Routine wellness visits are important in health prevention
and parental guidance, as well as occasional disease detection.
A "well check" includes a physical exam, nutrition
and sleep assessment, growth and developmental assessment and
anticipatory guidance/injury prevention tips. The doctors will
listen closely to your concerns and answer all of your questions.
Well checks are preformed at 2 weeks, 1mo, 2mos, 4mos , 6mos,
9mos, 12mos, 15-18mos, 2yrs , then yearly 3-6yrs, then
every other year ( 8,10,12 ) then yearly during
the teenage years (13-21). Well child
check-ups should be scheduled on your way out from a current
check-up if possible, we usually book ahead 4-6 weeks. Shots
are due at each well visit from 2mos-18mos, at 4 -5yrs (kindergarten
boosters). During the teen years, shots are typically due at
11-12yrs . and again at 14-15yrs. Due
to the increasing number of new vaccines, please check the
Immunization Schedule to ensure that your child is up-to-date.
If you have any questions or concerns about immunizations,
please feel free to discuss them with your physician or look
in the 'Links' section for additional resources. See detailed
immunization schedule:
Infant:
AGE
IMMUNIZATION TYPE
Birth (hospital)
Hep-B
Hospital Follow-up (5d)
NA
2 Week
NA
1 Month
NA
2 Months
Pediarix (DtaP, Hep B, Polio IPV)
Hib
Prevnar*
Rotateq*
4 Months
Pediarix (DtaP, Hep B, Polio IPV)
Hib
Prevnar*
Rotateq*
6 Months
Pediarix (DtaP, Hep B, Polio IPV)
Prevnar*
Rotateq*
9 Months
NA
12 Months
MMR-V (MMR / chickenpox)
Prevnar*
HepA*
15 Months
DTaP
Hib
18 Months (Nurse Visit)
HepA*
2 Years
NA
Child:
AGE
IMMUNIZATION
TYPE
3 Yr.
NA
4 Yr.
NA
5 Yr.
(Kindergarten)
DtaP
MMR-V
(MMR / Chickenpox)
Polio(IPV)
6, 8, 10 Yr.
Chickenpox Booster (If no prior MMRV)
11/12 Yr.
Tetnus (Tdap)
Gardasil (HPV)*
Menactra
(Meningococcal)*
13-19 Yr. +
NA
*Above asterik vaccines
are recommended but not required. Ask your physician
for details.
School and Camp physicals are scheduled in the spring and
summer months, when there are fewer appointment slots needed
for sick patients. This also lessens your healthy child's exposure
to illness. Camp physicals are needed within the past 2 yrs.
Sports physicals are required yearly. Please schedule sports
physicals as soon as you know your child is interested in trying
out, as there may not be any openings a few days before try-outs.
Teens (ages 13-21)
We see teenagers in the office up to the age
of 21. Well checks/physicals are recommended annually. There
are a number of vaccines that are needed during the teenage
years such as the Tdap(Tetnus/Pertussis), Menactra (Mennigoccocal),
Chicken Pox Booster and Gardasil(Cervical Cancer/Venereal Warts).
In addition to the exam, and with parental permission, physicians
will typically have a confidential discussion with the teenager.
This allows the teenager to get answers to questions that they
may be embarrassed to ask a parent. If you plan to drop off
your teenager, please be sure to pick-up or download the Minors
Consent form.
Although the majority of teens are accompanied
by an adult for their visits, North Carolina law does permit
a minor(under age 18) to consent to their own treatment for
some conditions including 1) treatment of venereal disease
2)pregnancy 3)substance abuse and 4)emotional disturbance.
Unfortunately, our precious children will at times become
sick, despite all we do as parents to prevent it. Babies average
6 colds in the first year of life; a bit fewer if breastfed
and up to 8-10 per year if in daycare (or if exposed to a sibling
in daycare or school.) New parents may have a lower threshold
for wanting their child seen by the doctor and that's OK. Over
time parents learn when to treat at home and when to bring
their child to the doctor. If you are unsure, a nurse is available
by phone during office hours to ask and answer questions to
help you determine if it is necessary to schedule an appointment
with the doctor. You will see your primary doctor for well
visits, however it may be necessary to see another physician
for emergency sick appointments.
It is our policy to see medically urgent sick patients on
the same day you call in. However due
to the "same day sick policy" in a pediatric office, "work-ins" are
common, especially during the winter months . Therefore,
it is the nature of our specialty to have a bit longer wait
time than in other specialties. The trade off is that we will
work-in your sick child the same day or when an emergency occurs.
Behavioral/Chronic
Medical Conditions Consultations
Consults are scheduled at the end of the day at 4:30pm. This
allows time for the doctor to listen to your concerns without
the pressure of knowing other patients are waiting to be seen.
You may have a longer wait at the end of the day if many patients
have been worked-in, but you will not be rushed once you are
in the consultation with the doctor.
If you or your child's teacher suspect your child has ADHD(attention
deficit and hyperactivity disorder), call and make a consult
appointment. Please pickup and complete the parent/teacher
assessment forms prior to your visit. See 'Forms' to download.
For more information on ADHD go to www.add.org or www.adhd.com or www.addhelpline.org
Flu clinics typically begin in October each year. We offer
both the flu shot and the intranasal version of the vaccine(FluMist).
Harborside Pediatrics follows the CDC (Centers for Disease
Control) recommendations for distribution. The current recommendation
is for all children 6-59 months of age and any other high risk
individuals. Flu shots are available for children >6months
of age. Please check the 'current news' on our website section
for updates on clinic dates/times or call the office in October.
The CDC website is www.cdc.gov/flu
If you or your physician suspects your child may have allergies,
we can test your child for allergies in the office. We utilize
the test that most allergist's use called the ImmunoCap Allergy
test. One of our nurse/phlebotomists will draw blood while
you are in the office. The physician will order the Food and/or
the Inhalant panel to target your child's allergies. Depending
on the results, the physician can either manage the condition
or refer the more serious cases to a specialist. We can support
your child's weekly/monthly allergy injections should your
specialist recommend it. To check allergy seasons by zip code
and/or date click here www.carolinaasthma.com/tracking
We offer our "expecting" moms the opportunity to
meet with our physician's prior to delivery or adoption. This
visit allows moms to get all their questions answered before
the big day. Prenatal /Pre-Adoption visits are free of charge
and are typically conducted at 8:45am prior to regular office
hours. On your tour of the office, be sure and see our 'newborn/breastfeeding'
room. See Expecting a Baby section for more details.
Not all problems occur during the day or they may escalate
as the night goes on. If you have questions or need to speak
with a nurse or doctor, you can call our after hours nurse
triage service. Simply call the regular office number 704-664-2552
and select the after hours option. An RN will assess the problem
and get you the answers you need for a good nights rest. They
follow specific AAP(American Academy of Pediatrics) approved
protocols and protocols from our physicians. Should you need
to speak with a physician, the nurse can page the physician
on-call.
There are many good resources in our community to assist you
with the very important yet sometimes challenging process of
breast-feeding your new baby. You can call our phone nurse
anytime day or night with your questions concerning breast
or bottle-feeding. Both Lake Norman Regional and Presbyterian
Huntersville hospitals have excellent lactation consulting
facilities. They offer one-on-one consulting as well as supplies(pumps
etc.)and even home lactation visits. The local LaLeche league
is also a good resource at www.lalecheleague.org .
Most insurance plans cover some sort of assistance but check
with your home plan just to be sure.
Congratulations! This is a very exciting time. We offer prenatal/pre-adoption
appointments free of charge to our expectant parents. This
visit allows parents to get all those important questions answered.
Once at the hospital, just name us as your pediatrician and
the nurses will notify us of your delivery. Our physicians
currently hold privileges and will visit with you and examine
your baby within 24hrs. at either Lake Norman Regional Medical
Center or Presbyterian-Huntersville. If you plan to deliver
your baby at another local hospital, that is ok. The on-call
pediatrician at that facility will examine your baby. Regardless
of where you deliver your baby, you will need to make an appointment
with our office following your discharge(3-5days). See the
Well Visit section for a detailed schedule of appointments
and immunizations.
If you are adopting, there will be additional lab work that
will need to be done during your initial visit depending on
the country of adoption.
Welcome! Whether you just moved into town or were referred
to us by a friend, we will make the transition a smooth one.
You are welcome to come by for a tour of the office or to schedule
an appointment to 'meet the doc' if they are available. Otherwise,
call and schedule an appointment. An appointment is the best
way to see how our physicians interact with your child.
Prior to your first visit you will want to verify we are in
your insurance network. Also, please bring your child's medical
records. If you do not have a copy of them, we are happy to
request them from your previous pediatrician. You can stop
by or download the Authorization for Records Release form.
In today's insurance environment, with so many variations in
coverage, it is vital to our practice that you know your health
plan benefits and are familiar with your policy.
Please know if your insurance covers wellness exams or if you
have a separate deductible for lab work . It is crucial
that we have your current insurance coverage information and
copy of your insurance card with benefits/billing information.
We participate with most of the large insurance carriers and
networks such as United Healthcare, BCBS, Cigna, Aetna, Wellpath
and the Medcost and Beechstreet networks. For all others,
please call your individual plan to verify our physicians are
in your network.
Co-Payments are expected on the day of service. We will file
your claims electronically, where possible free of charge. Invoices
are generated and mailed monthly. We accept Visa and Mastercard. A
$25 service fee is added to all returned checks. If you
have extenuating circumstances, please discuss with the office
manager in advance, so that a payment plan can be worked out.
Newborns : Newborns are typically covered under the mothers
insurance policy for 30 days. You have 30 days to add
your newborn to your policy. After 30 days, your carrier
may not cover expenses.
Medicaid : Please present your new card each month to ensure
your claims are processed correctly. We are currently
only accepting siblings of established patients.
