What We are Thankful For This Thanksgiving

Pediatric Consultants wishes all of you and your families a very happy Thanksgiving today! We hope you have a wonderful day and weekend spending time with your family and good friends. We thought we should share some things some of our doctors, nurses, and staff are thankful for today and this holiday season.

Dr. Kip Frizzell
"I am thankful for the good health of all of my close family members. Really, everything else on this list is not as important. I am thankful that my grandchildren live close by. I am, without a doubt, the luckiest person in the world. I am thankful to have a job that I enjoy every day and for my staff who help make it possible and I am thankful for all of the families who trust me with the medical care of their children."

Dr. Dawn Scott
"This year, as always , I am so grateful to have been blessed with two beautiful, healthy, clever children.  I have been particularly thankful this year  that our parents are healthy and have been able to travel so much to spend time with the grand kids."

Dr. Ann Lankford
"It's hard to put into a couple of sentences all that I'm thankful for but here are just a few things.  I am so thankful for my family. I'm thankful for my husband and his unconditional love.  I'm thankful for my three precious children who are my best teachers--about life and about pediatrics.  I'm thankful for 5 years of working at Pediatric Consultants and honored to be working with colleagues whose opinion I respect and trust."

Dr. Chris Mathis
"The thing I enjoy most about working with Pediatric Consultants is the sense of family, I feel like everybody there has my back. The thing I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving is that Dr Pendergrass is on call!! But VSS and I will help."

Dr. Blake Bergeron

"I am thankful for so much, but especially for God's blessings that come through my loving family and friend. To know you are loved and supported is a wonderful blessing. I love our PC team because I feel that we are an extension of each patients' family.  We get to see our children grow from newborn babies through young adulthood, and I love being a small part of that journey each and every day!  It is no small compliment to be trusted with the care of someones most loved person."

Meg Nickell

"I'm thankful for friends and family, and for my wonderful coworkers I consider family!  Working at PC is the best because I get to watch all of the children grow and succeed."

Cassandra Dyer
"I am thankful for my friends and family. What I love most about my job is getting to watch the kids grow. It's like being part of their extended family. We get to watch them grow up."

Lisa Tronsor
"I'm thankful for good health and the good health of my family and friends. One of the special things about Pediatric Consultants is our leadership. Our doctors set such a great example for us each and every day. It's GREAT to work for and with such wonderful friends. Every employee fills a certain niche and are much appreciated both within our practice and in the communities we are so fortunate to serve."

Stephanie Smith
"I am thankful for life. God has blessed my family and I to wake up every morning with a roof over our head, food on our table and clothes on our back and laughter in our belly and a mouth to praise him each and every day.  What I enjoy most about working with Pediatric Consultants is that when I come to work I feel like I never left home. 'Home is where the Heart is.' Being at work is like my second home.  When my home flooded earlier this year, my coworkers, the doctors and my supervisor all helped my family and blessed us with gifts, prayers, and kind words."

Maryellen Morgan
"I am thankful for good health, blessing, and guidance for my family and others. As a Pediatric Consultants associate, we work as a team to serve our patients better with care and understanding and that's what I love most: UNITY."

Terri Hardeman
"I'm very grateful for my family, my friends and my freedom. I have the best job in the world; I consider my colleagues at Pediatric Consultants 'family.' Our patients are wonderful and our docs and staff are the absolute best. Thanks for a wonderful 12 years, Pediatric Consultants, and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!"

Flu Vaccine 101: The Who, Why, Where, and When About the Flu Vaccine!

Why get vaccinated?

Dr. Livingston receiving his flu vaccine.
Have you gotten vaccinated this year?

Flu is a contagious disease caused by the influenza virus that can cause fever, sore throat, chills, fatigue, cough, headache, and muscle aches. It can also cause high fever and pneumonia, and make existing medical conditions worse. Each year thousands of people die from seasonal influenza and even more require hospitalization.

“I think vaccination is a very important and safe measure for children and adults to easily protect themselves from a very real threat during the winter,” says Dr. Leon Livingston.

Who should get vaccinated?

“I get the flu vaccine every year,” says Dr. Livingston. “Our entire staff gets immunized and I recommend it to all my patients.”

In fact, all people 6 months of age and older should get the flu vaccine. Infants, children, and pregnant women are especially at risk and can get much sicker if they get the flu. Children under six months cannot be vaccinated, but their caretakers definitely should!

How does the vaccine work?

Every year scientists try to match the viruses in the vaccine to those most likely to cause flu. The 2010-2011 vaccine provides protection against H1N1 influenza as well as two other flu viruses. Even if you were vaccinated for H1N1 last year, you should still get the flu shot this year for optimal protection. You won’t need two shots this year since H1N1 vaccine is included in the seasonal vaccine. Children under nine years who are getting their first flu vaccine may need a second dose. Check with your doctor to see if you need a booster.

What’s the difference between the flu shot and the nasal spray flu vaccine?

The flu shot is made with killed virus and is injected into the muscle with a needle. It’s appropriate for most people age 6 months and older, including pregnant women and people with chronic health conditions. The nasal spray is made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu. It is appropriate for people age 2-49 years old who are not pregnant and do not have certain medical conditions. Both methods help your body develop antibodies to protect against influenza virus. Talk to your doctor about what is most appropriate for your child!

Where do I sign up?

There is no need to make an appointment. We have open ‘flu shot’ hours between 10-4 at all three offices. We have plenty of both types of vaccine for all ages at all three offices as of this posting, but follow us on Facebook for any updates on availability. Be sure to get your flu shot as soon as possible before the flu hits Memphis!

Meet Dr. Bergeron!

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Blake Bergeron to Pediatric Consultants. He started practice with us this summer and is taking new patients! Read all about this sports fanatic and proud father here, and you can check out his online bio too.

Why did you decide to become a pediatrician?

For as long as I can remember, a pediatrician is all that I wanted to be.  My favorite part of pediatrics is the relationship that is built with patients an their families. A pediatrician, more so than any other type of physician, becomes part of the family and we literally get to see the kids grow up. For me, that is extremely rewarding. I love how we get to see kids when they are healthy at their well-child visits and get to know them outside of feeling ill. I also like the challenge of pediatrics, sometimes having figure out what is going on when your patient cannot tell you exactly what hurts! I have loved every day that I have worked with children and am so excited about starting practice with such a well-respected and incredible group!

What do you do stay healthy?

I'm really big into all sports. Playing basketball is probably my favorite exercise, but recently my wife has encouraged me to start running and doing more cardio/outdoor activities. I like to lift weights but since we've had the baby, there has not really been much time to keep that up.

What are your favorite family activities?

We are active in our church, Second Presbyterian. We enjoy family walks/runs, playing with Lilly either in the backyard or on the playground, or watching our new favorite TV show, Parenthood. We also spend a lot of time sitting on our back porch.

What do you do in your free time?

In my free time, I enjoy watching sports, especially football and basketball. My favorite teams are the Davidson Wildcats, the Volunteers, Titans, and Grizzlies. I also enjoy cooking and trying new foods.  I have a huge sweet tooth (much to the chagrin of my wife, who does not). I love to read when I get the chance, and I like to exercise as well. We spend a lot of time hanging out with friends both here in Memphis and out of town.

What are your favorite things about in Memphis?

We love all the incredible restaurants in Memphis!  We love to eat at local joints, and whether it be BBQ, Mexican, Indian, Ethopian, or Asian, we eat it all. We are always up for a good suggestion. We love Memphis because of all the different types of people and how friendly everyone is. We also love all the public parks and great places to take kids to get outside and exercise.

Is there anything else you'd like your patients to know about you?

I played four years of college football at Davidson College in North Carolina. My sophomore year, our team was one of four undefeated  teams in the entire NCAA!  I grew in in Nashville and attended Montgomery Bell Academy (the MUS of Nashville, so to speak).