Well Child Exams

Well child exams are a vital part of a child’s health care. These visits give us the opportunity to examine the child for overall health, growth, and development. We also discuss nutrition, sleep habits and age-appropriate topics such as potty-training, dental care and safety issues. Regular wellness visits allow us to detect and address health problems before they become serious, or in some cases prevent them entirely.

Many of the well-child visits in the first year of life include immunizations. These help to protect the child from some harmful and potentially life-threatening diseases.

Our practice follows the Bright Futures Preventive Care guidelines established by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Please click the following link for information regarding the AAP recommended well visits:

AAP Schedule of Well-Child Care Visits - HealthyChildren.org

We encourage parents to keep a list of questions they may have and bring the list to visits.

Same Day Sick Visits

We understand children can become ill quickly and unexpectedly, so we offer same-day sick appointments. We manage minor injuries, including wound closure and splinting. Please call our office before coming in.

After Hours Care

Our phones are answered 24 hours a day. During clinic hours, our phones are answered by front office staff and medical questions are directed to our medical staff. We understand concerns arise outside of regular business hours. Please call Altitude Pediatrics (970)609-7337 after hours for help deciding if your child needs to be seen in the ER, urgent care, if a telehealth visit is appropriate, or if your child can be seen in the clinic the next day. Our patient portal also allows you to send questions, request refills and submit appointment requests.

Overnight phone calls are directed to the Children’s Triage Service through Children’s Hospital Colorado which is staffed by registered nurses. The pediatrician on call over night is available if a question needs to be directed to one of our providers. After hours calls should be answered within 30 minutes, if you have not received a call do not hesitate to call again.

Adolescent Visits

Altitude Pediatrics takes a special interest in adolescent health. Our providers are trained in discussing mental health, sexual health, and other specific adolescent issues. Although Altitude Pediatrics encourages an open and honest relationship between an adolescent and his or her parents, your adolescent has the right to medical autonomy and privacy. Therefore, unless your child is at risk of medical, physical, or emotional harm, Colorado law requires anything discussed with their provider will remain between the provider and the patient. Altitude Pediatrics will provide care to your child through their 21st birthday.

Telehealth

For your convenience, we will be offering telemedicine visits whenever possible, even on weekends and holidays. Altitude Pediatrics makes connecting to trusted care with your provider more convenient than ever.

See your provider virtually for: Straightforward illnesses or rashes, medication refills, behavioral health, follow up appointments.

If certain diagnostic tests are needed these can be performed in the office at the discretion of the provider.

Please note, we reserve the right to request an in person visit. Co-pays will apply to telemedicine visits and can be paid on the patient portal prior to your visit.

Behavioral Health

Altitude Pediatrics launched a co-located Integrated Behavioral Health program within our office in March of 2022. Rickelle Hicks, LMFT currently runs the program in close collaboration with our five providers who are all highly skills and well versed in the mental health aspect of care. We as caregivers understand how important it is that our child being understood for who they are. Our team is here to listen to your concerns about behavioral or mental health challenges your child may be struggling with. We target anything from common behavioral and developmental challenges (for example, tips on bedtime, tantrums, difficulty with transitions, divorce, separation anxiety) to more complex mental health concerns. This team has worked together for over nine years. Our deep ties in this community help us to understand your child's unique challenges and have many contact and referral sources that can productively meet your child’s behavioral health needs. In addition to joint visits with our behavioral health clinician and your child's doctor we also offer individual and family therapy services right here in our office at Altitude.

Common Challenges Targeted by our IBH Team:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Traumatic experiences
• Divorce
• School Adjustment
• Potty training
• ADHD
• Behavioral regulation issues
• Post partum adjustment
• Attachment issues

We offer:

• Joint visits with a trained behavioral health clinician in collaboration with your child’s doctor
• Individual therapy
• Family therapy
• Consults
• Referrals to community behaviors health resources
• Classes (to be available winter of 2022)
• Group therapy (to be available winter of 2022)

Dental Health

Altitude Pediatrics is proud to participate in the Cavity Free at 3 program. This is a state wide program to improve oral health in expectant mothers, infants, and toddlers. We will be happy to apply fluoride varnish to your child's teeth during their well child check.