Category: News

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UPDATE 10-13-2020

We have received a shipment of our flu vaccine and have resumed booking flu shot appointments. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Please call 847-295-1220 for an appointment.

UPDATE: 10-7-2020

The good news is that people are getting their influenza (flu) shots this year. The bad news is that flu vaccine supplies have run short and the vaccine manufacturer Sanofi is behind on vaccine deliveries to health care providers, including Lake Forest Pediatric Associates.

We ordered over 10,000 flu shots for this fall, but due to the manufacturer’s distribution issues, we’ve received a limited number of flu vaccine doses. Because of this, flu vaccine appointments are NOT currently available at our offices. When additional vaccines have been received (hopefully soon) and we can resume scheduling flu vaccine appointments, we will post about it on our website and social media profiles.

9-8-2020

With Flu Season coming on the heels of the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever to do what we can to reduce the spread of these respiratory illnesses. Flu (Influenza) Season typically occurs in the Fall and Winter, sometimes extending into the Summer months. Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness that can cause mild to severe illness, sometimes resulting in hospitalization and even death. Learn more about the flu here.

Flu vaccines protect against the three or four flu viruses that are expected to be most common that season. Because of their beneficial effects, flu vaccines are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC for everyone 6 months of age and older. For more information about flu vaccines, read this recent article from CDC: Frequently Asked Influenza (Flu) Questions: 2020-2021 Season.

Get the Flu Vaccine at your Child’s Medical Home

Lake Forest Pediatrics offers the flu vaccine to our patients through our Annual Fall Flu Clinics. Please call us at 847-295-1220 to make your child’s appointment. Read about the importance of visiting your regular physician for vaccinations and well-child visits here.

The health and safety of our patients, their parents, and our staff is our primary concern. For the sake of everyone’s safety, we’re modifying the flow of patients in our offices to accommodate the flu clinics. Read about the safety measures in place at all Lake Forest Pediatrics’ offices, including social distancing and mask wearing, and view our screening processes on our website home page.

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The health, safety, and well-being of our patients and staff are our highest priority. With the growing concern about Coronavirus (COVID-19), we are taking necessary steps to help prevent the spread to our office.

To better protect your health and in response to the rapid and frequently changing information about COVID-19, we need to modify several of our long and established office schedules. We greatly appreciate your trust and support as we adjust to the ever-changing demands this outbreak has caused on health care delivery.

UPDATE: Starting Monday (4/13) and lasting through the end of April, we will be temporarily closing our Vernon Hills office.

Sunday hours remain unchanged: appointments only, NO WALK INS. Lake Bluff only.

Monday through Friday in Lake Bluff and Lindenhurst and Saturday morning in Lake Bluff and Lindenhurst:

• 7:45am: Phones go on Monday-Saturday, 8:00am: Phones go on Sunday
• 9:00am – Noon: Well-child visits and checkups in addition to follow-up visits (non-respiratory sick visits such as ear rechecks, rashes, concussions), and ADHD visits
• Noon – 1:30pm: Closed for lunch
• 1:30pm – 3:45pm: Well-child and checkup visits
• 4:15pm – 5:00pm: Sick visits BY APPOINTMENT ONLY – NO WALK INS 

Since January, we have implemented a phone screening process for all appointments being scheduled. This policy has been modified several times over the last couple of months as the Coronavirus has spread internationally. Our Support Staff and Patient Educators have been diligently using phone triage protocols to identify possible risks and having those parents speak with our physicians for further instruction as indicated.

We are not testing for COVID-19 but are directing people to Urgent Care Facilities and the Health Department for testing. Please call our office if you are concerned about having COVID-19 symptoms and have had contact with a person who has also been potentially exposed or has COVID-19.

Please limit the number of family members coming with you to all appointments. We ask that only one parent/guardian accompany your child if possible. When feasible, please refrain from bringing siblings to the visit.

We discourage individuals considered older adults and those who may have health problems or may be immunocompromised from coming to the office for their safety.

To minimize the number of people in our waiting rooms, we may ask patients who check in at our front desk to give their mobile number and to go back and wait in their vehicles until we can place them into a room.

Please refer to our “Coronavirus and Helpful Resource” post for further information.

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We’re pleased to announce the launch of our new text patient appointment reminder and communication system. The new system offers many convenient benefits to our families, including the following:

• text appointment reminders
• text pre-appointment screening questions (regarding COVID symptom checking)
• on-demand texts with patients who are in waiting in the parking lot

We’re excited to offer this new, convenient way of communicating with our patients!

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It is after careful thought and deliberation that we must temporarily cancel our morning walk-in visits. This was an incredibly difficult decision to reach after having successfully provided this service for over 40 years. We do so, however, to protect the health and well-being of your families and our staff.

We have been able to meet your needs with our Sunday/Holiday pre-booked sick appointments and will use this format to continue to treat ill children during the COVID-19 crisis. In follow-up to our previous notice, please find our modified schedule, for all our offices, below:

• 7:45am: Phones go on
• 8am-10:30am: Sick visits BY APPOINTMENT ONLY – NO WALK INS
• 11am – noon: Follow-up visits (non-respiratory sick visits such as ear rechecks, rashes, concussions), well visits, and ADHD visits.
• Noon – 1:30pm: Closed for lunch
• 1:30pm – 3:45pm: Well-child and checkup visits. All patients coming to these visits must be free from fever, runny nose, and coughing. Anyone arriving with those symptoms will be asked to reschedule their appointment.
• 4:15pm – 5pm: Sick visits BY APPOINTMENT ONLY – NO WALK INS

We greatly appreciate your trust and support as we adjust to the ever-changing demands this outbreak has caused on health care delivery.

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Doctor visits ARE allowed by Illinois’ Shelter-in-Place Order. Just as the Order allows for visits to the grocery store, pharmacy, gas station, and other essential services, you are allowed to visit your doctor’s office. Our offices are open to serve you and will continue to be open.

Please view our recent blog article Modified Office Schedule and Processes for current office hours and processes. 

In addition, we are working to expand services to telehealth visits for several types of appointments in the coming days. Please continue to check our website and social media profiles for news.

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Happy Thanksgiving! All of us at Lake Forest Pediatric Associates are GRATEFUL for you and the trust you place in us with your precious kids. Enjoy your family time together over the Thanksgiving Holidays.

Please make a note of our special holiday hours this month:

Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, 11-26-20:

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

Lindenhurst Office – Closed

Vernon Hills Office – Closed

Friday, 11-27-20:

Lake Bluff and Lindenhurst Offices will be open normal business hours. Phones will be Open 8:00am – 5:00pm

Vernon Hills Office – Closed

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Nebulizers have been shown to aerosolize respiratory droplets and COVID-19, so it is recommended to use a metered dose inhaler with a spacer instead. This method is safe and effective to use in all ages, even infants.

If you only have a nebulizer at home and need an inhaler and spacer for your child, please call the office at 847-295-1220.

If your child is being seen in the office for respiratory symptoms and has a history of asthma or wheezing, please bring your child’s inhaler and spacer to the appointment.

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As many of you may know, Dr. Michael Bauer has been working part-time in an administrative role with Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital.

Starting on March 23, 2020, Dr. Bauer will be taking a leave of absence from Lake Forest Pediatrics. On that date, he will begin working full-time at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital to help combat the challenging COVID-19 pandemic.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call our office at 847-295-1220.

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Status: live

Lake Forest Pediatrics is pleased to announce that we will now be offering telemedicine visits!

We can provide telemedicine services for your child for issues such as rash, conjunctivitis (pinkeye), allergies, styes, ear pain, vomiting/diarrhea, lacerations (to figure out if your child needs stitches!), or if your child has a cough and you’d like us to assess his/her breathing or have questions.

When contacting our office, our staff will ask you some follow-up questions in order to determine if a telemedicine visit is an appropriate option for your child.

If your child is scheduled with a specific provider, you will be sent an email with the website to go to at the time of your child’s appointment. If your appointment is during our telehealth “sick call” in the afternoon, you will be called by the provider with their website when they are ready to see your child. Please use a computer or device (such as a smartphone) with a good internet connection and webcam, and use an up to date version of Chrome or Firefox. Here is a video that demonstrates how to check in to your provider’s virtual waiting room: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJf9N9sjDLI#action=share. If you run into issues connecting, restart your computer/device or check out http://help.doxy.me.

In consenting to a telemedicine visit, you agree to:

•Login when instructed by your provider with your child nearby. We can better assess your child if you are in a well-lit area. If possible, please have a flashlight on hand (you can also use the one on your phone).

•Check and record your child’s temperature and weight prior to the appointment. If your child has respiratory symptoms and you have access to a pulse oximeter, please also check this vital sign.

•You understand that a telemedicine cannot fully replace an in-office visit. You understand and accept the limitations associated with a telemedicine visit.

•You consent to treatment via the telemedicine platform.

•Please note that if the visit goes toward patient responsibility (deductible/coinsurance), our regular financial policies will apply regarding payments.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to call the office.