Upcoming Changes to Pediatrics at South Shore Medical Center
The coming months will be a period of transition in South Shore Medical Center’s Pediatrics Department, as some pediatric providers will be leaving the Medical Center.
The following pediatric providers will continue to offer expert, quality care at South Shore Medical Center: Matthew Hjort, MD; Allyson Gutstein, MD; Molly Mazanec, NP; Laura Kondrat, NP; Kerri Buckley, NP; Anne Norton, NP; Lindsay Hoyt, NP; and Caroline Smith, NP.
Seven pediatricians will be leaving South Shore Health to establish their own pediatric practice, Beacon Pediatrics, on Longwater Drive in Norwell.
The seven departing pediatricians are Gina Boutwell, MD; Christopher Cox, DO; Charles Polcari, MD; Christine Polcari, MD; Sarah Schneider, MD; Jeremy Warhaftig, MD; and Karen Zemel, MD.
These departing providers have expressed a long-standing interest in working in a different primary care model and, specifically, working in a pediatrics-only practice.
The new practice is currently scheduled to open in late November 2023.
We are committed to working with this group of pediatricians to ensure uninterrupted access to care for all of their patients in the months leading up to the new practice’s opening.
We have created this page as a resource for patients affected by the departure of these physicians and to answer common questions about these changes to our Pediatrics Program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. We will continue to offer pediatric care in both Kingston and Norwell.
The pediatric providers who will remain at South Shore Medical Center are Matthew Hjort, MD; Allyson Gutstein, MD; Molly Mazanec, NP; Laura Kondrat, NP; Kerri Buckley, NP; Anne Norton, NP; Lindsay Hoyt, NP; and Caroline Smith, NP.
South Shore Medical Center’s remaining pediatricians, pediatric nurse practitioners, and nursing staff are committed to continuing to provide quality pediatric care to their patients.
In addition, other areas of South Shore Medical Center, including Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, specialty care, and The Women’s Center of South Shore Medical Center, will not be affected by these changes.
No.
While the departing providers have indicated that they would like to continue to care for their current patients at Beacon Pediatrics, you’re welcome to transfer to a new pediatric provider at South Shore Medical Center if you’d prefer to continue your care with us.
Our Pediatric Care Team features a number of experienced, compassionate providers who will offer the same level of expert care you’ve come to expect from South Shore Medical Center.
You can choose a new pediatric provider from our list of pediatric providers who are accepting transfer patients.
After that, your next step will be to contact your insurance provider’s Member Services Team and inform them that you’ll be switching to a new primary care provider at South Shore Medical Center.
This will ensure that your insurance provider has current information and prevent any confusion or disruption in coverage.
Once that change is complete, you’ll simply access care at the Medical Center as you have in the past, just with a different provider.
We’re fortunate to care for many families of multiple children and know that care needs and preferences can vary from child to child.
With that in mind, parents who have multiple children currently receiving care with us are welcome to make whatever decision works best for your family.
For example, if one child’s pediatrician is leaving and one is staying, you may elect to have one child move to Beacon Pediatrics and one remain with us.
Parents should not feel pressured to make an “all or nothing” choice and should instead choose the best option for each child.
Our ultimate goal is to ensure that all of your children receive the best care possible, whether at Beacon Pediatrics or at South Shore Medical Center.
Yes.
Pediatric patients who receive specialty care with us are welcome to continue to access those services.
No.
The Beacon Pediatrics website will have information on how to register your child with them and enable your Beacon provider to have access to your child’s records at the new practice.
If you are not following your pediatrician to Beacon Pediatrics and are instead choosing a new pediatrician outside of South Shore Medical Center, you will need to submit a Medical Records Release Authorization form to have your child’s records transferred to the new practice.
The release authorization form should be printed out and returned via mail or fax.
More details on submitting a medical records request can be found on our website.
Beacon Pediatrics has informed us of their intention to accept most major insurance plans, meaning the insurance you used at South Shore Medical Center should be valid at the new practice.
Beacon has also informed us that their website will feature a comprehensive list of accepted insurances.
Patients should contact their insurance provider to verify coverage prior to making the switch to Beacon Pediatrics.
The best source of information is the Beacon Pediatrics website, BeaconPediatricsMA.com.
You can also contact Beacon Pediatrics by calling 781-745-3322.
Appointments scheduled at South Shore Medical Center for the days and weeks leading up to the practice’s opening will occur as scheduled.
This means that if you have appointments scheduled for August, September, October, or early November, you should plan to keep those appointments.
Appointments scheduled beyond the practice’s scheduled opening (late November 2023 and beyond) will be canceled as the final opening date becomes clearer.
No.
Patients transferring to Beacon Pediatrics will need to contact Beacon Pediatrics to schedule new appointments.
Yes – rest assured that we remain here for you and your child should any needs arise.
Patients of departing pediatricians should feel free to access pediatric care as normal leading up to the transition – whether keeping existing appointments or scheduling sick visits as needed.
We are committed to working with the new practice to ensure continuity of care and to meet all patient needs leading up to the transition.
To contact the South Shore Medical Center team, please send a Customer Service message in South Shore MyChart or call 781-878-5200.
To speak to Beacon Pediatrics, please call 781-745-3322.
As mentioned above, patients of departing pediatricians are encouraged to continue to access care at South Shore Medical Center leading up to the transition.
If you child needs care, please use South Shore MyChart or call our team to make an appointment.
In the event that an appointment for a physical isn’t available until after the transition date, our team can work with you to explore other options around South Shore Health, including sports/camp physicals at Health Express.
