Metropolitan Pediatrics, LLC

09/04/2025

Subject: Upcoming Flu Clinics – Reserve Your Spot Today!

Dear Families,

It’s that time of year again—flu season is just around the corner! To help keep your family healthy, Metropolitan Pediatrics will be holding flu vaccine clinics on the following dates:

Saturday Clinics (8:00 – 10:30 AM)

· September 27

· October 4

· October 11

· October 18

· October 25

Evening Clinic (5:00 – 6:30 PM)

· Thursday, October 30

To reserve your spot, please email us at:
metropeds@mappdocs.com
with your preferred date.

We look forward to seeing you and helping your family stay protected this flu season!

Warmly,
Your Metropolitan Pediatrics Team

04/09/2025

Please join us to CELEBRATE Joanie!
Joanie Popalis, a mainstay at Metropolitan Pediatrics Front Desk for 16 years, is retiring on Friday, April 18. Please drop by to wish her well on Monday, April 14 between 9:00-11:00 or 2:00-4:00.
We will miss you, Joanie!!!

02/21/2025

FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION!!! If you or anyone you know who is a Metropeds family has received a notice from United Healthcare claiming that we are no longer participating in UHC, it is untrue and this was sent in error by UHC. We have clarified with UHC that it is incumbent on UHC to notify all of those who received this notice that this was their error and that we are participating, but that seemingly has not yet happened. Please spread the word and know that we are available should you have any questions about this. Best regards and have a great weekend!

09/20/2024

Hello All! We are happy to highlight our September Employee of the Month, Ivy Melendez! We know it's a little late but Ivy deserves a big hooray for being a dedicated MA, making our patients and parents feel more at ease during stressful situations. Ivy has been with us for about 2 years. Some fun facts about Ivy are that she was born with extra fingers (not sure how many!) and recently moved to Montgomery County with her husband and 2 adorable little boys. She loves to eat at Roy Rogers and to shop at Target. She enjoys traveling and would love to travel back to Peru to see family she hasn't seen in 10-11 years! Ivy spent some time in the hospital as a child and truly loved the nurses that cared for her. They became her idols and drove her interest in working in healthcare. Ivy loves working with children and their families and is thankful to indulge that joy at Metropolitan Pediatrics.

09/13/2024

Hi Metropolitan Pediatric Family,

Our Drive-Thru Flu Vaccine Clinics are now scheduled for the following dates:

Saturday, September 28, 8 am -12 pm

Saturday, October 5, 8 am - 12 pm

Thursday, October 10, 8 am - 12 pm

Saturday, October 12, 8 am - 12 pm

Saturday, October 19, 8 am - 12 pm

Saturday, October 26, 8 am - 12 pm

These Clinics are strictly by appointment only. To schedule your child/children, yourselves or other caregivers, please send an email to metropeds@mappdocs.com. Please include the following information:

1) Subject Line: Flu Clinic & Desired Date

2) Names of Family Members receiving the vaccine with dates of birth

3) Contact Number

We will reply via email with necessary paperwork, instructions and additional information.

Thank you for your cooperation and we look forward to helping you protect you and your family from the Flu!

Sincerely, your Metropeds Team

08/16/2024

On another note, we wanted to congratulate Eileen Mood, our awesome nurse practitioner on her new credential! Here is the press release:

Eileen Mood, BSN, RN, MSN, CPNP, PMHS has earned the national added qualifications credential of Pediatric Primary Care Mental Health Specialist (PMHS®) after successfully passing the rigorous PMHS exam from the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board. To date there are more than 600 PMHS experts in the United States.
PMHS specialty certification is an objective, measurable way of validating the added expertise of advanced practice nurses in the area of child and adolescent developmental, behavioral, and mental health within primary care settings.

In addition to foundational graduate level educational preparation and clinical skills as an advanced practice nurse, PMHSs have acquired additional knowledge to evaluate, treat, and manage many common developmental, behavioral, and mental health concerns within the medical home or specialty clinics. Seeking care from a PMHS in the medical home can reduce stigma and strengthen care coordination. In addition, many PMHSs have robust connections with community resources, such as therapists, psychologists, and other partners in a child's care.

The PMHS certification program is accredited and meets the rigorous standards of the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

08/15/2024

Hello All! We are happy to highlight our August Employee of the Month, Ruth Hernandez! Ruth joined us in May and has been a truly lovely addition to our front desk staff. Some fun facts about Ruth are that she is originally from El Salvador and recently moved here from Texas. She loves to eat at new restaurants and particularly likes spicy wings from Wing Stop. Her grandmother owns 15 dogs!!! She would love to travel, and hopes someday to make it to Tokyo, Japan. Ruth loves working with children and their families and is thankful to indulge that joy at Metropolitan Pediatrics. Please take a moment to say hello to Ruth the next time you are in our office! Wishing everyone a great start to the school year and a sad goodbye to Summer!

07/30/2024

Don't forget for your child's health and growth! 🌱👶 Call today to schedule a well-care appointment that fits your family's schedule. https://www.metropolitanpediatrics.com/Your-Visit/Well-Child-Visits

To keep your children healthy, it is important to bring them in for regular checkups. We recommend that you call in advance so you may choose the date that best fits your needs. See our recommended schedule for well child visits here.

07/30/2024

👶 Newborns spend most of their time sleeping! On average, they may nap for 12-20 hours a day, often waking up 1-3 times during the night. 😴 Much to their parent's relief, newborns can sleep through the night around the age of 4-6 months. 🌙 Here are some helpful tips to encourage healthy sleep habits for your little one! https://www.metropolitanpediatrics.com/Sleeping 💤

07/30/2024

MAPP Behavioral Health is offering a Teen DBT Skills Group this fall. DBT is an evidence-based treatment with skills that focuses on mindfulness communication, emotional regulation and distress tolerance. The group will take place weekly on Mondays beginning 9/12/24 for 12 weeks from 6:00 to 7:15PM. This is an in-person group, located at 19735 Germantown Road, Suite 180, Germantown, MD 20874.

If you or anyone you know has a teen that may be interested in this group, please complete the following form https://intakeq.com/new/4nw8mm/wl525c or call 301-337-7494 for more details.

https://mappdocs.com/Your-Visit/Behavioral-Health/DBT-Skills-Group

05/09/2024

Hello all! We are excited to announce the addition of our new provider, Shira Schwartz (Dr. Shira)! Dr. Shira has over 10 years of experience in primary care pediatrics and will start seeing patients June 25. She will be scheduled to see patients Monday mornings, all day Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays. We are absolutely thrilled to have such a compassionate, knowledgeable and dedicated pediatrician join our practice. Please see our website for more info on her bio and experience.

01/26/2024

UPDATE! UPDATE!
WE NEED YOU TO PROVIDE US WITH YOUR INSURANCE INFORMATION AT EVERY VISIT.
We know it can feel inconvenient to produce your insurance card every time you see your provider but it is far less inconvenient than getting statements from our billing department with incorrect information and being asked for payments that are erroneous. For that reason, it is our new policy that you provide us with your insurance card at every visit you make to our office. Thanks for understanding and we apologize for any inconvenience.