October Community Courier

Montee Work Ethic Award Winner!

Here at Pediatric Associates we have a Work Ethic Award honoring one of our late nurses Montee. She was a wonderful nurse who had an excellent work ethic. Montee always went above and beyond to take care of our patients and families. Stacie Wilson who works in our Medical Records department recently won this award. Stacie was nominated by her coworkers for always going the extra mile to help our patients, families and staff. Her roles include medical records, welcoming our newborn and new families, as well as fulfilling many other important requests. Stacie approaches everything she does with a willingness to help wherever she is needed. We are incredibly fortunate to have Stacie as a part of our team, she is truly deserving of this award.

What’s Going Around?

As we move further into fall, we’re seeing an increase in several common childhood illnesses. Right now, viral upper respiratory infections, croup, and strep throat are circulating in our community, and we’re also beginning to see a few cases of influenza (flu) .

The best defense against seasonal illnesses is a combination of healthy habits and prevention. Encourage everyone in the family to wash their hands frequently, drink plenty of fluids, eat a healthy and balanced diet, and stay active . When your child isn’t feeling well, keeping them home to rest can help them recover and prevent spreading illness to classmates, teammates, friends, and family.

It’s also a good time to make sure your child is up to date on recommended vaccines , including seasonal vaccines and immunizations for illnesses such as flu, RSV (when recommended), and COVID-19 .

Wondering what symptoms we’re seeing or what to watch for? Visit our regularly updated What’s Going Around page for more information.

Remember, we’re here when your child is sick! Pediatric Associates offers same-day appointments for ill visits Monday–Friday from 8:30 AM–4:30 PM and Saturday mornings from 8:30 AM–12:00 PM . Call us if your child needs to be seen.

Self Scheduling for Well Visits!

Don’t forget that you can self schedule well check visits on the portal. We know that life is busy and sometimes scheduling your child’s well visit is best to do when you are thinking of it, even if that is after our regular office hours. On the portal go to the Appointments tab and look in the top right corner for the New Appointment tab.  You can schedule for our flu clinics this same way. 

Portal access is necessary for this feature. If you would like to enroll in the portal, send an email to portalhelp@pediatricassociatesnky.com. If your child has chronic healthcare needs or ongoing prescription needs, it will still be best to call to schedule well visits to ensure we schedule the optimal amount of time.

Can My Child Go to School Tomorrow?

We know that it can be stressful to have your child start not feeling well after the office closes. To help with this, we now offer “Save Your Spot” for ill appointment in our office for the next morning. These spots are only for pain with urination, eye drainage and ear or throat pain. Through the portal you will be able to self-schedule for these visits for the next day. We are still ramping up so visits there is limited availability of time slots and location. We will add more time slots and locations as time goes on so we are sure we are meeting your needs. If you are not already registered for our portal email us at portalhelp@pediatricassociatesnky.com to get registered. Hopefully this will make your busy morning a little less stressful.

Flu Vaccine

Flu vaccine is available in any of our offices. We will offer flu vaccine at well visits for children 6 months and up beginning this month. Parents and household members can also receive flu vaccine in our office during their child's appointment, but please CALL AHEAD to ensure we can accept your insurance. Adults over 65 years should seek specialized flu vaccine available at their PCP or pharmacy.

Besides giving vaccines at well or ill appointments, we also have one more flu clinics scheduled on Saturday at our Crestview Hills location on November 7. Patients ages 6 months and up can be SELF SCHEDULED on the portal, or by calling our office, but we ask parents/nonpatient household members CALL TO SCHEDULE for the insurance verification. A limited number of weekday nurse visits will also be available for flu shot scheduling.

The annual flu vaccination is a safe and effective way for people 6 months and older to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death from the flu virus. Schedule now to be sure you get the day and time that is best for you!

Keeping You Healthy When on Medications

Starting in January 2027, we will be asking patients to schedule medication management appointments more frequently if they are prescribed certain medications by a physician or psychiatric NP, such as medications for ADHD, anxiety, and depression. We will ask that patients have medication checks every 3 months, which follows the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics, and is the standard of care being followed by other mental health prescribers. Scheduling medication management visits every 3 months instead of every 6 months allows us to closely monitor effectiveness, side effects, make dosage adjustments if needed, and make prompt adjustments before minor issues turn into bigger concerns. Please note that therapy appointments are not medication management appointments. If you have questions or concerns please ask when you are in the office for your next appointment. 

Dr. Cavallo on Sabbatical

Dr. Cavallo will be taking a sabbatical from early February through April. His schedule is currently open through February 4. Give us a call or self-schedule a well appointment with him. When the May schedule opens he will again be available to see patients in the office. We will miss having him around for a few months but we are glad he is able to take this time away.

COVID Vaccine

We now have the 2026 COVID vaccine for our patients. This can be administered at well visits or nurse visits only (not during flu clinics). The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends infants and children 6 through 23 months of age who do not have contraindications receive 2026–2027 COVID-19 vaccine (2 doses). The AAP also recommends a single dose of age-appropriate 2026–2027 COVID-19 vaccine for all children and adolescents 2 through 18 years of age at increased risk of severe COVID-19, regardless of prior COVID-19 vaccination status. Children 2 through 18 years of age not considered at increased risk of severe COVID-19 whose parent or guardian desires their protection from COVID-19 can receive a single dose of age-appropriate 2026–2027 COVID-19 vaccine.  

RSV Antibody for Infants Under 8 Months as of 10/1/26

Our practice will be contacting families who have infants under 8 months as of 10/1 to offer an appointment for a one time injection of RSV antibody (Beyfortus). This monoclonal antibody is designed to prevent severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in infants. Unlike vaccines, which stimulate the body to produce its own antibodies, Beyfortus provides ready-made antibodies directly to the child, offering immediate protection against RSV. Infants are eligible if their mother did not receive the RSV vaccine during late pregnancy at least 2 weeks before birth. For more information, see our website  or call our office.

Pediatric Associates
2865 Chancellor Dr.
STE 225
Crestview Hills, Ky. 41017
859-341-5400