In Good Hands: Growing Up With a QMG Pediatrician

Estab­lish­ing a strong rela­tion­ship with a pedi­a­tri­cian can make all the dif­fer­ence when it comes to car­ing for chil­dren. This is par­tic­u­lar­ly true for the McK­in­ney fam­i­ly, who feels for­tu­nate to have pedi­a­tri­cian Dr. Todd Porter from Quin­cy Med­ical Group (QMG) in their corner.

From the new­born to the teenage years, hav­ing a reli­able doc­tor to answer ques­tions about growth and devel­op­ment is essen­tial. Calesse and Brent McK­in­ney, par­ents of 16-year-old Ellian­na and 14-year-old Ethan, appre­ci­ate the com­fort their fam­i­ly has found dur­ing vis­its with Dr. Porter.

Through­out their health­care jour­ney, the McK­in­ney fam­i­ly has faced some health con­cerns that required vis­its to addi­tion­al spe­cial­ists. While coor­di­nat­ing these appoint­ments can be over­whelm­ing, Calesse and Brent are grate­ful for Dr. Porter’s support.

“He’s been amaz­ing at man­ag­ing every­thing,” Calesse said. ​“He takes the lead on coor­di­nat­ing with the spe­cial­ists we need to see, which is such a relief. We don’t have to jug­gle all the calls and appoint­ments ourselves.”

What sets Dr. Porter apart, she said, is his humil­i­ty and gen­uine abil­i­ty to con­nect with the fam­i­ly. He active­ly lis­tens to Ellian­na and Ethan and advo­cates for their care.

“He doesn’t just take our word for it; he real­ly engages with the spe­cial­ists,” Calesse explained. ​“He makes sure our voic­es are heard. It’s com­fort­ing to know he’s in our corner.”

As chil­dren tran­si­tion into their teenage years, their approach to health often shifts. A strong rap­port with their doc­tor is impor­tant. Calesse said the con­nec­tion Dr. Porter has estab­lished with Ellian­na and Ethan helps them feel com­fort­able dis­cussing their health.

“Recent­ly, Ellian­na wasn’t feel­ing well. She said, ​‘I want to hear what Dr. Porter thinks,’” Calesse shared. ​“That shows how much trust she has in him. It’s a relief for us as par­ents to know they can com­mu­ni­cate how they feel, espe­cial­ly as they grow up. It’s great know­ing they have some­one like Dr. Porter to turn to for advice.”

Dr. Porter’s approach focus­es on build­ing a strong bond with the fam­i­ly based on trust and under­stand­ing. For the McK­in­ney fam­i­ly, this rela­tion­ship has sig­nif­i­cant­ly impact­ed their lives.

“We’re so grate­ful for a pedi­a­tri­cian who is not just smart but also gen­uine­ly cares,” Calesse said. ​“With Dr. Porter, we can focus on being a fam­i­ly, know­ing that our kids are in good hands.”