Dr. Melanie Ann Burgos Alarcio, MD

Dr. Alarcio is so worth the wait! She spends all the time necessary for each patient. She isn't afraid to admit when she doesn't immediately know the quick answer. Dr. Alarcio meticulously researches treatments leaving no stone unturned. Her bedside manner with patients and their parents is wonderful; she is very compassionate and caring. These are among the reasons parents of children with challenging neurological issues come from all over AZ and from out of state to Phoenix to consult with Dr. Alarcio. She is an excellent doctor and very rare among AZ pediatric neurologists, most of whom, in my experience, are dismissive of patients with ASD and other neurological challenges that aren't easily treated. Dr. Alarcio is the 8th neurologist we consulted and the 1st in over a decade to recognize and treat my child for seizures the other neurologists dismissed as "autism." The improvements to his quality of life are amazing.

When no other Dr could figure out what was wrong with our son, she did. She was more through and detailed in her accessment than any Doctor we have ever seen. I have never seen a Doctor review our son's medical history the way she did. She listens to everything you have to say including every observation, concern or question and has never once made us feel rushed through an appointment. She "gets" our son and truly understands that she is treating a whole child, not just the sick part of them. After years of spinning our wheels, we begain to see profound improvements almost immediately under her care.

Dr Alarcio is the most amazing doctor I have ever met! She LISTENS to parents & the children. She doesn't shy away from a case just because it might be difficult to treat & or diagnose. She orders labs, tests, reviews medical records, takes a detailed family health history. She is always determined to get to the bottom of what is really happening instead of just busting out her prescription pad and sending you on your way. If you want answers of what is really happening with your child she is the one to go to!

We had three separate appointments. One for each kid. She thoroughly examined each one and found things other doctors hadn't found. She also read prior lab and imaging reports and found things other doctors either hadn't found or hadn't communicated to me. She took a very detailed case history / family history of each child. We left with a diagnosis, a treatment plan, coordination of care with our out-of-state pediatrician, and follow-up care arranged for each of my three kids. It was an extremely productive visit. My son, who is the most severe of my three children, interrupted the appointment while Dr. Alarcio was writing notes in his chart. He looked at me, and said, "Mom, am I EVER going to get better???" We had been searching for answers and improvement for nine long years by the time we met Dr. Alarcio. It had been a long, painful road. My son was a little weary of all the doctors I made him see and all the test he had to undergo and all the medication he had to… take over the years. You could see the depression / desperation in his face. Dr. Alarcio STOPPED what she was doing and told my son to look at her. She said, "Look at me. Look me in the eyes. I KNOW how to get you better. I KNOW how to do it! I WILL get you better. You have to trust me. You have to believe me. You have to do what I say. I WILL get you better, ok?" That was amazing to me. She gave my son hope right at that moment. How many doctors will stop what they are doing and do that? To have knowledge, wisdom, expertise, and compassion all in one provider, well, I just can't recommend her highly enough. NOTE: Her new office is Phoenix Neurology and Sleep Medicine, though, not the address listed above. She has an office in Goodyear and another one in Phoenix.

PANDAS specialist! Professional, credible, knowledgeable! Worth the travel and cost to come here. This doctor knows what she is doing! Long wait list to she her, but you get more answers than anywhere else.

My child has been diagnosed with PANDAS and in the medical community, only half or less believe this even exists. She was very thorough in her evaluation and agreed about the likelihood of PANDAS, placed my child on appropriate treatment and he is now almost back to his usual baseline. If you need a child neurologist who is smart and has excellent bedside manners, Dr. Alarcio is who you should go to.