Despite misinformation spread by anti-vaccine activists, social media bullies, and internet trolls, Dr. Eve Switzer understood that vaccines in childhood (and beyond) are too important to overlook. So instead of backing down, she stood up for vaccines – and won.
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Taking the leap into independent practice can be both exciting and daunting. These successful independent pediatricians reflect on their early days in practice, shed light on what’s at the heart of their practice of medicine, and share advice they’d give to their younger selves in those early days of independent practice.
Continuously Evolving in Independent Practice with Dr. Hiral Lavania
One Family PediatricsCumming, GA
When Dr. Hiral Lavania opened her independent practice, she put creating a positive work environment first. This approach has helped her maintain a thriving independent practice through the ups and downs of COVID-19 and healthcare worker shortages. She reflects on the importance of clear communication, work-life balance, and continuing growth and education as a pediatrician.
Increasingly, families are looking to pediatricians for education on how to create healthy boundaries around digital media use. What do families and pediatricians need to know in order to support kids in practicing online safety? What is online safety, and what does it look like in practice? Marissa Maldonado, CEO of Proda Technology, speaks to these questions and shares her thoughts on starting generative conversations at home with children of any age, as both an IT professional and a parent.
The Vaccine Machine, the brainchild of Dr. Katie Schafer and colleagues at Bloom Pediatrics, started a journey that led them to connect with the community in lasting ways they didn’t expect. Saying ‘yes’ and jumping in with only the beginnings of a plan – and a firm commitment to a good cause – taught the team to think outside the box and lean into the unknown.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of children in the United States presenting with an eating disorder skyrocketed. We talk to a range of eating disorder experts across the country about what they’ve seen over the past three years and how pediatricians are critical partners in both treating patients and advocating for improvements to the system.
The overturning of Roe vs. Wade presents unique challenges for adolescents, from parental consent laws to mental health concerns. Dr. Trish Hutchison and Dr. Melisa Holmes, founders of Girlology, speak to the cultural moment and the need for patient education in the face of political upheaval.
Gender-Affirming Care is Whole-Person Care: Integrating Behavioral Health and Independent Pediatrics
Tamalpais PediatricsMarin County, CA
Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) youth are increasingly reaching out to pediatric providers for support—be it medical care, education, or referrals to specialist. Yet some providers feel less than prepared to meet the needs of TGD youth and their families. Licensed therapist Theresa Hall speaks to the unique experience of TGD youth in the healthcare system, and how pediatricians can best support them.
An expert in the field of early brain and child development, Dr. Colleen Kraft has in many ways helped to steer the conversation about how to best care for children who experience developmental differences like autism spectrum disorder. She is focused on an important message: Primary care pediatricians can and should be a driving force on the team caring for a child with ASD. They are key to getting kids into services as early as possible, which helps to improve outcomes.
Glacier Pediatrics in Juneau, Alaska, serves communities along the Alaska Marine Highway, which snakes through 3,500 miles of coastline and connects 30 communities. The team is focused on expanding health care access in this rural region through implementing telehealth and partnering with pediatric specialists.
A government mandate in Tennessee has prohibited the Department of Health from doing vaccine outreach and education to Tennessee youth. What does this mandate signify about the relationship between the Tennessee legislature and the medical community? And how might the mandate impact independent pediatricians? Dr. Suzanne Berman, an independent pediatrician in Crossville, TN, speaks to the issue with an on-the-ground perspective.
Investing in Community to Nourish Within: A Conversation with PMI Founder Paul Vanchiere
Pediatric Management Institute
The foundation of independent pediatricians is built on fundamental connections between providers and their communities, patients, families, and staff. This interview with Paul Vanchiere, founder of the Pediatric Management Institute, explores the importance of strong bonds for the well-being of the provider and the success of the practice.
Close Communities from Far Away: How Keānuenue Pediatrics Fights for the Underdog
Keānuenue PediatricsHonolulu, HI
In October of 2020, Dr. Jasmine Waipa founded Keānuenue Pediatrics in Honolulu, Hawai`i, with a goal to create a small practice atmosphere with a tech-forward approach. As a Native Hawaiian pediatrician, she is passionate about addressing health disparities.
Building Community Ties in the Spindle City: Pediatric Associates of Fall River
Pediatric Associates of Fall RiverFall River, MA
At Pediatric Associates of Fall River, the practice’s eight pediatricians, one nurse practitioner and roughly 50 staff members – many of whom are locals – are united in a common goal to bring high quality health care to this underserved city in southern Massachusetts.
Trust and Reassurance: Serving a Diversity of Patients in South Carolina
Pelican PediatricsCharleston, SC
Dr. Eliza Varadi, the owner of Pelican Pediatrics in Charleston, South Carolina, has made it her goal to serve a diversity of patients from a multitude of backgrounds. Spurred in part by her own immigrant experience as a child, she has built a team that reflects the community she serves.
Dr. Barbara Howard and Dr. Raymond Sturner have revolutionized how screening and early intervention unfolds in pediatric offices across the country through a web-based platform they developed called CHADIS, or the Child Health and Development Interactive System.
In the 17 years since its founding by Dr. Melisa Holmes and Dr. Trish Hutchison, Girlology has grown into a company with national reach focused on sharing information about health and adolescence with families.
After 38 years in practice in East Hampton, N.Y., Dr. Gail Schonfeld has built deep and lasting relationships with families in her community. Her work as an advocate and innovator serves her patients and helps pediatricians across the country adapt to a changing healthcare landscape.
Getting Resourceful, Staying Close: Small Town Healthcare for a Growing Community
Skagit PediatricsMount Vernon, WA
In November 2019, The Independent Pediatrician visited Skagit Pediatrics in Mount Vernon, Washington. The managing pediatricians shared the story of the practice’s history, growth, and how despite consistent change, their independent culture has thrived after nearly 40 years.
Three pediatricians discuss the positive and negative effects of social media, ways to support mental health, how to better serve youth impacted by the opioid epidemic, and more.
The impacts of digital media use on children, both positive and negative, are increasingly visible as Generation Z comes of age. How do different types of media affect childhood brain development, and what can pediatricians do to help kids build healthy relationships with their screens?
Several independent pediatricians offer their own stories and strategies to foster wellness and prevent burnout, a syndrome that affects over 40 percent of pediatricians nationally.
Increased access to pediatric care for rural poor populations could alter the course of a child’s life, and widespread access could change a community’s future. This part of the series highlights the challenges faced by Appalachian communities in securing access to pediatric care.
Rural America’s Invisible Patients, Part II: Tribal Lands
Committee on Native American Child HealthPine Ridge, SD
Increased access to pediatric care for rural poor populations could alter the course of a child’s life, and widespread access could change a community’s future. This part of the series highlights the challenges faced by Reservation communities in securing access to pediatric care.
Increased access to pediatric care for rural poor populations could alter the course of children’s lives, and widespread access could change a community’s future. Three distinct regions of the U.S. provide lenses through which to examine questions of access, utilization, and solutions for the future.
Education, Relationships, and Expert Care: Dr. Nneka Unachukwu’s Approach to Independent Pediatrics
Ivy League PediatricsLawrenceville, Ga.
From the University of Nigeria to her independent practice in Georgia, Dr. Nneka Una shares important lessons from a rich career in medicine. She offers her approach to independent practice management, whole-child care, and professional coaching—an approach that is grounded in strong relationships and education.
Goldstar Pediatrics Brings Comprehensive Care to California’s Inland Empire
Goldstar PediatricsFontana, Calif.
Goldstar Pediatrics, founded in 2016, emphasizes comprehensive care for families in Fontana, California. As the practice’s founder and sole pediatrician, Dr. Irmgard Tackie develops lasting relationships with her patients and goes above and beyond to help them connect with services and resources they need.
All students with disabilities in the United States are legally guaranteed individualized special education services, so that they have the opportunity to learn and succeed, yet many schools fail to properly help these struggling children. Dr. Adrienne Classen of North Carolina steps up to fight for these students’ rights.
In 2015, Dr. Rita Fox traveled to the rural village of Ekudzeni, in Swaziland, to set up and staff a medical clinic. She has since returned two more times to provide medical care to the community, building lasting relationships with a generation of children who have lost parents and family members to HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Michael Warner is passionate about improving the quality of healthcare through patient co-authorship of health information. That’s why he’s formed the nonprofit Patient Advocacy Initiatives and designed the Patient PreHistory tool.
Springtime in Texas: A Husband and Wife Team Put Community, Family First
Springtime PediatricsKaty, Texas
Founded by husband and wife team Ahmed and Yasmine Monib, Springtime Pediatrics in the rapidly growing community of Katy, Texas, focuses on delivering high quality patient care for a diverse range of patients.
Spotlight on Chad Hermann, Kids Plus Pediatrics Communications Director
Kids Plus PediatricsPittsburgh, Pa.
What do you get when you bring a recovering academic with a passion for film into a pediatric practice? Nothing less than the perfect solution for Kids Plus Pediatrics' communication needs.
Kids Plus Pediatrics: Using Innovative Thinking to Engage Patients, Support Community, and Grow a Dynamic Business
Kids Plus PediatricsPittsburgh, Pa.
At Kids Plus Pediatrics, dreaming big is the name of the game. Their out-of-the-box thinking keeps them at the cutting edge of the business of pediatrics, all while building commuinity and fostering patient engagement.
Ensure your patient experience is positive by following front desk best practice. Managing phone interruptions, practicing great customer service, and collecting payments promptly will keep your patients happy and your revenue cycle healthy.
Family, Community, Country: The Power of Patient-Centered Pediatrics in South Texas
Pediatric Center at RenaissanceEdinburg, Texas
Dr. J.J. Saenz views his pediatric practice as an extension of his family—in fact, the practice is his family. While striving to meet the needs of their diverse community, Dr. Saenz and his children have been providing quality, evidence-based care for children in the Rio Grande Valley for 30 years.
As medical director of the Health Network at Cincinnati Children's, Dr. Colleen Kraft plays a key leadership role in an organization modeling innovative ways to deliver healthcare to kids. Now, she's bringing her skills and expertise to her new role as president-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dr. Richard Schwartz on the Benefits of Thinking Big and Staying Small
Advanced PediatricsVienna, Va.
An exemplary pediatrician draws on his long career to describe his obsession with science, the rewards of gutsy perseverance and why he can't work for someone else.
The practice was busy, the doctors were happy, and the business was profitable. But something was amiss. Tiger Pediatrics had a long journey to becoming independent, and still have a long road ahead to stay that way.
Chip Hart explains why the best way to discover what your practice is doing well — and where it needs improvement — is to get out of your office.
To help share your stories and personalities, The Independent Pediatrician created our own version of the Proust Questionnaire. We hope you enjoy this small window into one another's personal and professional challenges and aspirations.
Nine years after opening her own practice, Dr. Warner knows going solo was the right choice for her practice.
Chip Hart introduces the new Independent Pediatrician online and explores why pediatricians across the country are renovating their offices and their businesses as payment models and measures of clinical success shift.
Absent Adolescents: Solving the Problem of Continuity of Care Through the Teenage Years
Center for Pediatric and Adolescent CareDover, Del.
Annual well visits with a trusted pediatrician are the best forum to address the physical, social, and emotional changes adolescents face today.
With a passion for health policy, Dr. Penn looks to understand her patient population at the community level in order to better serve them.
Dr. Alison Nash continues a family tradition/calling as successor
to the pediatric practice her father, Dr. Homer Nash, opened six
decades ago in north St. Louis.
Aging Out of Pediatric Care is All Relative at Pediatric Wellness Group
Pediatric Wellness GroupRedwood City, Calif.
Northern California pediatricians Drs. Niki Saxena and Eileen Chan discuss the rewards and challenges of expanding their pediatric practice to include services for adolescents and young adults.
Treating Adolescents Using Compassion, Curiosity & Clinical Care
Pediatric and Adolescent CareTulsa, Okla.
Oklahoma pediatrician Dr. James Hendricks explains how his participation in clinical research projects gave him a leg up on conducting the anticipatory guidance that is so critical to ensuring the physical, emotional and mental well-being of adolescents.
The Independent Pediatrician borrows on a personality test resurrected from the Victorian era to find out what makes North Carolina pediatrician Dr. Christoph Diasio tick.
The evidence that physicians can be as successful at business as they are at care-giving continues to mount, suggests Pediatric Practice Consultant Chip Hart, who cites independent pediatricians who have capitalized on business acumen and an inner drive to thrive financially.
Dr. Mary Kiepert is an independent pediatrician in Las Vegas, Nevada, who has successfully negotiated the delicate balance between work and family life.
Dr. Jill Stoller and Dr. Krekamey Craig are New Jersey pediatricians from neighboring counties who, believing there is strength in numbers, helped form a merger that puts theirs and three other practices in a position to thrive.
Budd Shenkin, a San Francisco Bay Area pediatrician who built his solo practice into what is now the region’s largest primary care independent group, suggests that pediatricians, like gardeners, use the inherent landscape and their creativity to grow their practices in a variety of ways.
In 2009, Dr. Gayle Smith, of Richmond, Va., did the research and found there was a desire among families for the type of highly personalized well care that concierge practices do best. Four years later, Dr. Smith’s fee-based concierge practice is flourishing.
Brought to you by PCC
The Independent Pediatrician is brought to you by PCC, which provides tools and services to help pediatricians remain independent and in control of their practices.
PCC itself is a fiercely independent business. As a Benefit Corporation, it puts the interests of its clients, community, and employees on an equal footing with those of its shareholders.
To learn more about successful independent pediatric practices, read PCC’s Client Success Stories.
