Practice and Medical Information

241 Central Park West, Suite 1G
New York, NY 10024
212-787-1788

Meet the Staff

	Max Van Gilder, MD Watching and helping children grow up is one of life's most rewarding tasks. I enjoy guiding parents, children and adolescents, giving them the information they need to make sound decisions. I am conservative with most treatments. Most childhood illness requires supportive care. Preventing accidents and illness is better than treating them. However, serious medical illness should have the best, most modern and technically proficient medical care available. I am board certified in Pediatrics and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. I attended Tulane University Medical School in New Orleans and completed my residency training at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

	Stacey Tavel, MD My goal is to empower parents with the confidence and information to raise healthy children. I practice medicine in a respectful and courteous way, and view parents as vital partners in the process. Luckily most childhood illnesses are self-limiting; however, it is important to provide compassionate care and keep children as comfortable as possible when they are sick. I practice high quality, up to date medicine and my medical management is always evidence based. When a family is faced with a chronic disease, it is important to not only assure that the patient receives quality care, but to foster normal growth and development in that child. After all, even in the face of chronic illness, a child should have the opportunity to thrive in every area of life. I enjoy working with children of all ages, from birth to college. In addition to general pediatric care, I place special emphasis on disease and accident prevention, as well as the promotion of childhood literacy. I also provide breastfeeding support to new mothers and gynecological care to adolescent females. I received my Medical Degree from New York University's School of Medicine in 2001, where I was awarded membership to the AOA National Medical Honor Society. I then completed my residency training at the Columbia Presbyterian Children's Hospital of New York. Prior to that, I received my Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996, where I graduated magna cum laude.

	Allison Gati, MD

	Christine Cole-Olsewski, CPNP, IBCLC

	Carolyn Gwin, CPNP

	Diana Perez, RN, BSN

Hospital Affiliations

Should your child or newborn require hospital care, we have privileges at The Morgan-Stanley Children's Hospital of New York (Columbia Presbyterian) and St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital

Well Care

West Care Pediatrics follows the well-child visit guidelines promoted by the American Academy of Pediatrics. We recommend regularly scheduled check-ups during infancy and yearly beginning at two years of age. We believe these visits are important to assess growth and development, as well as to offer advice regarding safety and emotional issues that are an integral part of a healthy childhood. We see patients from birth through 21 years of age. . Well visits can be made up to six months in advance. During pre-camp (May and June) and pre-school (mid-August to Mid-September) we advise parents to make appointments well in advance. Appointments during those periods may have to be made during school hours.

Sick Care

West Care Pediatrics realizes that one of the most anxiety-provoking roles as a parent is providing care to an ill child. . Illness related visits are made on a same-day basis almost without exception. Please call early in the day for the largest selection of appointment times and providers.

Telephone Advice

Advice will be available from the physicians, nurse practitioners or nurses during office hours. The office staff will take your message and we will try to return your call promptly. We prioritize calls during busy times. Calls which require lengthy discussions about non-urgent problems such as school or behavioral issues will be returned when time allows, within 3 business days.

When you call our office after 5 PM Monday through Thursday or after 1 PM on Friday, your calls will be routed to our after-hours nursing service. An attendant will take your information and arrange for a registered nurse to call you back, usually within 20 minutes. These nurses will be able to handle most matters using protocols that we have established with them. The nurses can immediately contact the pediatrician on call for consulta-tion as needed. All phone conversations with our nursing service are documented in yur child's chart and will be reviewed by our medical staff the next patient care day.

We see patients in the office after those hours, but we do not answer the phones directly.

Please consult our web site for information on routine matters like medication doses.

About the Staff