Doctors’ Notes

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Express Clinics & Medical Home

With the increasing availability of retail-based “express” health clinics, where no appointments are necessary, it’s obvious why those facilities appeal to busy parents. The convenience is certainly attractive. But the best way to achieve complete, consistent care for your children is to see your primary care doctor.

The concept of providing that kind of complete, consistent, centralized care for your children is called a “Medical Home.” At Kids Plus, we know your children. We know their history. We know your son’s allergies, your daughter’s last antibiotic prescriptions, all their previous illnesses and infections. We even know your family’s medical history! All of this information, even on routine visits, helps us make an informed and proper diagnosis that is specific to, and for, your children.

My favorite saying that I learned in my medical training is, “Kids are not just little adults.”  (It’s so very true!) The approach to evaluating and managing a child is much different than the approaching to evaluating and managing the care of an adult. Pediatricians are trained to know and recognize and manage these differences. Less than 20% of patients at urgent care clinics are kids; therefore 80% of their time is spent managing adult patients. Most small local hospital emergency rooms also do not see many pediatric patients. At Kids Plus, we’re all kids! That means 100% of our time, energy, and expertise is focused on the care and diagnosing of kids.

Getting care at your Kids Plus medical home allows your children to get the best possible diagnosis, and the best possible medication. (For example: avoiding possible interactions with allergies.) The way we track and manage the ongoing care of your children allows us recognize potential problems immediately. It allows us the time to sit and talk and listen to all of your concerns. And it allows us to manage the need for any tests or specialist referrals your child may need. (For another example: a child who has 6 or 7 ear infections in a winter may be a candidate for ear tubes, but a doctor who only sees that child once or twice won’t know the history or the need for extra attention.)

In a medical home like Kids Plus, your children aren’t just the next patient who happens to walk in the door. They’re part of our practice family.

We know that options and convenience are important to busy parents. That’s why we’ve always been open 7 Days and 4 Nights a week. That’s why we added our weekday morning, no-appointment-necessary morning and evening Walk-In Hours. Our nurses and doctors work around the clock, so you always have someone available to talk to when you need us. We’re doing everything we can to give you more options and more convenience, while still providing you with that complete, coordinated care you can only get from your Kids Plus Medical Home.

I hope this helps you understand Kids Plus, and the concept of the Medical Home, a little better as we strive to give you and your family the best possible medical care.

Stacey Stratton, a Kids Plus Provider, is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Society for Physician Assistants in Pediatrics.