Bee Well Kidz is a family health center that provides natural medical care and rehabilitative services to infants, children, adolescents, and adults.

The center offers a range of services, from acupuncture to naturopathic medicine (including allergy testing), massage, craniosacral therapy, chiropractic, pediatric Oriental medicine, yoga, and more. The office is kid-friendly, with two large gyms filled with toys and rehab equipment.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Group includes the following pediatricians:
Jeffrey P. Brown, MD

Nicole Herzog, MD

Evan B. Koursh, MD

Frances J. Pang, MD


Hospital Affiliations: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Amy Kaplan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), in practice for over 10 years in west Los Angeles. Currently in private practice, she specializes in providing therapy for children, teenagers, and their parents.

Dr. Jack Pivko, MD is a Beverly Hills pediatrician who works out of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Specialty: Pediatrics and adolescent medicine


Few doctors can be said to have a fan following, but there is no question that Dr. Jay Gordon has a big one. The American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Television and the Media calls him the most influential doctor in America.

Dr. Jay's books and DVDs are popular all over the country, and parents who populate local parenting boards like Peachhead appreciate that he even spends time after hours and off the clock helping out with advice. His website is peppered with celebrity praise as well as news, links, and a wealth of information about every parenting issue from vaccines to breast feeding to alternative medicine.

Dr. Jeffrey Penso, MD is a pediatrician in downtown Culver City who has been serving the community since the 1960s.

Dr. Kimberly Klausner, MD is a Beverly Hills and West Hollywood pediatrician who works at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center as well. Her practice is also known by the name Roxbury Pediatrics.

The Family Resource Counseling Center offers affordable, comprehensive psychotherapy services. Services include individual, couples, group, child, and family therapy, as well as psychological testing and assessment. Some specialties are ADD/ADHD, adoption, body image, eating disorders, divorce, parenting, and substance abuse.

Services are available in English and Spanish, and the practice accepts PPO insurance plans.

Specialty: Pediatrics and adolescent medicine

Practice structure: Group; 3 MDs

Dr. Arnold Zukow

Dr. Kenneth Keer

Dr. Suzi Li

Hospital affiliations: Encino-Tarzana Medical Center, Northridge Medical Center, West Hills Hospital, UCLA Medical Center

Insurance Companies: Aetna, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Cigna, HealthNet, Pacificare, United Healthcare

Board Certification: Yes

Med Ed: University of Illinois, University of Guadalajara, UCLA


The Gettleman, Zukow, and Keer practice has served San Fernando Valley families for over 30 years. The large office has nine examination rooms, a lab, and x-ray facilities. The waiting room keeps kids and parents "patient" with a a separate sick area and plenty of toys.

Waiting time averages about 15 minutes. Five nurses assist in care, while a full support staff keeps things running. Adolescent medicine has long been a specialty of the office. Patient ages begin at birth and often continue into the 20s.

Dr. Meghan Moody specializes in working with children, adolescents, and parents, with the goal of helping them to make positive changes in their lives. Her areas of expertise include ADD/ADHD, adoption, body image and eating disorders, divorce, parenting, and substance abuse.

Dr. Moody also offers psychological testing and accepts most PPO insurance plans.

Specialty: Pediatrics and adolescent medicine

Practice Structure: Group

Robert Hamiliton, MD

Lisa Kessenich, MD

Jenna Roberts, MD

Kristin Pelenka, MD

Janna Roberts, MD


Hospital Affiliations:St Johns and Santa Monica UCLA

A team of seven pediatricians operate Huntington Medical Foundation, a group practice in Pasadena that is affiliated with Huntington Medical Foundation and Hospital: husband-and-wife-team Peggy and John Legault, Kristin Chapman, Annemarie Fanselau, Kim Bo, Jamie Knauss, and Sarah Salamon.

The office is clean, bright, decorated with fanciful murals of jungle animals, and offers separate areas for sick and well children. The office staff is always friendly, and nurses are available by phone to answer questions about medication or illnesses. Best of all, the office holds hours on Saturday mornings from 9am-12n.

Safely Ever After provides prevention education workshops and seminars for parents and children at homes, schools, PTA events, corporate seminars, and community gatherings throughout Southern California.

Specialty: Pediatrics, adolescent medicine, and pediatric endocrinology

Practice Structure: Group, 7 MDs, 1 LVN, 7 medical assistants

William B. Gurfield, MD

Lisa C. Stern, MD

Carla V. Tardio, MD

James R. Varga, MD

Jeffrey L. Wasson, MD

Suparna Jain, MD

Marcella B. Hardart, MD


Hospital Affiliations: Cedars Sinai, St Johns & Santa Monica UCLA

Insurance Companies: None; the practice no longer accepts insurance but will submit insurance claims as a courtesy.

10th Street Pediatric is a bustling, cheerful pediatric Medical group situated in Santa Monica.

The large sunny office boasts a fish tank, toys, and a jukebox. There is usually a very short wait 5-10 minutes. Newborns are whisked away into private exam rooms right away so as not to be exposed to other patients.

Exam rooms are cheery and kid friendly with warming lights for infants, mobiles, and more toys.

The practice is open seven days a week; Saturday and Sundays for sick visits only.

The Learning Center provides educational assistance to individuals with developmental, neurological, and learning disabilities such as Attention Deficit Disorder, Autism, Asperger's Disorder, Tourette's Syndrome, and other related emotional problems.

Services include educational testing, educational therapy, tutoring, enrichment programs, SAT and ISEE preparation, independent study, home schooling support, college preparation, psychological counseling, marriage and family therapy, and parenting groups

Specialty: Pediatrics and adolescent medicine

Practice Structure: Group

Marshall Sachs, MD

Dennis Woo, MD

Sharon Kaminker, MD

Chiaki Jutabha, MD


Hospital Affiliations: Saint John's and Santa Monica UCLA


Drs. Woo and Sachs have long been well known figures in the Santa Monica community; Dr. Sachs in particular was pediatrician to many of the parents who now bring their own children to him. Drs. Kaminker and Jutabha are the younger doctors in the practice and have loyal followings of their own.

There can sometimes be long waits at this practice, since the policy of taking important calls from parents at any time can slow down exams and put doctors behind schedule. Most parents feel the benefits outweigh the inconvenience, though - particularly as the parent phoning in is frequently saved a trip to the office with a feverish child.

The Valley Community Clinic provides comprehensive medical, counseling, and health education services for those in need. The clinic has been a "family doctor" for the hard working, uninsured people of the San Fernando Valley since 1970; no one is ever turned away for inability to pay.

The clinic offers Reflective Parenting Workshops, in which parents can learn new ways to communicate with children and effective behavioral interventions.