Greetings!
This is a letter from Dr. Melissa Reinhardt who was with our practice from 2001-2010 and left to be closer to her family in Minnesota. Here is the good-bye letter she wrote to her patients:
To my beloved
patients and their families:
It is with mixed emotions that I write
this letter. Many of you may have already heard that I am moving to Minnesota
in early April of this year. Why Minnesota? It is DEFINITELY not for the
weather! As I write this, the current temperature is -5 degrees, the "wind
chill" is -20 degrees! I grew up in Minnesota, and my whole family still lives
there. My husband and I have been carefully considering this move and praying
about it for about a year and a half now. I will be working for a health group
called Allina, and I will be the first pediatrician at the clinic I will be
joining! This will definitely be a new adventure for me, as I have been spoiled
by working alongside 11 other amazing pediatricians everyday! And, although I
will miss each one of you terribly, you will be in very good hands with my
partners.
I have very much enjoyed practicing at El Camino Pediatrics
for the past 13 years! Many of you have helped me "grow up" as a pediatrician,
as I started working here during my residency in 1997. I have appreciated the
chance to get to know each one of you--taking care of your babies, watching them
grow up, and encouraging, laughing, and sometimes crying with you along the
way. I thank you for allowing me into your family's lives, and especially for
sharing the stories of your children playing "Dr. Reinhardt"! (One family even
told me their child opened up her laptop and said she was Dr. Reinhardt--I guess
the new technology is even incorporated into imaginary play!) I also thank you
more personally for allowing me to watch and learn from you as I try to listen
to my own speeches and raise my own son. That has definitely been difficult at
times! So, I thank you, and will miss you very much. And, if you ever "get
lost" and end up in Minnesota (hopefully in the summer!), please look me
up!
Here are some of the practical things about my departure. My last
day will be Thursday, April 8th, 2010. I hope to see many of you before then. After
that, as I said, you will be in the very capable hands of my partners. You will
need to choose a new primary care doctor, and may choose any one of the doctors
whose practices are currently open. (The only closed practices are Dr. Frumin,
Dr. Levy, and Dr. Taylor.) If you have an HMO, you will need to officially
change this with your insurance, and will likely be getting a letter about this
soon if you haven't already. If you have a PPO, it will just be a matter of
scheduling with a new doctor for your future well checks (and probably letting
that doctor know you have chosen them when you come for the visit!) Of course,
as always, you may see anyone for sick visits.
Our family is looking
forward to living close to my family, and my almost 3 year old son, Keenan will
enjoy spending time with his cousins and grandparents as we share time at the
family lake cabin (a very "Minnesota thing" in the land of 10,000 lakes). Thank
you all so much for everything. I wish you well. I will continue to pray for
you, and I will miss you all very much!
Love,
"Dr. Melissa"
Reinhardt and family (husband, Brandon, and son, Keenan)
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