Forest Park Pediatrics

It's now easier to call Forest Park Pediatrics.

To Our Forest Park Pediatrics Families,

We apologize but we have been experiencing connection issues with our phone service the last few days and have trouble both accepting and making calls. We have been in constant contact with our phone service provider to address the issues which has required escalation up the chain of command.
In the meantime, for urgent appointments, if you are unable to get through our main number, please call our exchange at 314.362.4433 to leave a message and our staff will contact you from an alternate number. Please do not call back on the alternate number as it is not equipped to handle a call queue.
For non-urgent questions or requests, you may continue to send Mychart messages that our staff will review and respond within 24hrs.

Thank you
The physicians of Forest Park Pediatrics

6.17.22
COVID Vaccine 6mo-4yo

By the end of this week we are expecting to hear recommendations for COVID vaccines for children down to 6 months of age. Both Pfizer and Moderna have submitted requests for approval.

We have requested doses of the Pfizer vaccine for children 6mo-4yo from the CDC. It is expected to be a 3-dose series. The 2nd dose is due 3 weeks after the first and the 3rd dose will be 8 weeks after the second. The advisory committee for the CDC meets this weekend and we should have more information soon.

The CDC plans to begin shipping doses by the last week of June. We plan to offer vaccines through nurse-only appointments, the same way we run our fall flu-shot clinics. As soon as we know when we should expect our shipment, we will begin opening up the schedule to take appointments. We will send out another MyChart message at that time so please be patient and hold all vaccine scheduling calls until then.

We highly recommend the COVID vaccine for all our patients 6mo and older, including those who have had COVID infections with previous variants. The research shows better immunity with a completed vaccine series plus past infection than past infection alone.

We will only be able to vaccinate patients between ages 6 months and 4 years old. For those 5 years and older we continue to recommend vaccination through community providers such as commercial pharmacies and the St. Louis County Health Department, all of which have easy to access appointments through their on-line scheduling.

We are aware of the formula shortage that is causing distress for many of our patient families. Here are the recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics that we would like to share.

* Check smaller stores and drug stores, which may not be out of supply when the bigger stores are.

* If you can afford it, buy formula online until store shortages ease. Purchase from well-recognized distributors and pharmacies rather than individually sold or auction sites. DO NOT import formula from overseas, since imported formula is not FDA-reviewed.

* For most babies, it is OK to switch to any available formula, including store brands, unless your baby has a doctor-diagnosed allergy or intolerance and requires specialty formulas such as Nutramigen or Elecare (no store brand exists). It is also fine to use concentrate or ready-to-feed for a child who usually uses powdered formula. At this point nutrition is most important and some may have to put up with additional spitting or gas.
https://www.perrigopediatrics.com/AbbottRecall/

* Check social media groups. There are groups dedicated to infant feeding and formula, and members may have ideas for where to find formula. (FB group - St. Louis Formula Swap. Beware of scammers!)

* DO NOT add more water to formula to stretch it out. Always follow label instructions or those given to you by your pediatrician. Watering down formula is dangerous. It can cause nutritional imbalances in your baby and lead to serious health problems. Always mix formula as directed by the manufacturer.

* Toddler formulas are not recommended for infants. However, if you absolutely have no other choice, toddler formula is safe for a few days for babies who are close to a year of age.

* Whole milk may be started early within a few weeks of the baby's first birthday but not earlier than 11mo. Be sure to include plenty of iron-containing solid foods (meat, spinach, beans) in their diet while you are using whole cow's milk.

* Milk alternatives are not recommended for babies under a year of age or infants with certain medical conditions requiring specialized formulas. Be especially careful to avoid almond milk or other plant milks as these are often low in protein and minerals.

***OFFICE UPDATE 4.7.22***

We would like to inform our patient families over this coming month we will be overseeing staff turnover in our Triage nurse department. Wait times may be longer than usual and messages regarding non-urgent matters may be taken and returned by the physicians over the lunch hour and after patient appointments in the evening. Our front desk staff will also be scheduling more straight forward acute visits. Medication refills and requests for completion of physicals, letters and other documentation may take an additional day or so. Remember, questions regarding acute issues that require a same day response should NOT be sent via MyChart as those messages may take up to 48hrs to review and respond.
Please be patient as we are training new staff during this time and we will hopefully soon be back to our high standard of service for our patients’ needs.

Also, as of 4.6.22 BJC will no longer be offering drive-thru COVID testing. Testing can still be found in the community at the St. Louis County Health Department, various community pharmacies and urgent cares as well as in our office for SYMPTOMATIC patients needing clearance for return to school and/or daycare.

Finally, with the second Omicron strain BA.2 becoming more prominent in our area, we urge our families who have not yet done so, please seek out COVID vaccination for all members 5years and older. Most retail pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS are offering walk-ins for COVID vaccinations, including CVS located in Target and Schnucks. If you need help finding vaccination sites, please let us know.

St. Louis County Dept of Health – for testing (symptomatic or asymptomatic, drive through or curbside) or vaccinations: https://revivestl.com/vaccine-events/

St. Louis Children’s Hospital After-Hours – for symptomatic testing (visit required)
5-11 pm, Monday-Friday
Noon-11 pm, Saturday-Sunday
Noon-7 pm, Holidays (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day)
12436 Tesson Ferry Rd
St. Louis, MO 63128
Same Day Reservations: 314-454-6340
Phone: 314-454-6336

2206 Highway K
O’Fallon, MO 63368
Same Day Reservations: 636-696-4790
Phone: 636-696-4780

BJC– for testing (visit required) or vaccinations: https://www.bjc.org/Coronavirus

CareSTL - https://carestlhealth.org/
Walk-in testing 8a-5pm, results in 3-5 days.
Walk-in vaccinations 9am-1pm at 2425 N. Whittier Street.
** Residents who live in St. Louis City receive a $100 gift card when they come in for their 1st shot**

CareSTL Health Official Website Comprehensive health centers providing St. Louis City with high quality health care services, including pediatrics, women's health and dentistry.

Due to the recent surge in COVID-19 in our area leading to staff and supply shortages we will no longer be able to order drive-through COVID testing through BJC for ASYMPTOMATIC patients with recent exposures or required for screening for travel, school, or events. We also DO NOT provide ASYMPTOMATIC testing in the office. We will continue to perform testing in the office for patients who have symptoms to help clear for return to daycare/school. Patients who have symptoms and known close exposure to COVID-19 and otherwise do not need a physician evaluation will be referred to BJC drive-through testing while they continue their quarantine.

There is a huge demand for COVID testing which has led to supply shortages and long waits at testing sites. We ask that you be patient and consider what activities and travel are essential at this time.

We would also like to remind you that our After Hours Exchange service is for questions regarding acute symptoms when the office is closed. The nurses staffing the exchange are not directly associated with our office and are not familiar with our patients or our physicians. Their responsibilities are limited to advice only and are able to contact the on-call physician for emergencies.
Please DO NOT call the exchange for the following reasons:
1. Requests for any kind of testing including COVID, flu, RSV, etc.
2. Test results
3. Appointment scheduling
4. Medication refills

Here are the community testing resources we know are or will soon be available in our area.

Sites sponsored by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
Every Monday and Thursday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
IBEW Local #1, parking lot (near the new QT on Hampton near The Hill)
5850 Elizabeth Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63110

Every Tuesday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
"Legacy Bar & Café"
Delmar Plaza, parking lot
5261 Delmar Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63108

St. Louis County sites
*All STL County locations require an appointment which can be found at revivestl.com
John C. Murphy Health Center
Mondays-Thursdays, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Fridays, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
6121 N. Hanley Road No. 2003
St. Louis County, MO 63134
*Appointment required

South County Health Center
Mondays-Thursday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Fridays, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
4580 S. Lindbergh Boulevard
St. Louis County, MO 63127
*Appointment required

North Central Health Center
Mondays-Thursdays, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Fridays, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
4000 Jennings Station Road
St. Louis County, MO 63121
*Appointment required

North County Recreation Complex
Weekdays starting 1/10/22
8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
2577 Redman Avenue
St. Louis County, MO 63136
*Appointment required
**Saliva test with results in 24-48 hours

*The county also has separate appointments available for those requiring a test for international travel.

City of St. Louis sites
Ballpark Village
Weekdays, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Weekends, 4 hours before home Blues games
601 Clark Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63102
*This site uses rapid result tests

https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/covid-testing-sites-missouri-st-louis-area/63-6eabe51f-408c-4977-a24e-e2fd342f6585

List: COVID testing sites in the St. Louis area Missouri and Illinois have several options to get a free COVID-19 test. 5 On Your Side compiled some of the options.

THE OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED Friday 12/24 THROUGH Sunday 12/26 for the Christmas Holiday and AND WILL REOPEN Monday 12/27. We will also BE CLOSED Friday 12/31 THROUGH Sunday 1/2 for the New Year's Holiday.
** Please DO NOT call the After Hours Exchange number to request COVID testing when the office is closed. The After Hours Service DOES NOT have the ability to refer for Covid testing**

Due to spread of the new COVID Omicron variant, as well as increasing numbers of Influenza in addition to our usual circulating winter illnesses, we are still experiencing very high call volumes. Our staff is doing their best to accommodate all patient requests.
If you require a response about a question or an acute appointment the same day, please be patient while waiting for our staff to assist you by phone. Our busiest phone times are between 8am and noon. If your needs can wait until after 1pm you will have a better chance of getting though quickly.

For those families who have been exposed to COVID and would like testing while on quarantine, we ask that you delay your calls until after the busy morning period.

Anticipating a large surge of illness post-holidays, we have adjusted our schedules into January to accommodate more acute visits per day. We encourage everyone to continue to take precautions going into the holiday to limit exposure and further transmission of illness. Please continue to wear masks when indoors with anyone outside of your immediate family especially if you are going to be around those who are potentially unvaccinated for COVD-19. We also encourage all patients and their family members >5 years old to get their COVID vaccines or boosters if eligible and have not yet done so.

As some school districts are converting to “mask-optional” in the New Year, we fear an additional surge of in-school transmission and ask you to protect your children and our community by continuing to encourage your children to wear their masks in school. We would hate to see classes revert back to virtual learning as some schools in New England have already experienced in the last week before the holiday break due to overwhelming cases in a short period of time.

And finally, like many local small businesses, and apparently major sports teams, we are not immune to illness and staffing challenges, so we appreciate your patience and understanding during these difficult times.

Wishing a happy and healthy holiday to all our families.

Drs. Ankney, Epstein, Harrison, Meyer, Ruby-Ziegler and Schmandt

The emergency use of the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine in children 5-11 years old was approved by the FDA last week and the CDC provided their recommendations this week. All children over 5 years old are now eligible to begin scheduling appointments for their COVID-19 vaccines.

Forest Park Pediatrics will NOT be providing COVID-19 vaccines in the office at this time.

St. Louis County will begin vaccine clinics with the COVID-19 pediatric dose next week. You can check their website on Monday 11/8 for the week’s vaccine events locations and online scheduling. https://revivestl.com/vaccine-events/
For children 5-11 the appointment heading must read COVID-19 Vaccine (Pediatric 1st dose, Pfizer).

Commercial pharmacies including Walgreens and CVS are currently accepting online appointments for 5-11 year olds that begin next week.

Washington University/BJC has now opened their online scheduling for patients ages 5 and up. Appointments can be made through MyChart by choosing the child’s profile > Schedule an Appointment > COVID-19 Vaccine: Initial Dose > choose desired location(s) to find available time slots. For those who do not have MyChart activated, appointments can be made at https://www.bjc.org/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines

Pop-up clinics at SLCH and Children’s Specialty Care Centers (CSCC)
- Tuesday 11/9 10am-4pm at SLCH
- Wednesday 11/10 10am-4pm at SLCH
- Thursday 11/11 9am-5pm CSCC South (55 and Butler Hill)
- Friday 11/12 9am-5pm CSCC West (Mason and 40)

Weekly BJC vaccine clinics at Christian Hospital, Clayton Avenue Building and Wentzville on weekends from 11/13-12/18
- Clayton Avenue Building (4353 Clayton Ave in the CWE between FPP and IKEA): Saturdays 7am-2:30pm
- Christian Hospital: Saturdays 7am-2:30pm
- Wentzville: Saturdays and Sundays 9am-3:30pm

Mercy will also begin vaccination clinics starting starting Saturday morning 11/6/21 at the Kirkwood and Chesterfield vaccine clinic locations. Appointments can be found at Mercy.net
1. Chesterfield - 1350 Elbridge Payne, Chesterfield, MO 63017
- Mon – Fri 8am – 6pm
2. Kirkwood – 1001 S. Kirkwood Rd
- Monday – Friday 8am – 6pm
- Saturday 8am-12pm

**Please be considerate and cancel any scheduled appointments if you find availability at a different preferred time or location**

COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment Scheduling & Info | BJC HealthCare BJC HealthCare is one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States, delivering services to residents primarily in the greater St. Louis, southern Illinois and mid-Missouri regions.

10.14.21 Office updates re: COVID-19 vaccines and After-Hours calls

COVID-19 Vaccine for younger children.

We are expecting FDA approval of the COVID-19 vaccine for children 5yo-11yo after the committee meets on October 26th. The CDC then will give offer their guidance the following week and hopefully those children will be eligible to start the vaccination series by the end of the first week of November. We hope approval for the children < 5yo will happen by the holidays.

The COVID-19 vaccine for children 11yo and younger is a smaller dose than the dose given to adolescents and adults. Distribution of the vaccine to providers will start as soon as it is approved. At this time we do not expect to have supply to offer in the office. BJC and the other community pediatric providers are currently working on organizing their various sites that will be able to accommodate the younger patients.
Those with active MyChart proxy accounts for their children will likely be able to schedule appointments directly from the app like current eligible patients once CDC guidance has been given. Open the MyChart app > choose appropriate patient > click on the Appointments icon > click green Schedule an appointment button at bottom > choose COVID-19 Vaccine: Initial dose.

If you do not have an active MyChart account or proxy for the eligible child you can sign up and/or download the Proxy Application for Minor Patients, Ages 0-11years at https://bjc.org/mychart
Some school districts may also hold vaccination clinics as they have done for the older students. Check with your child’s school to see if they plan to administer vaccines.

After Hours COVID calls

Our After-Hours service is available when the office is closed for those looking for advice for acute illnesses that may need urgent treatment prior to the next clinic day. Like many medical providers we are experiencing a large surge of acute illness and we kindly ask those seeking resources for COVID testing for mild illness or exposure without current symptoms, COVID results, or notes for return to school and daycare to please refrain from contacting the After-Hours nurses and either send a non-urgent MyChart message or wait until the office opens.

For minor illness or asymptomatic COVID testing outside clinic hours:
1. We recommend those with minor symptoms and no distress to wait at least 24hrs prior to seeking testing.
2. Those with a known exposure and no symptoms should be tested on day 4-5 since last exposure.
3. Those patients with MyChart can schedule a virtual visit with a BJC/Wash U physician who can order drive through COVID testing at various locations. See "Get Urgent Care - Virtually!" on patient's home page in the app.
4. The SLCH After Hours Clinics are available for symptomatic COVID testing in the evenings and on weekends but are experiencing a large surge of patients and are struggling to accommodate the demand. *The After-Hours clinics will NOT test exposed patients who DO NOT have symptoms*
SLCH After Hours
5-11 pm, Monday-Friday
Noon-11 pm, Saturday-Sunday
Noon-7 pm, Holidays (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day)

LOCATIONS:
Washington University Children’s After Hours Care
12436 Tesson Ferry Rd
St. Louis, MO 63128
Same Day Reservations: 314-454-6340
Phone: 314-454-6336

Washington University Children’s After Hours Care
2206 Highway K
O’Fallon, MO 63368
Same Day Reservations: 636-696-4790
Phone: 636-696-4780
Fax: 636-696-4782

Forest Park Pediatrics - Flu Shot Clinic Scheduling Available
September 9th , 2021

We have received our first shipment of this year's influenza vaccine for our patients who have private commercial insurance and we would like to begin offering appointments for flu vaccine clinics throughout the week in order to safely accommodate all our patients while following recommended COVID-19 guidelines.

We are eagerly awaiting our shipment of flu vaccines from the CDC for those patients with coverage through the Missouri Medicaid plans that include United Health Care community, Cente/Homestate and Healthy Blue Mo. We expect them to ship by end of September, and we will send out another message as soon as they are received.

Flu vaccines are recommended for all children over the age of 6 months. For those under 8yo receiving their first ever flu vaccine this season, a booster dose is recommended at least 4 weeks after the initial one.

Beginning September 16th, flu vaccine clinics will run on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays 9:30am – 4:30 pm and Saturdays 9am-noon.

Up to 2 children per family will be scheduled for a 15 minute NURSE-ONLY appointment to ensure we are able to maintain social distancing. This means they will be seen by the nurse for the flu shot only and will not be scheduled with a doctor.

In order to avoid crowds from forming in our waiting room, we ask those families who drive to wait in their cars. If walking or coming by public transportation, please try to wait outside, weather permitting, and maintain appropriate social distancing from others. Masks for all patients and family over 2 years old are still required in our office.

On the morning of your appointment, your insurance will be verified by our staff over the phone. You will then receive a text message communication from 314-371-5165, and we ask that you respond via text with your child's name once you arrive in the parking lot. You will be called or texted when we are ready for you to enter the building. Please enter at that time and follow the signs to the flu vaccine clinic station.

Please call our office 314-535-7855 with any questions or to schedule a flu vaccine appointment. As we are experiencing heavy call volumes first thing in the morning for patients needing sick appointments, please try to wait until after 1pm to call for flu clinic appointments.

Please be aware of the increasing cases of COVID-19 in our area. We are beginning to see more cases in the younger unvaccinated population who had, up until this point, been avoiding infection. We encourage everyone to continue masking indoors and around people of unknown vaccination status.

PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY: New cases of COVID-19 are rising at an accelerating rate, and the Delta variant continues to spread. Read the advisory from The St. Louis County Department of Public Health (DPH) and the City of St. Louis Department of Health (DOH). http://ow.ly/97LD50Fn87d

COVID Vaccine update 5.7.21

The emergency use of the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine in children ages 12-15 years old is expected to be approved by the FDA next week. We encourage all our patients over age 12 years old to receive their vaccinations.
Many institutions including BJC and some school districts are preparing to accommodate administering the vaccine to this newly eligible population.
We are able to schedule our patients through BJC for appointments starting Thursday 5/13/21. They will be running vaccination clinics 8am-4pm, 3 days a week out of 2 locations. Both locations will accommodate walk-ins from 9am-3pm on the days they are open. BJC is prepared to open additional days if there is a large demand.
Clayton Ave Building (behind FPP off Newstead and Clayton) – Tues/Wed/Sat
Christian Hospital – Thurs/Fri/Sat

Once the approval is granted, if you have a MyChart proxy account for your eligible child then you may schedule the first COVID dose appointment yourself. Open the MyChart app > choose appropriate patient > click on the Appointments icon > click green Schedule an appointment button at bottom > choose COVID-19 Vaccine: Initial Dose
If you do not yet have an active MyChart account or proxy for the eligible child you can sign up and/or download the Proxy Application for Adolescent Patients, Ages 12-17 Years at https://www.bjc.org/mychart. The Proxy form for children over 12 years must be signed by the child and returned to our office to also be signed by the child’s physician.
Appointment scheduling online will also be available to those without MyChart at https://www.bjc.org/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines

So far, we have heard that both Clayton and Lindbergh school districts are organizing mass vaccination clinics for their middle and high school students in the coming weeks. Check with your child’s school to see if they will be offering similar.

Finally, the county has a walk-in vaccine clinic offering the Pfizer vaccine for 16 years and older at the Heman Park Community Center at 975 Pennsylvania Avenue in University City near Midland and Olive. They will offer up to 500 doses a day on Tuesdays and Thursday 9am to noon. Hopefully, once the FDA approves for the younger age group, they will accommodate them as well but check before you go!

Please call the office 314-535-7855 for additional information or assistance.
The Physicians of Forest Park Pediatrics

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