Charli Bruce, CPNP Peds Happenings

Peds
Happenings
Reach Out and Read’s
Summer Book
All of our network clinics
are having a Dyno-Mite
Birthday Party on July
21, 2016 to celebrate
Reach Out and Read’s
10th birthday in the
state of Alabama! Follow
the dinosaur tracks to
get a birthday cupcake!
Children five years of age
and younger will receive
a copy of the book How
Do Dinosaurs Say Happy
Birthday? Older children
will receive a dinosaur
bookmark. Happy summer reading!
Childhood Cancer
Awareness Month
September is Childhood
Cancer Awareness Month.
To support patient
families having a child
with cancer, we designed
a t-shirt our staff will wear
every Friday during the
month of September. In
addition, net proceeds
from the t-shirt sales
will be contributed to
the Alabama Center
for Childhood Cancer
and Blood Disorders at
Children’s of Alabama.
Peace Out Childhood
Cancer!
Welcome Charli Bruce, CPNP
New nurse practitioner joins
Eufaula Pediatric Clinic staff.
SUMMER 2016
othan Pediatric Healthcare
Network is proud to announce
the association of Charli Bruce, CPNP.
Charli Bruce, Certified Pediatric
Nurse Practitioner, was raised
in Ariton, Alabama. She earned
a Bachelor of Science degree in
Nursing, Magna Cum Laude, from
Troy University and Master of Science
degree in Nursing, Pediatric Nurse
Practitioner, from the University
of South Alabama, Mobile. During
her studies, Charli worked as a
Registered Nurse in the Pediatrics
Department at Flowers Hospital
and in the Emergency Department,
Infection Prevention and Control,
and One Day Surgery at Children’s
of Alabama, Birmingham.
Charli lives in Hayden, Alabama
with her husband, Robbie, and their
daughter, Harper. She enjoys spending time with her family, church
involvement, reading, and spending
time outdoors.
D
Charli is licensed as a registered
nurse by the Alabama Board of
Nursing and certified as a Pediatric
Nurse Practitioner, Primary Care, by
the Pediatric Nursing Certification
Board. She is authorized for
Advanced Practice Nursing by the
Alabama Board of Nursing and
approved for Collaborative Practice
with Robert J. Benak, MD.
Backpack Safety
What do I need to know However, backpacks that are
too heavy or are worn incorrectly
about backpack safety?
Backpacks are a popular and
practical way for children and
teenagers to carry schoolbooks
and supplies. When used correctly,
backpacks can be a good way to
carry the necessities of the school
day. They are designed to distribute
the weight of the load among some
of the body’s strongest muscles.
can cause problems for children
and teenagers. Improperly used
backpacks may injure muscles and
joints. This can lead to severe back,
neck and shoulder pain, as well
as posture problems. Share these
guidelines to help your family use
backpacks safely. (continued)
Peds
Happenings
(cont.)
Certificates of
Immunizations
All Alabama schools
require children to have
an Alabama Certificate
of Immunization before
entering school. Request
this form early by calling
us at 334.793.1881. The
longer you wait, the
longer it may take to fulfill
your request.
Back-to-school
Checkups
The American Academy
of Pediatrics and the
physicians of Dothan
Pediatric Healthcare
Network recommend
regular checkups as part
of your child’s routine
healthcare. Call us today
to schedule your child’s
back-to-school checkup.
Asthma Checkups
If your child has been
diagnosed with asthma,
we recommend a
visit every six months to
evaluate him/her. The
visit includes reviewing
medications, a physical
examination, pulmonary
function testing, and
adjusting medications as
indicated. We feel this will
optimize your child’s lung
function and allow your
child to have an activity
level that is normal or
as close to normal as
possible. Schedule your
appointment today to
avoid the rush when
school starts.
2 | PEDSPAGES | Summer 2016
Backpack Safety (cont.)
HPV Vaccines: Vaccinating Your Preteen or Teen
Choose the Right Backpack
Why does my child need
HPV vaccine?
Look for the following:
• Wide, padded shoulder straps
- Narrow straps can dig into
shoulders. This can cause pain
and restrict circulation.
• Two shoulder straps - Backpacks
with one shoulder strap that
runs across the body cannot
distribute weight evenly.
• Padded back - A padded back
protects against sharp edges
on objects inside the pack and
increases comfort.
• Waist strap - A waist strap can
distribute the weight of a heavy
load more evenly.
• Lightweight backpack - The
backpack itself should not add
much weight to the load.
• Rolling backpack - This type of
backpack may be a good choice
for students who must tote a
heavy load. Remember that
rolling backpacks still must be
carried up stairs.
To prevent injury when using a backpack, do the following:
• Always use both shoulder
straps. Slinging a backpack over
one shoulder can strain muscles.
Wearing a backpack on one
shoulder may increase curvature
of the spine.
• Tighten the straps so
that the pack is close
to the body. The straps
should hold the pack
two inches above the
waist.
• Pack light. The backpack
should never weigh
more than 10 to
20 percent of the
student’s total
body weight.
• Organize the
backpack to
use all of its
compartments.
Pack heavier items
closest to the center
of the back.
Backpacks that are too heavy
or are worn incorrectly can
cause problems for children
and teenagers.
• Stop often at school lockers, if
possible. Do not carry all of the
books needed for the day.
• Bend using both knees, when
you bend down. Do not bend
over at the waist when wearing
or lifting a heavy backpack.
• Learn back - strengthening exercises to build up the muscles
used to carry a backpack.
Ask Your Pediatrician for
Advice
Parents also can help in the following
ways:
• Encourage your child or teenager to tell you about pain or
discomfort that may be caused
by a heavy backpack. Do not
ignore any back pain in a child or
teenager. Ask your pediatrician
for advice.
• Talk to the school about lightening the load. Be sure the school
allows students to stop at their
lockers throughout the day.
Team up with other parents to
encourage changes.
• Consider buying a second set of
textbooks for your student to
keep at home.
SOURCE: Caring for Your
School-Age Child: Ages 5 to
12 (Copyright © 2004 American
Academy of Pediatrics)
HPV vaccine is important because
it protects against cancers caused
by human papillomavirus (HPV)
infection. HPV is a very common
virus; nearly 80 million people—
about one in four—are currently
infected in the United States. About
14 million people, including teens,
become infected with HPV each
year. HPV infection can cause cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancers in
women; penile cancer in men; and
anal cancer, cancer of the back of
the throat (oropharynx), and genital
warts in both men and women.
When should my child be
vaccinated?
The HPV vaccine is recommended for preteen boys and girls at age
11 or 12 so they are protected before ever being exposed to the virus.
HPV vaccine also produces a more
robust immune response during the
preteen years.
Finally, older teens are less likely
to get heath check-ups than preteens. If your teen hasn’t gotten the
vaccine yet, talk to their doctor or
nurse about getting it for them as
soon as possible.
The HPV vaccine is given in 3
shots. The second shot is given 1 or
2 months after the first shot. Then
a third shot is given 6 months after
the first shot.
The CDC recommends receiving
the full HPV vaccine series.
Who else should get the
is also recommended for men with
HPV vaccine?
All kids who are 11 or 12 years
old should get the three-dose series
of HPV vaccine to protect against
HPV. Teen boys and girls who did
not start or finish the HPV vaccine
series when they were younger
should get it now. Young women
can get HPV vaccine through age
26, and young men can get vaccinated through age 21. The vaccine
compromised immune systems (including HIV) through age 26, if they
did not get HPV vaccine when they
were younger.
SOURCE: National Center for
Preparedness,
Detection,
and
Control of Infectious Diseases
(Copyright © 2015 Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention)
Helping Your Child Learn to Read
How can I help my child most important thing to remember • Use funny voices and animal
is to let your child set his/her own
noises. Do not be afraid to ham
learn to read?
Reading books aloud is one of
the best ways you can help your
child learn to read. This can be fun
for you, too. The more excitement
you show when you read a book,
the more your child will enjoy it. The
pace and have fun at whatever he/
she is doing. Do the following when
reading to your child:
• Run your finger under the words
as you read to show your child
that the print carries the story.
it up! This will help your child get
excited about the story.
• Stop to look at the pictures; ask
your child to name things he/
she sees in the pictures. Talk
about how the pictures relate to
the story. (continued)
3 | PEDSPAGES | Summer 2016
Clinic Hours
Helping Your Child Learn to Read (cont.)
• Invite your child to join in whenever there is a repeated phrase
in the text.
• Show your child how events in
the book are similar to events in
your child’s life.
• If your child asks a question, stop
and answer it. The book may
help your child express his/her
thoughts and solve his/her own
problems.
• Keep reading to your child even
after he/she learns to read. A
child can listen and understand
more difficult stories than he/
she can read on her own.
Do not stop the reading to correct
him/her. If your child uses a word
that makes no sense (such as “road”
for “read”), ask him/her to read the
sentence again because you are not
sure you understand what has just
been read. Recognize your child’s
energy limits. Stop each session at
or before the earliest signs of fatigue
or frustration.
Most of all, make sure you give
your child lots of praise! You are your
child’s first, and most important,
teacher. The praise and support you
give your child as he/she learns to
read will help him/her enjoy reading
and learning even more.
Listening to your child read
aloud
Reading Tips
Once your child begins to read,
have him read out loud. This can
help build your child’s confidence in
his ability to read and help him/her
enjoy learning new skills. Take turns
reading with your child to model
more advanced reading skills.
If your child asks for help with a
word, give it right away so that he/
she does not lose the meaning of
the story. Do not force your child to
sound out the word. On the other
hand, if your child wants to sound
out a word, do not stop him/her.
If your child substitutes one
word for another while reading, see
if it makes sense. If your child uses
the word “dog” instead of “pup,” for
example, the meaning is the same.
Set aside time every day to read
together. Many children like to have
stories read to them at bedtime. This
is a great way to
wind down after a
busy day and get
ready for sleep.
Leave books in
your child’s room
for him/her to
enjoy on her own.
Read books that
your child enjoys.
Do not drill your child on letters,
numbers, colors, shapes, or words.
Instead, make a game out of it and
find ways to encourage your child’s
curiosity and interests.
SOURCE: Helping Your Child Learn to Read (Copyright © 1999 American
Academy of Pediatrics)
4 | PEDSPAGES | Summer 2016
Dothan Pediatric Clinic | 334.793.1881 | dothanpediatricclinic.com
Eufaula Pediatric Clinic | 334.619.0940 | eufaulapediatricclinic.com
The Westgate Center | 334.699.3733 | thewestgatecenter.com
Enterprise Pediatric Clinic | 334.308.1166 | enterprisepediatricclinic.com
Ozark Pediatric Clinic | 334.445.7337 | ozarkpediatricclinic.com
Dothan Peds
Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm
Saturday: 8am-11am*
Sunday: 1pm-4pm*
*Sick children only on a
walk-in basis
Eufaula Peds
Mon-Thurs: 8am-5pm
Friday (during the
summer): 8am-12pm
Enterprise Peds
Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm
Ozark Peds
Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm
The Westgate Center
Mon-Thu: 8am-5pm
Friday: 8am-12pm
Holiday Hours
Monday, July 4
All clinics closed
Independence Day
Monday, September 5
All clinics closed
Labor Day