Introducing Dr. Meg West!

Dr. Meg West

We are really thrilled to welcome Dr. Meg West as the newest physician to the Pediatric Consultants team! Please join us in giving Dr. West a warm welcome. She will be seeing new patients at our downtown Le Bonheur office and also at our East office. Please click here to view Dr. West's online bio and schedule on the Pediatric Consultants website.

Dr. West is a 2009 graduate of the University of Arkansas's College of Medicine and completed her residency training at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

We sat down this week with Dr. West to ask her a few questions so that you could get to know her better!

Why did you decide to become a pediatrician? 

For the kids. So cliche. When I started medical school I had other plans, but then I did my rotation at the the Arkansas Children's Hospital. Medicine can be very emotional, but kids are always so happy and resilient and that makes the entire hospital and pediatric office a happier place. The heart and joy in the children makes the effort and time spent completely worth it.

What do you do to stay healthy?

To stay healthy, I bike, run, play tennis, and swim! Of course, a healthy diet is always important to my lifestyle as well.

What else do you do in your free time?
My free time is usually reserved for my friends and family. I have a large immediate and extended family who still live here in Memphis and are a large part of my life. As a member of the Board of Trustees for the Pink Palace Family of Museums and Christian Brother's University I give much of my time to these entities.

What are your favorite things to do in Memphis?

I love Memphis. Mostly because my family is here and so close, but also because there are so many things to do. The Cooper Young area, the FedEx Forum, Shelby Farms, the Levitt Shell, South Main and Beale Street, the River, and all of the museums all bring the richness to the city that is hard to find anywhere else.

Dolly Parton Works "9-5" to Make Sure Your Children Read 0-5 and For Life!

Do you have children under the age of 5? Would you like them to receive a book, free of charge, every month, delivered directly to your home door? If so ... you need to continue reading!

You're probably wondering what the catch is, right? Well, there isn't one! Thanks to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and Shelby County's Books from Birth every child in Shelby County is eligible to receive a total of 60 books right from birth, completely free of charge. The books are chosen by Dolly Parton and a team of educators so that they are each age appropriate and fun to read.

Dolly's program began in East Tennessee's Sevier County in 1995 and it didn't take her long to realize that her Imagination Library could benefit not just the state of Tennessee but the entire country, in any area that could support it financially. Shelby County's Books from Birth (and those who support the program philanthropically) makes this possible in our neck of the woods – it is easy to sign up if you haven't already.

So what are you waiting for? Sign up today! You can do so from the Shelby County Books from Birth's website here: booksfrombirth.org/enroll-a-child/. You can also visit their facebook page or learn more about the history of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

Happy reading to all of our Pediatric Consultants children!

Parent-Recommended Apps for Kids

We recently asked parents on facebook what their kids' favorite apps are, and we got a lot of great responses. Here they are, in case you're looking for something new!

Kirsten: Dr. Seuss Books. There is even an auto play so it will read to them. Great for when mom has a doctor appointment.

Kyleigh: Elmo Calls - Elmo pops up talking to them about various things. Perfect for 1-3 year olds in my opinion. My almost 3 year old loves it.

Kimberly: ABA “Applied Behavioral Analysis”. If you go to kindergarten.com it will give you a link to all the apps that are available. There are apps appropriate for all age groups!

Crystal: Smule's Magic Piano. My kids (ages 4 & 8) love this. You tap the dots and it plays the notes/chords. Really good mix of classical to pop to children's songs.

Emily: For my 8-yr-old- Angry birds space, Madden NFL 12, Temple Run. For my 4-yr-old- Fruit Ninja, Super Why, and Garbage

Jessica: Collyn (8) loves draw something and scramble with friends. She is very artsy and loves playing w her friends. Also scramble with friends allows her to work on her spelling and vocabulary while being timed!

Laura: My 2 year old loves Vocal Zoo. You touch the animals picture and it makes the sound and tells you what animal it is :)

Berenice: Abc song, where is puppy, abc (age 2)

Lori: The Monster at the End of this Book featuring Grover. It's a lot of fun!

Christy: Tozzle puzzles for my 3yr old and power ranger samurai

Jennifer: Stack the States

Jessica: Smarter than a fifth grader. It's great!!!

Tiffany: PBS kids!

JM: The one with the animals that repeat what you say. She downloaded 8 of them (Talking Tom).

Katie: Monkey preschool lunchbox for my almost 3 year old and counting 123. 

Memphis in May Triathlon 2012

Here are a few photos from the Memphis in May Triathlon 2012! Dr. Kip Frizzell (cycling) and Dr. Marybeth Huggins (swimming and running) competed as a relay team and Dr. Chris Mathis competed in the full triathlon. Congratulations to our athletes!

Dr.

Le Bonheur Celebrates 60 Years

Dr. Kip as a resident

Once Upon a Heart - a collection of 60 stories spanning Le Bonheur's first 60 years - will be available beginning June 15, the hospital's 60th Birthday!


"Le Bonheur's Central Tower opened up while I was a resident. In 2008, I watched the new hospital go up, and now I'm watching the Central Tower come down. I have watched Le Bonheur evolve from a community hospital to one of the nation's best institutions for caring for kids."

- excerpt from "Soft Spot," narrated by Dr. Noel "Kip" Frizzell.

CPR Saves Lives

As summer time heats up, many of us are headed to the swimming pool or the beach for some fun in the sun. But summer also means a spike in accidental drownings among children. Our own Dr. Jara Best made the news last month when she and a nurse administered CPR to a little girl who had nearly drowned.

About her role in saving Shawanda Birdsey’s life, Dr. Best said, “It was indeed a life changing experience to say the least.  After I realized that I had actually helped save her life, I was a little overwhelmed. However, I was also very grateful that I was at the right place at the right time to do what had to be done to help Shawanda."

It was nothing short of a miracle that two medical professionals were on the scene, but it got us thinking…what if they hadn’t been there? As Dr. Best says, “You do not have to be in the medical field to learn how to perform CPR. I think EVERYONE should learn CPR! As we all know, accidents happen all of the time and you never know when someone might need help."

“CPR stands for Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation. A person who is unresponsive, not breathing, and does not have a heartbeat or pulse needs CPR,” says Dr. Best. You can find CPR and first aid training classes through the American Red Cross or the American HeartAssociation.

We are so thankful that Dr. Best was able to remain calm and execute her CPR training flawlessly. She saved one little girl’s life, but we hope that her story will inspire many parents and caregivers to learn CPR and first aid or to get a refresher course! 

Dr. Best Saves the Day

Photo from the Commercial Appeal

Talk about being in the right place at the right time! Our own Dr. Jara Best and Nurse Shelia Dalrymple served on a sequestered jury in a murder trial. After a long day of deliberations, Sheriff's deputies escorted the jury back to their hotel, where 6-year-old Shawanda Birdse had just been pulled from floating face down in the pool. She had no pulse and was not breathing, so the medical professionals and jurors quickly administered CPR to save the little girl's life! We are so proud of Dr. Best for thinking quickly and so glad she happened to be in the right place at the right time! You can read more about the heroics in the following links:

The Commercial Appeal

Action News 5

News Channel 3

ABC 24

Inspiring the Doctors of Tomorrow

Dr. Blake Bergeron was recently selected to be the University of Tennessee Health Science Center alumni speaker for the Arnold Gold Foundation Breakfast. He welcomed medical students into their clinical rotations and gave an address that focused on the many aspects of delivering compassionate, humanistic care to patients. He did a great job inspiring our future doctors!

The King of Pediatric Consultants

Elvis Presley with Dr. Mathis at Wine Opener

A few weeks ago, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Memphis hosted a benefit at the Playhouse on the Square. The Wine Opener featured wine tastings, gourmet food, and Pediatric Consultants' own Dr. Blake Bergeron as Elvis Presley!

Dr. Bergeron says, "I got involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in order to help raise awareness for this disease and to raise money for this great cause. The foundation is a major supporter of research efforts, but that is not all they do. They help families get assistance for testing, medical supplies, medications, and offer a support network for those affected by the disease."

"Cystic Fibrosis is one of the most common genetic disorders and it affects thousands of children.  These patients are very brave individuals, and we as a practice take care of several children affected with the disorder.  It is a life long disease, and these children need frequent medical care.  They face a life of daily medications, breathing treatments, vest treatments, and doctor visits.  Back in 1950, children with CF had a life expectancy that barely included elementary school.  Through extensive fund raising and research, major advances have been made in the field, and today patients can expect to live to the 40s and beyond!  In fact, emerging research is suggesting that there may the possibility of a genetic cure!"

Part of the evening was the "Sixty Five Roses" competition. According to legend, this is what one young CF patient called his disease when he couldn't pronounce the proper name. Several local florists donated some beautiful arrangements, and part of the evening called for "celebrity judges" (including Elvis!) to pick the winner.

This was Dr. Bergeron's first gig as Elvis, but party-goers would have guessed he was a professional! Dr. Bergeron's neighbors served on the committee for the fundraiser and recognized his untapped potential to be the King of Rock and Roll. He says, "I was thrown into the Elvis impersonating business, I can assure you! I figured it would be for a great cause, so I volunteered.  The costume was donated generously by Mr. Lincoln's Costume Shoppe in Midtown, and when I tried it on, I didn't really think it was me! I even sent a picture to my mom when I was in costume and she didn't recognize me!"

"The evening was incredible.  It's not everyday that you get to go to a party with Elvis!  I posed for what seemed like hundreds of pictures.  At first I was uncomfortable, dressed as such a spectacle, but after a little while everyone was giving me high-fives and shouting, "Well, there's Elvis!"  I tried to get as much into character as possible, so I practiced talking like Elvis and even tried to mimic his little smirk!  Not so sure I pulled it off though.  Someone asked me to sing, but I politely declined. I told them they want people to come to the party, not run away screaming.  At this point, I'm not available for bookings. However, if demand picks up, I may consider starting a side job!"

Things You Can Learn & Find on Our Website!

Happy New Year everyone! We hope you are having a great, and healthy, start to 2012 and that the holidays treated you well. We wanted to share some things that our website, www.pedconsultants.com, has to offer to you.

1. A complete list of our doctors, nurses, and staff: http://pedconsultants.com/ourstaff

2. Directions to all three of our locations (Google directions built into web pages): http://pedconsultants.com/locationhours

3. A wealth of Healthy Resources that are terrific reads, as well as Recommended Readings from Dr. Frizzell!
http://pedconsultants.com/healthresources

4. Convenient information about our practice, including appointments, calls, prescriptions, vaccinations, referrals, lab work, and billing and insurance: http://pedconsultants.com/forpatients/thepractice

5. Prenatal information, including insurance and FAQ's: http://pedconsultants.com/forpatients/prenatal

6. Immunization schedules for your little ones: http://pedconsultants.com/forpatients/immunization.html

7. Online services, including the ability to make a payment, request a prescription refill, request test results, or forms: http://pedconsultants.com/online_services

8. And, FAQ's that are updated as needed depending on the time of the year: http://pedconsultants.com/faq

We hope our website is helpful to you, and we are so glad to have the opportunity to help make sure your children stay healthy!