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American Academy of Pediatrics

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May Update from Puri Pediatrics

As the May flowers bloom and as the weather warms up seasonal allergies are here. If your child is sneezing, itchy throat, watery eyes keep in mind allergies can be the cause. Many children are taking the STAR testing this week and next week. Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest and a good breakfast to keep their minds sharp and ready for their testing. Soon you child/ren will be on summer break. Please call to set up your child’s physical exam or if traveling outside country during the summer please come at least one week before travel.

Flu Guidelines:

Flu took a heavy toll on children this season: The CDC says 105 children died of the flu this season, emphasizing the importance of vaccinating everyone older than 6 months.

Last year, a very mild year for flu, 34 children died, but this year, the deaths were more in line with a typical year. Flu seasons vary greatly in severity. In the 2003-2004 season, 153 children died, according to CDC numbers. The death toll is up to date as of March 16, but Michael Jhung, a medical officer in CDC's Influenza Division, said more deaths are possible: "Flu season is winding down but it's not over."

Of the children who died, 90% had not been vaccinated against the flu. "That's a remarkable number," Jhung said. Though this season's flu vaccine was not particularly effective in those over 65, it worked well in children, he said… [Read More]

Whooping Cough (Pertussis) Vaccine: Pertussis (also known as whooping cough) is a serious, easily transmitted infection that causes severe and violent coughing episodes. The infection primarily affects adolescents and adults, but it can cause severe morbidity and death to young infants who are too young to be immunized. It is often transmitted by family members. In the policy statement, “Additional Recommendations for Use of Tetanus Toxoid, Reduced-Content Diphtheria Toxoid, and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine (Tdap)."

CDC study: Recommended Vaccines for Children do not increase risk of Autism: A new study has found no link between the number of vaccines given to children on one day or in the first 2 years of life and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study, published online in the Journal of Pediatrics , March 29, 2013, can help allay parent concerns about perceptions that the current vaccine schedule advocates too many vaccines too soon in a child’s life. The study further strengthens the conclusion of a 2004 comprehensive review by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) that there is no relationship between certain vaccine types and autism. For more information on vaccine safety and autism, see: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Concerns/Autism/Index.html.

Road Trip Boredom Busters: The family road trip can be a time to bond and learn about each other's interests and points of view — or an ordeal that makes you want to scream every time you hear "Are we there yet?" from your kids.

A road trip can be a fun, educational, and sane experience with just a little planning, creativity, and preparation. Sure, electronic games, apps, and portable DVD players are great distractions. But don't overlook these family-friendly games and activities that can keep everyone happy as the miles go by… [Read More]

RelayHealth
We also want to remind all our patients to sign up for RelayHealth. Once signed up, we can do appointment reminders, email us for non-urgent questions, or request elective appointments. You can also leave messages for non-urgent matters ext. 100 leave message for future appointments; 206 for lab results or school forms).

New Patients and Appointments
We are accepting new patients and we take most PPO insurances and HMO through Hills Physicians. If you have any questions about your new insurance or what we take please call our office 510-797-7766 or check the website. For the New Year we would request as soon as possible to have you update your records (new registration form, insurance, and one main contact phone number and email). We will be transferring to a new system in the middle of the year and we will start doing automated phone reminders.

May Holidays

	Mother's Day Happy Mother's Day to all our mothers. Our mothers have a 24/7/365 job and they selflessly take care of their children.
	Memorial Day Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday, which occurs every year on the final Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars. It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries.
	Maharashtra Day Maharashtra Day, commonly known as Maharashtra Diwas in Marathi and Maharashtra Din in Hindi, is a state holiday in Maharashtra, India commemorating the formation of the state of Maharashtra from the division of the Bombay State on May 1st, 1960. Maharashtra Day is commonly associated with parades and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history and traditions of Maharashtra.
	Most holiday decriptions and images courtesy of Wikipedia www.wikipedia.org

Allergy season is here, if your child is suffering from allergies, asthma or any skin problems including acne, Dr. Veena Puri specializes in them. Please call our office 510-797-7766 to make an appointment. Click here for AAP Allergy Tips

Meet Our Newest Physician…

Rita Wadhwani, MD Dr. Rita Wadhwani has been a pediatrician since 2000. She has done her MBBS and MD in pediatrics in India; and studied and worked in the United States. That gives her the knowledge and experience, which is best of both worlds for taking care of the children. | Read More…

Halloween 2012 Photos

Our Staff…

Dr. Veena Puri with staff members (LtoR) Farzi, Jennifer, Dr. Veena Puri, Angelica, Jessica, Stephanie and Barbara.
Drs. Veena Puri, Anamika Sharma and Rita Wadhwani		Dr. Veena Puri with Simal O. (Parent of Tejas)

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Take steps to prevent the flu:

• The flu season is here! The best way to protect against flu is to get the vaccine every flu season. Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine. The flu vaccine provides protection that lasts throughout the flu season. Get vaccinated now so that you will be protected all season long!
  Wash your hands.
• Keeping hands clean is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of infection and illness. Keeping hands clean prevents illness at home, at school, and at work. It’s best to wash your hands with soap and clean running water for 20 seconds. If that’s not possible, use alcohol-based hand rubs.
• Develop, maintain, and keep good sleep habits.
• Don’t look a fright this Halloween! Sufficient sleep is not a luxury—it is a necessity—and should be thought of as a "vital sign" of good health. Sufficient sleep is being recognized as an important aspect to help prevent some chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart conditions, obesity, and depression.
• Eat fruits and vegetables.
  Healthy diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. Fruits and vegetables also provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are important for good health. Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are filling. Fruits and vegetables are a great healthy snack to serve for Halloween parties.
• Be prepared for cold weather.
  Although winter comes as no surprise, many of us are not ready for its arrival. Be prepared this Halloween and make sure to dress for the weather. If you are prepared for the hazards of winter, you will be more likely to stay safe and healthy when temperatures start to fall.
  

We would like to hear back from our patients so please give us your feedback either through Yelp, RelayHealth or our surveys in the office.

Like us on Facebook! We periodically put articles and pictures on our facebook page. You can like us from our website and just click on the facebook icon or you can go to www.facebook/puripediatrics.com

Please check our website and facebook for updated information for our parents on current medical info as reviewed and posted by Dr. Puri.

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We have gone back to phone reminders for those who have not signed up for Relay Health. We offer a lot of services through relay health, so please sign up. We send monthly updates, appointment reminders, and normal lab reports send prescriptions to pharmacy of your choice, we only accept non urgent questions via relay health.

We have partnered with Washington Hospital billing and outsourced our billing to them. If you have any changes with insurances, addresses, or phone numbers please notify us of the change. For most insurances, open enrollment is coming up. Please notify us and we accept most insurances including, Blue Shield, Blue Cross, Aetna, Cigna, Greatwest, Healthnet, Hmo ins only through Hills Physicians, Pacificare, United Healthcare, and most PPO’s.

We encourage any suggestions and feedback from you to help us serve you better. We are constantly working on providing excellent customer service along with state of the art medicine by experienced physicians with up to date knowledge of medicine. Our doctors attend conferences throughout the year to keep themselves informed of all the new recommendations. We have caring staff in our office, whose goal is to provide you with excellent service. We have a team which will personally welcome each one of you to our office. We do close follow up via phone or Relay Health for our new patients. Our doctors want to know how they are in a few days after their visit to the office.

Last of all Dr. Veena Puri who is the Medical Director of Puri Pediatrics along with all our great staff; want to express our thanks for choosing our office. As the providers for your children and families we know you have many choices when it comes to making that choice. We wish you a very happy, safe and fun filled summer from all of us. Our goal is to provide you and your child excellent and personalized customer service!

Regular Office Hours:	Monday & Friday: 8:30 am to 6:00 pm
	Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Walk-in Hours:	Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 12:45 pm to 2:00 pm
Weekend Hours:	Closed on Saturdays and Sundays
Evening Hours:	Evening hours available on request. Please check with the receptionist.
Please note that we do not close for lunch.

"Healthy Bodies, Happy Families"

A Group Appointment for
HMO Hills Physician's Families

Facilitated by the doctors at
Puri Pediatric Medical Group

with Guest Speaker Megan Winslow, RD

Click here to download the Nutrition Flyer

Facebook: Lastly, come follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/Puri Pediatric Medical Group. We love to have your support and we love to support and educate you. Latest breaking pediatric medical issues are posted routinely there as we work to keep you informed.

As Always, please feel free to let us know how we can help serve your needs better! As you all start to celebrate the New Year with friends and family, we would like to extend our best wishes from our warm, caring and friendly staff.

We take pride in the excellent care we provide and always appreciate you sending your friends and families to our office. We also want to thank you all for your continued confidence in our practice.

Insurance Accepted: We accept Aetna, Blue Cross, Beech Street, Blue Shield, CA Foundation for Medical Care, Cigna, First Health, Great West, HealthNet, Hill Physicians, Humana, Interplan, Multiplan, Pacificare, Private Health Systems, and United Healthcare. Call our office at 510-797-7766, if you have any questions.

Help Us Serve You Better
by completing this short survey:

Download survey form: MS Word File | PDF File
Send completed form by email to:
puripeds@gmail.com or fax it to (510) 797-0595.

Taking Care of Your Children Until Age 26
Due to the passage of new health care bill, we will be happy now to take care of young adults till 26 years of age, while they are covered under their parents’ plan.

Click here for Internet Media Use

Visit the USDA ChooseMyPlate website: www.choosemyplate.gov