Offering Quality Medical Care to Children in Our Community
Same-Day Sick Appointments
Accidents happen and so do illnesses. There are many reasons you may want your child to see their pediatrician right away. We want to make it as convenient as possible for you to do so!
For an illness or injury that does not require a trip to the emergency room, yet still needs immediate attention. We offer same-day sick care. Some of the reasons for these types of visits might include:
- Asthma
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Ear infections
- Fevers
- Minor injuries
- Rashes
- Vomiting
- Sore throat
- Upper respiratory infections
- Urinary infections
For a parent, it is important that your child receive the best care possible by your family doctor. At Premier Care Pediatrics, we make every effort to provide same day appointments to accommodate those parents with sick kids.
Please note that we have designated waiting areas for sick patients to minimize their exposure to our other patients.
Lactation Consultations
At Premier Care Pediatrics, we know that child healthcare begins even before birth. When your baby comes into the world, it can be overwhelming in so many ways: overwhelming amounts of love, excitement, and, often, worry.
One of the aspects that causes the most worry as a newborn’s parent is their feeding. How will the baby be fed? How often? Breastfed or formula? As with every patient and situation: every family is different and will make the choice that fits them best.
Additionally, some parents may come in with a plan of how to feed their child, only to have problems. While many women may go in with a plan to breastfeed, sometimes this plan is not always possible. Since breastfeeding or formula feeding can often be a decision that needs a little help, we have lactation consultants on staff who can help you through the process. Whether you need some help getting started with breastfeeding, or if you have questions about what formula is the right choice, our lactation consultants are here to coach you, help you, and encourage you!
What Do Lactation Consultants Do?
As you have probably seen by now, feeding a newborn is tricky business. Along with the changes your body is experiencing, the baby is also relying on you to stay healthy and strong. With so much responsibility on your plate, a little help is always welcome.
Our lactation consultants are important staff members, who are available before and after the baby’s birth to discuss options and tactics for feedings. Especially once the baby is born, you may run into a little more unanticipated issues with breastfeeding than you originally thought.
A lactation consultant identifies problems, offers tips, and helps breastfeeding be more comfortable and natural for both you and your baby. A lactation consultant can help you with:
- Latching problems for the baby – whether an issue with the baby’s mouth and tongue or the mother’s nipple
- Helping set a feeding schedule and determining how much to feed the baby
- Assistance with breastfeeding pain and offering remedies to help
- Offer tips for increasing milk production, including how often to breastfeed and certain foods and supplements that can improve milk output
- Teach you how to pump, what equipment to use, and to give tips on storing milk for future use
- Restoring confidence that you are doing a great job – no matter what happens with your breastfeeding journey, you will be supported for navigating motherhood in your own way!
Dr. Garver partners with you and your lactation consultant to see any physical problems with your baby that may make breastfeeding more difficult. Palate, tongue, or reflux issues can all play into problems with feeding your baby. Together, we work to get your baby fed and feeling great!
Breast Milk or Formula?
More than anything, our lactation consultants want the mother and baby to both feel happy and healthy when moving forward with feedings. At Premier Care Pediatrics, our care extends beyond our little patients; we know that our patients will live better, safer, and happier lives when their parents are engaged and making good decisions for the baby.
That is why we see the pros in both breastfeeding and formula feeding. While this has become a controversial topic for many, it is put quite simply for us: do what is right for your family. A happy baby is a fed baby. Below, we outline some of the benefits of both breastfeeding and formula feeding approaches.
Breastfeeding
- Health benefits for baby – less likely to develop allergies, illnesses, stomach issues, and asthma down the road
- Health benefits for mom – helps you heal after delivery, helps you burn calories, and can postpone the return of menstruation
- Weight Control – helps your baby get strong and more likely to maintain a normal weight
- Cost benefits – cost of formula can add up; but breastmilk is free
Formula
- Always available – a substitute for mothers who have problems breastfeeding or producing milk
- Easy on newborns – good for babies who are allergic to milk, suffer from acid reflux, or experience other stomach problems
- A solution for multiple babies – often used for twins or other multiples, to help keep up with feedings
- Flexibility – rather than pumping at odd times and managing feedings on your own, formula can make things a bit easier
Typically, breast milk is encouraged for at least six months, especially in the first four to six weeks of life, to help ward off future illnesses and help with immune system building. However, we know that everyone is different. Together, we can create a good plan that helps the family, mommy, and baby.
Obesity
Clinic
We provide comprehensive preventative care of children suffering from the stigma and long-term health issues related to obesity.
As part of regular well-childcare, Dr. Garver calculates your child's body mass index (BMI) and determines where it falls on the BMI-for-age growth chart. The BMI helps indicate if your child is overweight for his or her age and height.
Using the growth chart, your doctor determines your child's percentile, meaning how your child compares with other children of the same sex and age. For example, if your child is in the 80th percentile, it means that compared with other children of the same sex and age, 80 percent have a lower weight or BMI.
Cutoff points on these growth charts, established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, help identify children who are overweight and obese:
- BMI between 85th and 94th percentiles — overweight
- BMI 95th percentile or above — obesity
Because BMI does not consider things such as being muscular or having a larger than average body frame and because growth patterns vary greatly among children, Dr. Garver also factors in your child's growth and development. This helps determine whether your child's weight is a health concern.
In addition to BMI and charting weight on the growth charts, Dr. Garver evaluates:
- Your family's history of obesity and weight-related health problems, such as diabetes
- Your child's eating habits
- Your child's activity level
- Other health conditions your child has
- Psychosocial history, including incidences of depression, sleep disturbances, and sadness and whether your child feels isolated or alone or is the target of bullying
Dr. Garver takes all of this into account when coming up with a comprehensive medical treatment plan to enhance the success of those children struggling with a common condition in a supportive and engaging environment.
Mental Health Treatment and Counseling
In our community, like many across the nation, mental health services are limited and require long waiting times. Psychological problems have become more common today than at any other time in medicine. As the demands on the family increase, parents and children are often overwhelmed. While this trend has been well recognized for some time now, the resources have simply not kept up with the needs. Dr. Garver continues to treat some of our patients with these needs.
If you have additional questions or concerns for your child please call our office at (406) 770-3000
Ambulatory
Care
Dr. Garver comes from a primary care philosophy, which means that common procedures practiced many years ago, are still available today. Many children are sent to a specialist and emergency rooms for procedures that were offered in doctors’ offices not that long ago. At Premier Care Pediatrics, we perform IV fluids for dehydration, simple fracture casting, wound care including stitches and burn care, just to name a few.
When our local hospital elected to no longer provide circumcision after delivery, we opened availability in his schedule to offer these services to the families in our practice. If you would like to discuss getting your newborn son circumcised, please call our office for more information and cost.
Complex Medical Consultation
Dr. Garver has vast experience and knowledge, which enables him to be a great resource for parents as well as for other providers within the community. Dr. Garver frequently receives referrals to diagnose and manage children with complex and complicated issues. The providers at Premier Care Pediatrics do not shy away from challenging cases but welcome the opportunity to help those children that may otherwise be considered too difficult to care for.
Same-Day Sick Appointments
Accidents happen and so do illnesses. There are many reasons you may want your child to see their pediatrician right away. We want to make it as convenient as possible for you to do so!
For an illness or injury that does not require a trip to the emergency room, yet still needs immediate attention. We offer same-day sick care. Some of the reasons for these types of visits might include:
- Asthma
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Ear infections
- Fevers
- Minor injuries
- Rashes
- Vomiting
- Sore throat
- Upper respiratory infections
- Urinary infections
For a parent, it is important that your child receive the best care possible by your family doctor. At Premier Care Pediatrics, we make every effort to provide same day appointments to accommodate those parents with sick kids.
Please note that we have designated waiting areas for sick patients to minimize their exposure to our other patients.
Lactation Consultations
At Premier Care Pediatrics, we know that child healthcare begins even before birth. When your baby comes into the world, it can be overwhelming in so many ways: overwhelming amounts of love, excitement, and, often, worry.
One of the aspects that causes the most worry as a newborn’s parent is their feeding. How will the baby be fed? How often? Breastfed or formula? As with every patient and situation: every family is different and will make the choice that fits them best.
Additionally, some parents may come in with a plan of how to feed their child, only to have problems. While many women may go in with a plan to breastfeed, sometimes this plan is not always possible. Since breastfeeding or formula feeding can often be a decision that needs a little help, we have lactation consultants on staff who can help you through the process. Whether you need some help getting started with breastfeeding, or if you have questions about what formula is the right choice, our lactation consultants are here to coach you, help you, and encourage you!
What Do Lactation Consultants Do?
As you have probably seen by now, feeding a newborn is tricky business. Along with the changes your body is experiencing, the baby is also relying on you to stay healthy and strong. With so much responsibility on your plate, a little help is always welcome.
Our lactation consultants are important staff members, who are available before and after the baby’s birth to discuss options and tactics for feedings. Especially once the baby is born, you may run into a little more unanticipated issues with breastfeeding than you originally thought.
A lactation consultant identifies problems, offers tips, and helps breastfeeding be more comfortable and natural for both you and your baby. A lactation consultant can help you with:
- Latching problems for the baby – whether an issue with the baby’s mouth and tongue or the mother’s nipple
- Helping set a feeding schedule and determining how much to feed the baby
- Assistance with breastfeeding pain and offering remedies to help
- Offer tips for increasing milk production, including how often to breastfeed and certain foods and supplements that can improve milk output
- Teach you how to pump, what equipment to use, and to give tips on storing milk for future use
- Restoring confidence that you are doing a great job – no matter what happens with your breastfeeding journey, you will be supported for navigating motherhood in your own way!
Dr. Garver partners with you and your lactation consultant to see any physical problems with your baby that may make breastfeeding more difficult. Palate, tongue, or reflux issues can all play into problems with feeding your baby. Together, we work to get your baby fed and feeling great!
Breast Milk or Formula?
More than anything, our lactation consultants want the mother and baby to both feel happy and healthy when moving forward with feedings. At Premier Care Pediatrics, our care extends beyond our little patients; we know that our patients will live better, safer, and happier lives when their parents are engaged and making good decisions for the baby.
That is why we see the pros in both breastfeeding and formula feeding. While this has become a controversial topic for many, it is put quite simply for us: do what is right for your family. A happy baby is a fed baby. Below, we outline some of the benefits of both breastfeeding and formula feeding approaches.
Breastfeeding
- Health benefits for baby – less likely to develop allergies, illnesses, stomach issues, and asthma down the road
- Health benefits for mom – helps you heal after delivery, helps you burn calories, and can postpone the return of menstruation
- Weight Control – helps your baby get strong and more likely to maintain a normal weight
- Cost benefits – cost of formula can add up; but breastmilk is free
Formula
- Always available – a substitute for mothers who have problems breastfeeding or producing milk
- Easy on newborns – good for babies who are allergic to milk, suffer from acid reflux, or experience other stomach problems
- A solution for multiple babies – often used for twins or other multiples, to help keep up with feedings
- Flexibility – rather than pumping at odd times and managing feedings on your own, formula can make things a bit easier
Typically, breast milk is encouraged for at least six months, especially in the first four to six weeks of life, to help ward off future illnesses and help with immune system building. However, we know that everyone is different. Together, we can create a good plan that helps the family, mommy, and baby.
Obesity Clinic
We provide comprehensive preventative care of children suffering from the stigma and long-term health issues related to obesity.
As part of regular well-childcare, Dr. Garver calculates your child's body mass index (BMI) and determines where it falls on the BMI-for-age growth chart. The BMI helps indicate if your child is overweight for his or her age and height.
Using the growth chart, your doctor determines your child's percentile, meaning how your child compares with other children of the same sex and age. For example, if your child is in the 80th percentile, it means that compared with other children of the same sex and age, 80 percent have a lower weight or BMI.
Cutoff points on these growth charts, established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, help identify children who are overweight and obese:
- BMI between 85th and 94th percentiles — overweight
- BMI 95th percentile or above — obesity
Because BMI does not consider things such as being muscular or having a larger than average body frame and because growth patterns vary greatly among children, Dr. Garver also factors in your child's growth and development. This helps determine whether your child's weight is a health concern.
In addition to BMI and charting weight on the growth charts, Dr. Garver evaluates:
- Your family's history of obesity and weight-related health problems, such as diabetes
- Your child's eating habits
- Your child's activity level
- Other health conditions your child has
- Psychosocial history, including incidences of depression, sleep disturbances, and sadness and whether your child feels isolated or alone or is the target of bullying
Dr. Garver takes all of this into account when coming up with a comprehensive medical treatment plan to enhance the success of those children struggling with a common condition in a supportive and engaging environment.
Mental Health Treatment and Counseling
In our community, like many across the nation, mental health services are limited and require long waiting times. Psychological problems have become more common today than at any other time in medicine. As the demands on the family increase, parents and children are often overwhelmed. While this trend has been well recognized for some time now, the resources have simply not kept up with the needs. Dr. Garver continues to treat some of our patients with these needs.
If you have additional questions or concerns for your child please call our office at (406) 770-3000
Ambulatory Care
Dr. Garver comes from a primary care philosophy, which means that common procedures practiced many years ago, are still available today. Many children are sent to a specialist and emergency rooms for procedures that were offered in doctors’ offices not that long ago. At Premier Care Pediatrics, we perform IV fluids for dehydration, simple fracture casting, wound care including stitches and burn care, just to name a few.
When our local hospital elected to no longer provide circumcision after delivery, we opened availability in his schedule to offer these services to the families in our practice. If you would like to discuss getting your newborn son circumcised, please call our office for more information and cost.
Complex Medical Consultation
Dr. Garver has vast experience and knowledge, which enables him to be a great resource for parents as well as for other providers within the community. Dr. Garver frequently receives referrals to diagnose and manage children with complex and complicated issues. The providers at Premier Care Pediatrics do not shy away from challenging cases but welcome the opportunity to help those children that may otherwise be considered too difficult to care for.
If you need more information about our services
please contact us.