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Flu Vaccine Now Available at Walk-In Flu Clinics

We are pleased to announce our schedule for Walk-In Flu Clinics**.

Tuesday, September 13 from 5:30 p – 6:30 p
Thursday, September 29 from 5:30 p – 7:30 p
Thursday, October 13 from 5:30 p – 7:30 p
Tuesday, October 18 from 5:30 p – 7:30 p
Thursday, October 27 from 5:30 p – 7:30 p
Thursday, November 3 from 5:30 p – 7:30 p
Thursday, November 10 from 5:30 p – 7:30 p
Tuesday, November 22 from 5:30 p – 7:30 p
Tuesday, December 6 from 5:30 p - 7:30 p
Tuesday, December 13 from 5:30 p – 7:30 p

**If you are unable to make any of these walk-in times please call our office to schedule a time for your child's (children's) flu vaccination.

Patient Gateway Now Available

Registration for Patient Gateway may only be done in person, at our office. Please click here to download the registration form. Bring the completed form to our office to register for Patient Gateway.

Click here to learn about some of the benefits such as:

• refill medications
• view immunization records
• contact the office

Click here to link directly to Patient Gateway.

Expectant Parent Information Nights

Centre Pediatrics cordially invites any expectant parents or families that are considering transferring to our practice, to join us and learn about what to expect from their pediatrician and more about Centre Pediatrics. This is an informal presentation by our physicians allowing you the opportunity to hear about us and ask our physicians questions at the end of the presentation.

Sessions begin promptly at 5:30 and run about 45 minutes to one hour in length.

Please note that our Expectant Parent Information Night sessions are normally held on the third Monday of the month. However, due to Monday holidays, there are a couple of exceptions. The dates for our Expectant Parent Information Night sessions for 2011 and 2012 are:

Important Reminders

It’s hard to believe, but summer is right around the corner...please plan accordingly.  Remember to get your camp forms and request for Health Forms to us early. 

Do you have your child’s yearly appointment scheduled?  If not, please give us a call at 617-735-8585, option 3 and have one of our staff help you schedule an appointment.

For those of you heading off to college, remember to submit your college forms as soon as possible and, if you need an updated physical, now is the time to schedule.

Flu Mist: An Alternative to Flu Shots
October, 2011

This year we will continue to offer Flu Mist vaccine as an alternative to standard flu shots.  Flu Mist was first approved for use in 2003.  We are satisfied that Flu Mist is as safe and is equally effective as the Flu shot. The Flu Mist vaccine is a small amount of liquid sprayed up each nostril. It does not sting.

Most healthy people, between ages 2 and 49, are candidates to receive Flu Mist vaccine.

The Flu Mist is not given to asthmatics or patients who are immunocompromised or on immunosuppressive drugs like steroids.

We are still giving standard flu shots. Anyone 6 months of age or older may receive the standard vaccine.

Children 6 months up to 9 years of age getting a flu vaccine for the first time will need two doses of vaccine the first year they are vaccinated, with the first dose ideally being given in September or as soon as vaccine becomes available. The second dose should be given 28 or more days after the first dose. The first dose "primes" the immune system; the second dose provides immune protection. 

For more information from Center for Disease Control, go to http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/children.htm

Communication Tool Added for Hearing and Speech Impaired
A valuable communication tool has been added to this Web site for our patients that may be hearing or speech impaired. Text Relay is federally funded and regulated by the FCC; it's also completely free to both the caller and the called party. Please use the "Text Relay" button found on the Contact Us page of our Web site to connect to Text Relay.

Notice to Our Patients Regarding Walk-in Hours
In an effort to provide the best possible customer service we have the option for your sick child to be seen during our morning walk-in hour Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.  This walk-in hour should only be used if your child has acute health problems such as sore throat, ear pain, or fever for example.  In order for us to provide the best possible care to your child, this walk-in hour should not be used for chronic health problems or concerns (i.e. abdominal pain for two months).  These problems are best dealt with by seeing your primary care provider who knows you and your child best.  Therefore, these types of visits should be scheduled appointments made with our triage nurses.  Triage can be reached by dialing our main number 617-735-8585 and press option 2 on the voice mail.

Our walk-in hour is very busy and you should anticipate a wait when you arrive.  Our providers work as quickly as they can to accommodate those that come to the walk-in hour in a timely manner while providing thoughtful care.  We may not be able to accommodate you if you walk in after 9:30 a.m. without an appointment.  All of our physicians and nurse practitioners have scheduled appointments during the day, which begin at 9:30 a.m.  If you feel your child must be seen and you missed walk-in clinic, you should call our triage line and speak with one of our nurses. They will try to find a time for you to be seen depending upon medical necessity.

Centre Pediatric Associates looks forward to continuing to provide our patients and their families with a positive and efficient health care experience.

Dr. Heller's Book on Pediatrics
I am pleased to announce the exciting news that Dr. Dan's Last Word on Babies and Other Humans by Daniel G. and Nancy S. Heller has now been published. Dan and I were working on this book at the time of his death, and I have now completed it.

Mainly a pediatric advice book about baby rearing in the first year of life, the book would make a great baby shower gift or gift for new parents.

For those of us no longer in the baby-making cycle of life, the book also contains many stories from parents, patients, colleagues and friends about Dan. The stories are both poignant and heart-warming, and depict Dan's unique style and zany sense of humor.

You may purchase the book in either hardcover or softcover versions online at the following online retailers: iuniverse, bn.com (Barnes & Noble), and amazon.com.
Net proceeds of all sales will benefit the Daniel G. Heller Memorial Fund, a lecture fund established to honor Dr. Dan's love of teaching parents, medical students, and pediatric residents.

Thank you for your patience and your support. I hope that you will be pleased with the final product.

- Nancy Heller

Book Reviews:
"A confidence-boosting guide to a host of frequently asked questions. Straightforward and comforting." – Kirkus Reviews

"A sweet legacy. Kindly humanists like 'Crazy Dr. Heller' (as he called himself) are to be treasured." – Cookie Magazine

This book provides timely, commonsensical pediatric advice for the first year of life and poignant stories from parents that reveal Dr. Dan's unique style and sense of humor.