READYMED - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Chief of Pediatric Same Day Services
• Pediatrician

Dr. Callie Stone truly enjoys being a pediatrician and helping patients with their urgent care needs. "I feel that urgent care is a great way to practice medicine. I really like the variety of patients and never really knowing what you are going to treat next," she explains. "Every day is interesting when you work in urgent care." Some of the common problems that Dr. Stone treats include sore throats, colds and fever, urinary tract infections, and simple lacerations and fractures. No matter what the problem is, she truly enjoys interacting with her young patients. "It's fun taking care of kids in general, and its especially rewarding for me to have a sick kid come in, be able to give some advice to them and the family, and then see them get healthier - it's always great to make a difference in that way." One of things that Dr. Stone has noticed is that she is treating more kids for mental-health issues now. "Oftentimes kids and teenagers don't outwardly say, ‘I'm stressed' or ‘I'm depressed.' A lot of times they come in complaining about headaches, backaches, or a change in their appetite, and you have to delve into the symptoms a little bit more to realize that maybe the problem is not something physical but something mental-health related." No matter where she is working at Reliant, Dr. Stone enjoys the ability to utilize an electronic medical record when treating patients. "Having access to electronic medical records is really great. It makes it easy to keep track of patients no matter which provider they are seeing - whether it's urgent care, primary care, or a specialist. It's great to have all that information at your fingertips and have it available at a moment's notice." When she is not busy helping patients Dr. Stone enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs, which were both adopted from a shelter. She also likes to go bike riding and hiking, as well as traveling to Europe, the Caribbean and places closer to home.

Growing up in Albania, Dr. Linda Ciu's parents always had a lot of respect for physicians. "My parents weren't doctors but they always revered physicians and saw medicine as an important profession. I think that influenced me to become a doctor," she explains. "Now I enjoy helping others using my medical skills and my daughter is also a physician." Dr. Ciu spent many years as a pediatrician before becoming a full-time urgent care physician. "I enjoyed helping families with their different needs. Over time, you can become very close. Working with families is a unique part of medicine because parents trust you with the most precious thing they have - their children." Although Dr. Ciu spent much of her career as a pediatrician, she enjoys the fast pace of working at ReadyMED. "Urgent care is a unique way to practice because you have to make important decisions about plans of treatment or accessing the gravity of the situation in a short amount of time," she explains. "When you walk in the door to the exam room you never know what you will see." Dr. Ciu really strives to bring the warmth and caring that she fostered in primary care to her work at ReadyMED. "I want to make people as comfortable as possible when they visit. I like the fact that in urgent care you can help people immediately and put them at ease." In her spare time, Dr. Ciu enjoys working in the yard, being with friends, and traveling. She also enjoys exercising to stay in shape, including aerobics.

Dr. Michelle Whitham was inspired to pursue a career in pediatrics by her grandmother, who was a pediatrician. After graduating from college and working in market research consulting, she decided to follow her passion for science and caring for children and become a physician. Dr. Whitham believes that being a mother herself helps her be a better pediatrician. "Being the mother of three children really has a benefit," she explains. "I've taken care of sick and crying kids of my own, and I think that helps me talk a child through being scared or sick, and also build a rapport quickly with their parents." In her role as a pediatrician, Dr. Whitham knows that parents only want what's best for their children. "I try to treat every child like they were a member of my own family. In fact, I will often say, ‘here are the options … and here's what I would do in this situation.' " Dr. Whitham enjoys the challenge of working in Pediatric Urgent Care. "It's always interesting coming to work each day and there's never a dull moment. Everyone here in the department is very dedicated and enthusiastic, and I think that helps make a difference for the patients." In her spare time Dr. Whitham enjoys cooking for her family, especially trying out different regional recipes. She also enjoys watching her children's sporting events and spending time with her husband and two dogs.

After teaching algebra for a while after college, Dr. Mohsina Alom realized more than ever that medicine was the career for her. "The main reason I went into pediatrics is that I love working with kids," she explains. "Teaching helped me realize that it would be great to help kids in a different ways, which is why I decided to go to medical school and become a pediatrician." In her work, Dr. Alom always makes a point to understand the patient's point of view. "I think empathy goes a long way when working with patients and that really helps them open up to you. I think the fact that here we really listen to our patients is one reason our patients come back to us and why they appreciate us so much." Dr. Alom works in pediatrics at ReadyMED PLUS, which provides services to patients after-hours and on weekends. When she sees a patient, it is often for the first time. This is one of the reasons she enjoys using Reliant Medical Group's electronic medical record (EMR) so much. "Being able to access a patient's medical record instantly really assists us in so many ways. Because of the EMR, I have access to the patient's full chart, and that really helps with diagnosis." One of the issues that Dr. Alom and other physicians deal with is the fact that patients often want to make their own diagnosis using information that they have found on the Internet. "It's great that patients feel empowered to do research but there is so much information out there that you can easily come across inaccurate information, so in many ways it is a double-edge sword. As a doctor, I try to make sure my patients are as informed as possible about everything that is affecting their health." In her free time Dr. Alom is an avid traveler and enjoys taking trips to New York and New Jersey as well as Virginia Beach and other areas. Dr. Alom also enjoys cooking and baking and trying out new recipes.

Originally from Syria, Dr. Omar Alani began his medical career as an emergency room physician. He first came to America to begin a residency in Pediatrics. At ReadyMED, Dr. Alani concentrates on seeing children and young adults under the age of 26. "Considering my medical interests, this is really a dream job for me," he explains. "I have always liked treating children and adolescents. They usually recover from illness better because they are younger and have fewer health issues. Plus having my own children, I know what they go through when they are sick." Dr. Alani is a very "hands-on" physician and enjoys doing different procedures in the office such as suturing, casting, removing skin lesions and warts, and incision and draining. He always makes a point to work closely with the family of a child when making a diagnosis. "When you work in pediatrics, you need to connect with the parents as well as the child. It's important to explain the problem and make sure that everyone is on track with the treatment plan." Dr. Alani says that seeing patients in a walk-in care facility is always more challenging than in a typical office. "In this type of setting, you need to make decisions very quickly. Fortunately, at ReadyMED we have a lot of great technology to help in diagnosis, and this makes it a lot easier for everyone." When Dr. Alani isn't busy treating patients he enjoys being around his family and watching sports, especially soccer. He also loves reading history and literature. He and his wife also enjoy visiting local restaurants and being a part of the Arabic-speaking community in Worcester.

For Dr. Peter Murphy, it was some classes back in high school that opened up his eyes to a career in medicine. "The first time I ever really enjoyed something academically was studying the biological sciences in high school," he explains. "I had people in my family who were nurses, but no doctors. I could tell that working in a lab or at a desk wasn't for me. So the field of medicine, with its ability to help others, seemed like a great choice." After graduating from medical school, Dr. Murphy started his career in pediatrics. When he was around 40 years old, he moved his family to Indonesia so he and his wife could work in a health clinic. "There was an enormous need for medical care there, including a high infant mortality rate and other problems. We thought we would stay forever, but it didn't work out that way. However, it was an amazing experience that I will always remember." One of the things that Dr. Murphy truly enjoys about his job is interacting each day with patients. "I love being a pediatrician because of the families you meet. It's very gratifying when they come in concerned about something and you can reassure them. People are obviously very worried when their children are sick, so we really strive to not only do a great job with the medical care, but also let them know their kids are in good hands. Everyone here is very good at caring for people and it really shows." In his spare time Dr. Murphy enjoys outdoor sports such as hiking and climbing, as well as going birding with his wife. "We like to kayak, bike ride, and go camping. We've camped from the White Mountains to Mt. Desert Island and have kayaked all over Massachusetts." Dr. Murphy also enjoys teaching and is a pediatric advanced life support instructor as well as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at UMass.