An Exciting Year Ahead-
Starting with Refridge Art!
Dear Families,
Happy New Year, Welcome to 2016, we hope the year brings much health and happiness to us all.
This year promises to be one of tremendous activity, renewal, and excitement at Advanced Pediatrics.
THE OFFICE
The first change is the office itself. Those who have been in have noticed a major renovation in the works, and it is almost completed.
Thanks to the generosity and personal attention of our tremendous landlords at ORG Property, a gifted young architect helped us redesign our floor and wall color schemes, and create a new front desk and reception structure. The new carpeting, the new wood-like flooring, the calm greens create a new, updated look. Our TV is now flush with the wall eliminating any chance of bumping heads.
We also have a new look to our alcove in our check-in area. We have elevated the look from the lovely clouds to the inspiring artwork that reminds some people of stars across the universe, and others of neurons connecting across our brains, and still others of atoms blinking their light.
Still to come are re-framed diplomas and art work to fit with the new decor, a really neat set of coat hooks that look like type-set letters.
We have had many, many thank yous from families for taking this step. We are so, so glad the changes are accomplishing what we hoped, to let everyone enjoy an updated look, one that reflects our way of providing care- calm, effective, uncluttered, and friendly. We even think of our waiting room as no longer built as a place to wait, but rather a place to check-in. There will be some waiting, especially of parents waiting for their older child's appointment to be over, but hopefully not many will be sitting there long.
REFRIDGE ART
Our landlord had this wonderful, whimsical idea and our architect made it work.
So now there is a truly very old refrigerator door that has been re-enameled and mounted on our office wall. No worries, there is no refrigerator to open to, it is just a door to hang your child's art.
The concept is really easy. Just offer any art your child has made that can be held by a refrigerator magnet, and we'll display it for a time on that door.
Art will be cycled, as new art comes in, already displayed art will go into a box. Any family member can retrieve the child's art from that box during regular office hours. Art not collected after some time will end being disposed of.
So bring the art in, it should be a great addition to our office look. It will be fun to see your child's art on display. Do know that we will occasionally take photos of that door and post them on public social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, etc. So the art may be seen by many!
EXCITING INITIATIVES
Reducing Autism
There are few fates as frightening as autism. Rates are on the rise, and no one has found a way to reduce the chance that the next child will have it.
I am very excited to be one of 10 members of a national Organizing Committee that is doing something that could reduce the chance of a family having a child with autism for the first time in history.
The project is called Project Targeting Environmental NeuroDevelopmental Risks, or Project TENDR. Our Organizing Committee has assembled 45-50 of the country's leading experts, from Harvard, and the NIH, and across the country, to help identify the top chemicals implicated in causing not just autism, but ADHD and learning disorders. The Project is soon to release its first statement, identifying these compounds. The experts anticipate a reduction of exposure to these compounds of even 25% could lead to a 15-40% drop in the risk of a child developing autism!
I am also very honored to represent the Project TENDR in direct conversations with Senator Sherrod Brown and the Surgeon General of the US, Dr. Vivek Murthy. I am working with them and their staff to ensure Project TENDR has the best approach to changing actual US policy to see real reductions in the exposure of our children to the neuro-toxins.
I hope soon to be distributing this first Project TENDR report, it will state what compounds we should all avoid.
In early March I will be attending the workshop in California that will devise specific policy approaches to reaching this incredible goal of actually dropping the risk of autism, ADHD, and learning disorders.
ADHD
Although I cannot yet state the outcome of work being done with the American Academy of Pediatrics, I can share that I am on the Committee of the Academy charged with developing policy for matters relating to the psychological well being of children in America. And, that I am working on what may be an important report on ADHD. I hope in 2016 I will be able to share more on this very important topic.
NEW BLOGS, NEW PUBLICATIONS, NEW SOCIAL MEDIA
2016 promises to be a very exciting year in the practice, especially in a look on-line.
E-mail Essays
We will continue our many year tradition of writing substantive pieces that are geared to really help families deal with many common, and some uncommon but troubling, issues. A word of thanks to all the families who have expressed such wonderful enthusiasm for these email essays. It really encourages us to keep it up. And many thanks for sharing these emails with friends and family, we have been very touched by the spread of these ideas, and so glad they help.
Edible Cleveland
In 2016, I will continue to serve as the health columnist for a gorgeous and very thoughtful journal, Edible Cleveland. This publication comes out 4 times a year, one for each season, and so do its sister magazines across the US. It is a great honor to be part of this publication effort, and I encourage all to get a free copy in our office whenever you like.
Our New On-Line Look and Functionality
The last couple of years have seen Advanced Pediatrics begin to have an online presence.
2016 promises to be a year of a whole new look to our web page with much greater integration of our web page and our social media presence. Look for this to be unveiled later this year. The new look will also feature a far more robust delivery of messages, and will in time include many of the technology innovations listed below.
CONTINUED COMMMUNITY BOARD SERVICE
This year, 2016, will continue to see Drs. Hertzer and Lavin offer their time to two of our community's great non-profit organizations. Dr. Hertzer serves on the Board of Trustees of Bellefaire, which will be reaching 150 years of extraordinary service to the youth of our region (http://www.bellefairejcb.org/). And, Dr. Lavin serves on the Board of Trustees of the Saint Luke's Foundation, formed by the sale of St. Luke's Hospital, it is now one of the five largest private foundations in NE Ohio and grants funds for improving life in the old St. Luke's neighborhoods, and Cleveland (http://www.saintlukesfoundation.org/).
BOTTOM LINES
1. Happy New Year. We hope 2016 is a very Happy and Healthy Year for us all!
2. We have a new look to the office, and are so glad so many families have found that its great.
3. Part of our new look is Refridge Art. Feel free to post your child's art on our refrigerator door, we would love to see it on display.
4. Advanced Pediatrics is very much in the center of big developments in the world of autism- helping to do something never done before- actual reduce the number of families whose children will develop autism.
5. E-mail essays continue, columns in Edible Cleveland continue.
6. A whole new look to our webpage, and a much advanced approach to social media is coming in 2016.
So, lots happening for families at Advanced Pediatrics, be sure to let your friends know we are welcoming new families to the new practice this year.
To your health,
Dr. Arthur Lavin
*Disclaimer* The comments contained in this electronic sour- ce of information do not constitute and are not designed to imply that they constitute any form of individual medical advice. The information provided is purely for informational purposes only and not relevant to any person's particular medical condition or situation. If you have any medical concerns about yourself or your family please contact your physician immediately. In order to provide our patients the best uninfluenced information that science has to offer,we do not accept samples of drugs, advertising tchotchkes, money, food, or any item from outside vendors.
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