Category: News

Farewell to Dr. Ashley

It is with bittersweet feelings that we announce Dr. Doug Ashley will be leaving Lake Forest Pediatrics on 6/20/21.

Joining Lake Forest Pediatrics back in 2000, Dr. Ashley has been a beloved physician at our practice. He has been a selfless provider for many families, a wonderful colleague, and an international superstar, taking annual medical mission trips abroad to care for patients in rural clinics.

Dr. Ashley will be shifting his focus in the medical field from patient care to a medical safety role and we wish him nothing but the best.

Dr. Ashley may have already spoken with you, or you may have received a letter from us in the mail, but please know that we wish to avoid any possible interruptions in your child’s care. On our “Meet Our Providers” page, you may find brief bios of other members of our practice. Each are Board Certified in Pediatrics and are on-staff at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital and Lurie Children’s Hospital, and all are dedicated to delivering the best care that every person deserves.

Please feel free to let our front office staff know which physician you would like to see at your next visit. Should your insurance plan require you to select a primary care physician, you may inform them of which physician you have chosen, effective 6/21/21.

If you have any questions or if you need anything, please contact our office at 847-295-1220.

Thank you for the continued privilege of providing care for your child.

 

 

 

We’ll miss you, Dr. Ashley!!!

(especially beating you at fantasy football, ha ha)

Location Change

We’re excited to announce that our Vernon Hills office has moved locations!

The new office is now open…thank you for your patience!

The address is centrally located by Townline Rd (Route 60) and Milwaukee Avenue (Route 21) and is 2 miles east of our old office, located at 565 Lakeview Parkway, Suite 105 in Vernon Hills.

 

 

Construction project photos:

As of 5/17…

Construction is done! We’re moving in, getting everything organized, and prepping for re-opening!

Waiting room and reception:

 

Reception view 2:

 

Nurse Station and back hallway:

 

Nurse Station view 2:

 

 

As of 5/10

Leading to the front door:

 

Waiting room and reception:

 

Front desk:

 

Nurse Station and back hallway:

 

Exam room (view 1):

 

Exam room (view 2):

 

Hallway between reception and clinic:

 

Parking lot sign 2:

 

Front door (propped open for construction crew):

 

———-

As of 4/29

Waiting room:

 

Waiting room (wide view):

Waiting room/reception desk:

Nurse Station and back hallway:

Office:

 

———-

As of 4/23 (with architect design rendering overlay)

Waiting room:

 

Nursing station:

 

Hallway:

 

———-

As of 4/7

Waiting room view 1:

 

Nursing Station:

 

———-

As of 3/29

Waiting room:

 

Nursing Station:

 

Office:

 

———-

As of 2/26

Plumbing’s done and new concrete has been poured. It’s a blank slate:

 

 

New Vernon Hills Office

We’re excited to announce a new Vernon Hills office location!

Please make a note of our future new address in Vernon Hills:

565 Lakeview Parkway, Suite 105 in Vernon Hills, opening in May

Our new office will be centrally located and easy to access from both Townline Road (Route 60) and Milwaukee Avenue (Route 21). Construction on the building is proceeding and we’re thrilled to be able to share our beautiful, new office with you soon. The new, convenient location is expected to open in May.

Our current Vernon Hills office location at 870 West End Court will be open until March 22, 2021. After March 22, the office will be closed in preparation for our move to the new location. The Lindenhurst and Lake Bluff offices will continue to serve you in the interim:

Lindenhurst Office: 2592 Grand Avenue in Lindenhurst

Lake Bluff Office: 917 Sherwood Drive in Lake Bluff

Our new office will be open in plenty of time for regular check ups and sports physicals, in advance of the camp and school season. Please call us at 847-295-1220 to schedule your child’s annual well child appointment or sports physical at our new Vernon Hills office or any of our three convenient locations.

Happy Holidays! Special Office Hours

Happy Holidays from all of us at Lake Forest Pediatric Associates! May this holiday season be filled with warmth and togetherness!

We are here to serve your family throughout the holiday season. Please make a note of our special holiday office hours.

Holiday Office Hours 2020

Well Visits are Now Open for All Ages

Post Date: 1587441600
Status: live

We’re proud to be caring for your family! Lake Forest Pediatric Associates is happy to announce that our Lindenhurst and Lake Bluff offices are now open for Well Visits for All Ages. Call 847-295-1220 for an appointment.

AAP Recommends Well Child Visits

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents continue to bring their children for well child visits and to continue to follow their child’s vaccination schedule. Read more about it here: Pediatricians Want Parents to Keep Children’s Vaccination Appointments amid Coronavirus

Call for an Appointment

Please call 847-295-1220 to make an appointment for well child visits and vaccines at all offices.

Continued Safety

Caring for our patients, their parents, and our staff and keeping them safe continues to be our primary concern. During this stay-at-home time, it’s important to visit your provider for your child’s preventative care. We offer separate times dedicated solely to well visits and we’re taking extra precautions to keep our patients and staff safe.

-We continue to separate well visit and sick visit times for the day. Well visit appointment slots account for the vast majority of the day (morning through early afternoon) with sick visit times in the late afternoon (and not coinciding with well visits).

-Our front desk and nurse educators continue to apply screening questions for appointments.

-We continue to adhere to universal PPE protocols, having our staff in masks and using gloves, face shields, and gowns where necessary, and issuing masks to patients who need them.

-We continue to advocate that patients wait in their car until called back for their appointment. In addition, we limit the number of people in the waiting room and we adhere to social distancing recommendations.

Read our blog article here: Lake Forest Pediatrics Providing Safe & Effective Care.

Insurance Changes

If your health insurance coverage may be changing, it’s a good idea to utilize your family’s current insurance plan for your child’s covered visits. Schedule your child’s checkups and vaccinations by calling 847-295-1220.

Patient Portal Upgrade Starts May 19th

Post Date: 1589342400
Status: live

We’re excited to announce a significant upgrade to our Patient Portal!

In addition to the key features you’ve come to expect, the new portal will offer additional benefits. The new portal will enable enhanced engagement opportunities between families and Lake Forest Pediatric Associates. In addition, all features will be accessible from any digital device, including your desktop computer, laptop, or mobile device (tablet or smartphone).

The portal upgrade begins May 19th and the portal will not be available to patients for one week.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Login to the portal NOW to verify that we have your correct email address.

2. Save and Print any messages you’d like to keep. The messages will not be available on the new portal.

3. If desired, download any health information you’ll need to have on hand during the portal upgrade process. The portal will not be available for one week. After the upgrade, your health information will be available again.

4. When the new portal is up (approximately May 26th), please contact our office to request access to our new portal. We then will verify the information necessary for us to send an invite to the parent/parents granting you access to our new portal. Once we do that, you will receive an email from us with instructions on registering for our new portal. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Questions? We’re happy to help! Please call our office: 847-295-1220.

Fourth of July Holiday Office Hours

Post Date: 1592798400
Status: archived

Happy Independence Day! All of us at Lake Forest Pediatric Associates wish you and your family a safe, fun and festive Fourth of July!

We are here to serve your family and we offer limited office hours on the holiday weekend. Our Vernon Hills Office will be closed both Friday, July 3rd and Saturday, July 4th. Please make a note of our special holiday office hours:

Friday, July 3rd

Lake Bluff Office – Open in AM only, no Walk-In Sick Call, Phones Open 8am – 12pm

Lindenhurst Office – Open in AM only, no Walk-In Sick Call, Phones Open 8am – 12pm

Vernon Hills Office – Closed

Saturday, July 4th

Lake Bluff Office – Open only for Urgent Care, Open in AM only, No Walk-In Sick Call, Phones Open 8am – 12pm

Lindenhurst Office – Closed

Vernon Hills Office – Closed

Note: No Walk-In Sick Call is available in any office until further notice.

Back to School

Post Date: 1595390400
Status: live

– The AAP has put out guidance stating the importance of having children attend school in-person whenever possible, and we agree with that statement. Being physically present at school is important to a child’s academic development, but is also key for their social-emotional development and mental health. While we must be cautious about spreading COVID in the community, there is a real risk to children missing out on in-person school as well.

– We expect that CDC guidelines will be used by schools to mitigate the risk of COVID transmission among students, and it is reassuring that data continue to show that children are at very low risk of serious disease from COVID, especially in elementary school age and younger. There is also some evidence that children are less likely to transmit disease to others. Here is a link to the American Academy of Pediatrics positions on the topic:
https://healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/Return-to-School-During-COVID-19.aspx

– Face masks are a key part of the guidelines for safe return to school, and we do not have any safety concerns for their use in children all day for school attendance, even if your child has a condition such as asthma. Children <2 yrs=”” of=”” age=”” or=”” who=”” are=”” neurologically=”” compromised=”” may=”” have=”” difficulty=”” wearing=”” removing=”” masks=”” without=”” assistance=”” so=”” their=”” use=”” in=”” these=”” groups=”” is=”” not=”” recommended=”” p=””>

– There are some conditions which may put your child, or a close family member, at risk for severe disease from COVID. If your child or a close relative with frequent contact has one of these conditions, this may be a reason to choose virtual learning and we suggest you discuss this with the specialist guiding their care. If you do not have a specialist or would also like to speak with one of our providers, we are available by phone as well. These conditions may include:
– Diabetes
– Chronic/complex kidney disease
– Complex heart disease (excluding innocent heart murmurs)
– Complex neurologic conditions
– Chronic lung disease (COPD, pulmonary malformations, moderate to severe asthma; generally mild asthma is NOT included)
– Obesity
– History of organ transplant
– Compromised immune system from other underlying condition or medication

– It is important to remember that while schools will try to take every precaution possible to reduce transmission of COVID, returning to in-person school will not be risk-free, and you have to decide what is best for your family and your child in terms of in-person vs. virtual learning for the fall.

-Confirm that your child’s immunizations are up to date. As always, we encourage everyone to get the influenza vaccine this year, but it is especially critical this year for those returning to school or participating in activities outside the home.

-Recommendations may change based on prevalence of the virus in the area. It is also important to be flexible and have a back-up plan in place should your school need to transition to remote learning.

-The following are some safety factors schools are putting in place. You can check with your school to see if any of the following are in the plans for reopening:
-Physical distancing
-Frequent hand hygiene
-Cloth face coverings (in school and on buses)
-Utilize outside space when possible
-Lunch in room or small groups outside
-Temperature checks (home and/or school). Fever is considered temperature of 100.4 F or greater
-Sanitizing classrooms and high touch surfaces
-Minimize use of high touch surfaces (such as keeping classroom doors open)

-Keep your child home if s/he or any family member has any illness symptoms.

Labor Day Office Hours

Post Date: 1598328000
Status: archived

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

We are here to serve you, with regular office hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

On Monday, September 7th, our Lake Bluff office will be open from 8:00 am – 12:00 pm for urgent care only. NO walk-in sick call will be available. The Vernon Hills and Lindenhurst offices will be closed on Labor Day.

Temporary Outage

Post Date: 1598500800
Status: archived

UPDATE: All phone and email systems are now fully functional. Thanks again for your patience! Feel free to access the portal and contact us by phone or email with any needs.

Please note that our systems are down temporarily. We will notify you when our phone and email systems are functional again.

If you need to make a future appointment or to access the portal, please try again tomorrow.

For urgent matters, please send a private message to us on Facebook and a team member will call you. Please include your phone number, child’s name and date of birth in your message.

Thank you for your patience.