Using tools that work
to create real change in your child’s health, school performances and emotional mastery
The broader and deeper the professional services available to the families in a pediatric practice, the more effective the pediatric practice will be in providing the best health care for your child. Services provided make a difference in several important ways:
- How your family experiences obtaining and receiving medical care and information.
- The range of problems that the office can address with great effectiveness.
- The level of expertise of the professionals in the office.
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OBTAINING AND RECEIVING
MEDICAL CARE AND INFORMATION
How a pediatric office is physically organized determines how effective it is in making your time with it be as helpful as possible. Our office is completely computerized, allowing for instant access to patient information, instant transfer of records to the office of an outside specialist, and access to patient records by the pediatrician from home or any location outside the office proper.
A highly functional computerized system physically prevents the prescribing of any medication to which the child has been identified as being allergic. It can also track the billions of possible drug-drug interactions before each prescription is written for your child.
Our use of technology means our pediatric staff is freed from the grinding burden of pulling and filing charts and can be available to you more readily when you call or visit. Requests for information are easy to accommodate.
In 2003, Advanced Pediatrics in Beachwood was recognized by Microsoft as a leader in the use of technology. It was the only doctor's office in the nation to receive that recognition.
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RANGE OF PROBLEMS ADDRESSED
Medicine
Having the best expertise possible is the starting point for any practice providing excellent care for a complete range of medical concerns, challenges, and conditions. When this level of expertise is combined with an approach that features effective and close working relationships with the region's top specialists in every area of pediatric care, then the pediatric practice is able to provide the highest levels of care possible.
Our commitment to the best outcomes creates a collaborative style of consultation with external specialists. In such collaborative offices, the staff remains involved and helps resolve diagnostic challenges and develop the best possible treatment programs. When help is needed from specialists, our effective pediatric practices ensure your child is seen promptly.
This approach allows your child to receive the best specialty expertise while at the same time ensuring that all the various strands of testing, inquiry, and treatment are woven into one effective, cohesive process. Experience shows that the best outcomes are created in this manner.
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Parenting
Parenting children is the greatest gift we are given, and perhaps the most important challenge we can face. It has never been easy.
Recently, leading pediatric practices have begun to make parenting assistance available to those who need it: to both patients and the general public.
While it is not possible or likely for all pediatric practices to have nationally recognized experts providing highly regarded advice on parenting in their office, when it does occur it is a clear advantage for the clientele. Advanced Pediatrics is fortunate to be such a practice.
Dr. Lavin and Ms. Susan Glaser, have published two books on parenting, "Who's the Boss? Moving Families from Conflict to Collaboration" (Collaboration Press, 2006), and "Baby & Toddler Sleep Solutions for Dummies" (Wiley, 2007).
The philosophies behind those books are embodied in Advanced Pediatrics' Who's the Boss? Parenting Education Center which makes parenting seminars available to pregnant women in the community on a regular basis, regardless of pediatric office affiliation.
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Psychology and Behavior
Both doctors and nurse practitioners are aware that problems relating to how our minds mature and operate are a large part of the challenge of parenting and raising children. Over the years we have responded to that interest in the workings of the mind by developing collaborative relationships with counselors in this field.
Our counselor is Mr. Samuel Selekman, a social worker who has provided extraordinary counseling to families and children for many decades, including being a leader at Beech Brook. Mr. Selekman offers effective therapy and counseling to parents and children across a broad range of difficulties, including family conflicts, children's resistance to maturing, management of anxiety and depression, coping with chronic symptoms, as well as many other sources of psychological and behavioral difficulty.
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Cognitive Function
(Mind functions important for success in school and life)
One of the most common and profound sources of suffering for children today comes from trouble doing well in school. There appears to be a rise on both the level of cognitive complexity schools present and the actual incidence of cognitive troubles children's minds have.
To deal with that issue, we have developed two powerful responses.
The first was to establish a close collaboration with, Dr. Carl Weitman, a pediatric neuropsychologist who is licensed and certified to conduct very detailed and accurate measures of precisely what cognitive functions seem to be in the way of a struggling child succeeding in school. Pediatric neuropsychologists measure a child's attentional abilities, processing speed, auditory and visual processing of information, decoding language skills, as well as others. The neuropsychologist then creates a "map of the mind" that indicates specifically where school troubles may lie. Knowing this information is important in crafting the most precise therapies most likely to help your child succeed.
Secondly, we identified the leading innovations from today's neurosciences. Research into the function of the mind, by organizations such as Cogmed Working Memory Training (CWMT), is now yielding important insights that will help millions of people function better. CWMT's program of working memory training exercises is emerging as a world leader in the proven ability to enhance attentional skills. Harvard, Stanford, NYU, Notre Dame and several other universities have taken a keen interest in this breakthrough in the management of attention and working memory deficit. Several dozen centers now provide CWMT in the US. Advanced Pediatrics of Beachwood is the first professional office in the nation to make it available in the United States.
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Developmental Delays, Aversions,
Autism, Sensory Hypersensitivities
Many children have problems with developing the right set of skills to be effective and comfortable in the world.
Occupational therapy services, presented by certified therapists, can address a wide range of concerns regarding how your child speaks, manages their overall oral function, and moves their body. Helping children advance these functions is primary to increase their ability to be effective and comfortable with their enviornment and to respond to, and use their body in, the world.
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Advanced Radiology Services
Dr. James Zelch, one of Greater Cleveland's top radiologists, has opened Advantage Diagnostics, an outstanding radiology center, in our office suite. Advantage Diagnostics offers families at Advanced Pediatrics a number of important advantages, such as:
Great Range of State-of-the-art Services
- X-rays
- CT scans
- Ultrasounds
- MRIs
- PET scans
Tremendous Access
- Open through the early evening
- Appointments easily booked
Rapid Results
- Families can walk next door to Advantage Diagnostics from Advanced Pediatrics and have their X-ray, CT scan, or other imaging done rapidly
- Dr. Zelch and his radiology group read the results quickly. Tests can be set up, completed, and results reported with an efficiency and effectiveness hard to achieve elsewhere.
Advantage Diagnostics uses state-of-the-art imaging technology that cuts radiation dosage to your child in half.
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Doula Services
Birth & Beyond, Inc.
Advanced Pediatrics has formed an association with Birth & Be-yond, Inc., a local doula service that offers extensive, individualized support to help new families adjust and thrive during the critical times during pregnancy, birth and/or the postpartum period.
Labor Doula
Assists parents to prepare for birth. Provides supportive care throughout the entire labor. Labor doulas are an increasingly popular option for birthing mothers. Labor doulas are not midwives or doctors, but a knowledgeable, non-medical team member for you and your partner.
Postpartum Doula
Acts as a non-judgmental guide and mentor in the first weeks and months at home, after birth. Postpartum doulas offer care for the mother, newborn care guidance, sibling care, breast-feeding or bottle feeding support, meal preparation, and other household tasks.
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Lactation Services
Madonna Fasimpaur
Advanced Pediatrics works closely with Madonna Fasimpaur, IBCLC, RLC, LPN, one of the region’s most successful lactation counselors. Ms. Fasimpaur helps mothers who choose to nurse to be successful at breast feeding. Her experiences allow her to resolve typical breast-feeding issues in very few sessions, usually just one and often in the parents’ home.
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