Sick Visit & School Excuse Note Policy Update

To ensure an accurate diagnosis and proper documentation, our office will not provide school excuse notes if a child has not been evaluated in our office. This policy applies even if your child has tested positive at home for illnesses such as COVID-19, influenza, or other infections.

While home testing can sometimes be helpful for parents, these tests are not always as accurate as the medical-grade diagnostic testing used in our office. For this reason, our providers must perform confirmatory testing in-office before issuing any official documentation for school.

If your child is experiencing symptoms of illness, please contact our office. We pride ourselves on always having same-day sick appointments available so your child can be seen when you need us most. During the visit, our clinical team will evaluate your child, perform any necessary testing, and provide treatment recommendations. If illness is confirmed, a school excuse note will be provided at that time.

If your child is experiencing symptoms of illness, please call our office to speak with one of our experienced triage nurses. Our triage team can help guide you on when it would be best for your child to come in to be evaluated.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as this policy helps us provide the most accurate care for your child while ensuring reliable documentation for school.

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‍_{Due to the impending storm, our office will be closed on Monday, February 23, 2026 to ensure the safety of our patients and staff.}

_{If you have an appointment scheduled for that day, please contact our office on the next business day to reschedule.}

_{If your child requires urgent medical care while we are closed, please visit your nearest emergency room. Afterward, be sure to follow up with our office so we can continue your child’s care.}

_{We appreciate your understanding and hope everyone stays safe during the storm.}

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Due to today’s winter weather, our office will have a delayed opening at 1:00 PM so our dedicated nurses, providers, and clerical staff can safely dig out and make their way into the office — ready to be here in case your family needs to be seen.

At North Shore Pediatrics, we pride ourselves on being available to our families 365 days a year, including weekends, for urgent care needs. Our goal is to ensure your child can receive timely medical care from a team they know and trust, while helping parents avoid long emergency department wait times and unnecessary exposure to additional viruses and infections commonly found in hospital settings.

Whether your child is feeling sick, you need to speak with one of our nurses, or you’d like to schedule your child’s annual physical, we are here to help.

📞 Please call the office after 1:00 PM today.

We are proud to serve our community — especially on days when families need us most.

We are here for you, and here with you. ❤️

After 13 incredible years, we are saying a heartfelt farewell to one of the most treasured members of the North Shore Pediatrics family, our most senior nurse, mentor, and friend, Katelyn McCormick.

Katelyn began her nursing journey after earning her nursing degree from Rivier University in Nashua, New Hampshire, and she brought that strong educational foundation to North Shore Pediatrics, where she dedicated over a decade of compassionate service. Throughout her years with us, she has been a steady, trusted presence, caring for generations of pediatric patients with exceptional skill, patience, and kindness. She has a remarkable ability to put children at ease and to support parents with reassurance, empathy, and thoughtful guidance, while earning the trust and admiration of countless families in our community.

Having worked closely for many years alongside Dr. Shannon Dufresne, Katelyn played an integral role in shaping the heart and success of our practice. Her extensive clinical knowledge, sound judgment, and reliability made her someone we could always depend on for patient care, advice, and support. She has also been a respected leader and role model within our nursing team and truly someone other nurses consistently looked up to, learned from, and trusted. Her willingness to mentor others, combined with her great sense of humor, brought warmth, laughter, and positivity to our workplace each day.

While we are incredibly sad to see Katelyn leave, we are equally excited for her as she embarks on an exciting new chapter in her career. She is pursuing a long-time passion by transitioning into medical aesthetics, an evolving and specialized field where she can continue to grow, expand, and enhance her nursing knowledge and expertise. With her strong clinical background, attention to detail, and commitment to patient care, we have no doubt she will thrive and make a meaningful impact in this specialty.

Katelyn will be deeply missed by our patients, their families, and the entire North Shore Pediatrics team. We are deeply grateful for the years she dedicated to our practice and for the lasting legacy she leaves behind. Please join us in wishing Katelyn continued success, fulfillment, and happiness as she advances her career and follows her passion. ‍

We cannot wait to see all that you accomplish in this next chapter of your career.

Important Notice About Photos and the Patient Portal

At our pediatric office, your child’s privacy, safety, and well-being areextremely important to us. We want to clearly communicate an important policyregarding photos and electronic messaging.

Under no circumstances will our office ask or expect a parent orguardian to:

• Take photos of their child’s genital area
• Send, upload, or share images of genitalia through the patient portal
• Email such photos to our office

Even though our patient portal is a secure way to communicate with us, photos of genital areas should never be taken or sent. This is illegal.

We Do Not Diagnose or Assess Sensitive Concerns by Photo

Issues involving the genital area require careful evaluation and privacy.

If you have a concern in this area, a phone call to our office is the best and safest way to address it. Speaking with our staff allows us to properly triage the concern and guide you on the next steps, which may include an in-office visit if needed.

• We ask that parents do not send any photos to our office without prior instruction

Please note that our Patient Pix email has been discontinued. Messages or photos sent to that email address will not be received.

When in Doubt, Call Us

If you are unsure how to share information or have a concern about your child’s health, please call our office. We are here to help and will guide you in the safest and most appropriate way.

Thank you for helping us protect your child’s privacy and for partnering with us in providing the best possible care for your child.

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Important Notice – Discontinuation of PatientPix Email

Effective November 11, 2025, the patientpix@northshorepeds.com email address has been permanently discontinued.

Please do not send photos or medical concerns through the patient portal. If you have a concern regarding your child, contact our office directly to speak with a triage nurse. The patient portal is not intended for urgent communication, and a phone call allows for a more timely and appropriate response.

Photos should only be uploaded to the portal at the request of clinical staff.

These changes have been made to help us enhance the safety, privacy, and efficiency of our care for your child.

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