Category Archives: Peconic Pediatrics – Blog

Updated COVID-19 office procedures as of 4/17/20 In order to keep our office a safe space during this pandemic, we need your help with the following: Please come to your visit with only one healthy parent. Please come to the office wearing a face covering (parent and child as best you can-if nothing else, a…

  Congratulations to Karolia Sokol, Peconic Pediatrics’ employee of the month.  In honor of Karolina, Peconic is making a $250 donation to Ronald McDonald House.  Karolina says  “I chose Ronald McDonald Charity because I believe keeping families with sick children together and near the care and resources they need is very important. Helping a sick child…

Congratulations to Bonnie-Sue Luce, Peconic Pediatrics’ employee of the month.  In honor of Bonnie-Sue, Peconic is making a $250 donation to The North Fork Country Kids Rescue and Preservation Through Pedagogy.  Bonnie-Sue explains why she chose this organization.   “They are a small not-for profit organization. They are volunteer only, activists, educators, long time rescue people…

Congratulations to Jennifer Secaida, Peconic Pediatrics’ employee of the month. In honor of Jennifer, Peconic is making a $250 donation to North Fork Animal Welfare League. Jennifer says, “I chose North Fork Animal Welfare League, because I absolutely love animals and I believe that every animal deserves a chance. Each animal at the shelter deserves to feel happiness…

Congratulations to Tenea Stilley, Peconic Pediatrics’ employee of the month. In honor of Tenea, Peconic is making a $250 donation to MercyFirst. Tenea says, “The charity I would like to make a donation to for my employee of the month will be MercyFirst. I'm choosing this charity because children are our future! Making this donation will help…

Congratulations to Maria Perez and Brenda Garcia, Peconic Pediatrics’ employees of the month for the last two months. In honor of Maria, Peconic is making a $250 donation to the Carol Pufahl Literacy Foundation.   For Brenda, her donation is going to the INN.  Brenda says, “I chose The Inn organization because they help people’s lives by helping…

Congratulations to Victoria Peterkin, Peconic Pediatrics’ employee of the month, two months in a row.  In honor of Victoria, Peconic is making a $250 donation to two organizations.  First is The Little Angel Fund which is an organization that supports premature babies and their families.  Victoria chose that organization because she knows a lot of people who face…

Congratulations to Veronica Molina, Peconic Pediatrics’ employee of the month.  In honor of Veronica,  Peconic is making a $250 donation to the South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center. Veronica says,  “I chose this charity because I feel very strongly about climate change and how many animals are now on the endangered species list because of…

Congratulations to Brenda Garcia, Peconic Pediatrics’ employee of the month.  In honor of Brenda,  Peconic is making a $250 donation to Gavin's Got Heart. Brenda says, "I chose Gavin's Got Heart organization because it provides families with emotional and financial support. A lot of families with children with congenital heart defects can't always take off work to go to doctors appointments…

Congratulations to Jackie Secaida, Peconic Pediatrics’ employee of the month.  In honor of Jackie,  Peconic is making a $250 donation to Human Understanding and Growth Services (HUGS).  Jackie says, “I chose Human Understanding and Growth Services (HUGS) because when I was in high school this program was available to any student who wanted to join. The students who struggle…

Congratulations to Angie Alvarado, Peconic Pediatrics’ employee of the month.  In honor of Angie,  Peconic is making a $250 donation to the Maureen's Haven Homeless Outreach foundation. Angie says, “I chose this foundation because during the winter the temperatures get very low and there are homeless people in the streets without a warm place to spend the day or…

Join us in celebrating Chase Wanat, our Peconic Pediatrics’ patient spotlight. Chase is 15 years old and in the tenth grade.  He has a major accomplishment to share.  Chase successfully took his health and well-being into his own hands.  After a checkup, he learned that his weight was a danger to his health. Chase grew…

Congratulations to Fernando Hurtado, Peconic Pediatrics’ employee of the month.  In honor of Fernando,  Peconic is making a $250 donation to Toys For Tots. Fernando says, "I always loved the thought of a kid getting the toy they wanted or a really cool toy to play with for the holidays. Yes, clothes are important (especially as adults) but…

Congratulations to Peconic Pediatrics’ nurses Adrienne Grossman and Maria Perez who are now both Certified Breastfeeding Counselors and Megan Hays who is now an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)!   At Peconic, we are dedicated to helping every mother meet her own personal breastfeeding goals and having Megan, Adrienne, and Maria as part of the support team…

Congratulations to Cara Rackard, Peconic Pediatrics’ employee of the month.  In honor of Cara,  Peconic is making a $250 donation to Long Island Cares. Cara says, "I chose Long Island Cares because this charity strives to help our communities in their time of need". Peconic Pediatrics is thrilled to support Long Island Cares in its vision to create…

Congratulations to Karolina Sokol, Peconic Pediatrics’ employee of the month.  In honor of Karolina,  Peconic is making a $250 donation to the North Fork Animal Welfare League. Karolina says, “I chose North Fork Animal Welfare League because with the cold weather approaching, finding suitable homes for homeless animals is important to me. With this donation I hope it will…

Congratulations to Evelyn Peralta, Peconic Pediatrics’ employee of the month.  In honor of Evelyn, Peconic is making a donation to Mercy First.  Evelyn selected the Mercy First charity because she feels it is important to provide equal opportunities to children and families who are having a hard time and want to turn over a new…

By: Fatema Meah, MD (Peconic Pediatrics, Riverhead & Southold, NY) Back to school time is the right time to think about getting this year’s flu vaccine. In general, flu season runs from October until April, and most cases are seen in the winter months. The peak of influenza disease in the Northeast is typically in February…

Congratulations to Peconic Pediatrics’ nurses Victoria Peterkin and Sandra Franco who are now both Certified Breastfeeding Counselors.  At Peconic, we are dedicated to helping every mother meet her own personal breastfeeding goals and having Victoria and Sandra as part of the support team is a great resource!  Don’t be surprised if Victoria or Sandra call…

Congratulations to Joyce Marrone, Peconic Pediatrics’ employee of the month.  In honor of Joyce, Peconic will be making a donation to the INN (Interfaith Nutrition Network).  Joyce says she chose this organization because she feels it provides emotional support to people who may be down on their luck, or not have an easy life. The INN addresses…

Meet Peconic’s newest member: Douglas Friedfeld, MD Dr. Friedfeld is a graduate of Emory University School of Medicine.  He completed his pediatrics residency at University of Vermont.  Dr. Friedfeld is Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Hofstra/Northwell Medical School.  He has a special interest in preventative medicine and enjoys working collaboratively with children and their parents…

  This month's spotlight is on Deandre King.  Deandre is the father of a beautiful baby boy and he is part of an organization called, Limb Possible. Limb Possible is an organization of athlete amputees who come together to inspire, develop, and bring awareness to communities.  Whether caused by trauma, disease, or birth defects, these amputees are united in their mission which…

This month's patient spotlight is on, Lily Detour. Lily is 8 years old and in the second grade.  She teaches a class on loom knitting at Southold Library.  She started teaching knitting at 5 years old when her big sister Emma, 13, taught her how to knit.  Lily started out by teaching finger knitting and…

Dr. Brad Fell grew up in Brooklyn, NY. He graduated from The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education in 1990 and then graduated from the SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse. Dr. Fell completed his Internship and Residency at Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center (formerly Schneider Children's Hospital), where he also served as…

Dr. Palathumpat is a board certified pediatrician with a specialty in sports medicine. She is a graduate of St. George's University and completed her pediatrics residency at University of Nevada School of Medicine. Dr. Palathumpat completed her Pediatric Sports Medicine fellowship at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. In addition to diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal injuries, she has…

Peconic Pediatrics values all it's employees.  Once a month, a challenge is held and this month's choice for Employee of the Month is Wally Ramirez.  Wally has been our assistant office manager for approximately a year and half now and does a wonderful job with the staff and patients.  Wally is very involved with Sister…

We are so pleased to welcome Dr. Thomas Mercier to Peconic Pediatrics in Southold as he spends his last summer with us before retirement.  He has big shoes to fill but we will do our best to care for his families after he transitions to full retirement. A bittersweet farewell to Dawn Dawson as she…

This month's patient spotlight shines brightly on Amanda Graziano. Amanda graduated from Riverhead High School in 2013. After graduation, she spent her first 2 years at Mercy College in Ardsley, NY. She then transferred to SUNY Oneonta where she finished her last 2 years. She is graduating with a BS in Sociology on Saturday, May…

Ten year old Grace Zehill of Southold had the opportunity to participate in the Iron Chef Jr. competition held on March 18 at the Lake Grove Whole Foods Market. The purpose of this event, besides having fun and cooking delicious food, is to encourage youth to learn new skills in cooking that will lead to…

Anjela Contreras is a second grader at South Street School in Manorville. Earlier this year, she saw a video on YouTube of a girl her age cutting and donating her hair to make wigs for kids with cancer, and was inspired to do the same. In June, she visited the office and was partnered with…

We’re proud of these two brothers, Joe and John Tardif, who are patients at Peconic Pediatrics, for showing all of us what brotherly love is all about. The bond that these two share is truly special and an example for all. Joe and John shared their story with Newsday. Read more.

Our receptionist, Donna Butler, recently hosted the 2nd Annual Open Mic Fundraiser to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The fun event was held at Four Doors Down in Mattatuck on Thursday, September 22nd, and featured live music from local musicians, a Chinese auction and great friends! Proceeds from this fun event supported the…

During my son's well visit at Peconic Pediatrics, Dr. Meah asked my ten-year old son if his parents have talked to him about drugs and alcohol. Some parents might be startled or perhaps even offended by this question. As someone who works for a drug and alcohol prevention agency, I wanted to hug my son's…

May is ASTHMA awareness month because there has been an alarming increase in cases across the nation. The latest CDC statistics report that Asthma affects more than 25.9 million people of all ages and races (7.1 million children) in this nation yet public awareness of common Asthma triggers and effective Asthma management strategies remains limited.…