Facebook Winners and December's Facebook Contest!

Big congrats to Kim Eberspacher, Calli Rhoades and Jessica Muelleck!  They are the winners for our November Facebook contest!  Let us know if you would like us to mail you your gift card or if you would like to come by the office and pick it up!

Now it is time for our December Facebook contest!  This will be our final contest until Springtime, so make sure you get involved!  The winner will receive a wonderful gift basket full of holiday goodies.  To enter, click here and "like" us on Facebook.  Then post on our wall what your favorite holiday tradition is.  Those who post will automatically entered in this month's drawing!

What are you Thankful for?

This time of year is a great time to reflect and remember what we are thankful for.  The employees at Willow Creek have are all remembering what they are thankful for today!

Margie (office coordinator) is thankful for good health, so she can cook Thanksgiving dinner for everyone!

Mandy (nurse) is thankful for her two little boys and all of their energy!  Also her amazing husband and family!

Jan (front office) is thankful for her wonderful family.  They bring so much joy and happiness to her!

Dr. Jopling is thankful that his wife and 2 children are in good health!

Amber (nurse) is thankful for good credit reports!

Mykio (front office) is thankful for a happy, healthy family and that she gets to share her holiday with such wonderful people!

Kari (front office) is thankful for great friends and neighbors and their thoughtful acts of kindness!

Camille (nurse) is thankful for her family and her health!

Anita (nurse) is thankful for her family, including her 3 children and her grandchildren, and for her health, such as it is for her age!

Dr. Ring is sooooo thankful for her daughter, Piper, and her good health!

Dr. Chamberlain is thankful for her beautiful family, a great job and good health!

Dr. Ashton is thankful to be upright and breathing!  Everyday alive is a good day!

Dr. Memmott is thankful for the country we live in and our many freedoms and opportunities!

Dr. Lynch is thankful for his health, vision, family and friends!

Mindee (nurse/front office) is thankful for her beautiful family and a home to keep her warm!

The staff and doctors of Willow Creek would like to wish all of our patients and their families and happy and safe Thanksgiving week!

Fact Friday--1 in every 8 babies are born to soon

Did you know that November is Prematurity Awareness Month?...I did because I have raised two preemies and so it is very close to my heart. I know many of our patients are also preemies and wanted to recognize the families and children that have overcome this challenge.

The March of Dimes is a wonderful resource and a great advocate in helping with the awareness and education of premature babies. 3 Facts about premature births: 1- 543,000 babies or 1 in every 8 babies are born prematurely each year; 2- premature birth is the number one killer of newborns; 3- premature babies cost ten times more than healthy babies. Because of campaigns like The March of Dimes and "Prematurity Awareness Month", there has been a recent decline in premature birth rate by 3 percent! The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is a proud partner with the March of Dimes as they raise awareness of this growing health problem.

It is so wonderful to have so many great resources out there----so click on a link below if you want to volunteer, support or learn more about Prematurity and help the March of Dimes "work together for stronger, healthier babies"!
www.marchofdimes.com/mission/prematurity.html
www.healthychildren.org/english/news/pages/prematurity-awareness-month.aspx

**picture above is Jaxon (my son)who was born at 28.5 weeks--weight 2 pound 5 oz and now is a very strong, active and healthy 9 1/2 year old boy

Introducing Dr. Michelle Chamberlain!

Our spotlight for this week is Dr. Michelle Chamberlain!

Dr. Chamberlain received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University. She attended medical school at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, TN. Her residency was completed at the University of Utah. She is board certified in Pediatrics. Michelle's husband, Jim, is an internal medicine Physician at the Utah Diabetes Center. They have two children, Luke and Mia. Michelle's favorite hobbies include running, hiking, biking, and skiing. Dr. Chamberlain enjoys caring for children of all ages and finds the most rewarding aspect of being a pediatrician to be the relationships she develops with the patients and their families as the children grow and develop.

Dr. Chamberlain is our newest addition to the Willow Creek office and we are so happy to have her here!  Her practice has filled up quickly and her patients absolutely adore her!

Thanksgiving Hours

The Willow Creek office WILL be open on Thanksgiving day, November 25, for Willow Creek and Draper patients! We have a doctor on call to see patients with URGENT problems only! We will book patients in consecutive order and will stay until the latest scheduled appointment, so call first thing in the morning if your child needs to be seen to be sure to get an appointment!

Just a reminder, all after hours appointments, including holiday appointments do have an additional $28 after hours fee. We will bill the fee to your insurance company, but it is your responsibility to know whether or not your insurance covers the after hours charge and if you will have a different copay.

We will also be open the day after Thanksgiving. We will have a few doctors in the office to see sick patients. This will be treated as a regular day with regular office hours for the Willow Creek office!

Dr. Lynch and Dr. O'Mara run 10K

WAY TO GO!!....Dr. Steve Lynch and Dr. Kathy O'Mara both represented Willow Creek Pediatrics in the annual "Reach Out and Read 10 K" this past cold Saturday morning. We are so proud of them for supporting this very worthwhile cause and hope you are too! To learn more about "Reach Out and Read" check out the website http://www.reachoutandread.org/ or read our blog earlier in the week. Thanks so much for supporting such a great cause for children!!

Fact Friday-Thermometer use 101

Did you know that normal temperature for a child may range from 97-100.3 degrees F. The AAP considers anything over 100.4 degrees F to be a possible fever. If your child feels warm, looks flushed, is sweating or shivering, or has flu symptoms, you might suspect fever. Using a thermometer is the only sure way to know if a fever is present. But what thermometer should you use?....Use a digital thermometer to take a rectal(in the bottom), oral(in the mouth) or axillary(under the arm) temperature. A tympanic(ear) thermometer, which is more expensive, is another option. Other methods are available but are not recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics(AAP) at this time. For newborn to 3 months it is best to do a rectal temperature. For 3 months to 3 years,  you may use rectal, axillary, or tympanic; however, it is recommended that anyone under three years of age use the rectal thermometer.  For 4 to 5 years of age, use rectal, oral, axillary or tympanic.  For 5 years and older, use oral, axillary or tympanic.

Click on the link below to read more about this great article from the AAP and learn more about how to take an accurate temperature of your child. Happy Friday!! http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/30/11/29-d

**info from the AAP

November Facebook Contest!

Good news...it is time to announce our November Facebook contest! This month, there are more prizes, which means more chances to win! We will have 3 gift cards up for grabs this month, so it is definitely worth your while to enter!

In order to enter, find Willow Creek Pediatrics on Facebook, or click here, and "like" us (if you haven't already done so!). In a pediatric office, we learn quickly that kids really do say the darndest things! So post on our wall the cutest, funniest, or even craziest thing you have heard a kid say! Everyone who posts will be automatically entered in the drawing! You must "like" us and post on our wall no later than midnight, Monday, November 29th! We will announce the winner on Tuesday, November 30th, so keep your eyes out!

Even if you do not win this month, we will have a big drawing next month for a wonderful holiday basket, so continue to follow us to find out details on how to win in December!

**Willow Creek Pediatrics employees are not eligible!

Fact Friday - Reach Out and Read Utah Fun Run for Reading

**Reach Out and Read Utah is part of the national organization Reach Out and Read. Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud.

Reach Out and Read Utah builds on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop critical early reading skills in children, beginning at 6 months of age. The 3.8 million families in the United States served annually by Reach Out and Read read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten better prepared to succeed, with larger vocabularies and stronger language skills.

Reach Out and Read Utah will be hosting their first annual "Reach Out and Read Fun Run for Reading" on Saturday, November 13th, starting at 9:00 am.  There is a 10K or a 5K run/walk along the Jordan River Parkway, starting in Murray, to support the Reach Out and Read program!  Registration for this event is $25 ahead, or $30 the day of the event.  You can register online at http://www.active.com/ or by mail. 

If you have any questions or need further information, you can contact the Reach Out and Read Utah program coordinator, Anna Farnsworth at 801-647-8038. 

Many of our Willow Creek employees and doctors will be participating in this wonderful event!  A special thanks to Dr. Lynch for providing the information to us!

** Information provided by http://www.reachoutandreadutah.org/

Introducing Dr. Steve Lynch!

This week we would like to spotlight Dr. Steve Lynch!

Dr. Lynch has been practicing medicine for over 20 years!  He loves being a pediatricians because it is a great opportunity to make a difference in the life of a child.  Aside from his work with Willow Creek, Dr. Lynch also teaches the pediatrics course for the University of Utah Physician Assistant program.  He also donates his time to the community by volunteering pediatrics services at the Maleheh Free Clinic, since its opening in 2005.

Dr. Lynch has been married to his lovely wife, Joann, for 24 years.  They have two gorgeous dogs, Sophie and Hannah!  Their favorite place to travel is Off-The-Beaten-Path (Bhutan and Papua New Guinea).  Dr. Lynch's favorite books are The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down, Three Cups of Tea, and The Omnivore's Dilemma.  Some of Dr. Lynch's favorite food and snacks include Thai food and anything apple!  Some of his favorite hobbies are skiing, running, travel, photography and spending time with his dogs.  One thing that is still on Dr. Lynch's "bucket list" is to go dog sledding!

Dr. Lynch is a great asset to Willow Creek Pediatrics and his patients adore him, as does his staff!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Lisa Weeks for winning our October Facebook contest for a $50 Target gift card! 

If you have not already joined us on Facebook, you may want to do so today!  Continue to follow us on Facebook as we will continue to have monthly contests with great prizes through the holiday season!  We will be announcing our November contest next week, so join us on Facebook and tell your friends to follow us as well so you don't miss out!