Dr. Lester Robert Schwartz, MD

The Nurses at desk are impolite and rude. Their leader is even worst, does not acknowledge the parent/s if present. After waiting for 45 minutes after my son's appointment time, came into the room not even an apology or hello.

The doctor is a nice person however this doctor has had us go to multiple specialists for all to tell me my child is absolutely fine. My family has stressed for over a year thinking he might have different issues physical/mental when he didn't. We have since found someone else.

I'm an adult now and wish I could find a doctor as attentive and pleasant as Dr. Schwartz. I went to him throughout my childhood and couldn't recommend anyone more!

My children have been going to Dr. Schwartz for 20 years. I like several things about him. First of all, he knows his patients by name, and knows something about their interests, religion, political affiliation, etc. so that he can make conversation with you. Sometimes that means that we end up talking more about world events than medical issues, which could be a problem for some people. Not only does he remember your name, he also knows the family medical history without always having to look at records. When you have an appointment, he checks the records to clarify previous issues, but doesn't always need to be reminded about every medical event in your child's life. That means that he can spot patterns in your family medical history without pulling the charts of all the children. For some personalities, his bedside manner may be a little too strong. My youngest child refused to talk to him for several years, screaming and hiding behind me when we went to him. If I had not already had several years of positive experience with him with my older children, I may have changed doctors at that point. The office staff is courteous and easy to call up with a problem. If they can't answer the question themselves, they have no problem asking Dr. Schwartz and calling you back. I have never felt that he was unapproachable and too busy or too smart to deal with my menial concerns. Because he is the only one in the practice, he is not as pressured to push patients through as other doctors in larger facilities are, so he sets his own schedule. Sometimes that means that you may have to wait in his office beyond the normal appointment time because he is taking the time necessary with a previous patient, but you can be assured that when it is finally your turn, he will not rush you out the door, but will take the time necessary to answer your questions. I cannot say that he is the most knowledgeable pediatrician out there. He is not a specialist in anything, and occasionally we have had differences of opinions about what should be done for a medical condition of my child. When that occurs, I request a referral to a specialist. I don't think any doctor can be qualified to treat every medical condition. Pediatricians are there to rule out the normal problems, such as pnuemonia, ear infections, etc. and then to send you on to other specialists for things which are beyond their training. However, when I have a question which is within his training, he is more than willing to draw diagrams to explain the problem. His office staff are usually pleasant and easy to get along with. But he has a hard time keeping nurses very long. I think that may be because he doesn't pay them as much as they can get working in a hospital or clinic, and they only work part time. So he often hires nurses who are looking to get a start or ease back into working, or who are combining motherhood and career, who then move on to other positions after working for him for a year or so. That can be disconcerting when you just get to know a nurse and then there is a new one working with you. All in all I have been pleased with Dr. Schwartz enough that I am not interested in starting all over with another doctor, even though other moms have told me that their doctor is better or closer to my home. If you are starting fresh though, you may want to meet him and interview a few other doctors to may sure your personalities match, as it is important to have a doctor you can get along with.