As a parent, knowing a team of quality pediatric healthcare professionals is available to help your child in most circumstances can be a big sigh of relief. Associated Pediatricians LLC is just that team parents in Porter County and surrounding areas can rely on for their children. With offices in Valparaiso and Portage, the team of pediatric healthcare professionals is able to offer local children quality, compassionate care 24/7, 365 days of the year.
“We take care of their physical health problems and their mental health problems, and we really work hard to make that care available to them,” said Associated Pediatricians Partner, Owner, and Pediatrician Elizabeth K. Campbell, M.D. “We're available 24/7. When families call, they're not going to get an answering service. We really work hard to keep our patients out of the ER and out of urgent care. We work hard to get them into the office, usually the same day, if not the next day, and we have a lot of fun while doing it. We like to play and interact and have fun with the kids while providing them really great care.”
Campbell and the team at Associated Pediatricians take all factors of a child’s health into consideration every step of the way. This includes what some may consider smaller things, though, in reality, many of the small things come together to form major parts that greatly contribute to a child’s overall well-being. They all work to help children, as well as their families, through problems and help them develop healthy habits that will carry them well into their adult years.
“The things that we do are the small things, such as teaching parents how to feed their newborn, what the normal development is, or how to help them navigate challenges as they start school. Then when they get older, we help them and their teen deal with the mental health challenges that they may face,” Campbell said. “On a daily basis, we're doing the small stuff. While we may not be ER doctors, we're still making a big difference in kids’ lives every day.”
The community that has fostered to make such positive impacts in the kids’ lives is what inspires Campbell most about her role at Associated Pediatricians. As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child, and the village built between the staff, patients, and their families is what’s at the heart of the pediatric healthcare provider.
“I've been here for almost 14 years, and it is so fun to take care of kids. There’s no other medical job out there like this where you get to do all these things that make the kids happy and engaged and ready to do what you need to do,” Campbell said. “The people that I work with, they're just so much fun, too. We have a good time. We really care about each other, our community, and our patients. It's just a great place to be.”
Those relationships also extend well beyond the office walls. The staff members at Associated Pediatricians love to immerse themselves in their local communities as much as possible and mentioned that it’s a fun way to break down the barrier between doctor and patient. Seeing patients and their families outside of the office brings a more personable approach to these relationships, and in turn, has made for more genuine, heartwarming connections and memories that are guaranteed to last.
“We’ve gotten more involved in our communities in the last couple of years, and we’re having a whole lot of fun while we do it,” Campbell said. “It's great for us; it's great for our patients. It's fun to walk in the Popcorn Parade and see all the little kids yell ‘hi’ as you walk past. We see patients on a daily basis, but they’ve been a part of their communities for a long time, and this brings that full circle. It’s fun to be engaged with them both inside and outside the office. It also lets us let other parents know that we’re in the trenches too. We know that being a parent these days isn't easy, but we’re always here on their side.”
Currently, the Associated Pediatricians healthcare staff consists of seven physicians and three pediatric nurse practitioners. Along with Cambell, this includes Susan L. Bishop, M.D., Dianna W. Brogan, M.D., Pablo A. Bukata, M.D., Melissa L. Mueller, D.O., Amberly Z. Brewer, M.D., Emma C. Weismann M.D., Rhondalynn J. Sears, MSN, PNP-BC, Jennifer Campbell, CPNP, and Kimberly Minich B.S.N, M.S.N., D.N.P.
The staff is well on its way to expanding as well, adding more team members soon to enhance the quality pediatric healthcare services available. A fourth nurse practitioner, Kristina Flanagan, is set to join the team this August, followed by Dr. Aubrey Coleman in October.
For more information on Associated Pediatricians LLC, visit associatedpediatricians.com.
