At Southeastern Primary Care Specialists, our goal is to be the most comprehensive internal medicine practice in the Atlanta area. That’s why we work with patients of all ages. Working with such a wide variety of patients living with different conditions gives us the opportunity to find new niches in our treatments to create better outcomes. One of those niches is something we call transitional medicine, and it’s one way in which we’re helping our young patients who have been living with pediatric disorders adjust to being treated by an adult doctor. Read on to find out more about transitional medicine and what types of patients can benefit from it.
Transitional Medicine
Kids who have been living with conditions like Down’s syndrome, sickle cell anemia, and others can have a hard time in childhood. As they grow and mature, they’re forced to adjust to their changing bodies and new responsibilities while also dealing with the challenges presented by their condition. That’s why, at Southeastern Primary Care Specialists, we’re providing specialized care for people who are transitioning from a pediatric doctor to an adult doctor. We call it “transitional medicine,” and it’s aimed at making adolescents feel comfortable and supported as they learn to cope with their conditions during the transition to adulthood.
Dr. Johnny Harris II is an adolescence doctor who works at both our Stockbridge and Fayetteville, GA locations. As a specialist in transitional medicine, he sees a lot of patients age 12 and up who have been living with pediatric conditions throughout childhood. Dr. Harris believes this type of medicine is an important part of an overall treatment plan.
“I feel like there is a niche that needs to be filled in our community to help people transition,” says Dr. Harris, “We have a lot of patients who have… complicated pediatric problems that adult doctors just don’t get that much training with in their residency, and that pediatricians do get a lot of training with. And there are other sensitive areas that help a teenager develop.”
Dr. Harris feels it’s his responsibility as an adolescence doctor to provide assistance for his patients who are facing unique challenges as they become adults.
“I’m here to help you; that’s what we go to school for. That’s one of my goals in life, to help people feel at ease with their doctor,” he says, “I want you to feel comfortable… and if there are parents, we want them involved in their child’s care. We want them to ask questions; we want them to have their issues addressed also.”
Dr. Harris and every other adolescence doctor at our two locations in Fayetteville and Stockbridge, GA is committed to providing specialized care for kids aged 12-18. As they become adults, they’ll have questions not only about their conditions, but about the social and physical aspects of maturity as well. When they speak to a dedicated adolescence medical provider, we hope they will feel more at ease and that our treatment will help ease their transition into adulthood. For medical care that goes from childhood to adulthood and everywhere in between, Southeastern Primary Care Specialists should be your first choice for an adolescence doctor. Give us a call at (770) 716-7999 to find the location nearest you or to schedule an appointment today. Adolescence can be a confusing time for anyone; with transitional medicine, we can help make that transition go more smoothly.