Patient Education

If you have a life-threatening emergency, take your child to the nearest emergency room or call 911. We recommend Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital at Spectrum Health Butterworth Campus, 100 Michigan St. NE, in downtown Grand Rapids.

After hours We have an on-call doctor after normal business hours for emergencies. If you feel you may have a medical emergency and need to speak to a doctor, please call 616-940-3168 and the answering service will page the on-call doctor for you. If you do not receive a call back within 30 minutes, either page the doctor again or call 616-776-7484.

Before calling, please have a pen and paper and the following information available:

Your preferred pharmacy name and telephone number
Your child’s weight
Any underlying medical conditions or medication allergies
Also, please have your child nearby. We may have questions which you can only answer by talking to or looking at your child.

Cough and mild wheezing or other noisy breathing that occurs along with symptoms of a cold or upper respiratory infection (URI) can be concerning, but do not always need emergency medical treatment. In some cases, wheezing can be relieved by certain home remedies, medications or use of an inhaler. In others, your child might need emergency treatment.

Click the image below for more information on treating coughing and wheezing symptoms

We have same day appointments available for sick visits. We also have limited office hours on Saturdays for urgent visits for an extra $25 weekend fee (which is covered by most insurance companies). See our forms page for more information. Call (616) 940-3168 to schedule an appointment.

Handouts/Brochures

Chronic or on-going health concerns Our team of nurses and doctors will work with you regarding any on-going health issues or concerns you have. We will schedule an initial evaluation where our pediatricians will perform a detailed history, a physical examination (if needed) and discuss any tests and treatment plans.

To accurately monitor your child’s progress and develop a meaningful relationship with your doctor, we recommend regular well-visits for your child. We ask that you schedule these visits at least two months in advance. This gives you the best choice of dates and times, and allows us to give your child the highest level of care. Call (616) 940-3168 to schedule a well visit.

During these visits, you and your child’s doctor will discuss:

Physical and mental development
Appropriate nutrition for your child’s age
Behavioral concerns
Safety recommendations
Immunizations — we’ll review your child’s immunization record and give any needed immunizations at the end of the visit.

Infants We follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidelines for newborns and infants. You can expect infant well-visit appointments at 4-6 days, 2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 15 months and 18 months.

Children Young children are routinely seen at 2 years old, 2 ½ years (at the doctors discretion), and 3 years. After 3 years of age, we recommend a routine well-visit every year until they are 18 years old.

Teens Cascade Pediatrics generally sees children up to the age of 18. Although we encourage you to come with your teenager to each well-visit, the doctor may suggest a portion of the exam be conducted in private. This gives your teen the opportunity to discuss confidential matters openly with the doctor, helping ease the teen’s transition into adulthood.

Cascade Pediatrics follows the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations regarding immunization schedules. Our office feels strongly this provides the best medical care for all our patients.

MCIR

Cascade Pediatrics participates with the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR). MCIR was created in 1998 to collect reliable immunization information and make it accessible to authorized users online.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Vaccines & Immunization

Immunization Action Coalition

As your baby grows from helpless newborn to independent toddler, every month brings new and exciting developments.

Our doctors work with new moms and dads to teach them what to expect next and how to know if their baby’s development is on target. We study the latest in child development research, and apply its lessons to your baby’s development.

Immunizations Getting your kids vaccinated is the best way to protect them from life-threatening diseases such as polio and rubella. Many health professionals and parents consider them the most important part of well-child checkups. At Cascade Pediatrics, we’ll keep accurate shot records and work to comfort any anxieties your child may have about getting their immunizations.

Teenagers go through a lot of changes as they grow into adults. We suggest your teen meets yearly with his or her doctor so we can track their physical, mental and social development. We can also offer advice against unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking and drinking.

Our doctors can help your teen understand the importance of choosing a healthy lifestyle. Good nutrition, proper exercise and critical thinking can help your teen succeed in sports, school and social situations. The more your teen understands their physical growth and sexual development, the more they’ll be willing to make smart choices.

Teen Depression

Often what seems like just an unhappy adolescent might actually be depression. Although every teen feels unhappy at times, research shows that one out of every eight adolescents has depression. The good news is that teen depression can be treated. If your adolescent’s unhappiness lasts for more than two weeks and he or she displays other symptoms of depression, schedule an appointment so we can help.

Whether it’s temper tantrums or teenage depression or anxiety, dealing with your child’s behavioral problems can leave you feeling frustrated and helpless. We can work with your family to diagnose the problem and then find solutions.

Our doctors can evaluate your child’s behavior based on:

Your descriptions. If possible, try to keep a record of the concerning behavior for a few days before you visit us.
Any reports from school or daycare you may have regarding your child’s behavior.
A physical exam and medical history. The doctor will examine your child and ask questions to help determine if the concerning behavior is part of normal development or if biological or medical causes are responsible.

Medical Home

Emergencies

Urgent Care

Coughing and Wheezing

Illnesses

Well Child Exams

Immunizations

Newborns

Teens

Behavioral Issues

Safety and Prevention

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