Local practice specializes in children's care

At Pflugerville Pediatrics, a child's wellness is a family effort.

Gudrun Cobb, a registered nurse and certified pediatric nurse practitioner, has worked in pediatric care for more than eight years and has bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing from The University of Texas. From a young age, Cobb said she knew she wanted to work in pediatrics.

"I've known since I was 9 years old that I wanted to work with children," Cobb said. "That's kind of what led me down the path that I took."

Her previous experience includes working for pediatric offices in Round Rock and the Lake Travis area, in the emergency room at Children's Medical Center of Dallas and with free elementary school–based clinics in Lexington, Ky.

"I have had a large variety of experiences which have all helped me to have my own practice," Cobb said.

Cobb said that experience, both in private pediatrics with children from higher economic backgrounds and in schools and practices with students from low-income families, have shaped her practice. A child's wellness is a family responsibility, Cobb said, and to accommodate families and their needs, she offers flexible payment options and office hours as well as free vaccinations through the Vaccinations for Children program.

"I do have a little bit higher volume of Medicaid and uninsured, [and] they have barriers to accessing care," Cobb said. "I'm trying to acknowledge some of those barriers [and] trying to hear their needs."

She also works with specialists and other physicians to develop the right care for each patient. As a nurse practitioner, she also works under a delegating physician.

"I can provide a [scientific] evidence-based approach and also, a collaborative approach, in talking with specialists," she said. "If I have questions on patients, communicating is the best thing, [and] sharing knowledge is how we all can learn."

Pflugerville Pediatrics' doors opened June 1, and Cobb treated her first patients June 6. Since then, she said she has had approximately 700 office visits and nearly 400 patients.

She offers checkups, immunizations, vision and hearing screenings, sick visits and management for chronic illnesses such as asthma.

Cobb built her practice in the Pflugerville area because she felt it needed a primary care pediatric office. When researching the area, Cobb said she found only three clinics in the city that offered pediatric care in addition to internal and family medicine, and within the clinics, only a handful of pediatric specific physicians.

"There was little to no access, I felt, to primary care pediatrics here in Pflugerville," she said. "When I started doing research back in September 2011, there was maybe five providers, and there's over 14,000 children in Pflugerville ISD."

In addition to providing care, Cobb's long-term goal with the practice is to educate the community on health and wellness. She said she is reaching out to PISD school nurses and Parent Teacher Associations to learn more about the area's needs. One issue she hopes to address is educating parents on when it is appropriate to take a child to a hospital instead of a primary care practice.

"The goal is to keep them out of the emergency room," Cobb said. "I'm here to help educate the community on what primary care means because I do want to lower the cost of health care, and I want kids to feel better and be able to play and run and exercise."

Five tips to help keep children healthy

1. Eating habits

Cobb highlighted childhood obesity as a prevalent problem not just in Pflugerville, but nationwide. She offers three tips to keep the issue at bay.

Portions: Cobb recommends parents and children look at meal portion sizes and limit additional helpings.

Temptation: Children are more likely to eat what is in front of them, so Cobb cautions against buying unhealthy food.

Quality: Do not trust label claims such as "low fat" because sugar, carbohydrate and other counts are generally higher to compensate. Cobb uses sports drinks as an example—one bottle can hold as much as 48 grams of sugar.

2. Exercise

Decreasing obesity and increasing wellness also includes getting active, and exercise is important for the whole family, Cobb said.

Get up and moving: Cobb recommends 30–60 minutes of activity most days of the week and encourages children to pursue activities such as riding bikes or walking the dog. Parents should also be involved with daily exercise.

Limit television: Many children she sees watch three or more hours of television per day on average, Cobb said. She recommends television be limited to one hour each day.

3. Regular checkups

Regular checkups provide a number of advantages, Cobb said. Parents can develop a relationship with their medical provider and learn what to expect as their child develops.

4. Vaccines

Cobb recommends parents keep children on top of recommended and required vaccinations.

5. Managing chronic illness

Because some children suffer from long-term illnesses such as asthma, Cobb said it is important for parents to educate themselves about their children's illnesses and know how to keep symptoms at bay. They should also know when they need to take children to a medical provider and when to take a child to the emergency room.

103 S. 12th St., Ste. 101, Pflugerville, 512-989-3334, www.pflugervillepediatrics.com

Hours:

• Mon.–Tue. and Thu.–Fri. 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Wed. 8:30 a.m.–noon
• Closed for lunch noon–1 p.m.