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“In preparing for their child’s return to school, parents should review their child’s health status, just as they check their clothes and school supplies. To succeed in school, children need to be healthy, alert and able to see properly,” said Robert Adler, MD, vice chair of the Department of Pediatrics and director of Medical Education at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Top 10 Back to School Health Tips

1. Check with your doctor to confirm that your child has received the recommended vaccinations.

“This year, the single most important health issue for younger children is to make sure they receive their recommended vaccinations,” said Jill Hoffman, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

Dr. Hoffman warns that California is in the middle of the worst outbreak of pertussis, better known as whooping cough, in more than 50 years. Through Aug. 17, the state has recorded 3,076 confirmed or suspect cases of pertussis, a seven-fold increase from one year ago. The figures could grow this fall as children return to school and are exposed to other students.

“It’s particularly important that all eligible members of the household receive the pertussis vaccine in order to create a ‘wall of immunity’ around the family,” said Dr. Hoffman. “Pertussis can be a particularly serious infection for young infants, leading to hospitalization and occasionally death. Children can begin to receive pertussis vaccine, in the form of DTaP, at age 2 months.”

Because immunity can fade over time, Dr. Hoffman said children over age 7 years, adolescents and adults should be re-vaccinated against pertussis to keep their immunity strong. Both these vaccines also protect against tetanus and diphtheria.

“In addition, everyone over 6 months of age should receive a yearly influenza vaccine,” said Dr. Hoffman. “As we saw last year, influenza can be severe and unpredictable. This year’s vaccine will contain protection against Influenza A H1N1 (pandemic strain), H3N2 and Influenza B. Children age 9 years and younger, who have never received influenza vaccine before will need two doses, four weeks apart, for full protection.”

In addition, be sure children are vaccinated for common infectious diseases such as chicken pox and measles. To see a list of recommended vaccinations for different age groups, the American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) offers parents an online immunization chart.

2. Get a complete eye exam before your child starts school.

According to Mark Borchert, MD, a pediatric ophthalmologist and the director of The Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, 80 percent of the learning a child does occurs through his eyes and approximately one in four school-age children have some type of vision impairment. School eye exams, while valuable, are necessarily brief and may miss many treatable problems.

“Every child should have a complete eye exam by age three,” said Dr. Borchert. “Some serious eye diseases such as Amblyopia (lazy eye) or strabismus (crossed eyes) are correctable with eye patches or surgery if caught early. Once a child is seven or eight years old, the opportunity to correct the problem may be lost, resulting in permanent vision problems.”

3. Be sure your child wears a properly fitted bicycle helmet.

Last year, 93 bicyclists under age 15 were killed and 12,500 sent to emergency rooms, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Head injuries accounted for 63 percent of all bicycle fatalities.

“California state law requires that all children under 18 wear a helmet when they are riding a bicycle, scooter or skateboard. If a child has an accident, a helmet can prevent a serious brain injury,” said Jeffrey Upperman, MD, medical director for the Pediatric Trauma Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute (BHSI), all helmets sold in the U.S. must meet test requirements from the Consumer Product Safety Administration. Size is a key factor, since children grow rapidly. The helmet should be comfortable, but fit snugly. The BHSI advises that in terms of safety, there is no difference between a $20 helmet and a $120 one.

4. Snacks: plan them, don’t ban them.

A recent study of 700,000 children published in the March 2010 edition of the Journal of Pediatrics, found that 37 percent were overweight and 19.4 percent were obese.

“Childhood obesity is a major health issue. Being overweight may impact a child’s self-esteem, school performance, and physical health. Over time, obesity increases the risk of many diseases, including heart disease, stroke, arthritis, diabetes and cancer,” said pediatric endocrinologist Steven Mittelman, MD, of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

By shopping carefully, parents can get their children started in healthy eating habits. Snacking itself is not necessarily bad; young children actually need snacks. Their stomachs are small, so they often can’t get all the nutrients they need in a day through regular meals alone.

Avoid soda drinks and salty, high-calorie prepackaged snack foods. Provide milk or juice and servings of fruit or vegetables instead. Each 12-ounce soft drink can contain approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar. Drinking just one can of soda a day increases a child’s risk of obesity by 60 percent, according to the AAP.

5. Get started early with a school bedtime schedule.

During the summer, many children fall into a vacation rhythm, staying up late and sleeping in. Sleep specialists recommend that parents start gradually imposing an earlier bedtime several weeks before school begins.

“While there is a lot of variation between individuals, children need more sleep than adults,” said pediatrician Michelle A. Thompson, MD, of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “Recent studies indicate children ages 6 through 9 should get 10-11 hours of sleep a night. If your child is not getting enough sleep, he may fall asleep in the car or seem grouchy and tired during the day.”

Dr. Thompson said some children will need help establishing bedtime rituals that make them comfortable and drowsy. Parents need to set a regular bedtime and keep it to build consistency in the child’s daily routine.

6. Watch out for back pain caused by backpacks.

Parents need to keep an eye out to be sure children are not having back pain as a result of carrying a backpack to school.

“While there is no clear evidence that heavy backpacks lead to permanent damage, they are associated with back pain in children,” said David L. Skaggs, MD, chief of the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “Poor conditioning may contribute to back pain, so parents are encouraged to get their children to do core strengthening exercises to build muscle strength.”

In addition, parents should look for packs with individual compartments and put heaviest items closest to the body. Sharp objects like pencils should be in smaller pockets on the outside. School back packs should have two shoulder straps and your child should use both.

7. Car safety remains a top priority.

September brings an increase in car trips to school, lessons and sports practices. Despite airbags, motor vehicle accidents remain a leading cause of death for children.

“Many of the patients we see in our Emergency Department who were injured in traffic accidents were not wearing seat belts,” said Alan L. Nager, MD, director of the Division of Emergency and Transport Medicine at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “All passengers should wear a seat belt or an age-appropriate car safety seat or booster seat.”

Safety experts recommend that all children under age 13 should ride in the rear seat. If you must drive more children than can fit in the rear seat (e.g. a carpool), move the front passenger seat back as far as possible and have the child ride in a booster seat if the seat belts don’t fit properly without it.

Childrens Hospital Los Angeles offers a Child Passenger Safety Class and Child Safety Seat Fitting & Inspections with a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. For more information, visit the website at www.CHLA.org to schedule an appointment.

8. Have a family plan for sick days.

“Never send your child to school with a fever,” said pediatrician Yvonne Gutierrez, MD, of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “Even if your child says he feels OK, running a fever is an indicator that their immune system is trying to fight off something. When a child is running a fever, he is at his most contagious and this puts children and adults around him at risk. If at all possible, make arrangements for your child to stay home with caregiver.”

Dr. Gutierrez recommends keeping your child home until the fever has been gone for 24 hours without medication. Colds can be contagious for at least 48 hours. If you’re unsure about the best way to treat your child’s cold or flu, ask your doctor, school nurse or other healthcare provider.

9. Fight germs with hand washing and home cleanliness.

“Regular hand washing is one of the single best ways to fight infection,” said infectious disease specialist Lawrence Ross, MD, who serves as Infection Control Officer at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “Younger children should be instructed in the importance of proper hand washing before eating and after using the restroom. For situations where hand washing is not possible, consider supplying your child with packets of hand sanitizing gel.”

Germs and viruses can hitch a ride back home from school, so regular cleaning of kitchen and bathroom counters is a good idea, said Dr. Ross. Basic washing of frequently used hard surfaces with cleanser or soap will go a long way towards lowering the germ count.

10. Talk with your child to understand their emotions.

A parent’s responsibility goes beyond supplying food, clothing and entertainment. Parents are also responsible for their child’s emotional and social growth.

According to child and adolescent psychiatrist Julienne Jacobson, MD, of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, it is important for parents to consistently talk to their children, to know their personalities and be alert to any changes in behavior.

“To maintain a strong connection engage with your kids consistently,” said Dr. Jacobson. “Make a point to spend time with them daily and talk about their activities and interests. Listen to what they say. Let them know you are interested in what they think and how they feel. Let them know they can always feel comfortable talking to you.”

It’s important to be aware of what is appropriate behavior for your child’s age group. Good sources for this information are teachers and other parents. Remember you can ask teachers or school counselors for help or input if you have questions or are concerned about changes in your child’s behavior.

Taken From: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100823006382/en

By: Jo Lee Ferguson Special to the News-Journal

 When two emergency room doctors looked around the hospital where they worked in Texarkana, they saw people who didn’t belong there. Flu patients, for instance, and people without primary care physicians who were there for non life-threatening ailments.

The answer Drs. Tim Reynolds and H.J. Platt developed was HealthCARE Express, an urgent care and occupational medicine clinic. They were joined as owners by nurse practitioners Steven Foltz and Kevin McCann, who also worked with them in the emergency room at Wadley Hospital.

“As ER doctors …. they realized the need was there,” said Tina Baiter, marketing director for HealthCARE Express.

That was 2004, and the business since has grown to three clinics, in Texarkana and Wake Village, and the newest clinic that just opened in Longview at 1509 W. Loop 281.

“They studied the Longview market and realized there was indeed a need to bring an urgent care clinic to Longview,” Baiter said.

While a couple of other urgent care clinics exist in Longview, there was still a need, she said. The decision to open a clinic in Longview was based on the numbers of people who use the emergency rooms at the city’s two hospitals and conversations with health care providers here.

The emergency rooms in Longview are two of the busiest in the region, Baiter said.

HealthCARE Express offers all the services a person would find at an emergency room except treatment for life-threatening injuries, she said.

“It’s beneficial for the patients,” Baiter said, explaining patients with insurance will pay lower co-pays at an urgent care clinic versus an emergency room. Customers without insurance also pay less.

Urgent care clinics can offer lower-cost service because their operating costs are “substantially different” in terms of staffing, supplies, building and insurance requirements, Baiter said.

Doctors at HealthCARE Express’ other clinics are staffing the Longview office for now, until Dr. Lynn Redels joins the Longview staff on Aug. 1. Two physicians assistants, Pamela Welch and DeWayne Bricker, help round out of the staff of  11 full-time employees. Three other physicians also will assist at the clinic.

The clinic’s website lists headaches, allergic reactions, eye injuries, sore throats, sprains, burns, lacerations, animals bites, pink eye, fever and other ailments among the common problems it treats. On the occupational medicine side, the clinic’s services includes workers’ comp, drug testing, breath alcohol testing, DNA testing, physicals and corporate wellness programs. Baiter said the clinic also offers 24-hour on-call drug testing, and can schedule onsite drug testing and physicals for companies that do group hiring.

HealthCARE Express is celebrating its opening by offering free physicals this month, and during a grand-opening event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 17. That event also will feature free blood-sugar screenings, ambulance tours for children, snow cones, popcorn and free Frisbees”for children.

There are no appointments for the clinic, but website check-in allows patients to place their name on the list, and staff members call when a room is almost ready.

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If you go

What: HealthCARE Express

When: Opened this past month; hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays

Where: 1509 W. Loop 281

Contact: (903) 759-9355. Visit http://healthcareexpress.us/ for more information.

As published in the Longview News Journal on Sunday, July 4, 2010.

HealthCARE Express wishes to congratulate TEAM 366 on their graduation from Lifeskills 1 – Leadership from the Heart:

Members of the Life Skills 1 Leadership from the Heart Team 366 class, pose for a photo following their graduation ceremony on Wednesday, June 30. Pictured left to right are Nicole Crawford, Natalie Reynolds, Tracey Atwood, Spencer Reynolds, Ashley Venable, Nicole Jones, Lindsey Robison, Stacey Ervin, Janet Lancaster, Paul Sarna and Nila Smith-Bolton.