ABC Pediatrics

08/19/2025

Notice:
Our electronic medical record vendor is experiencing a nationwide outage. As a result, our patient portal and electronic prescription system are currently unavailable.

We are continuing care without interruption and providing paper prescriptions in the meantime.

We will share updates as soon as they become available. Thank you for your understanding.

07/30/2025

***OFFICE CLOSURE — SATURDAY, AUGUST 2***

Because of unforeseen circumstances, our office will be closed on Saturday, August 2. The provider on call will be available by telephone for urgent matters just as we always are during non-office hours. For all other matters such as refills, routine lab results, appointments and cancelations, please call us before Saturday or on Monday morning. Thank you for your understanding. 

07/15/2025

Do you have a young one heading off to college? Make sure they are prepared for emergencies! Our long time lawyer, David Stejkowski (who is also Dr. Garcia’s husband and president of the library board) is presenting a program on powers of attorney for college-age students. Leave with the documents your loved one will need!

When a child turns 18, parents no longer have automatic access to important information about their health, finances, or academic records, even in an emergency. Join us for a free program led by David Stejkowski…

06/08/2025

Parents: please note!!

Drinking Water Alert for Infants Due to recent rains combined with spring agricultural fertilization, nitrate levels increased in the Kankakee River impacting some customers served by our Kankakee Water Treatment Plant.

06/04/2025

🎀 IT’S A GIRL! 🎀

We’re thrilled to share that our wonderful Physician Assistant, Samantha, has welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world—welcome, Hazel! 💕

We know so many of our patients were eagerly waiting for the big news, and the wait is finally over. Hazel is already so incredibly loved by her proud older brothers and all of us here at ABC Pediatrics.

Welcome to the ABC family, Hazel! 🥰🤍

05/26/2025

This Memorial Day, we at ABC Pediatrics would like to take a moment to honor and thank two incredible members of our ABC family for their service to our country. 🇺🇸 WOW, we have a decorated group of people here!!

Kerri Van Arnem, our dedicated Physician Assistant, is a retired Major in the Army Medical Specialist Corps. Her commitment to caring for others has continued from the battlefield to the exam room, and we are so proud to have her on our team.

We also want to recognize Lieutenant Commander Kylen, the brother of our office manager Kaysie, who is currently serving in the U.S. Navy. His ongoing dedication and sacrifice are deeply appreciated.

We are proud and grateful to have such honorable individuals as part of our ABC Pediatrics family. Thank you Kerri, Kylen, and all of our other veterans and military personnel for your service, courage, and unwavering commitment to our country.

Pictured are some photos of Kylen paying a visit to our office, along with some pictures of Kerri and Kylen and their time in the service, as well as some photos that Kylen took while deployed of his different ships he has served on.

05/23/2025

United for Kids, Together for Change ❤️

For Foster Care Awareness month, the office staff and families of ABC Pediatrics spent hours last Saturday sorting and organizing donations for Georgie’s Closet to help the Kankakee-based not-for-profit prepare for its move into a new space in Bradley.

05/17/2025

👕💙 Georgie’s Closet x ABC Pediatrics: Partnering for a Purpose! 🩷👚

•United for Kids, Together for Change•

Today, the amazing team at ABC Pediatrics and their families rolled up their sleeves and volunteered with Georgie’s Closet a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting foster children by providing them with essentials like clothing, shoes, hygiene items, and more. Together, we sorted and organized donations to help ensure that every child in foster care—and their families—feel seen, supported, and valued. 🧸

We are incredibly proud to collaborate with such a meaningful organization and support their mission to bring dignity and comfort to kids in care. Georgie’s Closet is doing incredible work, and we’re honored to be a part of it. 💛

🧡 May is National Foster Care Awareness Month — a time to recognize the 391,000+ children in the U.S. foster care system and the families who open their hearts and homes to care for them.

📌 Foster Care Facts:
•A child enters foster care every 2 minutes in the U.S.
•The average age of a child in foster care is just 8 years old.
•More than 60% of children in foster care stay in the system for 2+ years.
•Support from the community makes a lasting difference in outcomes for these kids.

Let’s continue to raise awareness, give back, and support organizations like Georgie’s Closet that are making a real difference. Every child deserves love, care, and essentials—thank you to our team and to Georgie’s Closet for making that possible. 💫

Please go follow Georgie’s Closet on Facebook and follow the exciting new things coming soon!

05/14/2025

Don’t forget about physicals! Now is the best time to get this important task for your student done. 😀

05/12/2025

Today we say farewell to St. Mary’s Hospital, where we’ve had the honor of serving on staff for our entire careers. As a result of changes implemented by Prime Healthcare Illinois, including the decision to end its contract with Westwood Obstetrics Gynecology and to close the obstetrics unit, the unit will officially close this Friday. Today marks our final day on call — so we brought lunch to share.

We are deeply grateful to have worked alongside Drs. Taylor and Goldfain, the dedicated midwives, and the exceptional nurses and staff of the labor, delivery, and nursery units. It has been a privilege to work with them and our fellow pediatricians to care for the women and newborns of Kankakee County and the surrounding communities for so many years.

05/06/2025

Our doctors have hobbies, too! One of them — who shall remain nameless — took this photo of tonight’s sunset. 

05/05/2025

Important Update for Our Families: Measles Cases in Illinois
(as of May 4, 2025)

As of May 4, four confirmed cases of measles have been reported in Illinois this year—including recent cases in Cook County and an adult traveler through O’Hare. While the number may seem small, measles spreads incredibly fast—and parents are rightly asking questions.

Here’s what parents need to know:

MMR Vaccine Schedule
(per CDC, ACIP, and AAP guidelines)
• 12–15 months: First dose of MMR
• 4–6 years: Second dose
• 6–11 months: An early dose is recommended for international travel or outbreak areas—but two more doses will still be needed after age 1
• If your child is over 12 months and hasn’t had their MMR, call us immediately—we can help.

What if your child is between 12–47 months and already had one MMR dose?
During an outbreak, a second MMR dose may be given early. If that second dose is given at least 28 days after the first, it counts as the final dose—no third dose is needed. This is supported by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the Red Book.

What happens during an outbreak?
• Unvaccinated children may be excluded from school or daycare for up to 21 days
• Infants and medically vulnerable children are especially at risk
• Exposure may require emergency MMR vaccination or immune globulin

Our advice:
If your child is due—or overdue—for MMR, don’t wait. We’re here to answer your questions and get them protected.

Call our office or send us a portal message to schedule your child’s vaccination.
Let’s keep our kids—and our community—safe.