Dr. Paul Shah always knew what he would be when he grew up.
There never was a question he would be a doctor after watching his father, Dr. Suresh Shah, operate East Windsor Pediatrics, the group the elder Shah started in 1974.
“Being around my father’s practice made this a comfortable choice,” Dr. Paul Shah said. “Seeing him work made this an easy decision.”
But the younger Dr. Shah hasn’t merely followed his father’s footsteps. Indeed, he has taken his father’s work and philosophy, and expanded on them.
In September, Shah rebranded the nearly 40-year-old practice as Healthy Kids Pediatric Group and opened a Lawrence location at 2 Princess Road. An East Windsor office is located at 300B Princeton-Hightstown Road.
Nine doctors work as part of Healthy Kids Pediatric Group, four of which see patients at the new Lawrence location. That in itself may not be unique, but the practice attempts to differentiate itself by having the doctors do duties traditionally done by nurses.
Healthy Kids Pediatrics employs assistants to help document patients’ statistics, like height, weight and blood pressure, but has doctors perform all lab tests and administer all vaccines. (The group follows the vaccination schedule set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics.) Having the doctors perform these tasks not only ensures consistency and quality, it also allows doctors to get to know the patients and families better, which creates a sense of community that comes in handy when a patient needs advice.
“We’re a pretty hands-on practice,” Shah said. “We’re very involved with our patients’ care.”
As such, the doctors at Healthy Kids make sure any child that needs to be seen by a doctor will be seen. Appointments for sick visits are always scheduled for the same day a call is placed for an appointment. The office remains open until the last patients are seen, according to the group’s website.
Shah also said the practice prides itself on annual healthy child examinations, where a doctor will go beyond the typical yearly physical by screening the patient’s vision and hearing, ensuring proper developmental progress and giving anticipatory guidance on subjects like nutrition, exercise and socialization. Each of those appointments are scheduled for 30 minutes so the doctors can answer any questions parents or patients may have. Also, the waiting room is divided into sick and well sections, so healthy children don’t catch an illness.
“[Parents] appreciate that we allot a 30-minute slot with routine physical examinations,” Shah said. “We spend a lot of time with our patients.”
Healthy Kids Pediatric Group is open Monday–Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to noon. For more information, call (609) 448-7300 or go online to healthykidspeds.com.
,
