Well-child visits critical to health, development Published Jan. 29, 2015 By Airman 1st Class Dawn M. Weber 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- Members of the Air Force are more than just Airmen - many are husbands, wives, fathers and mothers. Supporting families is a crucial part of supporting Airmen. When they know their families are taken care of, it's easier for Airmen to focus on their mission. Air Force pediatric doctors, nurses and technicians work year-round to provide peace-of-mind, ensuring the youngest family members are receiving the most attentive care through regularly-scheduled and attended well-child visits. "The Surgeon General wants everyone to know when well-child appointments are," said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Aaron Dimitras, 48th Medical Operations Squadron pediatric clinic nurse manager. "It's a point of service that these appointments should be as convenient as possible to the parents. "These visits won't be changing," Dimitras said. "There's more of an emphasis on ensuring the appointments are captured at the end of every visit." For the Airmen who run the pediatric clinic, the main focus is to successfully monitor the growth of their patients' first years of life. According to Maj. Marc Boggy, 48th MDOS pediatrician, this goal is accomplished when children attend their scheduled check-ups, beginning one to three days after discharge from the labor and delivery unit. The appointments are then scheduled every two months. Parents are asked to fill out growth and development questionnaires prior to the appointment, Dimitras said. The technicians and doctors use these forms to ensure the child is on track in his or her stage of life. "These forms guide the appointment," Boggy added. "They give us a chance to track a child's growth and development and to ensure there are no red flags that suggest a problem we need to address early." Children are also caught up on their immunizations and, most importantly, parents have a chance to ask questions. It is the strategic goal of the 48th Medical Group to make sure every appointment is captured with the emphasis on working with parents, sharing pertinent information and ensuring that well-child visits are not only scheduled, but attended. "We are the experts on children's healthcare," Boggy said. "But, parents are the expert on their child, so we want to make sure we have a good working relationship to ensure we are doing everything we can to help the child remain healthy through kept appointments."