Concord Baptist Church
Our daughter was the third in our family to attend this preschool, and I can't say enough wonderful things about it. It is affordable and the staff is amazing. The church building is brand new and the sanctuary is enormous with a complete band, theater seating, and all the high-tech effects you could want in a worship. The classrooms are also new and the teachers are amazingly patient, and the classes are affordable for an almost all-day, twice a week preschool. They also offer a drop-off, pick-up system that does not require parents to get out of the car in bad weather.
William E. Pearson, MD
When we lost a baby to miscarriage, I have never in my life been treated so horribly as I was at Dr. Pearson's office. He commented that maybe it was a good thing, since I had a two year old, and then failed to inform his secretary and she proceeded to give me prenatal vitamins and try to schedule prenatal visits. When I tearfully pointed out the error she barked, "Well, how am I supposed to know that?"
Handler Michael R
He's professional and kind, has great office hours with at least one late evening each week, and his new office boasts a good amount of resources for all sorts of women care. However, be forewarned that he will do a rectal exam in pregnant women pretty much with warning - caught me way off guard! But, his secretary is very nice and gentle in her mannerisms, and was always wonderful to my older children when we would come in.
Anderson Hospital
The hospital is probably not somewhere I'd ever go unless it was a life or death situation. It's just down the road from my house, but, frankly, St. Louis is not too far either. The volunteers at Anderson are ill-informed and cannot offer any assistance as far as hospital policies and procedures, and the hospital itself only offers the bare minimum in care.
St. Elizabeth's Hospital - Carlos Ramos, MD
A "heathcare crisis" in malpractice insurance has caused all the obstetricians and the hospital to change their policies. Do not deliver here unless you welcome a planned cesarean! The hospital itself is in nice condition, it is somewhat off the beaten path and the grounds are nicely landscaped. The staff is nice enough, and it appears to be clean most times we've visited. But, the blatant fear of VBACs turned me off immediately.
St. Anthony's Hospital
When we took our daughter in, under the advice of a pediatrician, we were told we could be looking at anaphylactic shock from a strawberry allergy and she needed to be seen immediately. We sat in a room for three hours before a physician ever even saw our daughter, and then they diagnosed her with a virus, which could have easily been diagnosed the first half hour we were there. The decor in the rooms is nice and kid-friendly, but if you have a teen who is still under pediatric care, they might not appreciate the balloons and clowns on the walls.
Saint Joseph Hospital
Even though we've moved to Illinois, we still drive to St. Joe because we know the quality is top. The emergency room staff is amazing, from the lady who greets you when you come in to to the physician who cares for you. I have had two babies here and gone to the ER twice myself and once for my daughter. There is seldom, if ever, a wait.
Shriners Hospitals for Children
Keep an eye out for the Shriner's parade and circus to support this amazing charity every year in St. Louis. The hospital utilizes some of the best physicians in the country and makes them available to families at no cost. My cousin had to have repeated skin grafts after a burn and was treated amazingly. In a situation where a family has little resources it isn't often that they are treated with as much respect and dignity as if they were the Busch family themselves. But, that's exactly how Shriners treats their patients.
Memorial Hospital
When I went in for my prenatal care, I informed my doctor that I was planning a second VBAC since my first was so successful. She regretfully informed me that Memorial was no longer allowing VBACs - not a hospital I would even consider anymore. Apparently they had one "negative outcome" from a previous patient and they had decided to no longer support VBACs, even if you came into the hospital in active labor. The hospital itself is fairly clean, but the parking is atrocious.
Webster Groves Animal Hospital
Unlike many facilities, this animal hospital will actually help you over the phone. When we adopted our kitty, she had a bit of a health problem once we brought her home. The staff at Webster was very attentive on the phone and one of the veterinary assistants was able to help us right on the phone without having to bring her in, which is virtually unheard of in this day and age.
