Summer for most kids means no school, road trips, and days well-spent in the sun. With that, your child’s body needs to be well-fed and hydrated in order to power through summer activities. For some kids three square meals will do the trick, but for others, snacking can keep them going between meals. Melody Steeples, MPH, RD, with Woodland Clinic, shares some insight on why snacking can be helpful for your child, as well as some advice on how to snack healthily this summer and beyond. Read to the end for a special summer recipe from Melody Steeples!

World Immunization Week (April 24-30) is an annual week of awareness that was created to promote the importance of vaccines across the globe. Uzma Rashid, MD, a Family Medicine physician at Woodland Clinic, shares how vital vaccines are to our health and safety.

On March 30th every year, we celebrate National Doctors’ Day to honor the physicians that have dedicated their lives to improving the health of our communities. But this year in particular we want to honor the incredible sacrifices our dedicated doctors have made during the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked two of our doctors to share their stories and experiences in medicine: Tarandeep Kaur, MD, an endocrinologist with Dignity Health Medical Group — Stockton and Swapna Kudtarkar, MD, a pediatrician with Dignity Health Medical Group — Inland Empire.

With the holidays approaching, Dignity Health Medical Groups are reminding families to ‘child-proof’ their homes for the holidays. Several of our pediatricians weighed in on some of the potential dangers that parents should be mindful of when preparing for the holiday season. While this year is certainly different in many ways, we hope you can enjoy the magic of the season with those you love in a safe environment!

Health officials in California are concerned about this year’s flu season as vaccinations among children up to 18 years of age have plummeted by more than 40% since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, now more than ever, parents should consult their child’s pediatrician to ensure their child is vaccinated and protected.

Danton Kono, MD, a pediatrician with Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group in Citrus Heights, shared some valuable information on vaccines and why a flu shot is especially important this year.