little good did it do for my child. Through my own channels of friends and colleagues was I able to get into see a qualified neurologist at MGH (much sooner then the referral to children’s Hospital from Dr Ryan came through) who very quickly diagnosed my son and started on his treatment. My child’s condition is such that every day that went by and he was not treated caused a lot of damage and compromised his ability to have a normal future if one at all. If left untreated for a long time could cause permanent damage.
As a first time parent, I had no idea what to look for. Dr Ryan would ask me questions about development and I would answer to my best abilities, but I had nothing to compare to. If she bothered to look for herself instead of taking my word and was well educated in conditions other then colds and ear infections, she might have been able to see something earlier and help my son before i started panicking.
Bottom line: this practice is good for runny nose and ear infections, not so much if your child has an medical problem that is a little out of the ordinary.

Longwood pediatrics is an institution in Boston. My entire family, my extended family and countless friends have all had our pediatric doctors from longwood and though they are usually busy, they never fail to provide excellent, compassionate and knowledgable care.
Everyone from the front desk staff to the nurses to the doctors seem to love their jobs and working with kids, I have recommended longwood to co-​workers having a new child and countless family members, and without fail all I hear back is glowing reviews and gushing praise.
When dealing with children’s health the bedside manner of the health care provider can make a visit a positive experience or a nightmare — the doctor’s here are truly specialists and never fail to make kids feel as comfortable as possible, whether with giving a reassuring pat on the back or a lollipop on the way out the door.
They are affiliated with children’s hospital which is right across the street, one of the best pediatric hospitals on planet earth.
Finding the right doctor for your child is an important task and I really can not say enough good things about this practice. You can trust that your child is receiving truly world-​class care when you take them to Longwood.

We’ve been bringing our son here since he was born (only four months ago!) and although limited in number (a good thing!) our experiences have been nothing but good.
We haven’t had any emergencies (cross our fingers!) and our check ups have all been routine. We have never had an unreasonable wait (despite being a few minutes late ourselves!) and the check in process is quick and easy. The receptionists are very friendly and accommodating.
The doctors and nurses so far have been courteous and professional, and very knowledgeable. I feel confident trusting my son’s care in their hands. It is great that they have a working relationship with Children’s Hospital right across the street and that should anything ever happen or be serious, all the local area hospitals are literally right there.
The only downside about the entire practice, which has nothing to do really with the quality of care, is the aesthetics of the place. It is very OLD. Like, hasn’t been renovated since the late-80’s old… and that can make things feel kind of grungy and dirty sometimes… HOWEVER — upon visiting for our most recent appointment, it appears that they are renovating the entire practice! Can you say awesome?!
I am so excited that the office is getting a facelift. It just makes me feel like I am bringing my child to an office that is clean and up-​to-​date, rather than one that appears dirty and outdated. Even if the doctors are stellar, a dingy office can make you feel like things aren’t quite up to par. We got to visit part of the renovated office on our last visit, and it is beautiful! The rooms seem to be a bit larger (and if they aren’t, then, well, they’ve done a great job re-​utilizing the space) and brighter (colored chairs and furniture rather than the dark brown that was before).
I have a feeling that as long as we live within a reasonable distance, that we will be coming to Longwood Pediatrics for a long time!

I have been taking my three kids to Dr. Vernacchio since I moved to Boston about 5 years ago. I was referred to him by my sister (who is also a doctor). He is amazing, the practice is great and when it comes to care for my children, I only want the best. I travel about 30 – 45 minutes to get to the office, but it is worth it.

Oh baby! We had a baby and didn’t know the first thing about selecting a pediatrician so we kinda waited until the last minute. Literally. In the delivery room, a nurse recommended Dr. Vernacchio with Longwood Pediatrics, and as you can imagine there was a lot going on so we agreed to her suggestion without hesitation and it’s one of the best decisions we’ve made as we begin the adventures of parenthood. Dr. Vernacchio is absolutely fantastic — not only does he have a good reputation with the nursing staff at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, but he is extremely knowledgeable, is open and responsive to the many questions that nervous new parents have, and he has an incredibly caring and sincere attitude. Additionally, Longwood Pediatrics is great — I love that they proactively schedule appointments up to a year in advance. We could not be happier and I highly recommend the practice and Dr. Vernacchio to any new parents or parents new to the area.

Love this place! We have been going to them for 15 years. Had a 4:30pm Appt with Dr Clothery and he saw us about 4:35 and we were done by 5. This was a first and refreshing to see.