********Thank You Nurses (and Thanks For Your Patience and Courtesy)**********

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Westwood-Mansfield Pediatrics

Thank You Nurses (and Thanks For Your Patience and Courtesy)!

Don't Let the Press Steal Your Emotions!

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Thank You to Our Nurses!

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The Partners and Providers at Westwood-Mansfield Pediatrics would like to express our extreme gratitude and appreciation for the incredible job our nurses have done this past week. Our nurses have been the first line of communication for countless phone calls the past few weeks, initially about the H1N1 Vaccine and the limitations on its distribution, and now increasingly about H1N1 symptoms and illness (more about this below).

Our nurses have each been receiving (on average) 100-150 phone calls each day. Most of these phone calls are from parents who have additional questions about H1N1, often wondering if their child is a "unique exception" to the guidelines we have published. While we certainly understand your concerns and do not question the merits of your questions, we are impressed by the empathy and patient care being given by our nurses as they continue to educate, reassure, and triage a call volume greater than we have ever before experienced.

Thank you!

Thank Your for Your Patience!

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With the H1N1 virus slowly making its way up the East Coast, we are expecting it to arrive in full force by the middle of next week. While we are currently starting to see cases of H1N1, we anticipate the disease burden to increase significantly before it starts to slow down in 4-5 weeks.

As the number of patients exhibiting symptoms of H1N1 increases, so too will the number of calls to our office. We are continuing to have as many nurses as possible managing the phones to minimize wait times (often working overtime to help!).

We are extremely appreciative of the fact that the overwhelming majority of parents that our nurses have been speaking with have been very patient, considerate, and understanding (in spite of the long waits). We ask that you continue to be courteous and respectful to our nurses and remind you that we are all doing our best to care for you and your children.

If you should happen to have any concerns about your experience, we ask that you direct them to Carol O'Neill (our practice manager) by going to our web site and selecting "Your Feedback". We would also be welcome to hearing and constructive thoughts about how we could make this process less stressful for everyone.

Don't Let the Media Steal Your Emotions!

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Ask yourself this question: do you personally know someone who has died from H1N1? Chances are it is very unlikely (as opposed to 50 years ago when almost all of our parents knew people who had polio or bacterial meningitis).

Currently, a large amount of the anxiety around H1N1 is the direct result of a sensationalist media. The news instills fear by bringing dramatic stories into your living room (or onto your laptop), but in doing so, it significantly distorts reality. Every tragic story is played out on every media outlet. The chance of a healthy child dying from H1N1 is estimated to be somewhere between 1 in 13,000 and 1 in 26,000 children who contract H1N1. Your child's risk of dying in a car accident is much greater (~ 1 in 6,500).

The current issue of JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association) states that approximately two-thirds of all people dying from H1N1 were "high-risk" individuals with significant underlying disease. Perhaps more importantly, the death rate was lowest in patients under 18 years old!