COPC - Step by Step Pediatrics

05/29/2026

Summer is here, time to start thinking about water safety!

The AAP recommends swim lessons as a layer of protection against drowning. Many kids will be ready to start lessons at age one. Here are a few things to keep in mind while choosing a program:

1. Are the instructors trained and certified through a nationally recognized learn-to-swim curriculum? Are there lifeguards on duty who have current CPR and First Aid certifications?

2. Do they teach good safety habits in, on and near water?

3. Do they teach your child what to do if they end up in the water unexpectedly?

4. Do they offer adapted aquatics for children with special health needs and developmental disabilities?

Learn more: https://bit.ly/2QgLe7M

05/20/2026

It is widely known that teen sleep patterns have worsened over the past decade. However, a new study has shown that teen sleep is the lowest it has been for the past 3 decades. Nearly half of teens are losing sleep by using their phones between midnight and 4AM! The study notes that poor sleep is linked to increased risk for injury, reduced executive functioning, worse academic performance, poor mental health, and a range of chronic disease risk factors. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 8 - 10 hours of sleep a night. Both recommend creating a media plan for the family, including reducing access to smart phones over night.

05/14/2026

Ready for the next chapter in your imaging career? COPC could be your perfect fit!
📌MRI Tech | $6,000 Sign-On Bonus
Full Time, Monday-Friday, 11:30 am-8:00 pm or 4-day/10-hour shifts

📌Radiology Tech | Full Time, Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:30 pm
Position Availability in Westerville & Hilliard!

⭐Check out our open positions here:
https://ow.ly/QHgr50YXOCH

🔹What Makes COPC Different🔹
-Focus on patient care and employee well-being
-Supportive environment where your ideas matter
-Excellent Benefits
-No Holiday Shifts

If you’ve been waiting for a place where your work matters—and your life outside work is respected—this is it.

05/08/2026

It is never to late to plant fun ideas for Mother's Day.

Celebrate a Mom with Mother's Day fun in Columbus! Mother's Day is a wonderful day to celebrate your mother, mother-figure, or your own motherhood.

04/29/2026

**Attention Parents of Teens!**
As your child approaches adulthood, it’s time to equip them with essential healthcare skills and tools before they head off to college, work, or their own place! 🏡✨

Here's where you can start:
- Read our full age-by-age guide to building health independence!
https://ow.ly/UccS50YRL7o
- Create a shared health binder or digital file with key records and medication lists.
- Quiz them on their personal and family medical history.
- Practice making phone calls to schedule appointments.
- Review an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) insurance statement together.
- Role-play asking questions during appointments to boost their confidence!
Let’s empower our young adults to take charge of their health! 💪❤️

Help your child take charge of their own health. COPC's age-by-age guide for parents shows how to build healthcare independence and prepare kids for adult primary care in Central Ohio.

04/22/2026

ALLERGIES! Everyone with spring allergies is feeling it right now. Pollen counts have been very high and the tree pollen we see in the spring is especially good at triggering eye symptoms. The mainstay of treatment is Zyrtec (Cetirizine). Doses are 2.5mg for under 5, 5mg for 5 to 12, and then 10mg for 12 and up. However, many patients have had to increase to 2 times a day recently because symptoms have been so severe. You can also use over the counter allergy eye drops for eye symptoms and over the counter Flonase for persistent stuffiness and runny nose. Other environmental measures include:
- Limiting your outside exposure between 5am and 10am, when pollen counts are the highest.
- Limit exposure on mornings that are especially warm and dry; these will usually be the high pollen count days. Days that are dry and windy also have high pollen counts. The best time for outdoor activities is immediately following a heavy rainfall.
- Wash your face and hands after you’ve been outside to remove pollen. Also, change and wash clothes if they’ve been exposed to pollen.
- Bathe and shampoo hair daily before going to bed to remove pollen from hair and skin in order to keep it off your bedding. Wash bedding in hot, soapy water once a week. Check Pollen.com for more.

04/21/2026

This hidden gem metro park has so much to explore. The Sister's Garden, with its hidden garden and story trail are great for little naturalists. Providing engaging experiences in the outdoors helps boost children's creativity and helps support mental health.

04/17/2026

04/14/2026

Spring and warmer weather mean more time outside, which we love! One thing we don’t love, however, are ticks! That’s right, it is tick season again and we have already had to remove several in the office. With tick bites comes the worry of Lyme Disease. We are seeing more reports of Lyme Disease especially in eastern communities like Licking County. In general, ticks typically need to be attached for 24 to 48 hours or more to transmit the Lyme disease bacteria. The blacklegged tick is the primary carrier and is found in wooded, brushy, or grassy areas. If you are going to be in the woods or the weeds, use an EPA-registered insect repellent with DEET or Picaridin. You can also treat clothing with 0.5% permethrin or buy special clothing with the permethrin already soaked in. Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants and do tick checks as soon as you come inside.
Symptoms of Lyme Disease do not show up until 2 weeks after the initial bite. Early symptoms include a red, expanding rash (erythema migrans) that looks like a bullseye, fever, fatigue, headaches, and swollen lymph nodes.
Late symptoms include severe joint pain and arthritis, neurological issues with facial (Bell’s) palsy and meningitis.
What to Do If You Find a Tick:
Removal: Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick close to the skin and pull upward with steady pressure.
Action: Wash the bite area with soap and water or alcohol.
Treatment: If the tick was attached for over 72 hours and you are in a high risk area, a single dose of doxycycline may be used to prevent infection. Call the office if you are concerned about a high risk bite or if you are concerned about symptoms of Lyme Disease.

04/13/2026

The story is a good reminder why we need to be careful about supplements and natural treatments. They are not as tightly regulated by the FDA and do not have to go through the rigorous testing that medications do.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday advised consumers to immediately dispose of two ADHD dietary supplements marketed as stimulants to enhance focus because they contain “unlawful and undeclared ingredients” whose ingestion could be harmful or life-threatening.

The safety advisory warns against consuming or selling orange-flavored Addall XR Shots and Addall XL capsules distributed by ZMB Enterprises LLC of Carlsbad, Calif., and sold online and at gas stations and convenience stores.

In lab testing by the FDA, both products were found to contain undeclared 1,4-dimethylamylamine (1,4-DMAA), a stimulant that can elevate blood pressure, leading to cardiovascular problems including heart attack. The capsules were also found to contain an illegal synthetic stimulant with similar side effects, 2-amino-6-methylheptane (DMHA).