A pediatric office with a sticker jar and a good memory.
Helen Marsh started Birchway in 2009 with two exam rooms, in a building that used to be a dentist's office. We have five rooms now and about 4,200 patients. The jar is bigger too.
Pick an age. See the visit.
What we see most.
Newborns and babies
First visit within a few days of leaving the hospital. Camila is also a lactation counselor and answers feeding questions on weekends. She says it's her hobby.
Well-child visits
Every checkup from two weeks to eighteen years. Camp, school and sports forms get signed in the room, so nothing sits on a desk for three weeks.
Same-day sick visits
Six slots open each morning for coughs, fevers, ears and rashes. Call or text at 7:30.
Vaccines and flu shots
Saturday flu clinics from October. We started in the parking lot in 2020 and never stopped.
Teens and sports physicals
A few minutes alone with the doctor. Dr. Desai does about forty physicals in one week every August.
& weekends
The nurse line
A nurse picks up evenings and weekends and tells you honestly whether it can wait until morning. Usually it can. Sometimes it can't.
The doctors.
Dr. Helen Marsh
Grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, on a street called Birchway. Spent eleven years at a big hospital group before deciding she wanted a smaller room. Reads every after-hours nurse note the next morning.
Dr. Arun Desai
Coaches under-10 soccer on Saturdays and has opinions about orange slices at halftime. The one to ask for if your kid is nervous, or a teenager who won't talk.
Camila Reyes, NP
Nurse practitioner for twelve years. First-time parents ask for her by name. There is a basket of baby hats at her desk that her mother knits.
Need to be seen today?
We release the sick-visit slots at 7:30 each morning. If one of these works, tap it and we'll start the request.
| Monday to Thursday | 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM |
| Friday | 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Saturday, Oct to Feb | Flu clinic, 9 to noon |
| Evenings and weekends | Nurse line |
4410 Barranca Pkwy, Suite 210, Irvine, CA 92604. Free parking.
What parents write.
"Our toddler had decided doctors were evil. Dr. Desai sat on the floor for the whole exam. We would have stayed longer."
Jessica L., mom of two"My 14-year-old asked if she could go back. That has never happened before."
Marcus T., Northpark"I missed a 3 o'clock and had a text with new times before I got back to my car. Nobody made me feel bad."
Priya N., WoodbridgeThings people ask us.
Do you take my insurance?
We take most PPO and HMO plans. If you're not sure about yours, text us the plan name and member ID. Marisol checks them between 8 and 9 each morning and will tell you before the visit.
Can we get a same-day sick visit?
Yes, up to six a day. Call or text at 7:30. After hours, the nurse line can tell you whether it can wait until morning.
How do the new-patient forms work?
A link comes by text when you book. Most families take about five minutes. If it's not finished the day before, we send one reminder.
What if we need to cancel or run late?
Reply to the reminder text. If we miss each other, we text you new times, and we keep a short waitlist for earlier openings.
Do you offer flu shots?
Every fall and winter. Saturday clinics run 9 to noon from October. Reply YES to the flu text and we'll hold a time for the whole family.
Expecting? Come say hi first.
Stop by for fifteen minutes with one of the doctors. No exam, no forms. Bring your questions and a coffee.
Request a meet-and-greet