Uptown Pediatrics FAQ

Yes. Walk-in sick visits are Monday through Friday, 9:30 am to 3:00 pm, with no appointment needed. If those hours don't work, call or send a portal message and we'll schedule a same-day sick visit at a more convenient time.

Yes, for sick visits, except in summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day). Saturday visits can't be booked ahead. Send a portal message Friday night or call between 10 and 11 am on Saturday to get a time.

One of our own doctors is on call 24/7, not an outside nurse line. Call 212-427-0540, leave a message saying it's urgent, and we'll call you right back. For a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

Four to eight weeks ahead. Late-afternoon slots go fast. We suggest booking yearly physicals for your child's birthday month to avoid the school and camp rush in May, June, August, and September.

Yes, video visits are available by request for concerns that don't need an in-person exam.

Yes. Call 212-427-0540 to get started, and fill out the new patient registration form before your first visit.

Absolutely. Schedule a prenatal visit and bring the prenatal visit form. If you deliver at Mount Sinai, one of our doctors will visit your baby in the newborn nursery.

Your current insurance card, your child's previous medical and vaccine records, and the completed new patient forms. For newborns, bring your own insurance information and any hospital records.

Enroll your baby with your insurance carrier as soon as possible. Your baby is covered under your plan for the first 30 days only. If you don't enroll them within that window, they won't have coverage under your policy.

Our doctors are generally in-network with Aetna, Cigna, Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, Oxford Freedom, UnitedHealthcare, NYS Medicaid, and Healthfirst. Some specific plans within these carriers may not be in-network, so please call your carrier to confirm.

Call the number on your insurance card and give them our National Provider ID (NPI): 1619016854. Ask whether Uptown Pediatrics is in-network for your specific plan.

Our billing specialist, Wendy, is happy to help at 866-371-6118. You can also pay your bill online.

Message your doctor, request appointments, check lab results and vaccine records, and upload forms, any time of day.

Portal messages are checked several times a day on weekdays and once a day on weekends and holidays. For anything urgent, call 212-427-0540.

Along with general pediatrics, our doctors include specialists in adolescent medicine (Dr. Alpert), pediatric infectious disease (Dr. Larsen), pediatric endocrinology (Dr. Klein and Dr. Wu), and child & adolescent psychiatry (Dr. Hoon). We also have an IBCLC lactation consultant (Nurse Mesi).

Our psychiatry service offers psychiatric evaluations and medication management, but not therapy or neuropsychological testing. We'll connect you with trusted providers in the community.

All of our doctors have attending privileges at Mount Sinai Hospital and are faculty in the Department of Pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Because we're independent, we can also refer you to specialists elsewhere when that's the best fit.

Yes. Dr. Cerasoli pierces ears in the office. Call 212-427-0540 to schedule.

We follow the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) schedule, which protects children against 18 serious diseases at the safest and most effective times. We believe in the science, and we're always glad to talk through your questions so we can decide together. Our parent guide explains how the AAP and 2026 CDC schedules differ.

Yes, during flu season we offer flu vaccines to parents alongside their children. Check with your insurance first, especially if you have Healthfirst or a gated plan.

Children getting a flu shot for the very first time need two doses spaced one month apart. Everyone else needs one dose each year.

Yes. You see the same doctor at every checkup, and most of the time for sick visits too. We like seeing our own patients, and getting to know your whole family. But if your primary pediatrician is not in the office and your child needs to come in, one of our other doctors is always happy to see you.

We never turn away our patients. If the schedule is full, we make room. You can also walk in for a sick visit Monday through Friday, 9:30 am to 3 pm.

Not when they won't help. Antibiotics don't work on viruses and can cause side effects. We'll examine your child, explain what we find, and decide on the right treatment together with you.

1245 Park Avenue. The entrance is on 96th Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues. We're on the ground floor, just to the right of the elevators.

Take the 6 train to 96th Street. We're one block west of the station.

There are metered spots in the neighborhood (watch the signs, they ticket often) and several garages.