“We take an old-fashioned and personal approach at Fifth Avenue Pediatrics, and actually answer the phone,” Dr. Pamela Patranella says.
Fifth Avenue Pediatrics is the oldest existing practice in St. Pete, founded in the 1940s. “We focus on preventive care, parental guidance, promoting a healthy lifestyle and mental health, as well as early detection of illnesses and prompt treatment,” Dr. Patranella says. “We prefer to treat our patients here whenever possible rather than referring them to a specialist.” Comprehensive care is provided from birth until age 22.
After graduating from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and Texas Tech University School of Medicine in Lubbock, Texas, Dr. Patranella did her internship at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg; she knew she wanted to relocate to this area. She joined the late Dr. John Cordes in 1987 at the current Fifth Avenue location. Today, she and Dr. Julie Johnson, Dr. Sally Smith, Dr. Tanya Liberato, and family nurse practitioner Beth Slyder, offer every patient the personal attention required.
Telemedicine for Certain Conditions
Telemedicine services connect the doctors and patients virtually when they are unable to come to the office in person. The option also is great for college students away from home who have ongoing conditions that need to be managed.
Choose the Right Pediatrician Before You Deliver
It’s always a good idea to choose a pediatrician before your new baby arrives. The doctors at Fifth Avenue Pediatrics offer a complimentary meeting to help you decide whether their practice is right for you. They review their well-child care schedule, availability by telephone and after hours, handling of emergencies, and management of your child should he or she require care in the hospital. They can answer questions regarding infant feeding, circumcision, and immunizations and address any other concerns.
Fifth Avenue Pediatrics is closely associated with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and Bayfront Health. If you deliver your baby at Bayfront Baby Place, simply inform your obstetrician, and one of the Fifth Avenue doctors will examine your baby daily until discharged.
Keeping Kids Healthy
It goes without saying the best way to keep kids healthy is to make sure they eat well, get enough sleep, exercise, get all the necessary vaccines and don’t skip those annual checkups.
Angel from Sarasota rates Fifth Avenue Pediatrics as “by far the best place ever. We have seen all of the doctors here, as well as the nurses. If you call with questions they speak to you right away! I am a new mother and paranoid. …They never judge – they always speak to you respectfully and help with whatever is needed. If you’re still worried they tell you to bring your baby in, again with no judgment and always super sweet with a kind smile and love for your little one! I drove from Longboat Key for my son’s first year. We have now moved to Sarasota and we keep driving the distance for appointments, as we couldn’t be happier.”
Fifth Avenue Pediatrics is at 2855 Fifth Ave. N in St. Petersburg. For information, please call (727) 323-2727 or visit www.FifthAvenuePediatrics.com. A physician is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays.
