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Pediatric & Adolescent MedicinePhysiciansLocations

pediatrics
Update: We are pleased to now offer the COVID vaccine to children ages 6 months and older in our Vernon office. Contact your pediatrician’s office to schedule a vaccine.

The pediatric and adolescent medicine experts at Starling Physicians provide ongoing and comprehensive medical care for children of all ages. Our commitment is to help children reach their highest potential by working with families to promote and maintain their child’s physical and emotional well–being.

We are your partners in guiding your child on a path of optimal health. In order to attain this, we continuously strive to meet and exceed our patients’ expectations while maintaining the highest standards of excellence in pediatric medicine. From prenatal consultation visits and preventive care to treatment of acute illnesses and the ongoing management of chronic health conditions, Starling Physicians offers complete medical treatment for children from infancy through late adolescence.

Our pediatricians are accessible and are here to guide you when your child is ill. We offer same-day sick visits when indicated during normal business hours and are available by phone 24 hours a day/7 days a week for urgent matters.

We provide a wide range of services: 

  • Well-child visits
  • Annual school and sports physicals
  • Screenings (vision, hearing, development, mental health, and ADHD)
  • Guidance for parents or guardians
  • Immunizations
  • Treatment of acute illness
  • Management of chronic conditions
We follow the American Academy of Pediatrics mission to advance child health care. All of our providers are NCQA-PCMH certified. The Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model that puts patients at the forefront of care so we can build better relationships between patients and their clinical care teams.  Along with PCMH certification, our providers participate in the Reach Out and Read Community Service Program to promote literacy.
 
We practice safe, ethical, equitable and effective medical care. We promote healthy communities and prevent health inequities. Seeing our patients grow into healthy adults is a source of great pride for all of us. Many of our past patients now bring their children to us for our consistent and excellent medical care. 
 
Our goal is to provide your children with the finest medical care possible. Our providers and staff always care for your children with exceptional expertise and skill.
 
Our offices are conveniently located in New Britain, Newington, and Vernon 

Hours: New Britain, Newington
Monday – Friday: 8:30am–5pm
Saturdays: 8:30am–12pm

Hours: Vernon
Monday – Friday: 8:30am–4:30pm

We are always here for you! When your child is ill, we should be your first point of contact. For urgent matters after hours, your call will be forwarded to our on-call team. Our doctors or nurses can hear your concerns and guide you on the next steps.

If you are a patient of our Vernon Pediatrics practice, click here >>

  • How To Reach Us

    New Britain – 300 Kensington Ave.

    Phone:  (860) 224-6282

    Newington – 375 Willard Ave.

    Phone:  (860) 666-5167

    Vernon – 357 Hartford Turnpike
    Phone: (860) 871-2102

    Email: Vernonpediatrics@starlingphysicians.com

    Click here to learn more about our Vernon practice.

     

  • Office Policies

  • Well Child Visit Schedule

    Newborn: 2-4 days after birth 15 mo.
    2 weeks 18 mo.
    2 mo. 24 mo.
    4 mo. 30 mo.
    6 mo. Yearly after age 3 until age 18
    9 mo.  
    12 mo.  

     

  • School and Sports Physicals

  • Sick Visits

    What to do when your child is sick

    When your child is ill, it is natural to worry and want to seek immediate care. We can help. The first step is to call us so we can hear your concerns and help you determine the next steps. We are available by phone 24/7 for urgent matters. If our office is closed, a nurse or doctor is on-call and available to advise you.

    Same-Day Sick Visits: We have spaces reserved for children who need to be seen for an acute illness during office hours. Symptoms may include:

    • A fever that lasts several days, is unusually high, or has certain associated symptoms
    • Ear pain, drainage from the ear, or ear pulling
    • Prolonged sore throat with or without white patches on the tonsils
    • Severe abdominal pain
    • Sports injuries
    • Trouble with or pain urinating
    • Difficulty breathing; in severe instances, go straight to the ER

    If we feel you do not need to be seen right away, you may be asked to monitor your child and call back with an update if the symptoms do not improve.

    Urgent Care Centers: These centers can be useful after hours or on weekends when an issue can’t wait. However, it is important to touch base with us first to see if a visit is necessary. We know your child’s health history. Urgent care staff may have minimal training in pediatrics and may not be comfortable treating infants and young children for anything beyond the simplest of ailments. If your health concern is not urgent, we may advise you to wait to be seen in our office the next business day.

    Emergency Room:  Sparing yourself and your child an unnecessary trip to the ER is not just a matter of convenience. A visit to the ER can expose your already sick child to hospital germs and other infections carried by fellow ER visitors. In addition, ER care is generally more expensive and you may find yourself waiting several hours. However, we recommend going to the ER when any of the following issues arise:

    • Fever of 100.4 Fahrenheit or higher in a child under 2 months
    • A severe injury such as a broken bone, laceration, or burn
    • Significant head injury, especially if associated with vomiting or child is not behaving normally
    • A seizure
    • Signs of dehydration, such as very dry lips and mouth, absence of urination for more than 12 hours, lethargy, and confusion
    • Heavy, fast breathing, gasping for air, or trouble speaking
    • Impaired mental state – dazed, confused, or unlike himself/herself

    As a rule, if your child is able to walk, talk, interact and play, chances are that whatever he or she has is not an emergency.

    You want what is best for your child and so do we. Call us so we can discuss your child’s health and guide you in seeking care.

    New Britain: (860) 224-6282
    Newington: (860) 666-5167
    Plainville: (860) 747-1132

    Vernon: (860) 871-2102 

    Monday – Friday: 8:30am–5pm
    Saturdays: 8:30am–12pm

  • Children and COVID

    Children now represent 30% of all new COVID cases. Pediatrician, Dr. Elizabeth Martin, discussed COVID and kids, symptoms, where to get testing, and how to protect your children.

  • COVID Vaccine and Children

    We are Pleased to Offer Pediatric COVID Vaccine to Children Ages 6 months and older

    doctors at hospital wearing mask covid 19

    After months of testing and careful deliberation by the U.S Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control, the Pfizer vaccine has been granted emergency use for children 6 months and older.

    This is exciting news and an important step as we move forward and protect our young and vulnerable population. Our Starling team is very supportive of this decision and is pleased to offer the vaccine in our Pediatric offices.

    Call today to schedule a vaccine:

    Vernon: (860) 871-2102

    New Britain: (860) 224-6282

    Newington: (860) 666-5167

    Vaccine found to be safe and effective

    The pediatric vaccine just authorized will be given in two 10-microgram doses administered 21 days apart. The dosage is one-third of the adolescent and adult dose.

    Clinical trials in children found the vaccine to be 90.7% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19. 

    Safety data from the trials, which included more than 3,000 children who received the vaccine, found the most common reactions were pain at the injection site, fatigue, and headache. Reactions were mostly mild or moderate. There were no serious adverse events related to the vaccine, including myocarditis or anaphylaxis.

  • About Your Medical Home

  • Dosing Guidelines

  • Antibiotics Awareness

    Antibiotics save lives When a patient needs antibiotics, the benefits outweigh the risks of side effects and antibiotic resistance. However, antibiotics aren’t always the answer.

    Everyone can help improve the way antibiotics are used – from the doctors who prescribe them to the ways that we take these medications. Being safe and knowledgeable about antibiotics can help keep us healthy now, helps fight antibiotic resistance, and ensures that these lifesaving antibiotics will be available for future generations.

    What you need to know:

    Antibiotics do not work on viruses, such as those that cause colds, flu, or runny noses, even if the mucus is thick, yellow, or green.

    Antibiotics are only needed for treating infections caused by bacteria, but even some bacterial infections get better without antibiotics. Antibiotics aren’t needed for many sinus infections and some ear infections.

    An antibiotic will not make you feel better if you have a virus. Respiratory viruses usually go away in a week or two without treatment. Ask your healthcare professional about the best way to feel better while your body fights off the virus.

    When antibiotics aren’t needed, they won’t help you, and the side effects could still cause harm. Side effects range from minor to very severe health problems. When you need antibiotics for a bacterial infection, then the benefits usually outweigh the risk of side effects.

    Taking antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them.

    Antibiotic resistance is on the rise. Each year in the United States, at least 2 million people get infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. At least 23,000 people die as a result.

    If you need antibiotics, take them exactly as prescribed. Talk with your doctor if you have any questions about your antibiotics.

    Talk with your Starling provider if you develop any side effects, especially severe diarrhea, since that could be a Clostridium difficile (C. difficile or C. diff) infection, which needs to be treated.

    Do your best to stay healthy and keep others healthy by cleaning hands, covering coughs, staying home when sick, and getting recommended vaccines, such as the flu vaccine.

  • Educational Topics

  • Helpful Resources

New Britain – Kensington Ave
300 Kensington Avenue, New Britain, CT, United States
Newington – 375 Willard Ave
375 Willard Avenue, Newington, CT, United States
Vernon – 357 Hartford Turnpike
357 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon, CT, USA

Fax Numbers

New Britain: (860) 826-4959

Newington: (860) 665-8168

Vernon: (860) 870-0890 (or email: Vernonpediatrics@starlingphysicians.com)

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