Due to the snowstorm today, we will be closing the Plainfield, West Chicago and Bolingbrook offices at 4:30 pm.    Naperville will have limited appointments until 7 pm tonight.

While we do our best to contact you for rescheduling your appointment for today, we realize that not everyone is available when we call.   If you haven't already done so, please give us a call to reschedule.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Parents are invited to attend a free seminar on twins next Wednesday, March 13th at the Nichols Library starting at 7 pm.   Dr. Shelly Flais and Dr. Julian Tang from our office will be discussing how to successfully navigate raising twins.  Both doctors are themselves parents of twins, so they have first hand experience!

Whether you have multiples or not, this is a good opportunity to learn parenting tips and ask questions.

On Thursday, March 21 at 7 pm you are invited to a free presentation on preventing obesity in children at the Bolingbrook Hospital.  Dr. Nithya Sunder will be the presenter.

Please feel free to call the office if you have any questions regarding either event at 630.717.2300.

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It's Annual Checkup Season! Don't forget Spring Sports Begin Soon!

Michelle Maloney, CPNP

From the desk of nurse practitioner Michelle Maloney:

Annual check-ups are an opportunity for parents to raise questions about your child�s growth, development, behavior etc. More time is taken during a well exam to discuss these issues which can�t be accommodated during a sick visit.  Many of the topics discussed included are sleep issues, behavior, learning problems, and toilet training, just to name a few.  Annual check-ups allow you, your child, and your MD/NP a chance to get to know each other for a relationship that will extend for many years.

To prepare for your visit, you may want to write down 3-5 questions that you want to discuss at the visit. Along with obtaining your child�s height, weight, and blood pressure, we at PHA will discuss your child�s diet, sleep issues, safety in and around the home such as car seat/seatbelt use, helmet use, if there are guns in the home, and sunscreen use among others.

Well check ups also give teenagers a chance to discuss some health issues with their health care providers in confidence that they may feel embarrassed to discuss in front of their parents.

Sports Physicals also known as Pre-participation physicals provided by your child�s primary pediatrician/NP are important because we have all you your child�s health history at our finger tips. If a concern should arise during the visit, we can coordinate a visit with a specialist if necessary in order to clear your child to play in the upcoming season.  An urgent care or quick care clinic can�t do this. If they discover something that needs further evaluation, they will send you back to us for that evaluation. This will delay your child�s readiness to start the season.

Ideally, you should schedule your sports PE 6-8 weeks prior to the start of the season to allow for any follow-up that may be necessary for your child to be cleared to play.

Whether it�s for an annual exam or a pre-participation sports physical, it�s a great idea to schedule these visits before the �summer rush�.  A good rule of thumb is to schedule a physical a few days after a birthday, it�s a good way to remember a check-up is due!

Physicals are valid for one year.

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Discount Drug Programs

You may have found that your insurance carrier has now implemented a co-pay tier schedule for medication based on whether the drug is generic, a preferred drug or a non-preferred drug. Co-pays can double and quadruple if you are not using generic drugs.

The good news is that several chain stores are offering free or low cost prescriptions. Meijers offers specific antibiotics for free! Target and Walmart offers many medications for just $4.00 that might normally cost you an $80.00 co-pay from your insurer. You do not have to have insurance coverage in order to take advantage of these savings.

You will only receive a 30 day supply of the medication at Walmart or Target so if you have a specific mail-in pharmacy that will supply 90 days at a time, you should compare whether you will save more by using your mail-in pharmacy or at the chain stores.

To review the list of free antibiotics from Meijers, you may go to their website at http://www.meijer.com/Meijer_Pharmacy.cms and on the left side on the page is a link for free antibiotics. To review the list of $4.00 medications at Walmart, go to www.walmart.com/pharmacy. The website for Target is .


For those of you who use prescriptions daily to manage your health needs, there are a couple of retail stores that offer 90 day prescriptions on 300 generic medications. Kmart offers 90 day generics for just $15.00. Their website is www.kmart.com/pharmacy. You should look under the 90 day generic link. Walgreens offers a �prescription club�. You can purchase a 90 days supply of medication for just $12.99 whether you have insurance or not. There is a $35 per year for a family ($20 for individuals) fee to become a member. And to add a little extra benefit, this also includes pet medication refills! Check it out at http://www.walgreens.com/pharmacy. Click on the prescription savings club tab.

Pat B.

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