Dr. Dianne Higgins, M.D.

 

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Jerry C.

San Jose, CA

We were on vacation with a sick 2-year old daughter.  Our pediatrician at home (who we had called periodically) finally asked that we take our daughter into an acute/urgent care center to be looked at.  For a variety of reasons, we chose to go to the local hospital (Incline Village Community Hospital -- separate review to come).  It was at the hospital that we met Dr. Higgins.

This review is less about Dr. Higgins' competence with the subject of out visit (it was excellent) and more about how she treated us and our daughter.

First, Dr. Higgins was extremely slow and gentle with our daughter.  During her very through examination of our 2-year old (which involved lots of abdominal probing), our 2-year old never backed away or cried.  Dr. Higgins found us in the exam room with our daughter on my shoulder and rather than force my daughter to move to the exam table, Dr. Higgins conducted as much of the exam as possible with our daughter on my shoulder.  Most importantly, however, Dr. Higgins constantly told my daughter WHAT she was about to do and then waited until that statement registered with my daughter -- it was almost like D. Higgins was "asking permission" from my daughter for each poke and prod.

Next, and equally important, was how Dr. Higgins treated my wife and me.  First, some background to give context to this part of this review.  My family is -- well -- not mainstream.  Our daughter was a midwife assisted home-birth and has not been subjected to the full-array of immunizations.  In addition, in a recent doctor's visit for ear pain (with a doctor that was substituting for our normal pediatrician), antibiotics were prescribed for what this stand-in doctor said "might" be an ear infection -- we never administered those antibiotics (and the pain disappeared the next day -- antibiotics weren't needed).  As you can tell, my wife and I do not blindly follow traditional western medicine and thus, needless to say, we are a "challenge" to traditional western medical professionals.  Nevertheless, Dr. Higgins took each "nonstandard answer" with grace and equanimity.  Please understand that my wife and I are NOT used to mainstream doctors reacting with anything other than condescension and judgment.  In stark contrast, Dr. Higgins was wonderful with us -- clearly working outside her comfort zone and expanding her exam to include lots of possibilities that are typically ruled out in fully immunized kids.  Second, my wife and I are -- some would say -- over-educated.  And as a result, we ask LOTS of quesions.  Dr. Higgins seemed not just tolerant of the questions but genuinely pleased that we were so interested in each minute detail of the possible medical problems, their diagnostic indicators / counter-indicators, treatments, and risks.

I could go on, but I'll leave this review here.  Dr. Higgins gets 5 stars in our book.

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