Schedule Today, Call 781-322-5101
Look to Pediatric Associates of Malden to provide care you can trust. Since 2000 we have provided compassionate healthcare for children in Malden, MA and the adjacent cities. We have four experienced pediatricians and 12 supporting staff members who are sensitive to the needs of families with diverse economic and ethnic backgrounds. We regularly review our patient satisfaction surveys conducted in the office to find out what needs to be done to further improve our service, as we strive to be the “Medical Home” for our patients. Our physicians are members of the Pediatric Physicians’ Organization at Children’s.
We are open 365 days a year unless there is a true snow emergency. If calling after hours, our friendly answering service will forward your message to the physician-on-call.
Please use the Symptom Checker to help you learn about some of the common pediatric problems that you can manage without necessarily going to the Emergency Department. You can always contact us to schedule for sick visits.
Seeing children and parents at regular intervals is important in maintaining your child’s health. Evaluating growth and development, discussing safety, nutrition, behavior and answering age related questions are the functions of well child/adolescent visits.
Other health management services include:
Asthma — Proper Nutrition — Obesity — Attention Deficit
All 3 doctors have a working affiliation with the Children’s Hospital, Boston and with the Melrose-Wakefield Hospital.
Dr. Tien-Lan Chang has practiced as a specialist in pediatric gastroenterology since 1987 and in general pediatrics since 2000. In 2008 he gave up the part-time practice of pediatric gastroenterology at Mass. General Hospital to devote fully to general pediatrics in Malden. He is fluent in English and Chinese (Mandarin).
Dr. Austin Liu grew up in the Greater Boston area and was trained in pediatrics in Memphis, Tennessee. He practiced in Georgia for 4 years and joined P.A.M. in 2006.
Dr. Maura K. Shea had pediatric training in Cincinnati, OH and Providence, R.I. She worked at neighborhood health centers in Boston, MA from 2001 to 2008 before joining P.A.M.
Many insurances require a co-pay at the time of service. If you do not pay your co-pay at the time of service, your account will be charged an additional $10.00.
We will submit a claim to all primary and secondary insurances. Please remember to bring your current insurance cards to your appointment. Once your insurance company has processed your claim, we will bill you for the remaining balance that you are responsible for, as determined by your insurance plan, such as deductables and co-insurances. Payments are expected upon receipt of your statement. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Cash, Checks, Debit Cards and Money Orders.
We assign all unpaid accounts to an outside collection agency that reports to a national credit bureau. They will add additional penalties and interest to the unpaid amount.
If you are uninsured, or if we are unable to verify coverage, we require a $100.00 payment at your first visit which will be applied to your charges. If charges exceed the $100.00 we will send you a statement.
Physicians must follow accepted national guidelines when determining what your charges (level of service) will be. They must code your visit based upon what services were provided and cannot take into account particular health plan benefit designs. Consequently we are unable to switch the visit reason and diagnosis in order for a claim to be covered by your insurance. If you think there is an error on your account, please contact the billing office immediately. We will review your concern with the physician and let you know the outcome.
You should contact your insurance company as soon as possible after your child has been born. Most health plans allow 30 days to add your newborn to your insurance plan. If you have coverage through OMAP, you MUST contact your caseworker immediately. Your caseworker will provide you with a temporary identification card. If you are unable to provide proof of insurance after your baby’s two-week appointment, we will charge you in full for services rendered.
· If you are unable to keep your appointment, please call at least 24 hours in advance to cancel.
· Patient visits at Pediatric Associates of Malden are by appointment only. Every sibling will need to have an appointment in order to be seen by the doctor.
· Please bring your current insurance card to every appointment, and alert the receptionist of any changes when checking in for your appointment.
· Insurance co-payments are due at the time of the visit.
Newsletter November, 2020
COVID-19 Update
In the past few weeks we have started seeing more patients coming in with respiratory symptoms such as cough and runny nose, with or without fever. All of these “sick patient” visits were seen on the second floor through our back entrance, in keeping with our policy to keep our first floor safe for well patients. Most of these patients were tested negative for COVID-19. A history of exposure to COVID-19 is more predictive of a positive test in patients than those without an exposure history. Because of an increase in the number of positive cases across the state of Massachusetts, we are seeing a delay in the time for test results, now averaging 5-7 days.
For those who are interested in getting tested elsewhere, the link below is the Massachusetts COVID-19 test site locator:
https://memamaps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=eba3f0395451430b9f631cb095febf13
By following the established guidelines and protocol of wearing masks, protective gowns and gloves, and hand-washing or disinfecting prior to examining a patient, we have so far been able to stay healthy to serve our patients. We can also see patients remotely via Zoom for patients who have access to MyChart, the patient portal. We strongly encourage our patients and parents to sign up for access to MyChart.
Because of the state mandate this year for flu vaccine for all students before December 31, we have seen an increase in the number of patients getting the flu vaccine. We encourage patients to call our office to schedule for the flu vaccine before we run out of the vaccine.
Even though there has been an increase in sick patients in the last 2 months compared to the summer, the number of sick patients is still less than the numbers in prior years. We have seen very few sick patients on Sundays. Therefore, we have decided that for this winter our office will be closed on holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year. A doctor will continue to be available on call for telephone advice on those days.
The Coronavirus vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna both showed very good protective effect against the virus, according to news reports. It is likely that at least one of them will be approved by FDA before the end of the year. Pfizer is also recruiting adolescents 12 years and older for a similar clinical trial of the vaccine to establish safety and efficacy in this age group. Many hospitals across the nation are helping in the recruitment of subjects, among them are Boston Medical Center and U. Mass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.
Some people already are questioning whether the vaccine is safe or necessary. Regarding the question on safety, the FDA will need to review the data and will give approval only if there have not been significant safety concerns. For those who already had the infection, they are unlikely to catch it again, so the vaccine may not be necessary for them. Those who are at high risk for catching the disease or at high risk for having a severe disease will be getting the vaccine first. Thus, the first-line responders and the elderlies will probably be the ones getting the vaccine first. Until one gets the vaccine, the recommended safety measures, such as wearing mask, washing hands, and keeping physically distant, remain the best protection one can do for himself/herself and for those nearby.
Have a safe Thanksgiving.
Sincerely,
Pediatric Associates of Malden
Pediatric Assosiates of Malden
105 Commercial St.
Malden, MA 02148
Phone: 781-322-5101
Hours Of Operation:
Monday - Friday
9am - 8pm
Saturday, Sunday & Holidays
9am - 1pm
