covid and flu vaccine clinic update

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We have had many families reaching out with questions about upcoming flu and Covid vaccinations as respiratory season approaches.

We continue to recommend a yearly flu vaccine for all patients six months and older. We plan to offer our yearly flu vaccine clinics this fall and look forward to seeing many of our patients on our clinic days. We will alert families when we have our dates and times available for our flu clinics.

RPA continues to follow American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for Covid vaccine eligibility and administration. We are following closely the Massachusetts Department of Public Health guidance on administration which you can find here. Our goal is to obtain Covid vaccines for our patients who are eligible and interested and we will continue to be in touch as we gain more information.

In the meantime, remember to wash your hands, stay home while sick, get adequate rest and enjoy nutritious meals!

Accidental Closure of Portal Messages and Refill Requests

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Our umbrella company, PPOC, had a system glitch yesterday that accidentally closed many messages and refill requests sent through the Epic portal. If your message was affected, you should get a notification. If you sent a message recently and haven’t heard back, please send it again or call if it’s urgent. Thank you for your understanding!

New Prenatal Visits (Copy)

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Roslindale Pediatrics is excited to announce the resumption of our prenatal visits! Two weekday evenings per month, our nurse practitioners Katie Williams and Jen Byrne will host informational sessions from 630 - 7 pm and answer questions from new expecting families. We will begin promptly at 6:30 pm. Please call the office during business hours (9 am - 5 pm Monday through Friday) at 617-522-3100 to sign up for one of the dates. We will offer the sessions one Wednesday evening a month and one Thursday evening a month (please see schedule below). We look forward to meeting you!

If you are a family with older children looking to transfer into the practice, we are happy to speak to you by phone. Please call the office to set up a phone call with our nurse manager.

PRENATAL APPT SCHEDULE: April 16, May 1, May 21, June 12, June 26, July 9, July 23, August 6, August 21

Infant Formula Safety

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At RPA we are aware of the recent Consumer Report regarding levels of lead, arsenic and other environmental contaminants in a selection of infant formulas. As experts review the findings of this report, we recommends no change to your infant's formula at this time. If your doctor or NP has recommended a formula based on your child's health needs, it is important to continue using that formula. Changing formulas may impact your child's health.

Currently, no infant formulas have been recalled. Additionally, Boston Children’s Hospital recommends only utilizing infant formulas that have been FDA reviewed.

If you have a clinical question regarding your child's prescribed formula, please reach out to us.

Measles Outbreak

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We are getting a lot of questions about the Measles Outbreak going on in our country. As of now there have not been reports of Measles in New England.

  • Children under 12 months and children not vaccinated are at the highest risk of contracting the measles virus

  • one dose of the MMR vaccine is 93% effective at preventing the infection

  • two doses of the MMR vaccine is 97% effective at preventing the infection

  • anyone 6 months to 4 years who has international travel may qualify for an additional dose of the vaccine

  • we are committed to ensuring that all of our patients coming into our building are fully vaccinated according to the recommended vaccine schedule to prevent transmission to other patients and staff

If your child is not fully vaccinated against the Measles virus (over 12 months without one vaccine or over 4 years old without 2 vaccines) please call us to schedule an immunization visit or a well visit.

The Mass DPH website and the AAP healthy children website have great resources with information on the disease and prevention.

as always, please reach out to us with any questions.

Continuing Care for ALL of our Patients

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At Roslindale Pediatrics, we want to reassure you that our commitment to providing the best possible care for all children, including our transgender and gender-diverse patients, remains unwavering.

We believe every child deserves the chance to live, grow, and thrive with love and support. The entire RPA team is here to affirm, uplift, and advocate for all of our patients. We are dedicated to supporting their care and well-being.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or concerns you may have.

Masks in the office due to viral respiratory season

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At RPA we always want to make sure our patients stay safe and healthy. In an attempt to prevent the transmission of respiratory viruses, we will implement full masking of staff when interacting with patients during the respiratory illness season. We strongly encourage patients to also wear masks if they are experiencing any ill symptoms as well while in the office. Stay healthy out there!

Weekend Appointments MyChart Scheduling

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To our patients and families -

We know that the booking of weekend appointments has been met with more confusion and frustration than expected these past few weeks. We apologize for this situation. The answering service we use for after hours and weekend calls has undergone internal reorganization which is out of our control.

Given these circumstances, WE WILL BEGIN A TRIAL OF MYCHART ON-LINE SCHEDULING FOR WEEKEND URGENT VISITS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. Online scheduling opens at midnight each day or your convenience.

IMPORTANT: Weekend visits are NOT for routine or chronic issues, only for urgent issues that need to be addressed same day. If you are unable to book a visit via MyChart, you will be able to speak to a nurse who can book your visit for you. There will still be a nurse available to speak to for additional questions as well.

REMINDER: MyChart on-line scheduling is also open for same day sick appointments on weekdays as well.

Thank you for your patience during this transition. We strive to maintain the best patient experience possible, and we appreciate your trust in us.

The RPA Team