Rural Practices Archives - The Independent Pediatrician

“Just Like Us”: An Independent Pediatrician’s Trip to Ukraine

As news of the war in Ukraine escalated in 2022, Dr. Kent Kleppinger listened in with increasing concern from his practice in Laramie, Wyoming. With the training of a career of pediatric independence, when Dr. Kleppinger decided to step in to help physicians in Ukraine, he didn’t hesitate; he went all in.

A view of Cruz Bay, St John, United States Virgin Islands

Clinical, Management, Practice Profiles, Medium-Size Practices, Rural Practices U.S. Virgin Islands

Close Communities from Far Away: Partners4Kids in the U.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.

Close Communities from Far Away, Management, Practice Profiles, Medium-Size Practices, Rural Practices Alaska

Close Communities from Far Away: Glacier Pediatrics in Juneau, Alaska

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.

Clinical, Management, Medium-Size Practices, Practice Profiles, Rural Practices Tennessee

Parental Choice, Public Health, and Vaccine Hesitancy in Tennessee

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.

Clinical, Management, Practice Profiles, Medium-Size Practices, Rural Practices New York

An Advocate and Innovator: Dr. Gail Schonfeld

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.

Practice Profiles, Medium-Size Practices, Rural Practices Washington

Getting Resourceful, Staying Close: Small Town Healthcare for a Growing Community

In November 2019, The Independent Pediatrician visited Skagit Pediatrics in Mount Vernon, Washington. The managing pediatricians shared the story of the practice’s history, growth, and how despite consistent change, their independent culture has thrived after nearly 40 years.

Rural America’s Invisible Patients, Clinical, Solo Practices, Practice Profiles, Rural Practices Maryland

Rural America’s Invisible Patients, Part III: Appalachia

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, Clinical, Practice Profiles, Rural Practices

Rural America’s Invisible Patients, Part II: Tribal Lands

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.

Rural America’s Invisible Patients, Clinical, Solo Practices, Practice Profiles, Rural Practices Georgia

Rural America’s Invisible Patients, Part I: The South

Increased access to pediatric care for rural poor populations could alter the course of children’s lives, and widespread access could change a community’s future. Three distinct regions of the U.S. provide lenses through which to examine questions of access, utilization, and solutions for the future.

Clinical, Management, Practice Profiles, Medium-Size Practices, Suburban Practices, Rural Practices Colorado, Vermont

Collaboration and Cooperation: Integrating Mental Health Care into a Pediatric Practice

At Parker Pediatrics and Adolescents in Colorado, Dr. Jay Rabinowitz took a leap into the unknown by bringing licensed mental health professionals into his practice as employees. Dr. Mark Harris went on a similar journey in Vermont, where he integrated mental health services into his practice, Upper Valley Pediatrics, in the 1990s. In both locations, integrated mental health care has been beneficial for patients and providers, filling a dire need in the community.