What Does PCMH level 3 certification Mean?
We are proud to announce that Southwest Pediatrics earned PCMH level 3 certification in September 2016. PCMH stands for Patient Centered Medical Home. Level 3 certification is granted to offices that demonstrate the highest level of communication, accessibility and coordination of their patients’ care.
When Do I call the office for appointments?
Our Office offers patient care Monday-Saturday. Nurses begin taking calls at 8:30 AM. If your child is sick, please call as soon as our office opens! For well baby appointments, please call after 11:00 AM. The hours listed are those that we try to adhere to; however, circumstances may lengthen or shorten them. Please try to schedule your next regular before leaving the office.
Why do you not see patients before 10 AM?
We are excited to announce that some days at one or both of the offices we will be starting before 10 AM! Please note that this may change . And that starting at 10 AM allows our physicians the necessary time to see our patients and newborns admitted to our affiliated hospitals Christ Children’s Hospital, Palos Community Hospital and Silver Cross hospital.
What Insurance plans do you accept?
What vaccines do you recommend for my newborn baby?
We follow the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics. For vaccination for special circumstances, please consult the physician.
What age groups are accepted?
We take care of ages newborn-21 years. We are well aware of the special needs of adolescents. We believe in total confidentiality during their care.
Are all the doctors Board Certified?
All pediatricians of this practice are board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. See personal profiles of each physician for detailed information on educational background. All doctors are also Fellows of the Academy of Pediatrics. You may also now scheduled with our nurse practitioner. She is a boarded family nurse practitioner and she sees patients under the supervision of one of our board certified physicians.
What do I need to do about my child’s preschool, school or sports physical?
First of all, schedule them early! For many schools, the physical may be completed as early as April so you can avoid the summer rush. Prior to your appointment please check the planning for your visit section of the website to find frequently needed forms. Printing and completing the forms prior to the office visit will save much time. For school age children, we need a first morning urine sample. But the most important thing is keeping your child’s annual physical current. This will allow us to complete forms (ie camp forms) that you may need throughout the year.
How do I refill medications for my child?
We are happy to refill your long terms medications. Refill requests should be made at least one week before your medication runs out. This will give our office ample time to review the chart and refill the request as appropriate. We may require a follow up visit prior to authorizing the refill.
Do you write school absentee notes?
A school note will be written for a patient who has been seen at the office.
What do we think about patient visits to Retail Based Clinics?
We understand the convenience of retail based clinics and do our best to see you at our office in a timely manner. We encourage you to call our office for well and sick visits so that there is continuity of care for your child. Please schedule well visits in advance and call as early as possible in the morning for sick visits. We have extended office hours on weekdays and convenient Saturday hours. In spite of this, if you visit any ER or retail based clinic, please bring records of that visit with you or request the health care provider to fax them to us.(Fax numbers are listed on the Home Page).
Do you prescribe antibiotics for common colds?
We believe in judicious use of antibiotics at our practice. This is important so that your child does not get unnecessary medications and we do not want your child to be resistant to common antibiotics when he or she really needs them.
What is your philosophy about vaccines?
We, at Southwest Pediatrics, believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and save lives; we also believe in their safety. Infants, children and adolescents should receive all the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Current medical literature based on solid scientific research shows that vaccines are not associated with nor do they cause autism or any other developmental disability. We recommend that vaccines be given according to the recommended schedule since deviating from this schedule can place your child at risk for disease. If you have questions and concerns, we encourage you to discuss your child’s vaccines with us.
What is VACCINES FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM (VFC)
Southwest Pediatrics receives vaccines through the Illinois VFC program to offer to Illinois children from birth through eighteen years of age who are:
1. Medicaid eligible
2. Native American (American Indian, Alaskan Native)
3. Uninsured
You can inquire about these vaccines at our office. We offer this program at our Palos Park office. So if your child meets any of the above criteria, you may be asked to schedule your child’s well exam and flu vaccines at our Palos Park office or will be directed there for your child’s immunizations after a visit at the Mokena office.
What information is generally required before scheduling an appointment?
When scheduling appointments, please notify our staff of the following:
- patient is new/established to our office
- complete purpose of visit (so appropriate time slot is scheduled)
- patient name changes, if any (especially newborns)
- insurance changes (or changes between primary / secondary)
- address / phone (home/cell/emergency) number changes
Am I able to request a specific physician in your practice? What if I want to change to another physician in the practice?
The doctors in our practice work as a team and are all able to see your child. We all have different personalities, though similar medical approach. For well checks you may choose well in advance which doctor to see. However, if your child is ill, you may not have a choice if you would like your child to be seen more urgently. It may be helpful to meet all of the doctors, as we take turns seeing patients in the hospitals and taking call.
Should I continue bringing my teenager to you or do I need an “adult” doctor for him or her?
We are happy to see your child through college. Our training includes adolescent medicine, and we are able to address college-age students’ medical needs. We recommend transferring to an internist at age 21.
Does the parent remain in the room during teenage visits? If my teenager does not want the parent in the room, do you then share what he or she told the doctor with the parent?
Parents may be asked to step out while the physician discusses various health, safety or emotional issues with your child. The conversations are necessarily confidential unless your child agrees to a further discussion or is thought to be a risk to themselves or others. If your child is younger than 18, the physical exam will take place in your presence or with another adult in the room.
Does your staff speak other languages besides English? If not, may I bring a translator?
Several of our physicians are fluent in other languages, so let the front desk know what language you need when you call to make an appointment. You also may bring a translator. We recommend another adult, rather than asking your child to translate.
