JOHNSON CITY – The start of a new school year can be a stressful yet exciting time for students and parents alike. ETSU Health Pediatrics recommends scheduling an annual checkup to ensure children’s health and well-being prior to their return to class in August.
Children who see their pediatrician annually can create healthy habits that carry into their adulthood. A pediatrician will examine their overall health and can get them up to date on all CDC-recommended vaccines for school-aged children.
Placing an emphasis on children’s mental health is vital to the start of a happy, healthy and successful school year. ETSU Health Pediatrics offers integrated behavioral health services at their Johnson City clinic, because a child’s well-being goes beyond the scope of their physical health.
We are the only pediatric clinic in the area that has an integrated behavioral health team onsite every day of the week.
“We are the only pediatric clinic in the area that has an integrated behavioral health team onsite every day of the week," said Dr. Jodi Gage, a pediatrician at ETSU Health Pediatrics in Johnson City. “We have a child psychologist and social worker to help navigate, especially now since the pandemic and the awareness of mental health issues with our kids has been brought to the forefront of medicine.”
Ahead of the new school year, ETSU Health Pediatrics also recommends giving children reminders about proper handwashing techniques to help prevent the spread of germs. Understanding proper handwashing techniques and teaching children to avoid touching their face are great ways to help them stay healthy in the classroom.
Another recommendation for parents is to create healthy dietary habits, which can benefit their children’s education. Skipping meals can hinder learning and overall performance by making them sleepy in the classroom.
“Healthy whole foods are what fuels the brain,” said Dr. Dawn Tuell, pediatrician and chair of ETSU’s Department of Pediatrics. “Processed food is high in sugar, salt and additives and can negatively influence a child’s ability to learn and focus.”
Offering children nutritional variety can give them the energy they need for strong performance in the classroom.
Dr. Tuell also notes the importance of sleep for school-aged children. For a developing brain, parents should ensure an adequate 10 to 13 hours of sleep each night for their children to practice and maintain a healthy sleep schedule throughout the new school year.
ETSU Health Pediatrics is located at 325 N. State of Franklin Road in Johnson City and has an office at 1505 W. Elk Avenue, Suite 2b, in Elizabethton. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 423-439-7320.
With 30 clinical sites and more than 250 health care providers, ETSU Health is on the front lines of efforts to improve the health of Northeast Tennessee by offering leading-edge health care in dozens of specialties.
ETSU Health is the outward-facing brand that includes the pursuits of ETSU’s thriving Academic Health Science Center and the clinical components of ETSU Physicians & Associates and Northeast Tennessee Community Health Centers Inc. For more, visit ETSUHealth.org.