Who we are

Provider update

Congratulations Dr. Elisa Song and Peter on the arrival of Bodi!
Dr. Song returned from maternity leave on November 1.

Dr. Elisa Song is currently not accepting new patients.

Dr. Donna Ruiz and Dr. Dana Gerstbacher are accepting new patients for consultations, sick visits, and well-care.

Kandice Stellmon, Certified Nutrition Consultant, is available for appointments with patients of all ages to assist in meeting your whole family’s nutritional needs.

Dr. Elisa H. Song

Elisa H. Song, MD founded Whole Child Wellness in 2005 with a mission to create a nurturing environment that integrates allopathic and natural medicine customized to each unique child, in order to help children thrive to their fullest potentials. Dr. Song has a special interest in providing integrative care for children with complex medical issues, including autism, ADHD, asthma, autoimmune illness, eczema, failure to thrive, food allergies/sensitivities, reflux, inflammatory bowel disease and other gastrointestinal disorders, seizures and other neurologic disorders, and environmental illness.

Dr. Song graduated with distinction in political science from Stanford University, attended NYU School of Medicine and trained in Pediatrics at UCSF Medical Center. She earned a master’s degree in public policy from UC Berkeley. Dr. Song has additional training in functional medicine/holistic nutrition, homeopathy & homeopathic detoxification, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and flower essences. She is board-certified in pediatrics and holistic medicine, and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Song has been trained in the Defeat Autism Now! biomedical approach to autism. Additionally, Dr. Song provides training in integrative pediatric care to pediatric healthcare professionals through the Holistic Pediatric Association, and teaches clinical homeopathy to physicians for the CEDH (Center for Education and Development of Clinical Homeopathy). She also teaches pediatric acupuncture for the Academy of Pain Research, and lectures on pediatric functional medicine for the Institute for Functional Medicine.

Dr. Song lives on the San Francisco Peninsula with her husband Peter Johnson, who is the office manager for Whole Child Wellness, and their children Kenzi and Bodi. When Dr. Song is not caring for families at Whole Child Wellness, she enjoys yoga, running, scuba diving, wine tasting, cooking, and traveling to exotic places.

Dr. Donna Ruiz

Donna Ruiz, MD is a board-certified pediatrician who joined Whole Child Wellness in March 2010 after 12 years of experience as a pediatrician in New Jersey. She relocated to the West Coast not only because of the sunshine, but also to work with like-minded physicians in delivering comprehensive care for her patients by integrating traditional medical practices with natural medicine, homeopathy, nutrition, acupuncture, and aromatherapy to promote the body's intrinsic healing capacity. Her passion lies in providing integrative care to children with chronic health problems who suffer from autoimmune disorders, allergies, asthma, atopic dermatitis, autism, ADHD, gastrointestinal disorders, reflux, and food allergies/intolerances. She believes that optimal health and balance can be achieved by empowering the patient and developing an integrative wellness plan suited to meet each patient's individual needs.

Dr. Ruiz received her MD from the University of Santo Tomas, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, in the Philippines and then completed her residency in pediatrics at UMDNJ – Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, as well as a fellowship in pediatric rheumatology at Cornell University Medical College in New York. She completed her acupuncture education through the American College of Acupuncture in New York City with additional clinical training at Chengdu University Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China, and has additional training in functional medicine/holistic nutrition, homeopathy, and herbal medicine. Dr. Ruiz has been trained in the Defeat Autism Now! biomedical approach to autism.

Dr. Ruiz lives on the Peninsula with her husband, Paul, who is a designer with an interest in sustainable architecture. When out of the office, she enjoys cycling, hiking, yoga, and fine dining.

Dr. Dana Gerstbacher

Dana Gerstbacher, MD is a board-certified pediatrician who joined Whole Child Wellness in October 2010 with a passion to integrate her expertise in conventional pediatrics and pediatric rheumatology with her knowledge of complementary and alternative medicine. She has a professional interest in autoimmune diseases and rheumatology. Her goal is to help patients optimize their health and heal their chronic conditions by integrating conventional approaches with dietary and lifestyle changes, nutritional supplements, herbal medicine, and homeopathy.

Pediatric rheumatologists are pediatricians with 3 additional years of specialized training in pediatric rheumatic diseases. They have special interests in treating arthritis, unexplained rash, fever, anemia, weakness, weight loss, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and autoimmune disease. Some specific illnesses which pediatric rheumatologists are trained to evaluate and treat include juvenile arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, vasculitis, dermatomyositis, autoimmune iritis/uveitis, spondyloarthropathy, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, Kawasaki's disease, and fibromyalgia.

Dr. Gerstbacher graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She attended Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. She completed her internship and residency training in pediatrics as well as a fellowship in pediatric rheumatology at Stanford University. Dr Gerstbacher has additional training in integrative medicine, and completed the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine through the University of Arizona under the direction of Dr. Andrew Weil. She is board-certified in pediatrics and board-eligible in pediatric rheumatology.

Dr. Gerstbacher loves to spend time with her family, travel, and cook. She lives on the peninsula with her husband, two children, and her dog.

Kandice Stellmon, Certified Nutritional Consultant

Kandice Stellmon is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and Natural Chef, specializing in holistic nutrition. Her areas of focus include: food allergies and sensitivities, autoimmune illnesses, developmental disorders such as autism, weight management, hormonal imbalances, and well child nutrition. Kandice graduated from Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts. As a graduate of Bauman College, Kandice has a thorough understanding of holistic nutrition and truly enjoys guiding families towards optimal health. Being a chef as well as a nutritionist gives her the ability to not only teach her clients about healthy eating, but to also implement these ideas into their daily lives with delicious recipes and meal planning ideas! Kandice is a member of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals.

While the rest of the practitioners in our office are Pediatricians who only treat children, Kandice sees patients of all ages for nutritional consultations. Kandice is excited to offer a variety of nutrition services to assist families in optimizing their health and meeting their nutritional needs. In addition to individual office visits, Kandice holds fun and interactive cooking classes focusing on delicious and wholesome recipes for children and adults with various food sensitivities and restrictions, as well as group and individual detoxification and weight management programs.

Kandice lives on the San Francisco Peninsula with her husband Scott, her daughter Davi, and 2 dogs, Lola and Gunner. When she is not in the kitchen whipping up something delectable yet nutritious, she enjoys traveling and fine restaurants.

Our office staff

Peter, Office Manager
Peter is our office manager and all-around go-to guy. Before joining Whole Child Wellness to help his wife, Dr. Song, build the practice, he was at Oracle for over 11 years doing database and application consulting. He now runs Whole Child Wellness smoothly and efficiently, with a smile on his face. Peter is an avid ice hockey player, with his time on the ice only limited by his wife and daughter Kenzi! When he’s not at the office or on the ice, he enjoys traveling, wine tasting, and scuba diving.

Cece, Receptionist
Cece has been with Whole Child Wellness since 2007, and we can’t imagine life without her! She keeps the office running smoothly, juggling the phones, patient flow, and all sorts of requests from the providers – all with humor, patience, and efficiency! Cece is the friendly voice who will answer all of your questions over the phone, and the friendly face that all of our kids love to greet. And can you believe it – she’s a grandma, too!

Steve, Office Assistant
Steve joined Whole Child Wellness in early 2010. He takes care of everything in the back office from scanning medical records to stocking and shipping supplements. Outside the office, Steve is always looking forward to his next ice hockey game.