By Helen Grebe
It’s 3:30 p.m. on a school day and I’m frantic: I’ve just picked up my daughter from school and she is bleeding significantly, a noticeable gash in her skull now apparent. Her injury is from an accident that happened the night before when she fell out of her bed and the injury went undetected by my husband or myself in the wee hours of the morning.
After a call to my pediatrician’s office I’m referred on to the Emergency Room (this is typical practice for a pediatric office: trauma and other urgent needs are sent directly to Children’s, Egleston or Scottish Rite).
As I drive, thoughts race through my mind: what sights will I have to shield her from when we enter the ER (gruesome injuries?)…how long will we wait (I’ve been there hours before)…how hurt is she (it’s my error after all and guilt is setting in that I missed detecting the gash). Later, after she is stitched and resting at home – she’s going to be fine – other thoughts surface like how much is this going to cost me and how much is insurance going to cover?
If you’re a parent you’ve likely had a scenario just like this: if not several. The ER is your worst nightmare (and not too fun for your child either). Enter Dr. David Goo, a 25-year emergency room physician who founded CorrectMed Pediatrics, a pediatric primary and urgent care practice located in Decatur.
The inspiration for his practice was organic: Goo, during his tenure in the ER, noticed a niche that was underserved: children. “Pediatric patients aren’t little adults. The only game in town for sick little patients is the ER,” notes Goo. “Children are put in the mix with heart and kidney patients, trauma patients and Medicaid patients. Children wait long hours and have high co-pays. This was a problem, but I didn’t see an answer. I decided to open a practice that met the pediatric needs, including emergency needs of Intown folks, and add a personalized touch.”
CorrectMed Pediatric handles almost every urgent care need addressed in a visit the ER including fractures, stitches, IV hydration, lacerations, breathing treatments, abscess drainage, sedation, asthma and other needs. The benefits abound, including a $20-50 co-pay (the cost of your primary care co-pay) to see your doctor at a familiar office and have all but the most acute care needs managed there. The last three patients Dr. Goo saw at CorrectMed Pediatrics paid $20, $25 and $30 in co-pays and saved an average of $70 to $125. In this economy that represents a huge personal savings. Wait times for all three visits were under 10 minutes, a distinct advantage to visiting the ER.
The practice is a family affair. Dr. Goo works with his daughter Dr. Jessica Doyle, a board-certified primary care pediatrician and his wife Susan Doyle, a certified nurse-midwife for the past 20 years. Their combined specialties include full pediatric care, emergency pediatric care and adolescent gynecology (also a growing niche).
Susan explains that adolescent women often have misconceptions and questions about their changing bodies but don’t want to discuss intimate details with their parents or their regular pediatrician (after all, that individual knew them in diapers). These same young women can’t fathom sitting in a regular OB-GYN practice next to a pregnant mother.
“Adolescent girls need their own care, someone who understands their individual needs and empowers them to take care of their health,” Susan says.
CorrectMed Pediatrics is growing, thanks to extensive amenities and comprehensive care including urgent care, evening hours, Saturday and Sunday hours and physicians that are available via email after hours. The medical facility is equipped with an aquarium-themed interior and state of the art medical equipment. Children enjoy flat-screen televisions in the lobby and each patient room. New mothers will be happy to utilize the breast-feeding room and parents will appreciate the ample, free parking. The facility also has an on-sight lab and digital x-ray capabilities.
Perhaps the signature touch offered by CorrectMed Pediatrics is the level of personal care that Dr. Goo and his family provide, Dr. Goo’s reason for founding the practice. Patients concur, citing that Dr. Goo walks them to their cars, umbrella in hand during rainy weather. One mother details how Dr. Goo – a professed Spiderman fanatic – won her son over by pulling out his giant webbed-size friend to cheer the boy and ease his pain.
“We wanted to practice medicine the way we wanted to practice: high quality medicine with a personal touch,” he says. “Let our family take care of your family.”
For more, visit correctmed.com.