Pediatric Health Care in Newton is a small pediatric group practice located near the Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Newton, Massachusetts, 15 minutes west of downtown Boston. We have board certified pediatricians: Dr. Gara-Matthews, Dr. Marcus, Dr. Bezler and Nurse Practitioners: Julie Bonner Leonhardt, and Erin Apfelbaum. In addition we are now joined by psychologist Dr. Barbara Weinberg

All Physicians are certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and belong to the American Academy of Pediatrics. We are on staff at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Dr. Gara-Matthews and Dr. Marcus are on staff at Children's Hospital.

We have a dedicated staff of nurses, medical assistants, and administrative personnel who provide a variety of services that support the needs of our patients.

What Our Patients Say

“I feel you are doing a great job! The staff is great and we always have a positive experience. I have always felt that I can call with any problems or questions and get a quick answer. Thank you!!”

“Dr. Bezler had a GREAT disposition – my daughter was very comfortable.”

“We travel from Carlisle/Devens to you because we love the staff and care our child receives!”

“Outstanding always. We love it here and refer you all the time. From admin staff to doctors and nurses you’re great.”

Lori Gara-Matthews, MD, FAAP

Dr. Lori Gara-Matthews was born in New York and graduated from SUNY at Binghamton with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology in 1985. She then attended SUNY Stony Brook for medical school and completed one year of research in Genetics while there, graduating with the degree of Medical Doctor in 1990. She completed internship and residency at Schneider Children’s Hospital in New Hyde Park, New York in 1993. After a year of travel and working in different exotic locations such as an Apache reservation and in Africa, she completed a fellowship in Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1999. She worked primarily at the Center for Children with Special Needs doing Developmental Pediatrics and also at a private practice doing General Pediatrics. Since 2001, she has been practicing both General Pediatrics Developmental/Behavioral Pediatrics in the Western suburbs of Boston. She has four children and lives in Newton.

Eugenia Marcus, MD, FAAP

Dr. Eugenia (Jeannie) Marcus is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania. She trained in Pediatrics at St. Luke's Hospital in New York and Stanford University Hospital, in Palo Alto, California. She has been in practice for more than thirty years serving the pediatric community of Massachusetts. While building a successful practice in Massachusetts, she pursued interests in International Child Health, working overseas with various medical volunteer groups in her vacation and volunteer time. Her professional interests include adoption of international children, child advocacy, and information technology in medicine. She is past President of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and a Delegate to the American Medical Association from Massachusetts. Her personal interests are Crew, Jazz, and Adventure Travel. She has two grown children and three grandchildren.

Eric Bezler, MD, FAAP

Dr. Eric Bezler grew up in Connecticut and received his Bachelor of Science in Biology from The Pennsylvania State University in 2002. He received his medical degree from The University of Connecticut in 2008. He then began his residency training in The University of Connecticut's Pediatric Residency Program at Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford. In 2010 Eric moved to Boston where he completed his Pediatric training in the Boston Combined Residency Program at Children's Hospital Boston and Boston Medical Center. He joined Pediatric Healthcare at Newton-Wellesley in 2011. Eric has a special interest in child protection advocacy. His personal interests include travel, outdoor activities, and rooting for Boston sports teams. He lives with his wife in Jamaica Plain.

Julie Bonner Leonhardt, RN , MSN , CPNP

Julie Bonner Leonhardt, RN, MSN, CPNP, completed her undergraduate work at Stonehill College, earning her Bachelor of Science in Biology. She completed her graduate work at Regis College, earning her Master’s Degree in Nursing and advanced training in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program. Julie is a board certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and holds her license as both a nurse practitioner and registered nurse through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing. After completing her training, Julie joined Pediatric Health Care at Newton-Wellesley in 2005. Julie provides a full range of pediatric care, including newborn, well child, and adolescent care. Additionally she completed extensive training in gynecology, and has a special interest in young women’s health and breastfeeding education and support. A native of Massachusetts, Julie and her husband live in Maynard with their two young children.

Erin Apfelbaum, RN, MSN, CPNP

Erin Apfelbaum is a Board Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. She received her Masters degree from Simmons College and trained under Julie Leonhardt, CPNP, during her graduate school practicum. She worked closely with the staff at Pediatric Health Care, familiarizing herself with the practice and our patients over the last year and a half. In addition, Erin is a pediatric nursing instructor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Erin has more than 6 years of pediatric nursing experience, and has worked at some of the top pediatric Hospitals in the country including Children's Hospital in San Diego, CA, Children's Hospital of Orange County CA, and The Jimmy Fund Clinic at Dana Farber Cancer Institute here in Boston. She is a member of The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Erin has special interests in pediatric oncology, adolescent medicine and childhood obesity.
Erin is dedicated to providing optimal health care to children and looking forward to expanding her pediatric background as a nurse practitioner. She is excited to be part of our practice here at Pediatric Health Care.

Barbara Weinberg, Ed.D., M.Ed.

Dr. Weinberg is a licensed pediatric psychologist who works with children, adolescents, and adults. She integrates a variety of therapeutic approaches to help children who are struggling with an assortment of stressors and to provide support for any concerns families might encounter. Dr. Weinberg has extensive experience in the areas of psychotherapy, behavior management, developmental disabilities, special education early intervention/school consultation and parent coaching. Dr. Weinberg is on staff at Children’s Hospital Boston where she conducts neurodevelopmental/psychological evaluations of children birth to 4 years old, and holds a faculty appointment at Harvard Medical School. She also has two wonderful daughters who are 20 and 17 years old.

What is FAAP ?

FAAP is Fellow American Academy of Pediatrics. To become a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics ( AAP ), the pediatrician must be board certified in pediatrics and recommended by their fellow pediatricians after five years of experience following medical school.

Dr. Steven Greer is still working here out of this office but has his own practice. If you would like to reach the office of Dr. Greer, there will be a link here soon.