Children’s Diagnostic Center has patients unable or with limited ability to protect themselves against infection. Newborns, infants, children with cancer or children on medicines that decrease his or her immune function visit our office every day. These children are also more vulnerable to complications from infectious disease. Children’s Diagnostic Center has separate entrances for patients with suspected infectious illness and those without. This separation helps decrease the risk of spreading infection for all patients.

We have a physician available for assistance with any problems after normal business hours and on holidays. The on-call physician may be reached by texting our main line after regular office hours, 423-894-3252.

We offer texting for easy, simple communication from 9 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday. Text the office number from your cell phone just like any other text message.  Please provide your child’s full name, birthday, and your provider’s name each time you text the office. Texting may be used to check-in, schedule and cancel appointments, send pictures, etc. Staff will respond to texts within half a workday.

We have three physicians on staff:

• Laura Asbury, MD, CLC, IBCLC
• Pamela (Marcie) Burton, MD
• Angela Smith Slack, MD

Our Nurse Practitioners:

• Roksolana Odinets, NP
• Dawn Hancock, NP
• Lacy Cushman, NP
• Megan Lott, NP
• Kristin Soder, NP

All of our physicians are glad to meet you in a prenatal visit.

When you are discharged from the hospital you will be asked to call our office to make a newborn appointment for the baby within 24-48 hours of discharge.  Please make sure to have all your information readily available when you call to schedule your baby.  Also, do not forget to contact your insurance company and the Human Resources Department of your employer to notify them of the birth of your baby. This will facilitate the addition of the new baby to your insurance and avoid a lapse of coverage.

Insurance companies typically give a period of 30 days to do this.  If a baby is not added during this time, the baby will not be allowed to be added until open enrollment and will be without insurance until then.

Each of our physicians are also breastfeeding advocates and have been trained in breastfeeding support. They are happy to assist you with any questions and/or concerns that you may have.

Children’s Diagnostic Center offers Lactation Services. Dr. Laura Asbury is an IBCLC Lactation Counselor, and is available upon request.

Well-Care and Prevention are the most important roles of the Pediatrician. This is a series of regular visits to assess feeding, growth, development and the families bonding with the new child. Screening for environmental risk, maternal post-partum depression, development, lead exposure, anemia and cholesterol are a frequent part of visits. Vaccines are frequently given at these visits. Screening for participation in sports is also a part of these visits in older children. Finally, anticipatory guidance is an important part of the Well Visit. This is where upcoming development and challenges are discussed to best prepare you for the parenting adventure!

Typical Well Visit Schedule:

24-48 hours after discharge from hospital
Weight follow up visits

• 2 week
• 1 month
• 2 month
• 4 month
• 6 month
• 9 month
• 12 month
• 15 month
• 18 month
• 24 month
• 30 month
• 3-year-old

Once your child reaches 3 years of age, we see him/her once a year for wellness exams.

Children’s Diagnostic Center physicians are well trained and eager to discuss vaccine preventable diseases, vaccines, vaccine safety and vaccines’ importance in your child’s life.

All Children’s Diagnostic Center physicians are strong vaccine advocates. They believe vaccines are safe and extremely important in achieving the highest chance of your child growing up developmentally complete, medically healthy and cognitively high functioning.

At Children’s Diagnostic Center we want to ensure that all patients that are able to be immunized are up to date to protect our more medically fragile patients and parents that frequent our office.

More Information

Children’s Diagnostic Center provides simple fracture, wound care and medical stabilization during emergent situations.  We utilize Dermabond and sutures when necessary.

Children’s Diagnostic Center has close access to digital X-ray to perform most x-rays for simple injuries. More complicated cases are sent to T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital for further assistance or additional necessary laboratory studies, x-rays, etc.

Our Physicians and Nurse Practitioners are well-trained in the diagnosis and treatment of common psychiatric challenges. We manage Attention Deficit Disorder, Anxiety and Depression. We organize care for eating disorders, suicidal thoughts and other more complex medical challenges. We also assist families getting started and moving along challenging treatment plans for psychiatric issues.

Our Physicians and Nurse Practitioners are well-trained in Child Development and Behavioral Parenting. Developmental and Behavioral assessments will be a part of every Well Visit at Children’s Diagnostic Center. We frequently assist in referral to a specialist when a child needs support around a developmental issue. We also consult about behavioral parenting issues like age-appropriate expectations, language and discipline. We often discuss advancing the complexity of a child’s diet, how to communicate boundaries, supporting emotional self-regulation, learning to initiate sleep independently, protecting bored play, building a healthy family table culture, mastering technology and many other behavioral issues. Finally, we teach families to parent their actual child and not their fantasy child. We help parents decide what good parenting means to them and not use their child’s behavior or mistakes as the rubric for the quality of their parenting. And we teach parents to be realistic in their parenting commitments.

Our pediatric team has the medical expertise and child-specific protocols to minimize the chances of complications with ear piercing in children. We ensure a safe and sterile environment. Our clinicians know your child and prioritize your child’s comfort. Our practice provides guidance specific for your child to promote proper healing and best results.