Abacus at my office

My Innovation in Practice: Why I had an Abacus at my Office. In 1991 I decided to move to a new office in Bangor, Maine. Since we were building the office ground up, I made all of the six room cable ready for internet connection so we can have computers in each room. While we were designing the rooms, I decided to change my practice to an “Education-Based-Pediatric-Practice” (EBPP) and a fun office from a standard “shot” office image. The first physical change is a Winnie-the-pooh decor in the walls of each of the examining rooms. Added to these cartoons on the walls is a message “We want you finish RN, Phd, MD degree when you grow up, then you can have a boy/girl friend.” This same message is also printed at the back of my blue lab coat. Each room has a computer monitor and key board to at one side of the examining table where I strategically placed an abacus. My idea was to balance technology and traditional thinking. To be truly EBPP, I supplemented the standard routine preventive advice with advances in neuroscience research. In my practice I included early brain development instructions as part of the routine visits of infants. At the nursery rounds, usually my first contact with new mothers, I explained what the Amygdala, Hippocampus, Pre-frontal cortex, and Fusiform Face Area are about and why they should know it. During the pre-natal meeting I talk about the importance of talking to the fetus from 25 weeks of gestation. I tell the mother to avoid chronic stress, food with anti-thyroid properties, and peanuts. Take multiple vitamins with folic acid. I specifically recommend DHA tablet to boost the fetal brain development. At one-month visit, I demonstrate to the parent how to count using their fingers. At two months old visit, I demonstrate how to do basic baby sign language like, “More,” “Thank you,” “Please,” and “bird.” At four months old I emphasize the importance of pointing to an object. When the parent is holding any object, they should first say its name three times, then point at it with their left index finger while saying the name of the object. Six months old visit, I demonstrate the “apple and orange” experiment. Ninth month visit, I demonstrate how to improve the memory of their baby. I tell the parent to place their baby in front of a couch. Show a ball and tell her that she will hide the ball behind the couch. Then walk back to the front of the couch and request baby to “Go get the ball.” One year visit, I demonstrate letter/word and object recognition. At the 15 and 18 month old visit, I demonstrate how to add one plus one, and one plus two using my fingers. Education-Based-Pediatric-Practice is my “immunization” against school failure and other chronic mental difficulties. In the future, I hope all Primary Care Physicians will use this practice. Leonardo Leonidas, MD * I was the first pediatrician in Bangor to use a computerized networked medical records system from 1991.