When your child is sick, or when your child has to come in for shots and check-ups it's important to have a pediatrician you trust. However how do you find the right pediatrician for your child? When do you start the search and what questions should you ask a potential doctor that will be in charge of the care of your child?
These are all very important questions.
Listen in as Stephen Lookadoo Jr. shares how you can select the right pediatrician for you and your family.
Selected Podcast
Choosing Your Child's Pediatrician
Featured Speaker:
Stephen Lookadoo, MD
Dr. Stephen Lookadoo, Jr graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine in 1995. He works in Greenville, SC and 1 other location and specializes in Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Dr. Lookadoo Jr is affiliated with Greenville Memorial Hospital and St Francis Hospital Eastside.Transcription:
Melanie Cole (Host): Finding the right person to take care of your child's health is a very important decision. You want someone that you can trust and that you know will do their best always to help your children to feel their best. At GHS, the top pediatric physicians are dedicated to creating a healthy and comfortable environment for you and your children and promise to deliver top care. My guest today is Dr. Steven Lookadoo. He's a pediatrician with Greenville Health System. Welcome to the show, Dr. Lookadoo. So, when should parents or parents-to-be start looking for that pediatrician that they need?
Dr. Steven Lookadoo (Guest): I'd say most parents typically start looking for a doctor for their child, most of the time before the last trimester of pregnancy. They often will do this by talking with friends. They very often will consult Facebook and other social media. Many practices will offer what we call prenatal visits, which allow parents to come in and actually interview the doctors and get a feel for the practice and sort of test the waters there.
Melanie: So, they come in and meet with a pediatrician, meet with someone such as yourself. Are we allowed to make an appointment for just a consultation to see if we all get along?
Dr. Lookadoo: Yes. Most of our practices will allow that and that is a no charge visit, and gives us 15-20 minutes to just sit down and just discuss any topics that the parents want to speak about and answer any questions that they have.
Melanie: So, what questions do parents come and ask you and what questions should parents come and ask you?
Dr. Lookadoo: The first thing is going to generally be, "How does the office work?" For me, when I have a parent come in, what I do is take them through from the time the child is born to the time we start to see them. I find that to be the easiest, most logical way to discuss that. What they want to know is who's going to see their child in the hospital and when do they need to be seen after the baby is discharged from the hospital. They want to know about office hours and any other office locations, because certain practices will have more than one office. We will often talk about well child care, vaccines being an important part of that discussion. So, I always answer questions about that. And then, other general office logistics. Who do they talk to if they have questions? Is there a nurse they can speak with? During office hours, who do they speak with? After office hours? And then, weekend care.
Melanie: So, that's a big question for parents. It's not only weekend care but after office hours and you pediatricians, boy, you take calls from frantic parents all night long. What do you want parents to know about those late night calls for fevers and sore throats and tummy aches?
Dr. Lookadoo: The biggest thing is that they have a safety net. Particularly with first time parents, that first fever, that first illness is a scary thing, and what we want them to understand is that there's someone they can talk to 24 hours a day and that most things are dealt with fairly easily. There are the rare occasions where a child may need to be seen in the middle of the night, but most things--and honestly--most phone calls are not about necessarily intervention but advice. What do I do? So, we want them to know there's a safety net, there's someone they can talk to, whether it's the physician or a triage nurse, that has information for them and can guide them to do what they need to do because we always say, “All bad things always seem to happen at night!”
Melanie: Dr. Lookadoo, is there a charge for those late night phone calls?
Dr. Lookadoo: No. The phone calls to practices are a free service we provide. We consider that part of our comprehensive care for patients.
Melanie: Well, it certainly is comprehensive and parents get scared. What do you tell them about some of those little things? Strep throat? Ear infections? Do you tell them that they need to come in? I know it's individual but what, generally, do you tell them to calm their fears in the middle of the night?
Dr. Lookadoo: Well, let's start with the ear infection, that's probably going to be one of the more common things that parents are going to call in about because the child is in pain; they're uncomfortable; they're crying. The first thing that we want to do is deal with that part. I can fix pain relatively quickly. That will get us through to the light of the day, when things get calmer and better dealt with. What I tell them is that treating the baby in the middle of the night with an antibiotic is not going to make any difference in the baby's night, but treating the pain will. So, I will always tell them to call us first before going to an emergency room or something of that nature, where the baby may be exposed to other contagious diseases or whatnot, to give us a call so we can help with the pain. Same thing with strep throat. It's all about educating the parent and telling them, "This is what needs to done is there is not a dangerous situation and reassure them we can see them first thing in the morning. In fact, in our practice we have walk-in hours first thing as soon as the office opens. So, a parent can show up at the door, 8am or 7:30 am when we open, to be seen right away.
Melanie: What about well visits, Dr. Lookadoo? How often do you suggest parents bring in their children for that well checkup?
Dr. Lookadoo: We love our well visits. Well care is something that pediatricians probably have perfected. The first 2 years - and this is how I present it to folks who come in for those prenatal visits - the first 2 years, about 6 checkups: 2, 4, 6 months, and 12, 15, and 18 months for their vaccines. We actually have one check up in the first year where that's not any routine vaccines and that's the 9 month visit. The vaccines are the thing that parents are typically most attuned to, about checkups, but, as pediatricians, we also have several other things that we use them for. The first is growth and development. A 2 month old baby is quite different than a 6 month old baby. There are a lot of things we want to make sure are coming along for that infant. We do want to do immunizations. We have children that have chronic diseases and checkups are a great way to keep on top of those things, such as asthma, attention-deficit disorder, diabetes, all those other sorts of things. For our older kids, our adolescents, I look at it as a great time to catch up with them. Adolescents are interesting folks. They do a lot of different things now; they have interesting lives and because they're older we may not see them for a year. So, that's a good time to see what's gone on with them in the last year, to ask questions about how school's going, what are their plans coming up--all those sorts of things that you might not think about as being medical but being very important to their growth and development at that age.
Melanie: And, what about that connection, that willingness to trust? It's so important that you trust your pediatrician above all of your other doctors?
Dr. Lookadoo: Now, picking a pediatrician, is a long-term commitment. It's potentially 18 to 20 years of seeing the same physician and being a part of the same family. Because of that, there are a lot of things that are discussed. I have patients that I met the day they came into the world and now they're heading off into college. In the meantime, we've gone through all the standard illnesses; we might have talked about things such as depression or boy-girl issues in their adolescent years--all those sorts of things. So, because of that it is a fairly intimate thing. We learn a lot about each other over the years and it is important to be able to trust your physician to be someone to speak with, give good advice and direct you for help when that's needed. All of that is very important.
Melanie: And, how can you find a pediatrician at GHS?
Dr. Lookadoo: Well, you can view a list of GHS primary care pediatric physicians online or you can call 1-844-GHS-DOCS or 1-844-447-3627 for a physician recommendation. Most physicians have complete biographies, photos and video profiles that you can view online before making a decision. GHS also offers pediatric referrals to those who call 1-800-4-R-BUDDY which is 1-800-472-8339.
Melanie: And, tell us a little bit about GHS pediatric specialty care. What are some of the things that GHS pediatricians have to offer?
Dr. Lookadoo: Well, GHS pediatricians offer a wide variety of experience and personalities. They have also numerous locations in the area, so it's easy for a parent to find an office and a physician to fit their family. We have access to a large number of specialists and a large integrated system of care, which is unusual in an area such as ours.
Melanie: And then, tell us about GHS Children's Hospital. What makes that so special, Dr. Lookadoo?
Dr. Lookadoo: They have physicians representing more than 35 pediatric specialties and it offers a more comprehensive whole child care than many of the country’s major medical centers. Our offices are conveniently located throughout our upstate area, although many may be found at Greenville Memorial on our main campus or at the Children's Hospital and Outpatient Center.
Melanie: So then, just the last few minutes here, just wrap it up for us. Give parents listening your very best advice about finding that perfect pediatrician and why they should come to Greenville Health Systems for their care.
Dr. Lookadoo: The first thing is the need to look at location where they want to be seen. They need to take into account any special needs their child may have and they need to look for that intangible. When they speak to that doctor in that meeting for the first time, what is the doctor's philosophy for treatment and does the physician's personality gel with their own? I think GHS gives a wide variety for all of those things, for patients and families.
Melanie: Thank you so much for being with us today. It's such great and such important information. You're listening to Inside Health with Greenville Health System. For more information, you can go to ghs.org, that's ghs.org. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
Melanie Cole (Host): Finding the right person to take care of your child's health is a very important decision. You want someone that you can trust and that you know will do their best always to help your children to feel their best. At GHS, the top pediatric physicians are dedicated to creating a healthy and comfortable environment for you and your children and promise to deliver top care. My guest today is Dr. Steven Lookadoo. He's a pediatrician with Greenville Health System. Welcome to the show, Dr. Lookadoo. So, when should parents or parents-to-be start looking for that pediatrician that they need?
Dr. Steven Lookadoo (Guest): I'd say most parents typically start looking for a doctor for their child, most of the time before the last trimester of pregnancy. They often will do this by talking with friends. They very often will consult Facebook and other social media. Many practices will offer what we call prenatal visits, which allow parents to come in and actually interview the doctors and get a feel for the practice and sort of test the waters there.
Melanie: So, they come in and meet with a pediatrician, meet with someone such as yourself. Are we allowed to make an appointment for just a consultation to see if we all get along?
Dr. Lookadoo: Yes. Most of our practices will allow that and that is a no charge visit, and gives us 15-20 minutes to just sit down and just discuss any topics that the parents want to speak about and answer any questions that they have.
Melanie: So, what questions do parents come and ask you and what questions should parents come and ask you?
Dr. Lookadoo: The first thing is going to generally be, "How does the office work?" For me, when I have a parent come in, what I do is take them through from the time the child is born to the time we start to see them. I find that to be the easiest, most logical way to discuss that. What they want to know is who's going to see their child in the hospital and when do they need to be seen after the baby is discharged from the hospital. They want to know about office hours and any other office locations, because certain practices will have more than one office. We will often talk about well child care, vaccines being an important part of that discussion. So, I always answer questions about that. And then, other general office logistics. Who do they talk to if they have questions? Is there a nurse they can speak with? During office hours, who do they speak with? After office hours? And then, weekend care.
Melanie: So, that's a big question for parents. It's not only weekend care but after office hours and you pediatricians, boy, you take calls from frantic parents all night long. What do you want parents to know about those late night calls for fevers and sore throats and tummy aches?
Dr. Lookadoo: The biggest thing is that they have a safety net. Particularly with first time parents, that first fever, that first illness is a scary thing, and what we want them to understand is that there's someone they can talk to 24 hours a day and that most things are dealt with fairly easily. There are the rare occasions where a child may need to be seen in the middle of the night, but most things--and honestly--most phone calls are not about necessarily intervention but advice. What do I do? So, we want them to know there's a safety net, there's someone they can talk to, whether it's the physician or a triage nurse, that has information for them and can guide them to do what they need to do because we always say, “All bad things always seem to happen at night!”
Melanie: Dr. Lookadoo, is there a charge for those late night phone calls?
Dr. Lookadoo: No. The phone calls to practices are a free service we provide. We consider that part of our comprehensive care for patients.
Melanie: Well, it certainly is comprehensive and parents get scared. What do you tell them about some of those little things? Strep throat? Ear infections? Do you tell them that they need to come in? I know it's individual but what, generally, do you tell them to calm their fears in the middle of the night?
Dr. Lookadoo: Well, let's start with the ear infection, that's probably going to be one of the more common things that parents are going to call in about because the child is in pain; they're uncomfortable; they're crying. The first thing that we want to do is deal with that part. I can fix pain relatively quickly. That will get us through to the light of the day, when things get calmer and better dealt with. What I tell them is that treating the baby in the middle of the night with an antibiotic is not going to make any difference in the baby's night, but treating the pain will. So, I will always tell them to call us first before going to an emergency room or something of that nature, where the baby may be exposed to other contagious diseases or whatnot, to give us a call so we can help with the pain. Same thing with strep throat. It's all about educating the parent and telling them, "This is what needs to done is there is not a dangerous situation and reassure them we can see them first thing in the morning. In fact, in our practice we have walk-in hours first thing as soon as the office opens. So, a parent can show up at the door, 8am or 7:30 am when we open, to be seen right away.
Melanie: What about well visits, Dr. Lookadoo? How often do you suggest parents bring in their children for that well checkup?
Dr. Lookadoo: We love our well visits. Well care is something that pediatricians probably have perfected. The first 2 years - and this is how I present it to folks who come in for those prenatal visits - the first 2 years, about 6 checkups: 2, 4, 6 months, and 12, 15, and 18 months for their vaccines. We actually have one check up in the first year where that's not any routine vaccines and that's the 9 month visit. The vaccines are the thing that parents are typically most attuned to, about checkups, but, as pediatricians, we also have several other things that we use them for. The first is growth and development. A 2 month old baby is quite different than a 6 month old baby. There are a lot of things we want to make sure are coming along for that infant. We do want to do immunizations. We have children that have chronic diseases and checkups are a great way to keep on top of those things, such as asthma, attention-deficit disorder, diabetes, all those other sorts of things. For our older kids, our adolescents, I look at it as a great time to catch up with them. Adolescents are interesting folks. They do a lot of different things now; they have interesting lives and because they're older we may not see them for a year. So, that's a good time to see what's gone on with them in the last year, to ask questions about how school's going, what are their plans coming up--all those sorts of things that you might not think about as being medical but being very important to their growth and development at that age.
Melanie: And, what about that connection, that willingness to trust? It's so important that you trust your pediatrician above all of your other doctors?
Dr. Lookadoo: Now, picking a pediatrician, is a long-term commitment. It's potentially 18 to 20 years of seeing the same physician and being a part of the same family. Because of that, there are a lot of things that are discussed. I have patients that I met the day they came into the world and now they're heading off into college. In the meantime, we've gone through all the standard illnesses; we might have talked about things such as depression or boy-girl issues in their adolescent years--all those sorts of things. So, because of that it is a fairly intimate thing. We learn a lot about each other over the years and it is important to be able to trust your physician to be someone to speak with, give good advice and direct you for help when that's needed. All of that is very important.
Melanie: And, how can you find a pediatrician at GHS?
Dr. Lookadoo: Well, you can view a list of GHS primary care pediatric physicians online or you can call 1-844-GHS-DOCS or 1-844-447-3627 for a physician recommendation. Most physicians have complete biographies, photos and video profiles that you can view online before making a decision. GHS also offers pediatric referrals to those who call 1-800-4-R-BUDDY which is 1-800-472-8339.
Melanie: And, tell us a little bit about GHS pediatric specialty care. What are some of the things that GHS pediatricians have to offer?
Dr. Lookadoo: Well, GHS pediatricians offer a wide variety of experience and personalities. They have also numerous locations in the area, so it's easy for a parent to find an office and a physician to fit their family. We have access to a large number of specialists and a large integrated system of care, which is unusual in an area such as ours.
Melanie: And then, tell us about GHS Children's Hospital. What makes that so special, Dr. Lookadoo?
Dr. Lookadoo: They have physicians representing more than 35 pediatric specialties and it offers a more comprehensive whole child care than many of the country’s major medical centers. Our offices are conveniently located throughout our upstate area, although many may be found at Greenville Memorial on our main campus or at the Children's Hospital and Outpatient Center.
Melanie: So then, just the last few minutes here, just wrap it up for us. Give parents listening your very best advice about finding that perfect pediatrician and why they should come to Greenville Health Systems for their care.
Dr. Lookadoo: The first thing is the need to look at location where they want to be seen. They need to take into account any special needs their child may have and they need to look for that intangible. When they speak to that doctor in that meeting for the first time, what is the doctor's philosophy for treatment and does the physician's personality gel with their own? I think GHS gives a wide variety for all of those things, for patients and families.
Melanie: Thank you so much for being with us today. It's such great and such important information. You're listening to Inside Health with Greenville Health System. For more information, you can go to ghs.org, that's ghs.org. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
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