Happy Independence Day!
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We wanted to wish all of our patients and families a safe and healthy Independence Day Weekend! We will be closed on July 4th and only available for urgent appointments.
Closed on Juneteenth
/In honor of Juneteenth, the office will be closed on Monday June 19. We will be available for urgent sick appointments by phone. Enjoy the holiday!
Happy Pride Month
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Happy Pride Month to our LGBTQIA+ patients, their families, and their allies. We want to remind our families that all are welcome here at RPA!
Outdoor Safety Tips
/Hard to believe that Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial start to summer, is already here. As we head into a beautiful weekend, we just wanted to share some summer safety tips around water, sun and ticks! Have a great, safe weekend!
Happy Memorial Day
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We want to give thanks and remembrance to those who served and their families on this holiday weekend.
Mask Policy Update
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Beginning Friday, May 12th, most patients and families will not be required to wear a mask in our office. However, you do still need to wear a mask if you have:
A fever or other flu-like symptoms.
A known COVID-19 infection and are in the isolation period.
A known exposure to COVID-19 within the last 10 days.
Individuals who prefer to wear a mask while in our office regardless of their symptoms or exposures are welcome to do so. In addition, our providers and staff with direct patient contact are happy to wear a mask at your request during visits.
We will continue to offer both in-person and parking-lot check-in for all patients depending on your comfort level.
Please note that the Department of Public Health is continuing to track COVID-19 cases in the community, and masks may become required again in our office if there is an increase in respiratory illness. For the safety of our patients and staff, we ask for your flexibility and respect toward this matter.
Opening our Waiting Room for All Visits
/As RPA prepares for the much anticipated announcement from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to end the public health emergency on May 11th, we continue to assess and adapt our office policies as appropriate. The overall well-being of our patients and staff is always our first priority. RPA has continued to weigh the risks and benefits of fully opening our waiting room to all patients (both sick and well) vs. continuing the parking lot check-in process for sick patients.
Effective Monday, May 1st, we will fully open our waiting room to all patients (both sick and well) but will also continue to offer parking lot check-in via telephone and MyChart check-in to all patients. We highly encourage the MyChart option to check-in for all well visits (whether from the parking lot or the waiting room) so that all required questionnaires can be completed electronically before the office visit. If you prefer to wait in the parking lot rather than the waiting room, you can still call from your car to check-in and inform the staff that you prefer to be called into the office when your room is ready.
Our hope is to increase patient satisfaction by allowing all patients the opportunity to check-in and attend visits according to their individual comfort level. We will keep monitoring the situation and may revert back to parking lot check-in for sick patients during times of increased illness. Thank you for your patience and willingness to be flexible.
Should you have any questions or concerns with this new policy, please feel free to contact the office at 617-522-3100 and ask to speak with the Practice Administrator. Your feedback is always welcomed and appreciated.
Fluoride Varnish Applications
/We are now offering fluoride varnish applications at your child’s well visit up until age 5. It is a quick and easy procedure to help protect your child’s teeth. Here is some information about how to take care of your child’s teeth and the effectiveness and safety of fluoride varnish:
ADHD Medication Shortage
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Unfortunately there has been a nationwide shortage of medications for ADHD, or stimulant medications. If you or your child is taking a stimulant medication, we highly recommend calling 7-10 days before you run out of it since it might take that long for it to be in stock again.
If you are running low and your pharmacy is out of stock please give us a call.
Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines for 6 months to 4 years
/The FDA and CDC have approved the use of a bivalent vaccine in the 6 month through 4 year population. There are different recommendations as to who is eligible depending on whether your child received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for the initial series.
Pfizer:
If your child has COMPLETED the three-dose series with the Pfizer vaccine, they are NOT currently eligible for a bivalent booster dose. There is research that will be available in January 2023 that will be used to guide if and when a booster with the bivalent vaccine would be recommended.
If your child has received DOSE 1 OR DOSE 2 of the three-dose series, it is recommended that the new, bivalent vaccine is used for DOSE 3 which would be given in accordance to the previously established time-line, 8 weeks after dose 2.
To clarify, the Pfizer bivalent vaccine for ages 6 months through 4 years is currently only being used for DOSE 3 of the three-dose series.
Moderna:
If your child has COMPLETED the two-dose series with the Moderna vaccine, they are eligible for a Moderna bivalent vaccine 2 MONTHS after completing DOSE 2 of the primary series.
These boosters are not interchangeable, so if your child received 2 doses of Moderna they can only receive the Moderna bivalent booster, and if they have had 2 doses of Pfizer, they can only receive the Pfizer bivalent 3rd dose.
We will continue to offer Pfizer vaccines at Roslindale Pediatrics. We have ordered the Pfizer bivalent vaccine for ages 6 months through 4 years and will notify you when the vaccine has arrived in the clinic.
As a reminder, you can search vaxfinder.mass.gov to find an available vaccine appointment for your child.
