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Dr. Mary Beth Gordon grew up in nearby Providence, R.I. She completed her undergraduate degree in social studies and fine arts at Harvard, where she was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa society. She remained at Harvard for medical school, where she received the New England Pediatric Society Prize and the Henry Asbury Christian Award for notable scholarship. Dr. Gordon completed her pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital Boston and Boston Medical Center, and subsequently served as chief resident at Children’s Hospital Boston. Prior to joining Milton Pediatrics, she took care of inpatients as a staff physician at Children’s Hospital Boston. While there, she published research on improvements in physician-nurse communication and work-life policies for residents. She also enjoyed teaching residents and medical students. Dr. Gordon recently completed a Masters in Public Health at Harvard School of Public Health. She consults with the Boston Public Health Commission and is on the board of The Home for Little Wanderers. She is licensed in Massachusetts, and is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. She is also a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Gordon lives with her husband Chris and their two daughters, Amory and Riley.
Seasonal influenza vaccine:
Want to know when flu vaccine is available? Wondering if we are closed because
of a snow storm? Want to hear about the latest recall information? You can now
follow us on Twitter @MiltonPeds (or
www.twitter.com/MiltonPeds) for the latest
practice updates. We'll be posting most of the same information on the Web site,
but this another way to access it on the go.
Still reluctant to use the "R" word, I need to let my patients know that I will be slowing down considerably in practice beginning this July of 2011. Currently, my plan is to work the first two weeks in July, and for two weeks in September prior to a western trip that has been long in the planning. During the coming winter, I plan to be available as needed for back up in busy times, like flu season. Many of my patients have asked me which physician in the practice they should transfer their child's care to. My answer has been that no one of them can take on all my patients, so they will be at liberty to spread themselves around. Most of them have met a number of my associates over the years, and may have an idea about whom they wish to see, which we will try to accommodate. Personally, I know each one of them will provide each of my patients the same high quality of care that I have tried to provide. Lastly I wish to tell you all, not just my own patients, that if I have loved my work over the years, it is because of you. Not many people can say they have looked forward to each and every day of work for 44 years, and for that I have you all to thank.
Dr. McCullough finally returned to Massachusetts in 2006 for her pediatric residency at Children's Hospital Boston and Boston Medical Center. During residency she received the Pediatric Academic Society House Staff Research award for her work on Hydroxyurea and Sickle Cell Disease. She then completed 2 years of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Children's Hospital Boston before joining Milton Pediatrics in July of 2011. She is currently completing her Masters of Public Health at the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. McCullough is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in general pediatrics. Her hospital affiliations include Children's Hospital Boston, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. She is a member of the American Board of Pediatrics and the Massachusetts Medical Society. Dr. McCullough has authored and co-authored several papers in pediatric journals. She enjoys teaching medical students and residents at Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital Boston. Dr. McCullough lives in Boston, Massachusetts with her husband and her wonderful puppy, Mac.
Reluctantly, I announce my departure from Milton Pediatrics as of June 17, 2011. My family is moving to Wisconsin in July, where my wife will pursue one year of fellowship training in ophthalmology at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. I will be honing my parenting skills while staying home with our third child, due this summer. I am so very grateful to my wonderful colleagues and to the exceptional staff at MPA for welcoming me into their family; and to my patients, from whom I have learned so much and have been privileged to serve over the past two years. Go Packers? **Milton Pediatrics congratulates Dr Brenner, his wife Linda, and their sons Ian and Levin on the birth of their baby girl, Anna Sage, who was born shortly after they arrived in Wisconsin!
Congratulations to Dr. Jessica McGovern on her recent marriage. We wish Dr. McGovern and her husband, David Goff, all the best!
This year we will offer Flu Mist vaccine as an alternative to standard flu shots. Flu Mist was first approved for use in 2003. Being slow and cautious about adopting new medications, we followed the track record of the vaccine for the past 5 years. We are now satisfied that Flu Mist is as safe and is equally effective as the Flu shot. The Flu Mist vaccine is a small amount of liquid sprayed up each nostril. It does not sting. Most healthy people, between ages 2 and 49, are candidates to receive Flu Mist vaccine. The Flu Mist is not given to asthmatics or patients who are immunocompromised or on immunosuppressive drugs like steroids. We are still giving standard preservative-free flu shots. Anyone 6 months of age or older may receive the standard vaccine. Children 6 months up to 9 years of age getting a flu vaccine for the first time will need two doses of vaccine the first year they are vaccinated, with the first dose ideally being given in September or as soon as vaccine becomes available. The second dose should be given 28 or more days after the first dose. The first dose "primes" the immune system; the second dose provides immune protection. For more information from Center for Disease Control, go to http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/children.htm We are beginning to administer flu vaccine now. Please contact our nurse’s line to schedule an appointment. Ask your doctor about the flu vaccine when you come in for your next routine exam.
Dr. Michael Shannon of Children's Hospital talks about chemicals in plastic baby bottles. Click here to read the interview with Dr. Michael Shannon.
In March of 2005 Milton Pediatrics began screening all 14+ year old patients, regardless of gender, for Chlamydia at their yearly well visits*. Chlamydia, a treatable sexually transmitted disease, is the most commonly reported infectious disease in the US , with approximately three to four million new cases each year. Untreated Chlamydia infection increases a woman's risk for pelvic infections, infertility, tubal pregnancy, and HIV infection. In males Chlamydia can cause serious infections. Chlamydia infection is usually asymptomatic (most infected patients will have no symptoms). Chlamydia screening is covered by most insurance plans. However, Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO, GIC Indemnity and some private plans do not cover this testing. As with other services that are not covered by your health insurance, You may receive a bill from an outside lab for which you would be responsible. Annual Chlamydia screening of teenaged patients is recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. At MIlton Pediatrics, our goal is to provide our adolescent patients with appropriate, and confidential, screening for Chlamydia. We will report any abnormal screening results directly to our patient, and will prescribe appropriate antibiotic therapy for him or her. We cannot disclose the results of the screening test to a parent or guardian without the permission of our patient. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter. * "Screening on the basis of age (less than 25 years) appears to be effective even in areas where the prevalence of chlamydial infection is low to moderate (3 to 6 percent)." NEJM, Volume 349, Number 25, 2427-28. "...in Massachusetts , there is a serious and increasing problem
with chlamydia infections among 15-19 year olds. In the year 2002,
the rate among the 15 to 19?year-old age group was 879/100,000,
almost five times the rate for all ages." Prevention and Management
of Chlamydial Infections in Adolescents: A Toolkit for Clinicians,
January 2004, 6-2.
In keeping up with new technologies, Milton Pediatrics has implemented the use of electronic medical records. As with many new software applications, sometimes things run slower than normal. Your patience would be greatly appreciated at this time as the doctors, nurses and staff, update your child’s medical information into this new system. Enhancing the quality of patient care, being able to access patient charts from any location and improving patient safety through electronic prescribing are just some of the benefits of electronic medical records. Again, we ask for your patience and understanding as we, Milton
Pediatrics, begin our journey into electronic medical records. |
We are fortunate to have recruited Dr. Mary Beth Gordon to cover for Dr. McGovern while she is out on maternity leave (Congratulations to Dr. McGovern!) this winter/spring. We are confident that you will all enjoy meeting Dr. Gordon. She has superb credentials and the strongest personal and professional recommendations.
Dr. Laura McCullough is a native of Massachusetts and grew up in near-by
Milford. She completed her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience at Trinity
College in Hartford, Connecticut where she graduated with Honors and was elected
as a Presidential Scholar. She then went north for medical school to the
University of Vermont College of Medicine where she was an Albert Schweitzer Fellow and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society.
