It’s New to Us by Jean Stratton

QUALITY CARE: “We see patients from newborns right through college, and our goal as pediatricians is to get to know the patient. Our priority is to spend time, and to have back and forth with them. We explain to them why something is being done. It’s a lot about preventative care.” Shown left to right are Dr. Helen Rose and Dr. Paula Zollner, pediatricians at The Pediatric Group.

Personalized Quality Care for Children Offered Since 1955 by The Pediatric Group

Finding the right doctor is so important. You want someone who is not only capable and offers quality care, but one who will listen to your concerns. This is especially true when the patient is a child.

The Pediatric Group at 66 Mt. Lucas Road pays close attention to all these issues. Established in 1955, it has always been focused on furnishing the best care to patients — from newborns to college students. As its mission statement points out, “Our practice is guided by a commitment to offering pediatric service that is compassionate, accessible, reliable, and provided by a team of experienced professionals.”

Five physicians make up The Pediatric Group: John M. Cotton, MD, Timothy Patrick-Miller, MD, Louis Tesoro, MD, Helen Rose, MD, and Paula Zollner, MD.

“I greatly enjoy working at The Pediatric Group,” says Dr. Rose. “I love the camaraderie that the physicians have at this group. I love the personal relationships I have been able to develop with patients and their families. I’ve enjoyed working with this warm compassionate staff.”

After graduating from Temple University Medical School, Dr. Rose completed her residency in pediatrics at New York University Medical Center/Bellevue Hospital, and is board-certified in pediatrics. For six years, she practiced in Harrisonburg, Virginia before joining The Pediatric Group in 2007.

“I always wanted to be a doctor,” she explains. “My younger brother was sick as a baby, and I think this influenced me. And, I always wanted to be a pediatrician.”

Youngest Patients

Dr. Rose and the other physicians at The Pediatric Group see the very youngest patients — newborns — at specialized specific hours in order to avoid possibility of infection.

“The Pediatric Group doctors can also start with a newborn in the hospital nursery, ensuring a smooth transition from hospital to home environment,” notes Dr. Rose. “We help new mothers with information on how to feed the babies, and we also see pregnant women, who may be looking for a pediatrician.

“It is very important for children to have regular check-ups,” she continues. “Younger ones — newborns to three-year-olds — should have frequent exams, while older children need a yearly check-up. We get to know the child and the parents, and we are always trying to prevent problems.”

A number of health concerns affect children today, she adds. “There are numerous ailments that are more common now and/or are in the news and receiving more attention. As pediatricians, our role is to guide families as they tackle these very difficult problems. I enjoy being able to provide a reliable, caring, and informed ‘Medical Home’ for our patients and their caregivers.”

Food Allergies

Weight problems, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), autism, allergies — all these are concerns for kids today. “In my 10 years in practice, I am seeing more children with food allergies, more autism, and more ADHD,” says Dr. Rose.

The range of severity varies, but she points out the importance of early detection and treatment. “As young as 15 months, children can show symptoms of autism. We do screening tests for that.”

The numbers of overweight children continue to increase, and unfortunately, this can lead to a variety of medical problems, including diabetes and heart problems. It has been pointed out that many children are not getting enough exercise, spending great amounts of time with TV and the computer, eating too much fast food, and generally adopting unhealthy diets.

“We do see overweight patients,” reports Dr. Rose. “It’s a problem. Not everyone can afford the healthiest food, and everyone is so busy now — parents and children. They are still eating a lot of fast food and drinking high caloric sodas. We encourage parents to see that their children eat more fruits and vegetables. And, it’s good for families to eat together. Also, the American Association of Pediatrics has suggested that children spend no more than two hours a day on media-related activities. Many children are spending a lot more time than that.”

“Bump in the Road”

Since The Pediatric Group sees such a wide age range of patients, it helps them through puberty and related concerns. “I look forward to watching children grow and develop, and being there when patients face a ‘bump in the road’,” says Dr. Rose.

“The biggest challenge is when I’m faced with a situation in which I cannot help as much as I would like. In those settings, I always attempt to be a support for the family and the patient, and provide guidance as I’m able to. The strength of patients and their families is incredible. It is wonderful to see families come together and work hard to overcome difficult situations.”

The Pediatric Group offers many opportunities for patients to benefit from quality care and service. For example, after hours consultations for new patients, pre-natal, pre-adoptions, and for medical, developmental, educational, or behavioral issues are available.

As Dr. Rose points out, “The most important quality that the Pediatric Group possesses is high accessibility to physicians. The doctors pick up the phone from 8 to 9 a.m. every day of the year. During off-hours, the physicians are available by beeper/cell phone for urgent calls. There is no nurse triage system at night. During regular hours, physicians return phone messages themselves and in a very timely manner.

Personal Way

“Although we are personal, we have some of the advantages of a larger group. We have a lab on site and can draw blood here. We are able to have weekend office hours. Some other advantages of our group are same day sick visits, with check-ups often available the same day as well; fast turnover time for forms and prescriptions, and ability to see the patient’s chosen physician for the majority of visits.

“In addition,” she continues, “our staff is wonderful and exceptional in the longevity of most of the members. Patients are able to get to know our nurses and receptionists in a very personal way. In fact, our practice has cared for multiple generations of families because of its long history. We are also focusing on keeping the practice growing and evolving in a constantly changing medical and technological environment. We now accept health insurance, credit and debit cards, and have updated our website. We plan to add electronic medical records as this will help organize important information about our patients and make it more accessible.”

The Pediatric Group’s hours are Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. for newborn appointments; 8 to 9 a.m. Direct-to-Doctor phone hour (seven days); 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. routine hours; 5 to 6 p.m. for ADHD patients and pre-natal; Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon; Sunday, phone hour and emergencies. (609) 924-4892. Website: www.pedgroup.com.

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