Category: News

Labor Day Office Hours

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We’re here when you need us: 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, including holidays. Our board certified pediatricians and experienced nurse practitioners are delighted to serve you and your family.

Please take note of our special holiday office hours on Labor Day:

Monday, September 4 – Our Lake Bluff office is open for urgent care by appointment only from 8:30 am to 11:45 am. No walk in sick call. Please call at 8:00 am to schedule urgent care appointments. Our Vernon Hills and Lindenhurst offices will be closed. Our physicians can be reached after hours with urgent matters by calling 847-295-1220.

Distinguished Pediatric Practice Award

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We are honored to have received the Distinguished Pediatric Practice Contributed Service Award from the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Department of Pediatrics. 

The award was presented to Lake Forest Pediatric Associates last week “In appreciation for your leadership and innovative commitment to office-based pediatric medical education”.

Remembering Dr. Edwin C. Salter

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It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Edwin Salter
on November 21.

Many of us have had the privilege of working with Dr. Salter and have numerous fond memories of him. He began practicing pediatrics in 1958 in Lake Forest. With Dr. Elmer Kadison and Drs. Gerald and Arthur Lasin, Dr. Salter was a founding member of Lake Forest Pediatric Associates in the 1960s. He was active on the medical staffs at Lake Forest Hospital and Children’s Memorial Hospital.

Although he retired from practice in 1997, Dr. Salter remained in close contact with us not only at the holiday parties and medical staff dinners but as our ambassador to Lake Forest Hospital, delivering cookies with Sheila to the different floors and departments every December. We will miss his calm, soothing voice and great bow ties.

Flu Vaccines are Now Available!

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Flu is a virus that can cause serious health problems for otherwise healthy kids. Immunization reduces the risk of serious problems and protects other vulnerable family members.

While a retail-based pharmacy that gives flu shots may seem like an attractive alternative for busy families, there are definite advantages to immunizing your child at your pediatrician’s office. 

Flu vaccines are now available at Lake Forest Pediatric Associates in both forms – flu mist and flu shots. Flu vaccination appointments can be scheduled by calling 847-295-1220.

It’s that time of year again… Flu season.

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Unfortunately, with the holiday season comes the influenza virus and this year many of our families and children are suffering from the flu and flu-like symptoms. Please follow the link below for some good information about flu symptoms, treatment, and prevention.

Additionally, families should know that there may be difficulty filling prescriptions for Tamiflu due to the current increased demand and insufficient supply. Tamiflu should be reserved for high-risk patients given the limited clinical benefit in low-risk patients.

Flu Treatment for Children with Chronic Health Conditions

If your child has a chronic health condition such as asthma, diabetes, heart or lung disease, a neurological condition, or is on aspirin therapy and has flu symptoms, call our office for an appointment. Antiviral treatment is recommended for those children with severe or complicated illness or those with the following risk factors:

· Children younger than 2 years of age

· Children with chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular, kidney, liver, blood, metabolic (diabetes), or neurologic/neurodevelopmental conditions (disorders of the brain or spinal cord/nerves, stroke, cerebral palsy, seizures, moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy)

· Children who are immunosuppressed

· Children who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy

Lurie Children’s – Influenza Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention

Flu Mist Delayed

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Shipments of the flu mist vaccine are currently delayed by the manufacturer.  At present it is estimated that we may receive additional supply by the end of November.  The flu shot is available and recommended as an alternative.  AAP News Article

Our office has received a limited supply of the flu mist, which was offered on a first come first served basis.  We will do our best to honor those patients who are currently booked for the flu mist.  Thank you for your understanding.

Dr. Kinsella elected to new role at Lurie Children’s Hospital

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Dr. Randy Kinsella has been elected as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Medical/Dental Staff of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago for a two-year term beginning in 2015.

Dr. Kinsella is an instructor of clinical pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the University of Illinois, College of Nursing. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is on staff at Northwestern Hospital and is a member of Lake Forest Pediatric Associates.

Originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Dr. Kinsella graduated from the University of Illinois, College of Pharmacy. Dr. Kinsella received his medical degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Following pediatric residency training at Children’s Memorial Hospital (now Lurie Children’s Hospital), he served as a pediatrician in the U.S. Air Force and Dr. Kinsella joined Lake Forest Pediatrics in 1989.

Congratulations Dr. Kinsella on your new role on the Medical/Dental Staff of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago!

Immunization Policy Statement

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Lake Forest Pediatrics’ Vaccine Policy Statement

Childhood immunizations have saved the lives of millions of children in the US and around the world.

We firmly believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives.

We believe in the safety of our vaccines. We would not recommend them for your child if we thought that they were unsafe or we were hesitant to give them to our own children.

All children and young adults should receive all of the vaccines recommended in the schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

It is abundantly clear that, based on all available studies and review of the evidence in the world’s medical literature, vaccines do not cause autism or other developmental disabilities. Thimerosal, a preservative that has been in vaccines for decades (but has been removed from almost all vaccines) does not cause autism or other developmental disabilities.

Vaccinating children and young adults may be the single most important health-promoting intervention we perform as health care providers, and that you can perform as parents and caregivers. The recommended vaccines and schedule by which they are given are the results of years and years of scientific study and data-gathering on millions of children by thousands of our brightest scientists and physicians.

Vaccination of children is truly a victim of its own success. It is precisely because vaccines are so effective at preventing illness that we are even discussing whether or not they should be given. Because of vaccines, many of you have never seen a child with polio, tetanus, whooping cough, bacterial meningitis or even chickenpox, or known a family member or friend whose child died of one of these diseases. Such success can make us complacent or even lazy about vaccinating. But such an attitude, if it becomes widespread, can only lead to tragic results.

Over the past several years, many people in Europe have chosen not to vaccinate their children with the MMR vaccine after publication of an unfounded suspicion (later retracted) that the vaccine caused autism. As a result of under immunization, there have been small outbreaks of measles and several deaths from complications of measles in Europe over the past several years.

The world has become a much smaller place, and infectious diseases which we have come to think are only found in developing countries have repeatedly been brought to our country be travelers who are only a day’s journey away.

We are giving you this statement not to scare you or coerce you, but to emphasize the importance of vaccinating your child. We recognize that the choice may be a very emotional one for some parents. We will do everything we can to convince you that vaccinating completely according to the schedule is the right thing to do.

Delaying or “splitting up the vaccines” to give one or two at a time over two or more visits goes against expert recommendations, can put your child at risk for serious illness (or even death) and goes against our medical advice.

Such additional visits will require additional co-pays on your part and you will be required to sign a “Refusal to Vaccinate” acknowledgement if you choose to deviate from the recommended schedule.

Finally, if you should absolutely refuse to vaccinate your child despite all our efforts, we will ask you to find another health care provider. We do not keep a list of such providers, nor could we in good conscience recommend any physician who does not fully support childhood immunization. Please recognize that by not vaccinating you would be putting your child at unnecessary risk of life-threatening illness, disability, and death.

As medical professionals, we feel very strongly that vaccinating children on schedule with currently available vaccines is absolutely the right thing to do for all children and young adults. We have devoted our professional lives to caring for children and studying what is best for their health. We appreciate your entrusting us with the care of your children, and offer you our pediatric advice based on the best scientific information that is available. Your decision about immunization should be based on the science that has guided experts in the field of childhood diseases and immunization, and not directed by rumors spread on the Internet or television talk shows. Thank you for your time in reading this policy, and please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about vaccines with any one of us.

Lake Forest Pediatrics Associates

Immunization controversy is not new. Vaccination was first developed around the time of the first American colonies. and at first was not widely accepted. Benjamin Franklin was originally opposed to the new procedure of smallpox vaccination, until his 4- year old son died of the infection… Franklin later wrote in his autobiography:

In 1736, I lost one of my sons, a fine boy of four years old, by the smallpox-I long regretted bitterly, and still regret that I had not given it to him by inoculation. This I mention for the sake of parents who omit that operation, on the supposition that they should never forgive themselves if a child died under it, my example showing that the regret may be the same either way, and that, therefore, the safer should be chosen.

Thanksgiving Holiday Hours

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Wishing Your Family a Happy Thanksgiving!

All throughout the upcoming holidays, families have healthcare needs. We are here to serve you! Give us a call: 847-295-1220.

Our Lake Bluff office will be open from 8:00 am – Noon on Thanksgiving morning, November 24, 2016, by appointment only for urgent care. (No walk in care.)

The Vernon Hills office will be closed on Friday, November 25, 2016.

The Lake Bluff and Lindenhurst offices will be open for sick call and regular office hours Friday, November 25 and Saturday, November 26, 2016.

847-295-1220