Dear family,
My career has spanned four decades, since the 1990s. I have been so very fortunate to practice pediatric medicine over this span of time. Among the most rewarding features of my profession have been helping my young patients through all stages of life (infancy to toddlerhood to preschool and school-age, preteen, and adolescence), seeing them grow and mature, and enjoying the relationship with their families. Furthermore, young children sometimes say the most hilarious things! I have cherished those interactions and feel honored to have been a part of your life.
With a heavy heart I have made the very difficult decision to retire from the practice of medicine at the end of 2026. Many factors have been involved in this decision including family health issues and wanting to spend time with my family (including 5 granddaughters!) while I still have reasonably good health.
I’m still around for the rest of 2026. If your child or teen is due for a Well Check, or if there are any significant health issues we need to address, I very much look forward to seeing you again. Our staff and Sunset can schedule those appointments with me, as appropriate.
Beyond 2026, I sincerely hope you will continue with Sunset Pediatrics. I have been blessed to be a part of this excellent organization. Today it is rare to have a small, nimble, independent pediatric practice with such excellent staff as we have at Sunset. We have strived to provide the most up-to-date, caring, responsive pediatric care available. I have had the great fortune to work alongside the best pediatricians. Drs. DeVoe, Madore, and Gordon, besides being my good friends, are exceptional physicians and wonderful people. If my granddaughters lived in Portland they would be coming to Sunset Pediatrics
If I don’t have the privilege of seeing you before the end of the year, may your life be full of peace, happiness, adventure, and good health. And please say “hello” if you see me out in the wild!
Sincerely,
Michael K. Ericksen, MD FAAP
Patient FAQs and Next Steps
We understand transitions are difficult and saying goodbye to a trusted partner in your child’s health can be stressful and disorienting. Please know that your family is important to us and your child’s wellbeing continues to be our priority through this change. Our providers are dedicated to ensuring the highest level of care continues to be your experience at Sunset, and we are committed to providing a seamless transition to your new provider.
Below are some FAQs and next steps for patients of Dr. Ericksen to ensure we can continue to support your family well.
What do we do if we HAVE an appointment scheduled with Dr. Ericksen between now through December 31 2026?
- No changes are needed for this upcoming appointment. Dr. Ericksen is really looking forward to seeing your kiddos and will continue to care for his patients the same as he always has through the rest of this year.
Can we still schedule Well Visits and Sick Appointments with Dr. Ericksen for the rest of 2026?
- YES! Dr. Ericksen would love to see your family as often as your family needs through December 31 2026. Please call our office or visit the patient portal to schedule an appointment with him. If you do not see an appointment available on the portal, please call our office as we are often able to find additional time slots for patients.
Next steps for 2027 – Please Read Carefully
- If you have a preference for which Sunset provider you would like to transition to in 2027, please call our office by October 31st to let us know and we will make a note in your child’s chart.
- If you already have an appointment scheduled with Dr. Ericksen for 2027, our staff will transition your appointment to your new provider’s schedule if they have an opening at the same time as your currently scheduled 2027 appointment with Dr. Ericksen or will find another time that we can reschedule your appointment to as close to your original appointment time as we can. Please note the process of transitioning these appointments will begin after October 31st.
- If you do not yet have an appointment scheduled for Dr. Ericksen for 2027, please let us know by October 31st if you have preference for which Sunset pediatrician you would like to transition to in 2027 and we will make a note in your child’s chart and help you schedule a future appointment with your new provider.
- For families who do not have a provider preference, you are welcome to call our office and let us know that we can assign any of our open providers. Or if we do not hear from your family by October 31st, our office will reassign your child/ren to a new Sunset pediatrician starting in 2027.
Can we see our new pediatrician starting now?
- If you have a strong preference to transition pediatricians before 2027, we will do our best to accommodate this change, however most of our providers are booked or almost booked through the rest of the year so you may not be able to get the appointment time you need. Additionally, Dr. Ericksen looks forward to seeing your family through the rest of 2026, so we highly encourage our families to wait until 2027 to make the transition.
If you have any additional questions please feel free to reach out to our office so that we can assist you. We look forward to continuing our partnership with your family and providing the best care we can to your child.