Car seats

The American Academy of Pediatrics has released its newest recommendations for the use of car seats in children. The most significant change is for toddlers; the new recommendation now states that children should ride in a rear-facing position until two years of age. Toddlers facing backwards are 5 times less likely to be seriously injured or killed in a crash. Oregon law has not yet changed to reflect this but we recommend following the AAP guidelines. For more information on this topic see our website.

Flu vaccine

At this time we are still have flu vaccines available. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children over six months of age receive influenza vaccinations. Flu vaccines are available for all infants and children over the age of six months. Parents of infants younger than six months, as well as older siblings and other household contacts, should also be vaccinated. Your child can receive the flu vaccine at any scheduled office visit or on a walk-in basis during any time our office is open during the week. Please call our office for more information.

18 Month Check-ups

We have noticed a drop-off in well-child rates at the 18 month visit. If your child is approaching the age of 18 months or has recently passed the milestone, please contact us to make a well-child appointment. We perform many important tasks at these well child exams, including immunizations, screening for autism, and even some preventive dental care for children at increased risk for tooth decay.

Winter illnesses

Winter is here, and infectious illnesses are circulating widely. The next few months will see our busiest time of the year. Colds, coughs, sore throats, eye infections, impetigo, and head lice are all widespread right now, and influenza will be in our area soon. Teach your children about good hand-washing practices and instruct them to avoid sharing cups or drinking from the same beverage bottle. Call us for advice or appointments regarding any of these topics.

Online patient portal

We encourage you to utilize our online patient portal. This is a way for you to access us online. This online portal enables you to request appointments, request prescription refills, communicate securely with your child’s medical provider about non-urgent matters, and pay your bill online. To get an account just give us your email address on the registration form to receive an invitation activation email, or go to our website to register. There is no cost to you for this service.

Fever

Many childhood illnesses that we see this time of year have fever as a prominent symptom. Fever indicates that the body is trying to fight off some kind of infection. For healthy children fever itself is not dangerous and does not automatically need to be treated. Elevated temperatures that are lower than 100.6 are not true fevers and do not need any special care. If your child is uncomfortable with fever, then you may treat with acetaminophen. Ibuprofen may be used in children over six months of age. You should always call us for a fever in an infant younger than two months of age, or any time your child’s symptoms concern you.

Childhood Obesity

There has been an alarming increase in the incidence of childhood obesity in recent years.  We recommend that all of our families begin to do several simple things to help combat this problem.  Remember the 5,2,1,0 rule. Five fruits and vegetables a day. No more than two hours of screen time a day, including television and video games. One hour of physical activity every day. Zero sugar sweetened beverages such as juice or soda. Encourage everyone in the family to eat fresh and minimally-processed food. And all family members over the age of two years old should drink low-fat or non-fat milk; whole milk is loaded with excess fat and calories.

Welcome Dr. Amelia Roth

We are pleased to welcome the newest member of our medical staff, Dr. Amelia Roth, who began seeing patients in August. Dr. Roth completed her pediatric residency at OHSU and has an interest in developmental and behavioral pediatrics. She wants her patients to call her Dr. Amelia. She joins our provider panel to give us a total of ten pediatricians, three Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, and three Pediatric Physician Assistants to meet your child’s health care needs.

Reminder calls

We routinely make reminder calls from our office to families whose children have upcoming appointments, usually two business days in advance of the appointment. Please keep us updated about any changes in your phone number or other contact information so that we may continue to provide you with this service. We now also offer the option of receiving these reminders by text message. Text “CHAOS” to 622-622 to activate this option; you will need to have your cell-phone number listed in our files as your primary contact number for this to function. Ask our reception or appointment scheduling staff if you need to have your default number changed. Please contact our office as soon as possible if you know that you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. If your child misses a scheduled appointment we will send you a letter to notify you so that you may reschedule. Three or more missed visits may result in us asking you to seek care for your child elsewhere.

Breast feeding

If you have a newborn infant or are expecting a baby soon, we hope that you will follow the current recommendations for feeding your baby with breast milk rather than formula. Human breast milk is the perfect food for infants and has been shown over the years to give your baby the best nutrition as well as help to boost the baby’s immune system. If a mom is truly unable to feed her infant from the breast then a nutritionally complete formula that contains vitamins and iron is the best choice. Cow’s milk based formulas are suitable for most babies; a very few infants will require a specialized formula due to a true milk allergy or other special medical need. Human babies are born with the ability to digest lactose, or milk sugar, so ‘lactose free” formulas are a waste of your money. Soy formulas are generally considered to be a less optimal choice and should only be used on the advice of your baby’s health care provider. Please do not switch your baby from one formula to another without discussing the issue with your baby’s health care provider. Most fussiness, spitting up, and gassiness in young infants is perfectly normal and not improved by switching formulas.

Cell phone use in the clinic

We would like to ask you to please be considerate with your cell phone use, including text messaging, while you are in our office. Please silence your phones and limit your use of them to appropriate times. Loud cell phone conversations in our waiting room or hallways are disruptive to other patients and families. If you are having a phone conversation when our nursing staff or medical staff enter the exam room please end the call promptly so that we may tend to your child’s needs. Your child’s provider may need to move on to the next patient if you are unable to give your child’s appointment your full attention immediately.

Medical Home certification

We are pleased to announce that we have been designated as a Level 2  Patient Centered Primary Care Medical Home by the State of Oregon. Currently we are one of only about three offices in the state who have earned this designation. We are very near to reaching certification for Level 3 and hope to attain that milestone in the next six months. This designation as a Medical Home recognizes our efforts in patient-centered care, our coordination of the care of complex patients, our accessibility and extensive evening and weekend hours, and our state-of-the-art use of our EHR, among other accomplishments. We strive to provide care for our patients that is safe, effective, timely, patient-centered, efficient, and equitable.