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Meet our Physicians!!
 Pediatricians Saad Al Alou, M.D., and Meltem Karatepe, M.D. offer quality healthcare to kids from birth through eighteen.
Saad Al Alou, M.D., board-certified pediatrician, completed his studies in pediatrics and adolescent medicine at St. Joseph Children’s Hospital, Paterson, New Jersey, which is an affiliate school of Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York. He enjoys being a pediatrician and has dedicated his career to care for all children. He is fluent in Spanish, Romanian, and Arabic.
Meltem Karatepe, M.D., board-eligible pediatrician, started seeing patients at Oakland Bay Pediatrics in November, 2008. She received her medical degree from the University of Istanbul, Turkey, and completed her residency at the Metropolitan Hospital, New York. Her training included pediatric and neonatal intensive care, pulmonology, endocrinology, infectious diseases, cardiology, dermatology, radiology, nephrology, hematology-oncology, genetics, and adolescent medicine.
See page 6 of Scope Newsletter for story on Meltem Karatepe
Therese Pizanti, ARNP, board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner, received her Bachelor of Science Nursing degree in 1985 from the University of San Francisco, CA. Later, in 1988, she went on to further her education as a pediatric nurse practitioner while serving in the United States Air Force, finishing in 1990 with her board certification.
To make an appointment with any one of the Oakland Bay Pediatrics staff, please call (360) 426-3102.
What do I look for in a pediatrician?
 Your baby is due in the next few weeks, and worry starts to set in. Will I be a good parent? What will I do if my child gets sick? Who can I turn to for reliable advice?
Rest assured, many new parents fret about such matters. So relax and do what you would normally do in a crisis – shop (Go to Oakland Bay Pediatrics)!
Experts say it's a good idea to actively look for a pediatrician that is not only competent but is agreeable to you. After all, this person will be your healthcare soul mate. You'll need to feel comfortable enough with this doctor to discuss your child's ailments, immunizations, thumb sucking, bed-wetting, and changes during puberty.
For now, let's concentrate on how to choose a doctor that's right for you and your family.
Check a Pediatrician's Credentials
The best time to start searching for a pediatrician is in the last few weeks before your expected due date, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Families who move or change insurance are encouraged to find a doctor well before the child needs a checkup or becomes sick.
To find a good doctor, it's always nice to get positive referrals from family and friends. If that fails, ask your OB/GYN or primary care doctor for suggestions. There are also printed guides on the topic. The AAP's Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5 and The Mother's Almanac by Marguerite Kelly and Elia Parsons are two books recommended by Philip Itkin, MD, FAAP, a pediatrician in private practice at the Omaha Children's Clinic.
Parents are also advised to check credentials, which are usually displayed on the practitioner's office wall. Appropriate training in pediatrics involves medical school and at least three years of residency in either pediatrics or family medicine. After that, many doctors take a test given by the American Board of Pediatrics or the American Board of Family Medicine, and if they pass, become board certified. Websites for most insurance companies list the credentials of physicians in their plan.
Source: WebMD.com
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