Please take a moment to read our most commonly asked questions. We're always available to answer your questions and encourage you to contact our office if you have a question that is not answered below.
Q: What is a Pediatrician?
A pediatrician is a medical doctor who specializes in the care of children. Pediatricians have undergone special training in the health and illnesses of infants, teens and young adults, and the majority of pediatricians are certified by the American Board of Pediatrics after passing a comprehensive exam.
Pediatricians provide preventive health care for children in good health and medical care for children who are acutely or chronically ill. They also provide parents with support and advice with issues such as growth and development, safety and prevention, nutrition, and emotional wellness to foster a lifetime of good health.
Q: How many years have you been in practice?
Dr. Banzuela has been in practice for over 20 years. Since 2000 she has been in private practice in Corona.
Q: Where did you go to school?
Dr. Banzuela received her medical degree and completed pediatric training in the Philippines. In 1993, she accepted an internship at the Bronx Lebanon program in New York and completed her residency at Loma Linda Children's Hospital.
Q: Are you board certified?
Yes, Dr. Banzuela is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and American Board of Obesity Medicine.
Q: Can I meet my pediatrician before my baby is born?
Yes, in fact we strongly encourage parents-to-be to visit our office for a prenatal appointment. This is a great way to get acquainted with our office and our doctors. During this visit, we will answer any questions that you have about our practice or your new child. Visit our Prebirth Visit page for more information.
Q: How often should my child see the pediatrician?
Your child should not only see the pediatrician for an illness. It is also important to schedule well-child-care exams regularly, beginning in infancy. Also called well-care visits or checkups, these routine examinations provide the best opportunity for the doctor to observe the progress of your child's physical and mental growth and development; to counsel and teach parents; to detect problems through screening tests; to provide immunizations, and to get to know one another. Well-care visits are strongly recommended as part of preventive pediatric care.
Well-child visits are also a good time for parents to raise questions and concerns about a child's development, behavior, nutrition, safety and overall well-being.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends this schedule for routine well-care visits:
- 3 to 5 days
- 1 month
- 2 months
- 4 months
- 6 months
- 9 months
- 12 months
- 15 months
- 18 months
- 24 months
- 30 months
- 3 years
- 4 years
- And once every year thereafter for an annual health supervision visit that includes a physical exam as well as a developmental, behavioral, and learning assessment.
Q: Why does my child need to receive vaccinations?
Immunizations are a series of shots given to children at different ages to help ward off serious, and potentially fatal, childhood diseases. Making sure your child receives immunizations when scheduled is the best way to help protect your child from potentially fatal diseases. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, vaccinations have reduced the number of infections from vaccine-preventable diseases by more than 90%. If you're apprehensive about vaccinations, please visit our Education Page to learn more about each vaccine and do not hesitate to contact our office for any additional questions.
Q: What is your stance on Immunizations?
As much as Dr. Banzuela respects personal choice, she is a strong believer and advocate for immunizations. As has had ecountered firsthand, the devastation of missing out on important and potentially life saving vaccinations.
Q: What is the best way to schedule an appointment with your office?
You can schedule an appointment by calling our office during regular business hours.
Q: Is your office accepting new patients?
Yes, we always welcome new patients. You can click on the New Patients link to find out how. You can also contact our office for additional information or request an appointment.
Q: What is your appointment availability?
For the most part sick visits are scheduled within 24 hours of request and well child or physical appointments are scheduled within 7 days and not to exceed access standards set by insurance companies.
Access standards as follow:
| TYPE OF VISIT | TIMEFRAME |
|---|---|
| Urgent Visit | Forty-eight (48) hours |
| Urgent, requring authorization | Ninety-six (96) hours |
| Non-urgent, acute illness visit | Three (3) business days, or as directed by physician |
| Routine, non-urgent visit | Within (10) business days of request |
| Well Child Visit | Two (2) weeks |
| Routine Physical | Thirty (30) days |
| Initial Health Assessment | Within one hundred twenty (12) days of enrollment |
| Initial Health Assessment (under 18 months of age) | Within sixty (60) days of enrollment |
| Follow up exam | As directed by physician |
Q: How do we reach you after hours?
Dr. Banzuela is on call for her patients 24 hours a day 7 days a week. By calling the office phone number and following the prompts to her voicemail you can connect with her cell phone.
Q: Who covers your patients if you are out of town?
Durig Dr. Banzuela's absence, arrangements for a locum tenens Physician to take her place during office hours will be made and during afterhours arrangements with a local pediatrician to answer questions will be made available. In the event that arrangements for a locum tenens Physician is not possible, arrangements with a local pediatrician to take care of patients will be made.
Q: Do you send prescriptions electronically or is it a hand-written order?
We have an active cloud based EMR and prescriptions are sent electronically. We do not call in prescriptions if the patient is not of California are because of licencing restrictions.
Q: Is a Patient Portal available?
Yes, a patient portal is available to patients. All you have to do is provide us with your email address and we will send you an invitation to the patient portal. This will give you access to request non-urgent appointments, ask non-urgent questions for MD or staff, or request copies of medical records.