General Pediatrics
Caring for the Children of the Capital Region
Our general pediatric care team offers a broad range of health care services. For expectant parents, we offer prenatal visits and bedside visits for new mothers. Newborns in our program are followed through infancy and their adolescent years with vaccinations and annual wellness visits, as well as referrals to specialty services.
We work directly with pediatric sub-specialists and surgeons at the Bernard & Millie Duker Children's Hospital—the only hospital of its kind in the region and part of the Albany Med Health System.
Our pediatric health care professionals offer treatment for developmental and behavioral health conditions and specialize in pediatric neurology, cardiology, gastroenterology and oncology & hematology, among other specialties.
All general pediatrics providers and locations can be found in the Get Care section of this page.
As members of the region’s only academic medical center, our pediatricians are among leaders in their field. Many of our experts have advanced training in a wide range of sub-specialties including:
- Adolescent medicine
- Asthma
- Breastfeeding
- Child abuse
- Chronic medical conditions
- Development and behavioral health
- Embedded mental health services
- Lead poisoning
- Oral health
- Special health care needs
Preventative care is an important aspect of keeping children healthy. Some of the preventative care services we provide include:
- Adolescent screening
- Developmental screening
- Hearing screening
- Hemoglobin screening
- Immunizations
- Lead screening
- Physical exams
- Sick appointments
- Social determinants of health screening
Vaccines are some of the most effective tools we have to protect children from serious, sometimes life-threatening infections and diseases. We understand some parents have questions or concerns about vaccines. Our role is to give you clear, science-based information, so that you can feel confident in protecting your child. We will always answer your questions and support you to protect your child. Your child’s health and safety are our top concerns.
Our Practice Policy:
- We follow the immunization schedule according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- We strongly encourage all families to keep their children up to date on all routine vaccines.
- Families who choose not to vaccinate should understand that unvaccinated children are at higher risk of serious illness and can expose others.
- Families who choose not to vaccinate will be strongly encouraged to vaccinate at every appointment.
- Families who choose not to vaccinate are required to sign an “American Academy of Pediatrics Refusal to Vaccinate” form that clearly shows which vaccines are recommended and which vaccines are refused at every visit.
- Families who chose not to vaccinate should understand that the medical care of an unvaccinated child sometimes differs from that of a vaccinated child and may result in additional testing to check for vaccine-preventable infections.
We know vaccines save lives and help protect everyone around you. Vaccination is safer than infection. While you may experience mild side effects, like brief soreness, it's very rare to experience any serious side effects. Getting the disease is far riskier than vaccination.
We know vaccines are safe. They undergo thorough testing, years of studies, quality control, and are reviewed by the Food and Drug Association (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and leading medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) before it is approved. After approval, vaccines continue to be closely monitored for safety. Doctors and parents can report any concerns to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)
HealthySteps Network
The division of General Pediatrics is proud to be a part of the HealthySteps network!
HealthySteps, a program of ZERO TO THREE, is an evidence-based, team-based pediatric primary care program that promotes the health, well-being and school readiness of babies and toddlers, with an emphasis on families living in low-income communities.
Babies’ brains grow faster from ages 0-3 than any point in life, and pediatric primary care is a trusted source of information for parents during these critical years. Yet, pediatric primary care physicians have an impossibly long list of services to provide during a well-child visit that can last just 15 minutes. HealthySteps provides tailored support for common and complex concerns that physicians often lack time to address, such as: behavior, sleep, feeding, attachment, parental depression, social determinants of health, and adapting to life with a baby or toddler.
The entire practice works together to implement the HealthySteps model, with leadership from a Physician Champion and a child development professional, known as a HealthySteps Specialist, integrated into the primary care team. HealthySteps Specialists connect with families and guide them during and between well-child visits. A multi-site randomized controlled trial, as well as other more recent site-level studies of HealthySteps, have demonstrated positive outcomes for children, their families, and the physicians and practices that serve them.
