As parents, we strive to provide our children with good homes. We see to it that their physical and emotional needs are met. We work hard to get a healthy meal on the table. We provide our children with warm beds, bedtime stories and goodnight hugs. We strive to help them develop healthy relationships with family and friends. And we go to almost any length to see that the needs of our children are met. We avoid those “shortcuts” that could be to their detriment. Shortcuts like ordering too much fast food, skipping bath time, and not bothering to say “I love you” are just too risky.
In providing the best care to our children that we possibly can, we, as parents, should also make it our responsibility to establish a medical home for our children. What is a medical home? A medical home is more than just an urgent care. A medical home involves a doctor and healthcare team that truly knows your child. A medical team that understands them; the medical problems they face; and the emotional and social dynamic within a family; which may play into overall wellness, is so vital. In order for your children to receive optimum healthcare, they deserve to be cared for by a doctor and team of healthcare professionals that know them. Visiting a medical home on a regular basis increases the likelihood that health outcomes are met. It also reduces the chance that something gets missed. A doctor who knows your children and sees them on a regular basis is more likely to catch those subtle abnormalities and is more likely to make timely referrals if something goes wrong. When it comes to healthcare, the medical home provides what is best for them. At annual check-ups, even if your children do not need vaccines, a doctor will look at their growth, development, lab screenings, and assessment of emotional and physical well-being, just to name a few. While there is sometimes a place for an occasional urgent care visit, your children deserve the best. Your children deserve a medical home, where they will get the comprehensive care that they deserve.
This summer, please consider taking the time to establish (or reestablish) a medical home for your children in the form of an annual wellness examination. “Shortcuts” when it comes to their medical care are risky. And, after all, they are worth it! If you’re looking for a pediatrician for your child, visit The Baton Rouge Clinic.
