What Makes Pediatric Care Different

Pediatrics is its own specialty, since the truth is that children are not "little adults." Our training addresses all of the developmental stages of growth, including behavior. It's impressive how many different types of parenting there are, and how each one shapes and supports a child. Our role is to help each parent recognize the issues that come with normal stages: newborns, toddlers, early childhood, the middle school years (or the "tweens"), teen years, and young adulthood.

The environment also impacts their development, and that includes daycare, school, sports, music, technology and screens, family relationships, friendships, sickness, and even pandemics — the list is long. Much of our advice comes from our specialized training, and much is ongoing learning with help from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The AAP, as it's known, is a governing body of pediatricians who complete additional training and are "Board Certified" in newborn-to-21-year-old issues: diseases, emergencies, nutrition, genetics, education, substance use, and family dynamics. We're provided with up-to-date information on "what's going around" and the latest therapy for it.

Ongoing Education, Every Day

The AAP also allows us more intensified learning via the American Board of Pediatrics, and it's not uncommon for us to spend after-office hours studying the latest information that's collected to help us make the newest and best decisions for our families. Their resources are science-based, and often we're alerted to information in the general media that may be dangerous, so that we can address it with our families. (A recent example is the "Benadryl Challenge" on TikTok, which resulted in teenagers overdosing on Benadryl — several teens died. Parents weren't aware, since they weren't on those sites.)

Behind the Scenes: Our Front Desk & Nursing Team

On any given day in our office, we get a hundred phone calls or portal messages. Flu season may double that number. Certainly not all of the calls require a visit to see us — that's where our trusted, well-trained staff help. We also have a portal, and families often reach out with questions; the doctors respond individually, although the portal isn't appropriate for urgent questions.

The front desk will take a message or make an appointment. We leave openings every day for urgent sick visits and try to accommodate everyone for a same-day evaluation. They don't answer medical questions, so they take messages, and our pediatric nursing staff will contact the family and either provide triage or make an appointment. All the information discussed is then typed up and sent to the doctor for review. Many of you know Barb or Beth, since they're a big part of the medical team.

Our Medical Assistants

Our medical assistants take the families back, take histories, measure and record vital signs, and generally help triage in the event that your child needs more rapid evaluation. They're responsible for testing (strep, COVID, flu, RSV, and more) and vaccine delivery. They work hand in hand with the doctors all day and know almost all of our families, since they spend so much time with them. They can't diagnose, but they often know exactly what's needed before we even see the kids!

Less Is More in Pediatric Care

In pediatrics, "less is more." That means not all babies or children with a fever need testing, X-rays, or medication. If a child has a cough and fever, a thorough history, examination, and vital signs can guide us toward the correct amount of testing, if any, that's needed. We provide specific guidance on what to watch for, the average length of the illness, medications and what to expect from them, and how long the child is contagious. One concern with urgent care is the amount of testing and X-rays performed there, and sometimes medications that aren't indicated are given. Cough syrup is a common example — even though studies show it's not effective, even in adults — and it's discouraged in children due to the side effects.

What Our Families Teach Us

The really fun part of our day is that our families teach us as much pediatrics as anything we could learn from a book. It's clear that the love, endurance (sorry, lack of sleep comes with the job), shared goals, and juggling of jobs, daycare, and school look different in every family's home. I sometimes share what one family managed in a situation that might help another family.

Here's another fun part: I originally worked in the pediatric emergency room at Hopkins and taught there for a year. Dr. Ginsburg worked in the ED at BW Hospital. We both realized that we could help a child, but never see them again. In this practice, we get to take care of families — and now grandfamilies, as our patients have grown up and had children of their own. There are even a few great-grandpatients!

We'd Love to Meet Your Family

This is what sets pediatric care apart, and it's what we love most about what we do. If you're looking for a pediatric practice that knows your family by name, grows with you, and treats every visit like it matters, we'd be glad to welcome you.

Contact us today online or call 410-647-8300 to schedule a visit — we can't wait to meet you.