Dr. Joyce Cigarroa Rafati, MD

We have been taking our daughter to Dr. Rafati since she turned 3 months old. The pediatrician that we went to before we moved to Dr. Rafati had no time for my child and the office staff was indifferent. However, Dr. Rafati, the other doctors and all the nurses at Cook Children's Magnolia have been amazing. They are always reachable and reassuring. We were able to get the doctor's opinion on our child's even when we were thousands of miles away from the US. She is cheerful, doesn't rush through the appointments and we always have a dialog with her (unlike a lot of other doctors who barely spend time and then sermonize and leave). She does not push medications (which is very important for us) and looks at our daughter's health holistically. (I have no clue why one of the earlier ratings here wrote excellent things about her and then gave her a 1-star rating).

If I could give Dr. Rafati more stars I would. She and her office provide the kind of attention and care that you always hope for from a doctor but that is rare in today's world of medicine. She is more than friendly and easy to talk to; Dr. Rafati is also a fierce advocate for her patients. I can attest to her kind, judgement-free advice on the little things as well as her poise and dedication with the "big things." Read on for specific examples: When my son was 6 months old, after being blown off by Scott & White pediatricians for 4 months, Dr. Rafati heard my concerns about the hump in his back. Same day, she got x-rays and then personally called me with the results at 5:30pm, after hours. She was so patient as we talked through his rare congenital spinal deformity, even though I was a blubbering mess. She then showed me the x-rays in person the next day, comforted me, and talked clearly about what the next steps were. And THEN, she and her team (thank you, Stacy!) called… Scottish Rite multiple times to explain why he needed to be seen sooner. They arranged for him to be seen THE NEXT WEEK so he could be evaluated ASAP at one of the best pediatric orthopedic hospitals in the nation; the timing was such that being seen a month sooner than originally scheduled saved him from being put under general anesthesia for an MRI! I got follow up calls from Stacy to make sure he was scheduled and getting taken care of. This kind of extra work is the kind of thing that redefines "patient advocacy." When it comes to your child, it's the kind of help that makes you cry grateful tears. We had to move 40 minutes away, and I am so sad to leave Dr. Rafati's practice. But, again, Dr. Rafati went the extra mile. She personally called a pediatrician near our new home to transfer his care. There is a lot of lip service to patients/caregivers participating and being in control of their medical care. The reality is, you need someone to advocate for your children and help you navigate a complex system. Dr. Rafati is 100% this person. If your child is healthy, you and your kiddo will enjoy seeing Dr. Rafati. If your kiddo is NOT healthy...you are in good hands!

Amazing, knowledgeable, caring, and down to earth. She is a great listener and tries to solve issues at the root of the problem, by specifically tailoring the response to the individual childs needs. I have been seeing Dr. Keck for over 6 years, and she's made such a difference in our lives. I wish every doctor was like her! Not only is she smart and keeps up with the latest research, she also has great insight when tackling harder issues, such sleeping or behavioral issues. She's the best!!!

Dr Rafati is amazing. She is always on time, and it feels as though she spends so much time with you. She looks at you and your child when she speaks, she isn't staring at a computer the whole exam.

Dr. Rafati is a great doctor! Her bedside manner is excellent, she is extremely thorough; but most importantly she is highly compasionate and treats my children like her own.