Monthly Archives: August 2013

Should you use a medical clinic in a store?

The key to providing the best possible care for your child is to provide a medical home where there is a continuity of care. It seems that you can hardly open a newspaper or turn on your radio without hearing about retail-based clinics (RBCs), also called convenient care clinics. They are often found in supermarkets, pharmacies, and other retail locations. They pride themselves on getting patients in, making a quick diagnosis, and getting patients out the door with medications in hand. You should know that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has some concerns.

The AAP has taken a strong stand against RBCs, stating that it “opposes retail-based clinics as an appropriate source of medical care for infants, children and adolescents and strongly discourages their use.” *
The AAP supports a model of care called the medical home, which provides accessible, family-centered, comprehensive, continuous, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally effective care for which the pediatrician and family share responsibility.**
Retail-based clinics are staffed by nurse practitioners or physician assistants with no physician on site to help these providers.
No one reviews these clinics for compliance and quality issues the way that our office is reviewed.

There is no such thing as a “minor illness” when it comes to children. We use these “minor illness” visits to identify other, potentially more serious issues. We also use this time with you to stay current on the events in your family’s and your child’s life.

Getting routine care for your child should be done by your pediatrician who knows you and your family.

Our office is working to ensure that we meet your needs while also being the medical home. We are open 7 days a week and can accommodate same-day “illness” appointments in most situations. You can be sure you will get the highest quality care from us, in a way that works for you and your family.

REFERENCES

*American Academy of Pediatrics, Retail-Based Clinic Policy Work Group. AAP principles concerning retail-based clinics. Pediatrics, 2006;118:2561-2562
** American Academy of Pediatrics, Medical Home Initiatives for Children With Special Needs Project Advisory Committee. The medical home. Pediatrics. 2002;110:184-186
Artwork by Molly

We welcome Dr. Lacey Sweigart to our practice!

Leave a reply

For the second time this summer, Georgetown Pediatrics is expanding our staff so that we may better serve our patients.

Dr. Lacey Sweigart comes to us from the University of Colorado Department of Pediatrics, where she completed her three-year residency, culminating in a fourth year as Chief Resident of the program. Her references were filled with superlatives like “superstar” and “excelled in every aspect,” and her résumé includes a long list of awards and publications, as well as public service. For our part, we were taken with her well-rounded background that is both deep and broad—necessary qualities in a practice like ours. Her Spanish-speaking ability will also be a tremendous asset.

Wanting to live closer to family, Dr. Sweigart , her husband Joe (who recently took a position as a physician with the University of Kentucky), and their three-month-old son Nathan will be moving here soon. They’ll fit right in to Kentucky with their love of hiking, camping, and travel, and are even bringing their horse! Dr. Sweigart says, “Georgetown specifically attracted us with its small town feel and the fact that everyone we spoke with felt that it was a great place to live and raise a family.”

She also was drawn to Georgetown Pediatrics because “the group has amazing physicians who are very dedicated to their patients and provide a supportive environment both to bring your children to and to work in.”

Dr. Sweigart begins her work with us on September 9. You may call the office anytime to schedule a checkup with her.

Dr. Lacey Sweigart

To use or not to use antibiotics

Leave a reply

So your child has been coughing and sneezing for a week, has a bit of fever, a little green mucous coming from the nose, and has missed school or childcare, which causes you to miss work. You see the pediatrician to get a prescription for an antibiotic, but you walk out disappointed. Why didn’t they prescribe what you wanted?

Since penicillin was first manufactured in the 1940s, antibiotics have been quite successful in treating bacterial infections, reducing the spread of disease, and saving many lives. In the last few years, though, it’s been determined that overuse of antibiotics has led to the growth and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

Check out this article at USA Today.

Even so, your child’s pediatrician will not shy from using antibiotics when they are warranted. Here’s the thing: antibiotics are completely ineffective against colds or other viruses. Your child may sometimes feel better after taking antibiotics, simply because the virus began to subside on its own as the body fights back.

Research continues to create new antiviral drugs that will work against viruses (with much success in the area of influenza). In the meantime, don’t forget that antibiotics work only in the fight against bacterial infections, and also with some funguses and parasites. And if you do take an antibiotic, MAKE SURE YOU TAKE ALL THAT ARE PRESCRIBED. Stopping the course just because you feel better can lead to drug-resistant infections later on.

Corinne, age 5