Issue link: http://southshoremagazine.uberflip.com/i/728082
30 What do you look for when you are trying to select a pediatrician for your child? Obviously, you have to choose a doctor at a practice that is accepting new patients. You also want to find doctors who are Board Certified, supportive and encouraging. Since you are selecting a doctor to care for your child, you would like to find one who is excellent in dealing with infants, young children, adolescents and teenagers, so that you can continue to bring your child to the same doctor for the first 20 years of their life. Finally, when you speak with other adults who take their children to the same pediatrician that cared for them when they were growing up, you clearly have found the right place. In this case, that place happens to be Hanover Pediatrics, which is part of Healthcare South, located at 51 Mill Street in Hanover. I recently had the opportunity of speaking with Dr. Jon Jolles, Dr. Tom Johnston and Dr. Kelli Kennedy of Hanover Pediatrics. Having been a patient of Dr. Jolles when I was younger, it is easy to understand why people continue to bring their children to see him, as well as Dr. Johnston and Dr. Kennedy, who are all extremely charismatic and approachable. "This is a really fun staff," said Dr. Jolles. "We have all been together for a long time and all share the same goal of providing quality care. When we are in the room with a patient, we are there 100 percent. Our top goal is quality care. We are there to lead each patient through the medical system and find the best answer for them. We have to be the advocate for our patients in a changing medical environment." While he is very serious when it comes to medicine, Dr. Jolles certainly has a comedic side, and has been telling his patients the same jokes for the past 20-25 years. In fact, I can vouch for that because I believe I may have even remembered a few of them when we met recently! To that point, he said that he has even had patients bring him joke books, in an effort to provide him with some new material. But hey, after nearly 35 years, why change? "Many of our babies are children of our former patients," said Dr. Jolles. "Their parents came to us as children, and now they bring their children to us. I take that as the ultimate compliment. We aren't going anywhere. We can all care for your children from birth until they are 20. We have a very strong following with adolescents, and it is also helped by the fact that we have male and female doctors and nurse practitioners at our practice, which makes all of our patients feel comfortable." Dr. Johnston said that they are all there to provide "support and encouragement. This should be a fun experience for the whole family," he said. After walking in and seeing a giant TV screen and fish tank, I can say that it already made me feel more at home. "Outside of Dr. Jolles's office," Dr. Johnston noted, "the kids will see a giant picture of an orangutan. When he walks them out of the office and sees me, he will ask them if they want to see a picture of me when I was a child. When they say yes, he immediately points to the picture of the orangutan!" You can definitely feel the fun vibe when you get the chance to by Rob Kelley, photography by Susanne Malloy From Toddlers to Teenagers, HANOVER PEDIATRICS HAS HEALTHCARE COVERED