Dr. Josephine H Ruiz-Healy, MD

Deciding on a pediatrician for your child is a daunting task. Most of the time an OBGYN just hands you a sheet with a bunch of names on it, which only allows you to narrow it down to a few groups and hope for the best. My biggest concerns were knowledge of up-to-date issues, ease of making appointments, and of course my childs' comfort level. Well, all three needs have been met a Dr.Ruiz-Healy’s office. Dr. Ruiz-Healy is always in the know of new issues (vaccinations, autism, SIDS, food allergies, television viewing, vitamins...you name it: if she doesn't know the answer she will research it b/c she loves staying up to date). If you do not want to vaccinate your child then you will need to look elsewhere, Dr. Ruiz-Healy sees some very sick kiddos (immunosuppressed, cardiovascular issues, etc) and cannot risk unvaccinated children in the office. As far as appointments I have always been able to get in the same day of an illness, maybe not always in the morning but definitely by… the early afternoon. If Dr. Ruiz-Healy is unavailable they will allow you to book with the doctor that is covering for her. Finally, Dr. Ruiz-Healy has an amazing ability to work with children. She has three of her own, and you can rest assured she will do everything within her means to care for your child!

This doctor is very close minded and opinionated, she does not choose her words carefully or with with empathy. She completely went off the topic for a follow up regarding an illness, and began criticizing my parenting style without even asking questions about our life and only going by her vague assumptions.She told me that my son is becoming "dumb" and autistic and that his behavior at 2 years of age would lead him into becoming a troubled adolescent. She also yelled at my 2 year old and told me that I should start reading books, again assuming that I am ignorant. The wait time to see the doctor was ridiculous I arrived at 9:45 am, my appointment was at 10:00am and did not see the doctor until 12:00pm. I asked her for advice on weaning my son and was told to simply stop and that my husband and I allow for my two year old to step all over us. This was all in our first time visiting with Dr. Ruiz-Healy.

NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE. AWFUL BEDSIDE MANNERS.NOT PROMPT AT ALL.

There were many times when I was ready to drop her as a doctor. Many times she did not respect my views and choices for my child. The last visit I had confirmed that she is not the doctor for me. I don't need to be insulted if and when there are health concerns. With all of her education you would figure that she would have better manners and know how to treat parents with respect. I was glad to see I am not the only one. I agree with everyone else that the staff is helpful and courteous unlike the her. I recommend don't waste your time and find someone that will respect you as a parent. And she is a hypocrite as well, unless it is her idea she will not accept any suggestions even if you turn out to be right. Example changing your child's diet.

I remember I took my step daughter to this doctor and she was very rude. I gave her another chance and decided to book another appointment thinking maybe she had had a bad day. On my second appointment, I took my son who was just an infant at the time. I've felt she had the worst bedside manners I have ever seen and felt she was very unprofessional.

I am an experienced RN. I think Dr. Healy is a good resource for new mothers, especially young Hispanic mothers (her demeanor seems to appeal to the cultural association of the doctor being in authority). That being said, she can be very bossy to the point she is not hearing what the parents says. I had history on my child's original paperwork that she had asthma diagnosed by a specialist. Dr. Healy disallowed this diagnosis when another care provider attempted to address this with her. I have even agreed with her or attempted to discuss my views/actions re:my child's care, but she is set on her own agenda. Staff are VERY nice. As another review noted, the wait can be forever. You can sit even longer in an exam room than the waiting room! I received a generic letter out of the blue that she would no longer provide care for my child (generic letter indicates there could be any number of reasons) without any specific cause. I followed up on every referral, made every appt. But I guess… "timing is everything". After she screwed up on caring for my child's asthma, we had decided to find another MD (prior to receipt of the letter).

My daughter has been seen by Dr Ruiz- Healy since she was a few weeks old. Every time that we had taken our baby, Dr Ruiz-Healy has giving us answers and she shows that she really cares about our baby's health and development. What I love about her, is that she takes her time answering any questions that we might have. I had never felt that she is rushing or not caring about our daughter. I personally had never experience a long time wait, but if this happens I know that she takes time with every patient, so I would not mind waiting. In addition, she has a lot of experience, so that is always a plus. The staff is very friendly too.

She spent over an hour with my child and me. She was very thorough. Did an excellent job explaining things to my child, empowering my child to be active in their own health care and treatment. If only I had found her sooner - some medical concerns may already could have been resolved or avoided!

Our family has been with Dr. Ruiz-Healy for over 11 years. We began seeing her after another doctor mis-diagnosed my sons pneumonia at 20 months old. She has always been honest (brutal honesty is needed sometimes), supportive, and caring. She was also the doctor who diagnosed my youngest daughters Stridor & skull cyst before we even realized something was wrong. I thank her and the staff each time my family goes into the office. Her office staff is also wonderful.

I don't doubt that others have had good visits, but having had more than one kid and being in biomedicine, I know the routine when it comes to infant care, sleep patterns, health, etc. I don't much appreciate the lectures and the attitude I get from Dr Ruiz-Healy about when my kid should go to sleep, how another kid has behavioral issues, how the foods we choose are just hyped-up and not nearly as good as the national name brands. That being said, she's pushed enfamil, specifically, a number of times which makes me question her objectivity. When asked why Enfamil particularly, she goes on some doctrine but can't back up the claims for Enfamil or against another brand believably. I would like to like her, but I don't like walking away from visits feeling either like I just argued my way through a law school class or like a crappy parents. And the wait time! Awful. Never have we waited less than 30 minutes. One time, we waited 90min. With an infant, no less. We had been the only ones in… the waiting room for all that time and from what we could tell only one patient in the back. I just don't know who these other reviewers are seeing, but we certainly haven't had the most pleasant experiences. The office staff is efficient and very courteous.