Category:  General

All of us here at MacKoul Pediatrics Fort Myers wish the very happiest and safest holiday season to all of our patients and their families!

Our work family will be celebrating with our home families on December 26, 2022 and January 2, 2023. The office will be closed on those two Mondays.

Should you have emergent issues that cannot wait for the office to open on Tuesday morning, you can always call us at 239-415-1131 and when promted, press #1. My nurse practitioners at All Children’s Hospital will be happy to help you.

Thank you,
Annette St. Pierre-MacKoul, MD

If you call and make an appointment to meet our new Board Certified Doctor Bayruns, you can receive this book as our gift to you!

‘The New Baby Blueprint’ by Whitney Casares, MD, MPH, FAAP

Update as of 1250 on 11-9-22, we will be following what the Lee County schools are doing.

MacKoul Pediatrics Fort Myers will be closed on 11-10-22.

Please be safe with your families and stay off the roads as much as possible.

Thank you,
Annette M. St. Pierre-MacKoul, MD

A 13 year old boy asked me on Friday, ‘Dr. MacKoul, why do we have to wear masks?’

I answered him very honestly. ‘We all have to wear masks for many reasons. First, we are entering what is predicted to be the worst respiratory season for children in the recent past. We are already seeing record hospitalization rates for respiratory disease in children in the majority of states in the United States. We are protecting the babies who are too young to get vaccines. We are protecting my patients and parents with compromised immune systems so that they don’t catch any illness while being in the office. We are protecting each other so that I don’t catch your germs and you don’t catch mine! We are wearing masks because we care about other people. I make my staff go one step further and wear masks and shields so that we have another barrier to spreading illness.’

We want you to bring your masks and wear them at the office. I charge a fee of a dollar donation for a mask. That money is donated to charity. I am not trying to get money from our patients and families. I am trying to get you to bring and wear your own mask. I am using the parenting technique of negative reinforcement to get you to bring your own mask. We were able to donate over $375 to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center last month. Kaitlin in the front office is on their Board of Directors.

We have also had an issue with parents not being honest with us and coming into the office and exposing our staff and patients to diseases that should have been disclosed on our telephone prescreening call prior to coming into the office.

Masks help to keep all of us safe!

Essential Baby Supplies_Lee

10-9-22

WE HAVE POWER!!!!

MacKoul Pediatrics Fort Myers will open tomorrow at 8 am. Please be patient as we come back from 13 days without power. Our number is 239-415-1131.

Thank you for our patience in this difficult time for all.

Annette M. St. Pierre-MacKoul, MD

We still have no power at the office. I have been assured by Florida Power and Light that there is a 95% assurance that we will have power by midnight!

As always, I am reachable 24/7 at 239-415-1131 and when prompted, press # 1.

Annette M. St. Pierre-MacKoul, MD

Hello:

As the staff and I were getting the office set for power this morning, the power trucks for Florida Power and Light came down Granite Court! They were a welcome sight and hopefully will be getting us up and working!

We still have no power today! Water is working, so that is progress!

I am hopeful for tomorrow and will be ready for when the power returns!

Annette M. St. Pierre-MacKoul, MD

To my patients and their families:

MacKoul Pediatrics Fort Myers still has no power or electricity. Florida Power and Light has stated that it will be repaired by midnight, Friday, October 7, 2022. Worst scenario, we should be open on Monday, October 10, 2022. They have notified me that there is a rare chance that it might be longer.

As always, I am available 24/7 for any questions or concerns at 239-415-1131, press for option number 1.

Annette St. Pierre-MacKoul, MD

Please stay safe all my patients and families!

It is still recommended that we all do our parts and stay off the roads unless it is necessary.

MacKoul Pediatrics Fort Myers still is without power and water. I check on the office often and will open as soon as we have the ability to safely open.

As always, I am here for you 24/7. If you have emergent questions / concerns, you can always call the office at 239-415-1131 and press #1 when prompted.

Annette M. St. Pierre-MacKoul, MD

Hello to all my wonderful patients and families:

Thank you to all who have reached out to us. We all have survived the storm and are ready to return to work. The building is safe and the parking lot has been cleared of all storm damage. All we are waiting on is electricity and water. Once that is set, we will open!

As always, you can call us 24/7 for anything you need emergently at 239-415-1131 and press option 1. My answering service will contact me with your message. After 5 pm until 8 am, the Nurse Practitioners at All Children’s Hospital will answer your questions.

Please be well and safe,
Annette M. St. Pierre-MacKoul, MD

So sorry for the late post but … Flu Vaccines are in!

As always, we are here for all your child’s needs. From preventive care Well Checkups to testing for when they are ill (including flu, strep, covid and rsv testing) to immunizations (we have them all including Coronavirus Vaccines).

Just call to make an appointment! 239-415-1131

Dr. Courtney Bayruns was born in Middlesex, New Jersey, and grew up in many places including Los Gatos, California, and Marietta, Georgia. She received a BS in Human Physiology and a BA in Neuroscience from Boston University, after which she attended medical school at Boston University School of Medicine. After completing medical school, Dr. Bayruns moved to Memphis, Tennessee, for her pediatric residency training at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

In her free time, she enjoys walking on the beach, jigsaw puzzles, gardening, traveling, as well as spending time with family and her two puppies: Tillie and Douglas. Dr. Bayruns is getting married in September, 2022, to her fiancé Stephen who has supported her throughout her long medical training journey. She is excited to be moving closer to her family in Florida and working with all the wonderful families in Southwest Florida!

Starting November 1, 2022, I will be introducing a practitioner to MacKoul Pediatrics Fort Myers.

Courtney Bayruns, MD

I will add separate post introducing her to you!

Covid had me crazy busy! Time to bring back our ‘Cute Kid of the Day!’

Masks are required for everyone 2 years of age and older in the office. You need to wear your mask before entering the office and keep it on until after you leave the office.

When you take it off, your germs contaminate the air surrounding you and the room you are in.

Your germs do not magically go away when you put your mask back on.

This is why I ask that everyone wear their mask the whole time they are here.

You must remember that more than half of my patients are not vaccinated for Coronavirus due to age restrictions on the vaccination. For their safety and for all of my immunocompromised patients, our goal is to make our office safe for all our patients and their families.

MacKoul Pediatrics Fort Myers is looking to add another Pediatrician!

We recently added two new staff members, Brooke and Amado! They are a welcome addition and the children are loving them!

Now it’s time to expand and add another doctor, but it has to be the right fit!

If you are interested, please call the office at 239-415-1131 during office hours: Monday – Friday, from 8-5.

Annette St. Pierre-MacKoul, MD

Hello to all our wonderful patients,

February is Black History Month. A great time to spend time with your children and look up so many great facts daily.

Happy Lunar New Year to all who celebrate!

Groundhog Day is tomorrow – again, another fun tradition to look up with your kids.

Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day are more opportunities to spend time with your children making projects and discussing history.

Despite what you hear on the news, we are still seeing a lot of coronavirus infections. Please talk to your children about how important simple things can keep them safe. Wearing a mask, washing their hands frequently, socially distancing – ideally 6 feet, staying home when sick, and getting vaccinated.

Flu season is also here! We still have plenty of flu shots, if you haven’t received yours yet!

Here in the office, we welcome Dr. Christine Philpott. She is working part-time and is quickly becoming a favorite doctor for our wonderful patients.

Please stay safe,
Annette St. Pierre-MacKoul, MD

In order to allow our staff to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones, the office will be closed from noon on 12-23-2021 until 8 am on 12-27-2021.

For the New Year, we will close at noon on 1-30-2021 and reopen 8 am on 1-3-2022.

As always, you can call the office 24/7 for emergent care and questions.

Have safe holidays,
Annette M. St. Pierre-MacKoul, MD

To allow our family to celebrate the holiday, our office will be closed from noon on 11-24-2021 until 8 am on 11-29-2021.

We wish a happy and healthy Thanksgiving to you and your family,
Annette St. Pierre-MacKoul, MD