Helloooooo, sunshine! As the sun heats up and the viruses cool down, we'll be shifting to a new Summer schedule on Fridays to match the relaxed vibes of the season. Beginning Friday, June 7th, our Friday hours will be from 8am-3pm; just for the Summer months. Normal business hours will resume the week of August 5.
We're announcing a NEW healow experience! In accordance with the 21st Century Cures Act and the capabilities of our records system, we will be moving to a new, more pediatric-friendly portal over the next few weeks. The biggest difference? Our portal will now be available for up to two parents or legal guardians for each patient, as requested.
Additionally, teens over the age of 16 are eligible to enroll into a self-managed portal account by providing their email address as the primary account holder. Primary teen accounts are required for portal participation because teens at this age assume ownership over their medical record pursuant to SC Law.
To that end, we will be pausing all portal accounts for patients aged 16+ on June 3, 2024 as we move everyone to this new portal. Teens may sign up for a portal account and opt to grant access to parents or legal guardians to act as a medical proxy and secondary portal user on their behalf by completing a new Teen Demographic Form (if out of date) or Proxy Authorization Form in our office. We encourage patients, parents, and caregivers to review the additional information about our proxy portal, available in the New Healow Portal document located HERE.
We know that seeing your little ones head off to kindergarten is a huge milestone but don't worry, Mama, they're going to do great!
Kindergarten registration begins this month for some school districts and a SC certificate of immunization is a required document. Immunization record requests to our office can take up to 5 business days to process so be sure to request your child's immunization record today by texting SHOT to our text line (803) 866-7337.
Santa's coming to town!
To make sure that our staff have plenty of time to prepare for his arrival and to spend ample time with their families, we will be scaling our hours as follows:
Friday, 12/22: 8am-12pm*
Saturday, 12/23: 9am-12pm, Lake Murray and Aiken offices only*
Monday, 12/25: closed
Friday, 12/29: 8am-12pm*
Saturday, 12/30: 9am-12pm, Aiken office only*
Monday, 1/1: closed
*same day sick appointments only
** 8/30/23 Update: We are continuing to closely monitor Hurricane Idalia and the forecasted impact on the state. As such we have made the decision to close our Charleston, Summerville, and Hillcrest offices at 3pm this afternoon to allow our staff the opportunity to prepare the office for inclement weather before severe weather hits.
Additionally, tomorrow we will delay opening to 10am. Our patient services team will be reaching out to all families who are affected by the closures for rescheduling.
We will continue to monitor the weather as it develops and make any updates here on our social pages. Please stay safe!
The weather is getting nicer and the sun is getting hotter here in SC, so let's talk through some key preventative tips as you and your family start venturing outside more.
Stay Cool!
South Carolina, especially the Midlands region, is notoriously hot during the Summer months, with highest temperatures occurring during July. With the heat index oftentimes reaching over 90* F, it is important to know how to combat extreme temperatures to keep your family safe.
Helpful tip: Stay cool this summer by:
Sun Safety!
Always apply sunscreen when outside. Apply 15-30 minutes ahead of when going outside to allow it to absorb and reapply every 2-3 hours or right after getting wet. Sunscreens that contain zinc oxide and are at least 30 SPF are recommended, as well as the use of hats and sun protective clothing to limit sun exposure. Don't forget lip balm with sunscreen to protect lips!
Always check the car!
Never leave children in the car, even for short periods of time, even with the windows open. Be sure to talk with your child about not using the car as a hiding spot for games, and advise them to never be alone in the car.
Helpful tip: when driving, place items you need in the backseat such as purses, cell phones, shoes, etc. as an added reason to check the backseat.
Hydrate!
The AAP recommends the following daily water and milk intake for children under the age of 5. For hotter days or on days when kids are outside for longer periods of time, aim for the higher recommendation.
For children 4-8 years old, aim for 5 cups of water, and 7-8 cups of water for older children.
Helpful tip: Try to limit sugary drinks and encourage water intake. To make water more appealing to kids, try infusing it with lemons, berries, cucumbers or mint.
Bugs Bugs Everywhere!
South Carolina bugs are making their appearance, so consider the following when going outdoors:
Water Safety!
Never leave children unattended around bodies of water, even small ones. Don't rely on inflatable toys or water wings to keep your child safe in the water. Flotation devices and life jackets should be approved by the U.S. Coast Guard (check for the seal) and should fit according to the PFDs size recommendations, which is usually based on size and weight. Not sure when and wear to a life jacket? Check this:
Other considerations include:
Wheel Safety!
Always wear a helmet when riding a bike or scooter. Adjust the helmet so that it fits properly; it should be placed squarely on the head and cover the top of the forehead. Helmets should not move around on the head or slide down over the wearer's eyes when pushed or pulled.
Supervise your child outside and teach them bike/scooter safety, as well as how to look out for motorists and other riders.
SouthernMED is currently seeking individuals to fill various clinic-based positions, such as CNAs, RMAs, Nurses and Providers throughout the state. Check our our open positions here: https://southernmedpeds.apscareerportal.com/account
SouthernMED is excited to expand our texting service to now include immunization record requests. Families can text SHOT or IMMS to (803)866-7337 to provide the necessary information and submit their request for processing. Our clinical staff will process these requests as quickly as possible, though we do ask for up to 5 business days to finalize requests.
SouthernMED is excited to introduce our NEW AND IMPROVED text-to-schedule option!
Effective February 8, parents can now request appointments by texting “APPT” or “Appointment” to (803) 866-7337.
Parents provide key demographic details and appointment preferences, and our team takes that information to book an appointment directly. No more waiting on hold, no more voicemails or playing phone tag, parents receive their confirmed appointment in mere moments through our HIPAA compliant service.
Text-to-schedule is available during normal business hours from 8:00am – 5:00pm. Requests received after hours will be addressed the following business day in the order that they are received.
Please note that parents who use our text-to-schedule option imply express consent to receive communication from our practice via SMS for the purpose of confirming the requested appointment. SouthernMED will not initiate conversations via text message, nor will they utilize the texting option for reasons or concerns unrelated to appointment scheduling.
SouthernMED Pediatrics will be adjusting our office hours during the holidays to give staff some much deserved time celebrating with their families. Our office hours will adjust as follows:
