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Q: Where is your office located and what are your office hours?
A: Check out the Location & Hours page for this information. We are located at 900 Florin Road, Suite B, Sacramento, California, 95831. Our office hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon; 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon (we are closed on Tuesday afternoons)
Q: Is your practice accepting new patients?
A: Yes, we are accepting new patients under 16 years old! For more information on joining our family of satisfied patients, please visit the New Patients page.
Q: What health insurances does your office accept?
A: Please click here for a list.
Q: How often should my child see the pediatrician?
A: Your child should not only see the pediatrician for an illness. It is also important to schedule well-child-care exams regularly, beginning in infancy. Also called well-care visits or check-ups, these routine examinations provide the best opportunity for the doctor to observe the progress of your child's physical and mental growth and development; to counsel and teach parents; to detect problems through screening tests; to provide immunizations; and to get to know one another. Well-care visits are strongly recommended as part of preventive pediatric care and help to detect health issues before they cause more serious problems. Well-child visits are also a good time for parents to raise questions and concerns about a child's development, behavior, nutrition, safety, and overall well-being.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends this schedule for routine well-care visits:
- 3 to 5 days old
- 2 to 4 weeks old
- 2 months old
- 4 months old
- 6 months old
- 9 months old
- 12 months old
- 15 months old
- 18 months old
- 24 months old
- 30 months old
- 3 years old
- 4 years old
- And once every year thereafter for an annual health supervision visit that includes a physical exam as well as a developmental, behavioral, and learning assessments.
To see our office’s recommended well check and vaccination schedule, click here.
Q: Why does my child need to receive vaccinations?
A: Immunizations (also called vaccinations) are a series of shots given to children at different ages to help ward off serious, and potentially fatal, childhood diseases. Making sure your child receives immunizations when scheduled is the best way to help protect your child from potentially fatal diseases. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, vaccinations have reduced the number of infections from vaccine-preventable diseases by more than 90%. Dr. Sato and Dr. Kimura recommend following the current national immunization schedule for children. This schedule is supported by extensive research and expert opinions and is updated yearly. For more information on Dr. Sato and Dr. Kimura’s philosophy on vaccinations, click here. If you're apprehensive about vaccinations, please do not hesitate to contact our office.
To see our office’s recommended well check and vaccination schedule, click here.
Q: I have a question for the pediatrician about my child. What’s the best way to ask the doctor?
A: Office hours are the best time to call with routine questions about your child’s health. Our office staff will take your message and relay advice from the doctors over the phone on things you can do to help your child. Sometimes we may not be able to answer your questions without seeing your child first, so the staff will help you schedule an appointment if one is needed. You can also securely email the doctors with non-urgent questions through the Patient Portal (for urgent questions please call our office directly instead of submitting your question via the Portal).
Q: My child is sick and I’m not sure what to do, but your office is closed right now. How do I get advice?
A: If your child has a life-threatening matter, please call 911. If your child has a medical problem that is not life-threatening but can’t wait until the office opens, please see After Hours care for instructions.
Q: If my child needs to be admitted to a hospital, what happens then?
A: Should your child need to be admitted to the hospital for care, he or she will be referred to a hospitalist (a pediatrician who specializes in the hospital care of acutely ill children) at one of the hospitals in our area. The hospital is determined by your child’s health insurance, the problem requiring admission, and location. After your child goes home, we will usually see him/her in our office within a few days to make sure your child is continuing to improve.
Q: My child missed school due to an illness or injury and needs a written excuse from the doctor. What is your policy?
A: In order for our office to write a school excuse for your child, you must call our office to notify us of the absence on the same day your child misses school. Your child may also need an appointment if the doctor recommends it. We cannot write school excuses for past illnesses or injuries where our office was not notified in a timely manner.
Q: My child needs a prescription refill of medication. How do I request a refill?
A: First, call your pharmacy and ask them to send a refill request (electronically or via fax) to our office. If your pharmacy is unable to do this, call our office or send us a message electronically via the Patient Portal. This should be done one week prior to running out of medication. Please allow up to 48 working hours for all prescription refill request approvals. When checking on approval status, please call your pharmacy first before calling the office.
Q: How can I get my child’s test results?
A: Most lab test and imaging results are available 2 to 5 days after the lab work was done. Results will be available online through our Patient Portal after being reviewed by the doctor. You may also call our office during regular hours to obtain your child’s lab results.
Q: My child needs a specialist referral. How do I obtain one?
A: Please call our office or send us a request via the Patient Portal. Our staff will help determine whether your child will need an appointment first, or if prior medical records must be obtained. Once the doctor orders a referral, please allow 5 working days for the referral to be processed. Most insurances (HMO’s, Medi-Cal) require prior insurance authorization of the referral before an appointment can be scheduled. One of our staff will contact you as soon as your child’s referral has been approved and give you the contact information for the specialist or service needed. You are required to have this authorization from us, your primary care doctor, PRIOR to having a specialist appointment. Emergency referrals will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Q: I am expecting a baby. When should the doctor see my baby after he/she is born, and is there anything I need to do in advance?
A: Congratulations! The doctors see newborns at Sutter Medical Center Sacramento, so if your baby is delivered there, Dr. Sato or Dr. Kimura will come to see your baby the morning after he or she is born. To avoid insurance problems, please call our office well before your baby is born so we can help you make sure your insurance coverage is in order. When mom is admitted for delivery, be sure to let the hospital know who your pediatrician is (give Dr. Sato or Dr. Kimura’s name). If you will be delivering at a hospital other than Sutter Medical Center Sacramento, please call our office. In most cases we will see a newborn in our office about two days after discharge from the hospital, or beginning when insurance we accept is in effect. For more information, please visit the New Patients page.
Q: My child is transferring to another doctor and I need a copy of his/her medical records. How do I request this?
A: Fill out the form “Authorization of Release of Health Information FROM our office” and bring or mail it to our office. You may also request a copy of your child’s medical records via an electronic message through the Patient Portal (you will still need to submit a signed copy of the Authorization of Release of Health Information form).
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