Can you please tell us a bit about yourself personally?
I grew up in Vietnam. After finishing high school I was fortunate to have the opportunity to move to the U.S., first to Minnesota (where I saw snow for the first time!), and then to Houston, Texas. After a challenging first year learning English and adjusting to my new surroundings, I attended Baylor University for college, and then moved to the east coast for medical school at Johns Hopkins. On the first day of school I met my future husband, Ian, who was by chance assigned as my lab partner in Gross Anatomy. After med school we moved to NYC for our residency training, and are now living in Greenwich with our two young children: Finn (3) and Lucie (5).
Where do you live in Greenwich and what do you love about Greenwich and your neighborhood?
I live in Cos Cob, and really enjoy how close I am to everything. I can drive to downtown Greenwich or hop on the highway within just a few minutes from my house. I especially love the small neighborhood I live in, where I have really gotten to know my neighbors. My kids can play with their friends right across the street, and their friends from school are very close by too. My husband grew up in Greenwich so it was an easy decision to move here, with the added perk of our kids being able to spend time with their grandparents almost every day.
Please tell us about Next Generation Pediatrics and what makes their personalized care physicians unique?
Next Generation Pediatrics is a concierge pediatric practice. By keeping our total number of patients low, we can be available to our patients in many more ways, and more expediently, than a traditional pediatric practice. A patient visit is scheduled for 30-60 minutes, or longer if needed, to allow us to fully get to know our patients and answer all questions.. We also offer home visits, which are very convenient for parents, and allow kids to be comfortable in their home environment when seeing their doctor. There is no answering service or call center – so when our patients call, they get to speak directly to their doctor without delay.. We are available by phone, email, and text to our patients, whichever way they prefer.
How did you come to practice at Next Generation Pediatrics? What is your professional background?
After finishing my medical training I started working in a traditional pediatric practice. But after several years, I found myself getting burned out from seeing more than 25 patients a day, with usually only 15 minutes for each visit. Far too often I would leave the exam room feeling like I did not have enough time to go over everything I wanted to address. I frequently skipped lunch to catch up with writing notes and answering patients’ messages, and was in a constant state of stress. I came upon Next Generation Pediatrics by chance, and was immediately drawn to its philosophy of pediatric care. I am happy to say that joining NextGen was the best professional decision I have made. We have a great team, and it’s incredible to have the time to truly get to know and be there for our patients and their families. The NextGen model has been an incredibly unique and rewarding way to practice medicine!
What are the top reasons that patients choose Next Generation Pediatrics?
Many patients come to us after having difficulty getting in touch with their pediatrician, or not being able to get an appointment when they need it. Others love the convenience of home visits, and the longer appointments where they can have all their questions answered without feeling rushed. Our patients also appreciate how well we get to know them and their whole family.
How is your approach to pediatric health different?
I like to partner with parents in the care of their children. I believe that parents know their children best, and my role is to provide medical guidance and relieve anxieties that come with caring for a child.. When faced with multiple medically-reasonable options and a parent asks what I recommend, I answer by explaining what I would do or how I would approach the choice if this were my own child. I think this personal approach helps to build trust in the parent-doctor partnership.
Any advice for parents of kids in Greenwich, what are the top 3 things they should be thinking about for their kids well-being?
I think that children in this generation face a growing challenge of high pressure and enormous expectations in both school and in their social lives. The ubiquity of social media surely does not help, and the rate of mental health concerns has been steadily increasing. In facing this, parents need to be their child’s biggest advocate and supporter. It’s so important to have dedicated family time when you get to talk to your kids, to listen, and to really offer them a safe space to talk about anything and everything. Additionally, I believe that the later kids first get exposed to social media, the better for their mental health. Of course this is not easy and can lead to feelings of being left out if friends are already online – but ideally, the longer kids get to explore their identity and build their social circle without an online presence, the more grounded and secure in themselves they tend to become.
What do you like to do to relax/have fun for yourself and as a family?
In my personal free time, I like to read. I have a long list of books that will probably take me several years to get through, and I keep adding to that list! I’m also trying to learn piano, which was something I always wanted to learn as a kid but never had the chance. As a family, our kids love to go to Tod’s Point in the summer, or the Bruce Park or Cos Cob playgrounds anytime the weather permits. We also often take short weekend trips for family time and a change in scenery.
Anything else you’d like to share?
If you’re interested in becoming a patient or learning more about our concierge care model, you can check out our website at www.ngpeds.com or give us a call anytime! We’re happy to talk to you on the phone or schedule a visit so you can come tour the office and meet us in person.
We love to support local businesses. What are your fave places when you are in Greenwich to:
Grab coffee: Green & Tonic and Maman
Go on a date night: Happy Monkey
Go out for a girls night: La Bistro
Go out to dinner as a family: Applausi Osteria Toscana
Get your hair done: Hopscotch Salon
Have fun as a family: Bruce Park playground and Tod’s Point
