Pediatric care in Palo Alto

Palo Alto families live next door to one of the country's largest children's hospitals, yet a good everyday pediatrician matters more for most kids than any hospital. Well-child checkups, vaccines, ear infections and sports physicals all go through a primary care office. This guide explains how the local practices are organized and where children can be seen when the office is closed.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If a child is having trouble breathing, is unresponsive or is seriously hurt, call 911. Practices named here were confirmed on their own websites in November 2026 and are grouped by health system, not ranked. Hours change, especially around holidays, so check each practice's page before you go.

Choosing a pediatrician

In Palo Alto your insurance plan decides most of the choice. Stanford and Sutter are separate systems. Kaiser runs its own. Follow these steps:

1. Find the exact plan name on the insurance card.
2. Search the plan directory for pediatrics near Palo Alto, filtered for new patients.
3. Call the office, read them the plan name and ask about a first visit.
4. Expecting a baby? Pick the practice before the due date. Hospitals ask who the baby's doctor will be. Newborns are usually seen within a few days of going home.

Many Palo Alto families choose a practice close to home or school, since sick visits often happen on short notice. Others pick one near a parent's workplace. Either works if the network fits. Ask each office a few practical questions: Who answers the phone after hours? Are same-day sick visits available? How are school and camp forms handled? Is there a separate waiting area for sick children? Our finding a doctor guide covers networks in more detail.

Stanford Medicine Children's Health practices

Stanford Medicine Children's Health, the system behind Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, says it runs more than 27 general pediatric locations around the Bay Area. Several former independent groups joined it and now carry the Stanford name. The closest to Palo Alto, with hours as posted in November 2026:

Each office closes for a midday lunch hour and on listed holidays. Stanford also runs a Complex Primary Care Clinic at the Mary L. Johnson Specialty Services building, 730 Welch Road, for children with complex medical needs. Specialists in cardiology, neurology, audiology and other fields see children at Packard and nearby specialty buildings.

Sutter's Palo Alto Medical Foundation

Sutter's Palo Alto Center at 795 El Camino Real lists pediatrics among its departments, along with a sensory-friendly clinic that helps children with disabilities, anxiety or phobias get through vaccinations and blood draws. The same campus has Sutter Children's Urgent Care. Families who also see Sutter doctors themselves can keep everyone's records in one My Health Online account. Our Palo Alto Medical Foundation guide covers parking and the campus layout.

Kaiser and community clinics

Kaiser Permanente has no medical office inside Palo Alto. Members usually see Kaiser pediatricians at the Mountain View Medical Offices, 555 Castro Street. Our Kaiser guide lists its nearby hospitals and advice lines.

For families on Medi-Cal or without insurance, two community options work with Stanford pediatricians:

• Gardner Packard Children's Health Center, 3351 El Camino Real, Suite 100, Atherton, (650) 362-2500. Stanford describes it as a partnership between Gardner Family Health Network and Stanford Medicine Children's Health.
• Ravenswood Family Health Center in East Palo Alto, a community health center where Stanford's children's system also treats patients. Ravenswood's main number is (650) 330-7400.

Children in California can qualify for full-scope Medi-Cal based on family income regardless of immigration status. Our health insurance guide explains how to apply.

Evenings, weekends and urgent problems

Children rarely get sick during office hours. These are the main options when the pediatrician's office is closed:

Stanford's after-hours page says the child's own primary care office should be the first choice and the video service fills the gap. Its MyChart help desk is (877) 339-9895. Sutter's children's urgent care also offers on-demand video visits for signed-in patients. Our urgent care guide compares adult and children's clinics. Our emergency rooms guide lists every nearby emergency department.

Vaccines and school requirements

California requires certain vaccines for child care, transitional kindergarten through 12th grade and entry to 7th grade. The state's Shots for School site lists the current requirements. Pediatric offices give routine childhood vaccines at well-child visits. Children who are uninsured or on Medi-Cal can get vaccines at no cost through the federal Vaccines for Children program at participating offices and clinics.

Flu and COVID shots for children follow different rules from adult shots. Some pharmacies give them only to older children. Our vaccines and flu shots guide lists local options and the county clinic. Keep a copy of every vaccine record. Schools, camps and colleges will ask for it for years.

Hearing, sports and mental health

Newborns get a hearing screening before going home. Children who need more testing can see pediatric audiologists at Stanford; see our hearing care guide. Young athletes with injuries or concussions have dedicated clinics, covered in our sports medicine guide. For worries about mood, anxiety or behavior, start with the pediatrician. Our mental health resources page lists crisis lines and county services for young people.

Practical tips for Palo Alto parents

• Sign up for the patient portal as soon as you register. Messages, results and forms all go through it.
• Book the annual checkup a few months before school forms are due. Late summer slots fill early.
• Save the urgent care and after-hours numbers in every caregiver's phone, including babysitters and grandparents.
• If you change insurance at open enrollment, check that your pediatrician is in the new network before January 1.
• Keep a simple health folder for each child with vaccine records, allergies, medicines and past test results. It saves time at urgent care, at a new school and with specialists.
• Teenagers can sign some consent forms and see some services confidentially under California law. Ask the office how it handles portal access for teens aged 12 to 17.

Frequently asked questions