Episode 96: How To Choose The Right Doctor and Advocate For Your Child

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">My guest this week is</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr. Joel “Gator” Warsh, a board-certified Pediatrician in Los Angeles, California who specializes in Integrative Medicine. Dr. Gator grew up in Toronto, Canada, and completed a Master’s Degree in Epidemiology and Community Health before earning his medical degree from Thomas Jefferson Medical College. He completed his Pediatric Residency at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA) and has worked in private practice in Beverly Hills before founding his current practice, Integrative Pediatrics and Medicine, in 2018. Dr. Gator has published research in peer-reviewed journals on topics including childhood injuries, obesity, and physical activity. He has been featured in numerous documentaries, films, podcasts, and articles including Broken Brain, Dr. Nandi Show, CBS, LA Parent, and many others. He is also the owner of</span> <a href= "https://integrativepediatrics.com/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">IntegrativePediatrics.com</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">and the host of the</span> <a href= "https://integrativepediatrics.com/2020-fhc/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Integrative Pediatrics Summit</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this episode, Dr. Gator and I discuss how to choose the right doctor and effectively advocate for your child’s specific healthcare needs. Choosing a physician or breaking up with one can be difficult no matter the stage in your child’s life, from primary care doctors to integrative medicine specialists, it is important to choose your physician based on your specific need of care and expectations. Specializing in integrative and holistic pediatrics, Dr. Gator encourages parents to do their research and look into and discuss natural medicine alternatives with their physicians before quickly resulting in pharmaceutical medications for every ailment. Dr. Gator shares ways to effectively communicate with your physician and empo