Pediatrician Recommendation

Since we are still somewhat new to the area, I need a recommendation. I am looking for a Pediatrician for our 3 children 2 girls and 1 boy. Please let me know who you recommend, what general area they are located and why you recommend.

Thank you very much!

We use Dr. Allen at White Wilson Medical Center, off of Airport Rd. in Destin. The waiting room can get a little crazy, but I think that is at any pediatrician's office. I am very careful who I trust and use as a doctor, and Dr. Allen has been great. Sorry I don't know the number. Good Luck.

JC - Thanks, I will check Dr. Allen out.

Go see Dr. Sprinkle! She is amazing....she is at White Wilson at the same location as Dr. Allen.

Dr. Allen was my daughter's first pediatrician. She developed asthma at an early age and kept developing Croup, and what he was doing for her wasn't helping and we had to keep returning and he just brushed me of every time I tried to speak to him. I had had enough, so I switched to Dr. Sprinkle and she doesn't rush you out the door to get to the next patient, she takes her time, always asks the parents questions, and takes the time to get to know your family. My children absolutely love her.

Both Dr. Allen and Dr. Spenkle are GREAT! I generally use Dr. Allen because he is who I first started my 7 year old with when she was an infant but I also use Sprenkle. They are both very helpful and honest. I highly recommend them.

And yes- the waiting room can get crazy but the doctors and their nursing staff are highly worth it!

Go see Dr. Sprinkle! She is amazing....she is at White Wilson at the same location as Dr. Allen.

Dr. Allen was my daughter's first pediatrician. She developed asthma at an early age and kept developing Croup, and what he was doing for her wasn't helping and we had to keep returning and he just brushed me of every time I tried to speak to him. I had had enough, so I switched to Dr. Sprinkle and she doesn't rush you out the door to get to the next patient, she takes her time, always asks the parents questions, and takes the time to get to know your family. My children absolutely love her.

That's funny, we had a similar but opposite situation. I think it was Dr. Spenkle(Sprinkle), but I could be wrong. We used her at first, but switched to Dr. Allen. They are both good, just depends on the family.

Is Dr. Spenkle the Gators fan? Maybe that is why I didn't like her.

We've had great experience with both Dr Allen & Dr Sprenkle. Never had any issues with either and both my kids like both of them.

Good luck!

I have 3 children and have been to a few in Destin, but on a recommendation we now see Dr. Azam in Panama City. She is in PCB on Thursday mornings only. She takes her time and addresses every concern, even if you have a question about a child that is not scheduled to be seen that day. She is wonderful with the kids and is intelligent and thorough. She will not brush off concerns and she follows up with each concern. The only con is the main office is in PC, and if you go to that office sometimes there is a longer wait on Mondays and Fridays. I just schedule for Thursdays and have always had a short wait time.

We see Dr. Fitzharris. She is great and the office is run well (no long waits). Her office is on Mack Bayou across from the hospital. 850-278-3920

We see Dr. Fitzharris. She is great and the office is run well (no long waits). Her office is on Mack Bayou across from the hospital. 850-278-3920

Agreed. Also, Dr Viatore joined her practice back in the summer;he is an older pediatrician who recently moved to the area from Clearwater to be near his family. Since his practice is new, there are plenty of openings for new patients. For what it is worth, they both have privledges at Sacred Heart Hospital;none of the other providers listed above do. Their office is right next to Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital, just a few miles from the west end of 30-A on HWY 98.

My children see Dr. Ferry at Sacred Heart Medical Group in Destin. He's also our family doctor but specializes in pediatrics and internal medicine. He's always very patient and listens to your concerns, doesn't rush you through the appointment and even called late one night to check on my (then 1 year old) daughter's high tempature. It's very rare to get a phone call from the doctor himself, much less after hours. Waiting times are never very long. He's great!

My children see Dr. Ferry at Sacred Heart Medical Group in Destin. He's also our family doctor but specializes in pediatrics and internal medicine. He's always very patient and listens to your concerns, doesn't rush you through the appointment and even called late one night to check on my (then 1 year old) daughter's high tempature. It's very rare to get a phone call from the doctor himself, much less after hours. Waiting times are never very long. He's great!

Yup, he is kinda awesome. He sees all of us as well.

Agreed. Also, Dr Viatore joined her practice back in the summer;he is an older pediatrician who recently moved to the area from Clearwater to be near his family. Since his practice is new, there are plenty of openings for new patients. For what it is worth, they both have privledges at Sacred Heart Hospital;none of the other providers listed above do. Their office is right next to Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital, just a few miles from the west end of 30-A on HWY 98.

The down side to Sacred Heart though is it does not have a pediatrics unit. The peds doctors on Airport Rd in Destin are affiliated with FWB Med Ctr which does have a peds unit.

HOWEVER - if it's something major that is needed - Sacred Heart P'cola has an awesome peds program. Which is obviously associated with this local Sacred Heart...

Lots to consider...

welcome to the area!

We also have 2 girls and a (new baby) boy. I completely agree with the Dr. Fitzharris recommendation. We moved to the area in June '09, so I haven't needed her too much (thankfully but she is very relaxed and personable. Great location across from Sacred Heart Hospital.

Thank you all very much. I would have assumed that all of the local doctors would have had rights at Sacred Heart, so that is a very important point to consider, even if it does not have a peds unit. I would think in an emergency, that would be the first place I would go. Lots to consider!!!

Yes, it has been very helpful that the E. R. doctors can consult with Dr. Fitzharris and then we can follow up with her later in her office. We've had a couple minor E.R. visits and a couple more serious where they considered admitting to the Children's Hospital at Sacred Heart in Pensacola. Keep in mind that most local hospitals in Panama City and Ft. Walton will most likely end up sending serious emergencies and illnesses to Pensacola because that is where most of the pediatric specialists are.

We used Dr. Allen for a while and loved him. His office is in the heart of Destin - not my favorite place to travel for appointments of any kind - but our choice was limited just a few years ago. So, when Pediatricians started arriving in SoWal, I was more than thrilled. Now we have several excellent choices - and I've heard very good things about each of them.

Our choice is Dr. Patrick Ferry, Sacred Heart Medical Center at Destin/Miramar Beach on 98 - the drive is much shorter and doesn't go all the way in to Destin thankfully (and I can easily pick up Royal Orchid for dinner on the way home. haha)... I have been a patient at Sacred Heart Medical Center for many years - and have used several excellent doctors there - I place my trust in Sacred Heart for many reasons. Dr. Ferry joined the staff a few years ago - nice to have a Pediatrician on the staff who is also an internist for people of any age. we can all call on him! (also its important to note that Sacred Heart Medical Group is fully equipped with lab and xray facility. Many other local docs are associated with Sacred Heart Medical Group at several locations including our Sacred Heart Hospital - which is nice for women's health care and other specialties. Hospital lab is right there and so wonderful!

btw, when my child was in Dr Allen's care, we were referred to a pediatric specialist in Pensacola for a specific problem - and everything worked out beautifully. we're so fortunate to have such a range of local peds to choose from locally - plus outstanding pediatric specialists available just over an hour away. (Pensacola is also home to many outstanding specialists in the area of women's health (breast cancer) and other areas).


Patrick Ferry, M.D.
Internal Medicine
Pediatrics
Phone Number: 850-837-0032
Sacred Heart Medical Group at Destin
36500 Emerald Coast Parkway
Destin, FL 32541

The down side to Sacred Heart though is it does not have a pediatrics unit. The peds doctors on Airport Rd in Destin are affiliated with FWB Med Ctr which does have a peds unit.

HOWEVER - if it's something major that is needed - Sacred Heart P'cola has an awesome peds program. Which is obviously associated with this local Sacred Heart...

Lots to consider...

True, no dedicated peds unit, however, pediatric patients who require surgery that requires an overnight stay are concurrently cared for by one of the Sacred Heart pediatricians. Also, many expecting parents like to meet their potential pediatrician before delivery...and those who select Fitzharris and Viatore can enjoy their postpartum care in the popular SH Emerald Coast newborn nursery which is far and away the nicest unit in this area.

Welcome to the area!

I absolutely LOVE Dr. Sprenkle and her nurse, Denise (at White Wilson in Destin). They are both incredibly patient, and very reassuring. We have also used Dr. Allen a few times when Dr. Sprenkle wasn't available (our son has had some respiratory issues) and he was very professional and thorough. Dr. King at White Wilson in FWB is also wonderful -- he even made follow-up phone calls to the doctors in the Destin office.

One of the nice things about White Wilson is that they have 3 pediatricians in Destin, 2 or 3 in FWB, and 2 or 3 in Niceville, so you can usually get seen by someone if you have a sick child.

Agreed. Also, Dr Viatore joined her practice back in the summer;he is an older pediatrician who recently moved to the area from Clearwater to be near his family. Since his practice is new, there are plenty of openings for new patients. For what it is worth, they both have privledges at Sacred Heart Hospital;none of the other providers listed above do. Their office is right next to Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital, just a few miles from the west end of 30-A on HWY 98.

We use Dr. Viatore with the girls. He sits down and talks to us about both girls and he listens. We had a rather bad time with Nevaeh early last year and he was the only Dr. near enough that we trusted. He listens and doesn't over medicate. That was a real selling point with us because she had to be on so much medication right after the accident.

Unless your child has an ongoing medical condition that would require easy access to a pediatric unit (which we aren't close to anyway), why isn't it easier to opt for docs that practice close to home? It is very important to us that our doctor has privileges at the closest hospital, and that the doc office is a sane drive away when the kids are sick.

I have to drive to Airport Rd. every other week for my youngest's allergy shot- what a PIA. I can't imagine doing that with young, sick kids for pediatrician visits. Believe me, I would kiss the feet of an allergist who would practice full time in South Walton- killing half a day for an office visit is for the birds.

Unless your child has an ongoing medical condition that would require easy access to a pediatric unit (which we aren't close to anyway), why isn't it easier to opt for docs that practice close to home? It is very important to us that our doctor has privileges at the closest hospital, and that the doc office is a sane drive away when the kids are sick.

I have to drive to Airport Rd. every other week for my youngest's allergy shot- what a PIA. I can't imagine doing that with young, sick kids for pediatrician visits. Believe me, I would kiss the feet of an allergist who would practice full time in South Walton- killing half a day for an office visit is for the birds.

agreed. I used to drive to White Wilson because that was the closest - by far. and when my kid was that small of course I would drive that far any day that I needed to - and I did it quite often - even for just a cold just to rule out strep or whatever. Poor Dr Allen used to start showing me how to look all the way down the kids throat and what to look for, etc. I didn't listen. just kept driving over.

I'm not very happy about some changes and growth happening to my little town over the years (some would say its progress). but having grocery stores and excellent medical facilities is growth we all appreciate.

It's absolutely wonderful that there are now pediatricians, and other doctors, an ER, and a birth unit close to us. I would even consider Airport Road in Destin close! So much has changed since ShallowsSquirt came along. All my doctor's visits were in FWB...when I went into labor, I had the pleasure of being curled up in the back seat having contractions all the way to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center (barely got there ) and then his pediatrician was in FWB.

Of course, I was used to it, because that's all we had ever known. But now I'm spoiled - except for my eye doctor (who has been my doctor since I was 12) and my gyn (who delivered Squirt), everybody else is out here.

Oh yeah - 17 years later, Squirt's choice is Dr. Patrick Ferry.

This has been a great thread. Thank you all again for voicing your opinions. We went with Susie Fitzharris' office and saw Dr. Viatore. Our reasoning is that they are close to the closest hospital and that would be the first place we would go in an emergency no matter what. Added with the fact that they hold spots each day to see sick kids sealed the deal. A friend of mine has a pediatrician that does not reserve spots for sick kids and she is frustrated much of the time. I love that they are close!

I would have to go with Dr. Patrick Ferry! Master Brody loves him!

I would have to go with Dr. Patrick Ferry! Master Brody loves him!

totally