The Top 5 Pediatricians in Houston

Dr. Shilpa T. Pankaj is a board-certified pediatrician. She practices in Peekaboo Pediatrics, a mother-daughter-owned private clinic. 

Dr. Shilpa provides complete pediatric care but most of her patients see her for allergy consultations, hearing problems, sleep problems, and physical exams.

What we find really impressive are her credentials. She served as a chairman of pediatrics for 4 years and was awarded as one of America’s Top Physicians in 2013. She was also an awardee of Texas Super Docs for three consecutive years.

What we love the most about Dr. Shilpa is her bedside manner. She can easily make any patient of hers feel safe in her clinic. She also takes her time with her patients and is completely focused on understanding their health concerns. 

A downside to choosing her as your physician is the long wait times. Her clinic can get very busy, especially in the afternoons. This is important to keep in mind, especially for those with more pressing concerns. 

If you were thinking of getting Dr. Shilpa, it’s also important to know that they only accept new patients if they are newborns. This is quite disappointing, especially to those who tend to look around for new pediatricians better suited for their children.

All in all, if you’re willing to brave through a couple of hours in the waiting room, Dr. Shilpa is still a great choice for a pediatrician. 

Dr. Janet Pate is a pediatrician with 22 years of experience. She practices at her own independent clinic called Nurture Pediatrics and has worked with more than 500 families. 

Dr. Janet passed her board exam and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is the highest membership of the organization. She was awarded the Patient’s Choice Award for 7 straight years. 

What we really like about Dr. Janet is the telemedicine service that she offers. This is a 2-way video chat between her and the patient. This is perfect for those who feel more comfortable taking calls at home or those who can’t make it to her office. 

She’s also known for being prompt with her responses. You can expect her to give you a reply or call you back whenever you have any concerns. 

If you need to do business through the office staff, however, expect a bit of delay in their response. Oftentimes, calls aren’t answered and they make you leave a voicemail only for them to return the call after more than a week.

Another concern you might encounter is that she only accepts a small range of insurance. This can be quite disappointing, especially for those who really want to try out her care. 

Dr. Don is a board-certified pediatrician. He’s currently the Chief of Pediatrics at The Woman’s Hospital of Texas and is a doctor for the Rice University sports teams.

He’s a member of multiple medical organizations such as the American Board of Pediatrics, Harris County Medical Society, and Houston Pediatric Society. He was also named a finalist for Houston Chronicle’s Best of the Best Pediatrician in 2020. 

What’s commendable about Dr. Don and his clinic is his on-time appointments. You don’t have to wait long before your name gets called, which isn’t the same for a lot of clinics out there. 

Dr. Don also takes his recommendations seriously. He only sends you to the best specialists out there as he cares both about his patients and their trust. 

An issue that’s frequently brought up, however, is his negligent and sometimes rude office staff. There have also been instances where a patient’s prescription isn’t called into the pharmacy which is a huge hassle. 

Rest assured, however, that patients have brought up this concern with Dr. Don and he was quick in handling this issue. 

If you’re looking to have very long and comprehensive appointments, you might not get it with Dr. Don. He strictly sticks to appointment times and because of this, he doesn’t build much rapport with his patients.

If your child needs a bit of time to adjust and feel comfortable around a doctor, you might want to consider taking them somewhere else. 

However, if you want to stick to an efficient doctor who can give you a secure appointment schedule while also offering good service, Dr. Don does a good job at that. 

Dr. Abel Paredes is a Pediatrics Specialist who has had over 53 years of experience in the medical field. In addition to practicing medicine, he’s also a professor and researcher focused on vaccine development.

He opened his pediatrics practice back in 1977. He received an award from the World Health Organization which allowed him to further his studies in pediatric infectious disease.

Aside from his success in academe, Dr. Abel is also known for his impeccable bedside manner. He’s a natural at dealing with kids and allowing them to feel comfortable during their appointments. 

What’s also commendable about Dr. Abel and his practice is that they offer Saturday appointments for urgent cases. This is quite rare for most pediatric offices. This allows his patients to seek help and counsel from a healthcare provider that they trust. 

In addition, they also offer telehealth appointments which provide convenience for those who aren’t physically capable of going to their clinic. 

A downside to going to Dr. Abel’s clinic is that the waiting times are quite long. Some say that this shows how thorough he is with his appointments but for others, this can be quite a hassle.

There have also been concerns regarding their reception staff who were said to be condescending. There have also been instances where they ask for payment after an appointment despite having their insurance coverage the entire time.

Nevertheless, there’s no need to worry as these were rare instances that were easily resolved. 

When it comes to healthcare reception, you’d want someone who is knowledgeable and cares for your concerns. While they aren’t your direct healthcare providers, they are definitely part of the overall experience and it’s never a good feeling to be disregarded.

Overall, we’re impressed with Dr. Abel’s expanded knowledge outside of just general pediatric care. If long waiting times are a no-go for you, definitely opt to try out their telehealth consultations first. 

Dr. Shannon Hayes is a pediatrics specialist with over 23 years of experience in the medical field. She has board certification and is part of two organizations called the American Academy of Pediatrics and Harris County Medical Society.

What really sets Dr. Shannon apart is her flexibility when it comes to payment. She creates flexible payment plans for her patients with monetary concerns. This is exceptional as most clinics don’t offer such leniency in payment. 

In addition, she also accepts emergency visits which is quite rare for most pediatricians as appointment slots are always fully booked. But she tries her best to make time for any urgent concerns her patients may have. 

A problem you may encounter when choosing her as your pediatrician may be the location of her clinic. It’s on the fourth floor of an office building which is quite far from the parking lot. 

Another concern is that you’d have to pay for parking if you stay for more than 30 minutes. This can be a headache especially since you can expect your waiting and appointment time to take longer.

If distant parking really isn’t an issue, Dr. Shannon could be a really good option for a pediatrician, especially with how empathetic her payment flexibility options and emergency appointments are.