What's New

First Flu Clinics of 2010 scheduled

We have just received our first shipment of flu vaccines for the 2010 season. We've scheduled 7 flu shot clinics for September. More flu shot clinics will be scheduled for October. Please check this page for information about the dates and times of the October clinics.

September Flu Shot Clinics

Wednesday, September 8th 1:30pm - 4:00pm
Friday, September 10th 1:30pm - 4:00pm
Thursday, September 16th 1:30pm - 2:45pm
Tuesday, September 21st 10:00am - 11:30am & 1:30pm - 4:00pm
Tuesday, September 28th 10:00am - 11:30am
Thursday, September 30th 1:30pm - 4:00pm


Please remember that flu clinics are by appointment only. You will not be seen during a flu clinic as a walk in. Please call our office at 919.967.0771 to make an appointment for these clinics. Thank you!

Labor Day Hours

Our office will be closed for Labor Day. We will be open for urgent situations at the following times:

Saturday, September 4th 9:00am - 11:30am
Sunday, September 5th 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Monday, September 6th 9:00am - 11:30am

If you have a nurse question, or your child has an urgent medical need outside of these hours, please call our advice nurses at: 919-966-3820 or 888-267-3675.

Independence Day Hours

Our office will not be closed for Independence Day. We will be open at the following times:

Friday, July 2nd REGULAR HOURS
Saturday, July 3rd 9am – 11:30am
Sunday, July 4th 1pm - 3pm
Monday, July 5th REGULAR HOURS

In case of a medical emergency, please call 919.966.3820 or 888.267.3675 to speak to an advice nurse.

McNeil Product Recalls

For information regarding recent McNeil product recalls (including recalls of Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec & Benadryl), please visit:
www.mcneilproductrecall.com

Baby Sling Recall

Information regarding the Infantino Baby Sling recall can be found here:

http://service.infantino.com/UnitedStatesRecalls.html

Easter Holiday Hours

Our office will be closed for the Easter Holiday.  However, for urgent situations we will be open for the following walk-in clinics:

Friday, April 2nd 9:00am – 11:30am
Saturday, April 3rd 9:00am – 11:30am
Sunday, April 4th 1:00pm – 3:00pm

In case of a medical emergency, please call 919.966.3820 or 888.267.3675 to speak to an advice nurse.

Inclement Weather!

Whenever there is the possibility of inclement weather, we request that patients please call our office before coming in to make sure our staff has been able to get to the office. We will update our phone message if our operating hours are impacted. Thanks very much!

Voluntary McNeil Product Recall

For information regarding the recent McNeil product recall, please visit: www.mcneilproductrecall.com

H1N1 and Seasonal Flu Clinic Monday, December 21st (this clinic has passed)

We will be having an H1N1 and seasonal flu clinic on Monday, December 21st.  We hope to have H1N1 mist available for this clinic but can not guarantee it.  Seasonal FluMist will be available. All existing children of the practice 6 months and older are eligible for this clinic.  We will be offering booster H1N1 and seasonal shots at this time as well for children who need it.  Please call our office to schedule your children. Thank you!

Recall of H1N1 vaccine

You may have heard about a recall of H1N1 vaccine. This recall does not affect any of the vaccines we have or have had at Chapel Hill Children's Clinic. For information about this voluntary recall, click here.

Changes to our no-show policy

Effective 12/3/2009 our no-show policy is as follows:

We require at least 24 hours notice for all appointment cancellations.  Any cancellation made less than 24 hours before the appointment time will be counted as a No-Show.  Our No-Show policy is as follows:  there is a $25.00 charge for each missed appointment.

Winter Holiday Hours

Our office will be closed for the Winter Holiday.  However, for urgent situations we will be open at the following times:

Thursday, December 24th 9:00am – 11:30am walk-in
Friday, December 25th CLOSED
Saturday, December 26th 9:00am – 11:30am walk-in
Thursday, December 31st 7:30am – 9:00am walk-in
9:30am – 4:00pm appts.
NO AFTERNOON WALK-IN
Friday, January 1st 9:00am – 11:30am walk-in
Saturday, January 2nd 9:00am – 11:30am walk-in
Sunday, January 3rd 1:00pm – 3:00pm walk-in


In case of a medical emergency, please call 911.  For urgent situations, please call 919.966.3820 or 888.267.3675 to speak to an advice nurse.

H1N1 and Seasonal Flu Clinic Thursday, December 10th (this clinic has passed)

We will be having an H1N1 and seasonal flu clinic on Thursday, December 10th.  We hope to have H1N1 mist available for this clinic but can not guarantee it.  Seasonal FluMist will be available. All existing children of the practice 6 months and older are eligible for this clinic.  We will be offering booster H1N1 and seasonal shots at this time as well for children who need it.  Please call our office to schedule your children.  Thank you!

H1N1 Flu Clinics Friday, December 4th and Saturday, December 5th (this clinic has passed)

We will be having H1N1 flu clinics on Friday, December 4th and Saturday, December 5th. These clinics are for shots only.  All existing children of the practice 6 months and older are eligible.  We will be offering booster H1N1 shots as well for children who need it.  Please call our office to schedule your children.  Thank you!

Crib Recall

For information about the recent Stork Craft/Fisher-Price crib recall, please see this Consumer Product Safety Commission webpage.

Thanksgiving Hours

Our office will be closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday.  However, for urgent situations we will be open at the following times:

Wednesday, November 25th Closing at 4pm, no afternoon walk-in
Thursday, November 26th Closed
Friday, November 27th 9:00am - 11:30am
Saturday, November 28th 9:00am - 11:30am
Sunday, November 29th 1:00pm - 3:00pm


In case of a medical emergency, please call 911.  For urgent situations, please call 919.966.3820 or 888.267.3675 to speak to an advice nurse.

H1N1 Flu Clinic Tuesday, November 24th (this clinic has passed)

We will be having an H1N1 flu clinic this Tuesday, November 24th.  This clinic is for shots only.  All existing children of the practice 6 months and older are eligible for this clinic.  We will be offering booster H1N1 shots at this time as well for children who need it.  Please call our office to schedule your children.  Thank you!

H1N1 Flu Clinic Friday, November 20th (this clinic has passed).

We will be having an H1N1 flu clinic this Friday, November 20th.  This clinic is for shots only.  All existing children of the practice 6 months and older are eligible for this clinic.  We will be offering booster H1N1 shots at this time as well for children who need it.  Please call our office to schedule your children.  Thank you!

H1N1 Flu Clinic Saturday, November 14th (this clinic has passed)

At this time we are opening up our supply of H1N1 vaccines to all existing patients of the practice.  All children ages 6 months and older are eligible for the vaccine.  This clinic will be for shots only as we are running out of the mist.  You are welcome to ask when you check in if we have mist but we can not guarantee it.  Please call our office if you would like to schedule your child for this flu shot clinic. Thank you. This clinic is now full!

H1N1 Flu clinics on Tuesday, November 10th and Friday, November 13th (these clinics have passed)

Chapel Hill Children's Clinic has received another small shipment of H1N1 vaccines.  We are scheduling 2 small clinics at this time.They are as follows:

H1N1 Flu Clinic scheduled for Friday, November 6th, 2009 for children UNDER 3 years old (this clinic has passed)

We have received a small shipment of H1N1 preservative-free shots for children under 3 years old (6 months - 35 months old). Please call the office to make an appointment for your child if he/she is in this age group. Thank you!

Availability of Seasonal Flu Shots and FluMist

Our office has received a supply of FluMist and has it available to any patient who wishes to make an appointment.  FluMist is for healthy children, with no chronic or respiratory issues, ages 2 and above.  Please call our office for appointment availability and scheduling. Our office continues to have a supply of seasonal flu shots available for our patients. Flu Shots are for children ages 6 months and above. Please call our office for appointment availability and scheduling. (posted Oct. 29)

H1N1 vaccines

Our office has received a small shipment of H1N1 vaccines at this point.  We are currently unable to vaccinate anyone who does not have a chronic condition (such as asthma, diabetes, etc.) that puts them at greater risk of complications from flu illnesses.  Please call our office if you think your child qualifies for an H1N1 vaccine (has a diagnosis such as asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy, etc.).  We will let you know of our vaccine availability and will schedule your child at that time if possible.  We are not making a call back list at this point.  If we do not have any vaccines available for your child when you call, we will simply ask you to call us back.  Updates will be made to this website as new news is available. (posted Oct. 29)

FluMist Flu Clinic for H1N1 for children 2-4years on October 23 (this clinic has passed)

Parents must make an appointment for this clinic.  Children with chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis do not qualify for the FluMist.  We have a very small supply of the H1N1 FluMist which is why we are only able to offer it to this small population of patients at this time.  We will post more information as it becomes available

H1N1 Mist is at the Health Departments:

Chatham County Residents click here:
http://www.chathamnc.org/Index.aspx?page=1291

Orange County Residents click here:
http://www.co.orange.nc.us/health/FluVaccineUpdate.asp

H1N1 Flu Information from UNC Hospitals

If you are interested in learning more about this season's H1N1 flu virus, please visit this UNC Health Care H1N1 Flu Information page.

http://unchealthcare.org/site/newsroom/h1n1info

Flu Clinics Scheduled for Saturday October 10 (thes clinics have passed)

Saturday, October 10th 10am - 12:15pm (already full)
Saturday, October 10th 12:30 - 2:15pm (already full)

This clinic will offer shots only; no FluMist will be available. You must make an appointment to attend this flu clinic.

Orange County Health Department Flu Clinics (these clinics have passed)

The Orange County Health Department will soon be offering flu clinics for people age 6 months and up.

You must make an appointment to get a flu shot at one of these clinics. There may be a fee for these shots; please be sure to ask when you call to schedule your appointment.

Chapel Hill Location (919/968-2022)

Hillsborough Location (919/245-2400)

First 3 Chapel Hill Children's Clinic Flu Clinics Scheduled: Sat Oct. 3, Thurs Oct. 8, and Wed Oct. 14 (these clinics have passed)

We have received a small amount of influenza vaccine, so we will be opening 3 flu clinics. They are as follows:

Saturday, October 3rd 10am - 2:45pm (already full)
Thursday, October 8th 10am - 11:45am (already full)
Wednesday, October 14th 2pm-4:15pm (already full)

These clinics will offer shots only; no FluMist will be available. You must make an appointment to attend these flu clinics.

Update on Chapel Hill Children's Clinic Flu Clinics (Sept. 23)

Many of you have been wondering when we are going to start scheduling our annual flu clinics for vaccination against the seasonal flu.  Unfortunately, we have been unable to do so due to the fact that we have not yet received the bulk of our shipment of vaccinations.  Due to the H1N1 virus we are seeing this year, manufacturers are having to make twice as much product as they are used to and that has slowed their production.  We will be getting our vaccines in soon, and once we do we will start scheduling our flu clinics.  Please be sure to keep checking back here to our website for updates regarding flu shots.

Thank you very much for your patience!

Recall of Certain Lots of Children's and Infants' Tylenol

For information on the recent recall of some lots of Children's and Infants' Tylenol, please see this page.

Home Care for Children with Influenza ("Flu") or Flu-like Illnesses

Influenza is caused by a virus.  It causes fever, cough, nasal congestion, body aches, sore throat and fatigue.  Children with the flu may also have symptoms of vomiting or stomach upset.  Sometimes fever may be present for as long as a week, although 3 to 5 days is more typical.

Antiviral medicines such as Tamiflu or Relenza may lessen the duration of symptoms and may be prescribed by your doctor or nurse practitioner.  Currently, these medicines are not  recommended as a preventative so that the influenza virus will not develop resistance to these drugs.  This is a recent change, as these drugs were used this way in the past.  Also, the CDC is now recommending that people at low risk for complications of the flu not receive these drugs.  People considered at high risk include young children, those with chronic medical conditions such as asthma, and pregnant women.

Children with the flu should stay at home and rest.  Encouraging fluids is important, as children who feel ill can become dehydrated  from not drinking enough.  Aspirin should be avoided to avoid a rare but serious condition called Reye's syndrome associated with aspirin use in children and adolescents.  Acetaminophen (tylenol, feverall) may be used in children older than 2 months , and ibuprofen (advil, motrin) may be used in children older than 6 months.  It is important to use these medicines as recommended and not exceed the dosage frequency listed on  the packaging.   Acetaminophen and ibuprofen may be used to help with aches and pains and fevers causing discomfort.

While most children with the flu do not develop these problems, warning signs that require urgent medical attention inlcude the following:

Flu is spread by droplets from a cough or sneeze that land on the nose or mouth of others.  It is also spread when a person touches these droplets on a surface and then touches their mouth, nose, or eyes.  To prevent transmission to others in the household, the sick person should stay away from others as much as possible.  Wash hands as much as possible with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.  Those at high risk might consider wearing a mask while in contact with the sick individual.  Keep surfaces clean with a household disinfectant.

The H1N1 influenza virus is the predominant virus circulating this fall.  While it is a new strain, and not all of its characteristics are completely known, it does seem to be behaving much like a typical seasonal flu virus thus far.  The CDC is monitoring the situation closely as it emerges, and here at Chapel Hill Children's clinic, we are working hard to keep abreast of updates from our local health department, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC.

Flu Clinics Coming Soon!

Flu clinics are coming soon.  Please check our website periodically to see what we are planning.  As soon as we get our shipment of flu vaccine in the office and are able to set up our flu clinics, we will be happy to schedule your child for his/her flu shot during one of our flu clinics.  Unfortunately, we will not be able to provide shots for parents this year.  We recommend checking with your physician, local grocery store or pharmacy for their flu clinics. Thank you!

Swine Flu Information

Swine flu is getting a lot of national press. So far, the disease has been fairly mild here in the United States. For now, if you have concerns about yourself or your child having symptoms of swine flu (fever, nasal symptoms, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, and maybe diarrhea and nausea), seek medical attention. If you come to our office, tell the receptionist when you sign in that you might have the flu.

We will not write prescriptions for Tamiflu or Relenza unless we have seen the person and we think that one of those medications is medically indicated. We feel that personal stockpiling is not good from either an individual or public health point of view.

A website you might enjoy: Kathleen Hunter Photography

Check out www.kathleenhunterphotography.com for some beautiful photographs of children taken by local photographer Kathleen Hunter, and find information on how to contact her if you are interested for your own children.

Welcome, Dr. Lotz!

CHCC welcomes Dr. Ruth Lotz, our newest pediatrician. Dr. Lotz is originally from Germany but has spent the last 19 years of her life living, studying, and working in the United States. At Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY she received a B.A. in Biopsychology. She continued her education with a Graduate Program at Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico, and then completed a Masters Program at Tufts University.  She attended Medical School at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, completed her Pediatric Internship at UNC Chapel Hill and then moved to complete her Pediatric Residency at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  Dr. Lotz speaks English, German, Spanish and French.  She is married and has three young children.

A Note about Insurance (July 9, 2008)

Our office does not accept the following plans:

Goodbye and Good Luck to Dr. Houston and her family (Aug 9, 2007)

Dr. Shelley Houston has left our practice to move to Concord, NC. We wish her and her family the best in their new home!

Chapel Hill Mothers' Club (June 6, 2007)

Here's a website we thought new mothers might be interested in:

http://www.chapelhillmothersclub.org/

New Health and Wellness section added to the Chapel Hill Children's Clinic website

We've added a new Health and Wellnes section to our website where we'll be posting links and information about fitness & other healthy activities. Our first entry is about Millennium Sports Club, a local sports club offering a variety of kids' fitness programs. Check out their summer programs for children here.

New Patient Forms Available Online (Jan 8, 2007)

We've just posted our two new patient forms online. You can find them here. We've also added a link to the forms page at the bottom of the navigation bar on the left side of every page. New patients are invited to print and complete the forms before they arrive for their appointments. That should save a little bit of time.

Chapel Hill Children's Clinic Hires a Spanish-speaking Interpreter

It is our pleasure to let you know that Chapel Hill Children's Clinic has hired a Spanish speaking interpreter. We will have the interpreter at our office Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5:30pm.

We appreciate the difficulties that some of the Latino population encounter when trying to communicate medical matters. We hope that you might contact anyone who would like to come to our practice but has been hesitant because of language barriers.

We take pride in the quality of pediatric care for our patients and look forward to providing care and good communication for our Latino families.

We accept most commercial insurance companies, NC HealthChoice, and Medicaid.

¡Muchas Gracias!

Here's a website we thought you might be interested in:

http://www.cleverparents.com

We've Extended Our Walk-In Hours

Our office has extended it's evening walk-in hours to better serve our patients.  Our afternoon walk-in clinic now runs until 6:30pm Monday through Friday.