Taking the leap into independent practice can be both exciting and daunting. These successful independent pediatricians reflect on their early days in practice, shed light on what’s at the heart of their practice of medicine, and share advice they’d give to their younger selves in those early days of independent practice.
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How can pediatricians effectively care for their patients' rising mental health needs without burning out themselves? This pressing question weighs heavily on the minds of pediatricians across the country. In the state of Texas, two dedicated pediatricians have reflected on the strategies they've implemented to ensure their independent practices function as safe and secure medical homes, providing care for children's physical and mental well-being. By sharing their insights, these pediatricians shed light on the importance of prioritizing mental health within the field of pediatrics.
The Vaccine Machine, the brainchild of Dr. Katie Schafer and colleagues at Bloom Pediatrics, started a journey that led them to connect with the community in lasting ways they didn’t expect. Saying ‘yes’ and jumping in with only the beginnings of a plan – and a firm commitment to a good cause – taught the team to think outside the box and lean into the unknown.
The Women in Pediatrics Retreat was founded by Katrina Skinner, MD, FAAP, an independent pediatrician who runs her own practice in Fairhope, AL. While skill-building is certainly part of this event, Women in Pediatrics prioritizes creating a space where women pediatricians can connect, practice vulnerability, and walk away with a newfound sense of confidence and self-compassion.
Camaraderie and Trust: Building and Maintaining a Large Pediatric Practice
Memphis Children’s Clinic • Pediatric Associates of Mt. Carmel
Leaders from Memphis Children’s Clinic and Pediatric Associates of Mt. Carmel talk about the challenges and rewards of running a large pediatric practice. From fine tuning management models to trying out new social media strategies, they share more about their practices’ goals for the future, as well as how they’re adapting and changing to better serve patients and families in their communities.
Close Communities from Far Away: Partners4Kids in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Partners4KidsU.S. Virgin Islands
Five years after a series of hurricanes devastated the U.S. Virgin Islands, Dr. Cecilia Penn is optimistic about the future of her practice, Partners4Kids. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt another blow to the community, she’s staying focused on the bigger picture, always coming back to the needs of the families she serves.
Glacier Pediatrics in Juneau, Alaska, serves communities along the Alaska Marine Highway, which snakes through 3,500 miles of coastline and connects 30 communities. The team is focused on expanding health care access in this rural region through implementing telehealth and partnering with pediatric specialists.
A government mandate in Tennessee has prohibited the Department of Health from doing vaccine outreach and education to Tennessee youth. What does this mandate signify about the relationship between the Tennessee legislature and the medical community? And how might the mandate impact independent pediatricians? Dr. Suzanne Berman, an independent pediatrician in Crossville, TN, speaks to the issue with an on-the-ground perspective.
Close Communities from Far Away: How Keānuenue Pediatrics Fights for the Underdog
Keānuenue PediatricsHonolulu, HI
In October of 2020, Dr. Jasmine Waipa founded Keānuenue Pediatrics in Honolulu, Hawai`i, with a goal to create a small practice atmosphere with a tech-forward approach. As a Native Hawaiian pediatrician, she is passionate about addressing health disparities.
Building Community Ties in the Spindle City: Pediatric Associates of Fall River
Pediatric Associates of Fall RiverFall River, MA
At Pediatric Associates of Fall River, the practice’s eight pediatricians, one nurse practitioner and roughly 50 staff members – many of whom are locals – are united in a common goal to bring high quality health care to this underserved city in southern Massachusetts.
“Come Learn With Me:” Teaching the Next Generation of Pediatricians
Pediatric Associates at Mt. CarmelCincinnati, Ohio
Dr. Chris Peltier wants to help community pediatricians fall in love with teaching. He’s learned through more than two decades of experience how rewarding it is to help medical students and residents learn the art and science of pediatrics. He also knows it is possible to effectively teach while still meeting business objectives and offering top notch patient care.
Trust and Reassurance: Serving a Diversity of Patients in South Carolina
Pelican PediatricsCharleston, SC
Dr. Eliza Varadi, the owner of Pelican Pediatrics in Charleston, South Carolina, has made it her goal to serve a diversity of patients from a multitude of backgrounds. Spurred in part by her own immigrant experience as a child, she has built a team that reflects the community she serves.
In the 17 years since its founding by Dr. Melisa Holmes and Dr. Trish Hutchison, Girlology has grown into a company with national reach focused on sharing information about health and adolescence with families.
After 38 years in practice in East Hampton, N.Y., Dr. Gail Schonfeld has built deep and lasting relationships with families in her community. Her work as an advocate and innovator serves her patients and helps pediatricians across the country adapt to a changing healthcare landscape.
The impacts of digital media use on children, both positive and negative, are increasingly visible as Generation Z comes of age. How do different types of media affect childhood brain development, and what can pediatricians do to help kids build healthy relationships with their screens?
How does a hundred-year-old practice maintain its mission, vision, and quality over time? El Paso Pediatrics offers a look into the structures, values, and patient-centered approaches that allow for continued success. Dr. Joseph Segapeli discusses the joys and challenges of working in this long-standing independent practice.
Increased access to pediatric care for rural poor populations could alter the course of a child’s life, and widespread access could change a community’s future. This part of the series highlights the challenges faced by Appalachian communities in securing access to pediatric care.
Rural America’s Invisible Patients, Part II: Tribal Lands
Committee on Native American Child HealthPine Ridge, SD
Increased access to pediatric care for rural poor populations could alter the course of a child’s life, and widespread access could change a community’s future. This part of the series highlights the challenges faced by Reservation communities in securing access to pediatric care.
Education, Relationships, and Expert Care: Dr. Nneka Unachukwu’s Approach to Independent Pediatrics
Ivy League PediatricsLawrenceville, Ga.
From the University of Nigeria to her independent practice in Georgia, Dr. Nneka Una shares important lessons from a rich career in medicine. She offers her approach to independent practice management, whole-child care, and professional coaching—an approach that is grounded in strong relationships and education.
Goldstar Pediatrics Brings Comprehensive Care to California’s Inland Empire
Goldstar PediatricsFontana, Calif.
Goldstar Pediatrics, founded in 2016, emphasizes comprehensive care for families in Fontana, California. As the practice’s founder and sole pediatrician, Dr. Irmgard Tackie develops lasting relationships with her patients and goes above and beyond to help them connect with services and resources they need.
All students with disabilities in the United States are legally guaranteed individualized special education services, so that they have the opportunity to learn and succeed, yet many schools fail to properly help these struggling children. Dr. Adrienne Classen of North Carolina steps up to fight for these students’ rights.
Passing the Baton: Keeping Your Practice Independent When You Retire
Busy Bee PediatricsBountiful, Utah
After almost 40 years in independent practice, Dr. Douglas Coombs wanted someone who would carry the practice’s vision, work well with current staff, and show up with the most up-to-date processes and practices, all skills possessed by Dr. Bonnie Feola.
In 2015, Dr. Rita Fox traveled to the rural village of Ekudzeni, in Swaziland, to set up and staff a medical clinic. She has since returned two more times to provide medical care to the community, building lasting relationships with a generation of children who have lost parents and family members to HIV/AIDS.
Springtime in Texas: A Husband and Wife Team Put Community, Family First
Springtime PediatricsKaty, Texas
Founded by husband and wife team Ahmed and Yasmine Monib, Springtime Pediatrics in the rapidly growing community of Katy, Texas, focuses on delivering high quality patient care for a diverse range of patients.
Spotlight on Chad Hermann, Kids Plus Pediatrics Communications Director
Kids Plus PediatricsPittsburgh, Pa.
What do you get when you bring a recovering academic with a passion for film into a pediatric practice? Nothing less than the perfect solution for Kids Plus Pediatrics' communication needs.
Kids Plus Pediatrics: Using Innovative Thinking to Engage Patients, Support Community, and Grow a Dynamic Business
Kids Plus PediatricsPittsburgh, Pa.
At Kids Plus Pediatrics, dreaming big is the name of the game. Their out-of-the-box thinking keeps them at the cutting edge of the business of pediatrics, all while building commuinity and fostering patient engagement.
As medical director of the Health Network at Cincinnati Children's, Dr. Colleen Kraft plays a key leadership role in an organization modeling innovative ways to deliver healthcare to kids. Now, she's bringing her skills and expertise to her new role as president-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dr. Richard Schwartz on the Benefits of Thinking Big and Staying Small
Advanced PediatricsVienna, Va.
An exemplary pediatrician draws on his long career to describe his obsession with science, the rewards of gutsy perseverance and why he can't work for someone else.
Chip Hart explains why the best way to discover what your practice is doing well — and where it needs improvement — is to get out of your office.
To help share your stories and personalities, The Independent Pediatrician created our own version of the Proust Questionnaire. We hope you enjoy this small window into one another's personal and professional challenges and aspirations.
Dr. Alison Nash continues a family tradition/calling as successor
to the pediatric practice her father, Dr. Homer Nash, opened six
decades ago in north St. Louis.
Dr. Jill Stoller and Dr. Krekamey Craig are New Jersey pediatricians from neighboring counties who, believing there is strength in numbers, helped form a merger that puts theirs and three other practices in a position to thrive.
Brought to you by PCC
The Independent Pediatrician is brought to you by PCC, which provides tools and services to help pediatricians remain independent and in control of their practices.
PCC itself is a fiercely independent business. As a Benefit Corporation, it puts the interests of its clients, community, and employees on an equal footing with those of its shareholders.
To learn more about successful independent pediatric practices, read PCC’s Client Success Stories.
