Springdale-Mason Pediatrics

01/12/2026

01/06/2026

✨ Can I rely on AI for my health questions? ✨

AI is everywhere! We’ve been told by a parent or a patient that they asked Chat GPT about symptoms and it told them what may be going on. Sometimes patients come in telling us they have something, based on what an AI app told them. Yes, AI can absolutely be helpful. But when it comes to medical advice, it’s important to use it wisely!

🧠 What AI can help with:
• Understanding medical terms or diagnoses
• Learning about treatment options
• Preparing questions for your visit with us
• Getting general health education

🚫 What AI can’t replace:
• A physical exam
• Your full medical history
• Clinical judgment
• Personalized risk assessment
• Follow-up care or accountability (!)

⚠️ Why relying on AI can be risky:
• AI can sound very confident, even when it’s wrong
• It only knows what you tell it—not what you don’t, and it may not ask the right clarification questions
• It can miss red flags that a clinician would catch
• It can lead to delayed care or false reassurance

👩‍⚕️ Doctors don’t just get and give information—we interpret it. Medicine unfortunately has a lot of nuance, uncertainty, and requires knowing you or your child as a patient to get the best care. That’s something AI simply can’t do.

✅ Best approach: Use AI to educate yourself, but please come see us, and let us help you get the right diagnosis and treatment, if you’re concerned something is wrong. AI is a tool—not a replacement for medical evaluation and care.

01/02/2026

Starting this Monday January 5th!

12/25/2025

Happy Birthday Sue! We are incredibly grateful for you and for the thorough, compassionate care you give every single day. Your kindness, dedication, and genuine love for our patients truly make a difference and it does not go unnoticed. You are a bright light on our team and we are so lucky to have you. We hope your day is as wonderful as you are.

12/24/2025

Figgy & Joy spent their last day playing tricks on us before “rolling out!” See the comments for Figgy’s trick today! Happy Holidays❤️💚

12/23/2025

Jayna gave Figgy a picture for Santa today and Figgy will be heading off soon to the North Pole!

Joy was making and passing out hot chocolate and spreading a little holiday cheer. 🎄

12/23/2025

Joy is hard at work, trying to decide which provider has been naughty… or nice!

Figgy is up to his usual tricks, playing games and handing out cavities with this bean bag challenge!

12/23/2025

Reposting our post from last month- tons of flu cases right now! 😵‍💫
🤒 Symptoms of the respiratory influenza virus usually causes high fevers, body aches, headaches, chills, hacking cough and sore throat. It can also cause vomiting and diarrhea. The illness lasts for about a week and and it usually makes you feels sicker than the typical cold.

🍲 Treating the flu in a normally healthy person means lowering the fever with acetaminophen or ibuprofen which helps with the body aches and headaches too. Drink lots of fluids! Rehydration drinks and soup broths (chicken noodle soup, ramen, etc) help to replenish electrolytes and provide some nutrition. Eating foods that are easy to digest such as lean meats, rice and noodles, crackers, etc. can also be helpful.

☎️ If you suspect your child has the flu, consider calling the doctor for an appointment sooner than later. Antiviral medicines that treat the flu are most effective if started in the first 1-2 days of the illness.

🚨Go to the ED or calll immediately for severe symptoms such as fast breathing, shortness of breath, belly breathing, ribs pulling in when breathing, lips turning blue, fever over 104, dehydration or if your child seems "out of it" and is not responding to you the way they usually do.

👍🏼Preventing the flu means washing your hands and using hand sanitizer frequently. Avoid touching your nose or face to keep germs away. Cough into your elbow and wear a mask around others if you are sick to to keep those around you healthy.

🌟It is not too late to get the flu vaccine! The flu vaccine has been shown in research studies to keep you from getting more severe symptoms, even if the current flu strain does not match well with those in the flu vaccine.

🦄 It is a myth that you can get the flu from the flu shot - this is just not true. Some people may feel achy for a day or so after the shot; this is a sign that your immune system is revving up and producing antibodies to fight the infection.

🧸 Studies show children under 5 and especially those under 2 can get very sick with the flu and are at higher risk to be hospitalized. Those with chronic health issues such as asthma, diabetes, a weakened immune system, sickle cell disease, cardiac disease, and cerebral palsy or other neuromuscular disorders are also at risk to become severely ill with the flu. We strongly recommend these patients stay up to date with the seasonal flu shot and contact us if you think they have the flu.

12/21/2025

🎅📮 Letters for Santa 📮🎅
Our patients have been busy filling out postcards with their favorite foods and their special wishes for Santa! 🎄✨

It’s been so fun reading all the thoughtful (and delicious!) requests. We love seeing the holiday magic through their eyes and can’t wait to make sure these postcards make their way to the North Pole! ❤️❄️

12/20/2025

🎨✨ Artist Spotlight ✨🎨
We are loving all the creativity being shared!

🌲 Lamerica colored us a beautiful Christmas tree
🧝♀️ Carlie colored our elf Joy a picture of Poppy the Troll
🎅 And an unknown artist surprised us with an amazing drawing of Santa

Thank you to all of our talented artists for spreading so much holiday cheer — your artwork truly brightens our season! 🎄❤️