Having a First Baby?

Baby

Here are some things to consider when choosing a medical home for your newborn:

  • Please read Are we a good fit for you? Excellent care happens when the physicians and office staff are aligned with your family priorities and philosophies regarding medical care (i.e. vaccines, use of antibiotics, office hours, etc.). If you are planning a home birth, please read our guidelines here.
  • Check to see if we are a participating provider under your insurance. Click here for a list of insurances that we accept.
  • Call our office as soon as possible once you have decided to enroll with us. You will be asked to provide insurance information for BOTH parents, regardless of marital status, and regardless of which parent’s plan the baby will be added to. It is important that we hear from you before baby is born to make sure that there are no potential insurance issues. During this initial call, our staff will ask you for some other information about your baby’s upcoming birth, and answer any questions you may have about our practice. At this time, if you'd like, you can schedule an appointment for a prenatal visit, where you can meet with one of our doctors, have your questions about the practice answered, and get a feel for the office. However, a prenatal visit is NOT required to enroll with us.

Congratulations!

Once You Have Enrolled With Us

Please inform your obstetrician that you have selected JDC Pediatrics for your baby's pediatric care.


Please note the following change to JDC’s procedure for seeing your newborn in the hospital: 

Up until 5/31/25, if you deliver at UPMC Pinnacle Harrisburg, the hospital will contact us and one of our physicians will see your baby in the hospital, usually on the morning following your baby's birth.


Beginning on 6/1/25, JDC's physicians will no longer be seeing newborns in the hospital. Your baby will be seen by the hospital's staff pediatrician soon after birth.. You will then be directed to call our office and schedule an appointment upon discharge. New babies may need to be seen in our office within a few days of discharge – the hospital pediatrician will advise you as to how soon your baby needs to be seen by us. Please make sure before you leave the hospital that you request that your baby's records be sent to JDC Pediatrics, and complete any necessary paperwork to make sure this happens.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PARENTS

It is extremely important that you add your new baby to your health insurance policy once your baby is born. Most insurance plans have a 30 day grace period for newborns to be added. Once the grace period has expired, if the baby has not been added, the parent will be responsible for charges incurred. Please remember to bring your insurance card, copay, and patient forms to your first visit.