Well-Child Visits & Pediatric Checkups

What Does a Well-Child Visit Include With Dr. Oldham?

Dr. Oldham performs well-child visits that follow the AAP Bright Futures guidelines, the national standard for pediatric preventive care. Each visit includes height, weight, and head circumference measurements (plotted on age-appropriate growth charts), a complete physical examination, developmental and behavioral screening using validated tools, immunizations per the CDC schedule, and anticipatory guidance covering nutrition, safety, sleep, physical activity, and age-appropriate behavioral topics. Dr. Oldham tailors the visit to the child’s developmental stage: a 9-month visit focuses on crawling, feeding, and stranger anxiety, while a 13-year-old visit addresses puberty, mental health, and substance use prevention.

The same physician sees each child at every well-child visit, which gives him a longitudinal view that no rotating panel of providers can replicate. He knows whether a 4-year-old’s speech delay was present at the 2-year-old visit, whether the 10-year-old’s weight trend shifted after a family change, and whether the teenager’s mood has darkened since the last visit. That continuity turns each well-child visit into a checkpoint within an ongoing relationship rather than an isolated snapshot.

How Often Does Dr. Oldham Schedule Well-Child Visits?

Dr. Oldham follows this schedule at the Spanish Fork office, adjusting visit frequency for children with chronic conditions, developmental delays, or behavioral concerns that benefit from more frequent monitoring. The front desk sends appointment reminders as each visit approaches so families stay on track.

How Does Dr. Oldham Screen for Developmental Delays?

Dr. Oldham screens for developmental delays using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) at the 9-month, 18-month, and 30-month visits, and the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT-R) at the 18-month and 24-month visits. These are parent-completed tools that take about 10 minutes and screen communication, motor skills, problem-solving, social skills, and autism-specific behaviors. Dr. Oldham reviews the results during the visit and discusses any domain that falls below the threshold score. When a screening result suggests a delay, he refers to Utah’s Early Intervention program (Baby Watch, for children under 3) or the school district’s Child Find program (for children 3 and older) so the child can access evaluation and therapy services.

Developmental milestones are also observed informally at every visit, watching how the child moves, speaks, interacts, and responds. Clinical observation catches concerns that may not appear on a parent-completed questionnaire, because parents sometimes normalize behaviors they see every day. When Dr. Oldham notices a pattern across visits, such as a child whose language is not progressing between the 12-month and 18-month checks, he can act on that longitudinal observation faster than a provider who is seeing the child for the first time.

What Immunizations Does Dr. Oldham Give at Well-Child Visits?

Dr. Oldham follows the CDC-recommended immunization schedule and administers all routine childhood vaccines at the Spanish Fork office. The practice stocks every vaccine on the schedule so families do not need to visit a separate pharmacy or health department. Dr. Oldham explains each vaccine at the visit, discusses expected side effects (low-grade fever, injection site soreness), and documents the administration in both the office chart and the Utah State Immunization Information System (USIIS) so records are accessible to schools and other providers.

Vaccine hesitancy is addressed with evidence, patience, and respect for the parent’s concerns. When a family requests an alternative schedule, he discusses the risks of delaying specific vaccines, explains which vaccines can be reasonably spaced without significantly increasing risk, and identifies which delays create genuine vulnerability (delaying pertussis vaccination in infancy, for example). His goal is to keep the child as protected as possible while maintaining the family’s trust, because a parent who feels dismissed is more likely to skip vaccines entirely than a parent who feels heard.

How Does Dr. Oldham Handle Adolescent Well-Child Visits?

Dr. Oldham adapts well-child visits for adolescents (ages 12 to 17) by adding confidential time with the teenager, screening for mental health concerns (PHQ-A for depression, GAD-7 for anxiety), asking about substance use, discussing sexual health and contraception when age-appropriate, and assessing academic and social functioning. The AAP recommends that adolescents have the opportunity to speak with their physician privately during part of the visit, and Dr. Oldham builds this into the appointment structure. He explains confidentiality limits to both the parent and the teen at the start of the visit: what the teen says stays private unless it involves a safety concern.

The adolescent well-child visit is the visit where continuity matters most, because teenagers open up to a physician they have known since childhood far more readily than to a stranger. A 15-year-old who has been seeing Dr. Oldham since infancy already trusts the relationship, which makes it possible to have honest conversations about vaping, anxiety, body image, and relationship pressures. Dr. Oldham screens for ADHD symptoms that may emerge or worsen during adolescence and monitors for eating patterns, sleep habits, and screen time that affect both physical and mental health.

Why Choose a Family Medicine Physician for Well-Child Visits?

Dr. Oldham provides well-child care as a family medicine physician, which means the same doctor who sees the child for newborn care also manages their sick visits, sports physicals, and eventually their adult primary care. That lifelong continuity is the defining advantage of family medicine over pediatrics: the child never “ages out” of the practice. Dr. Oldham also sees the child’s parents and siblings, which means he understands the family’s dynamics, genetic risk factors, and home environment at a level that informs every well-child visit.

Family medicine physicians complete the same pediatric training hours during residency as pediatricians do for routine well-child care, including developmental screening, immunization management, and behavioral health. The difference is scope: a family medicine physician continues the relationship into adulthood, while a pediatrician hands off the patient at age 18 or 21. In Spanish Fork, where families with multiple children prefer the convenience of one physician for the entire household, family medicine is the natural choice for well-child care.

Does Insurance Cover Well-Child Visits With Dr. Oldham?

Dr. Oldham bills well-child visits under preventive care codes, and the Affordable Care Act requires all marketplace and employer-sponsored plans to cover well-child visits with no out-of-pocket cost when performed by an in-network provider. That means the visit itself and all recommended immunizations are covered at 100 percent under most plans. The practice accepts 30+ insurance plans including Medicaid and CHIP, which cover well-child care for qualifying children in Utah. The front desk verifies coverage before the first visit so families understand their benefits.

Dr. Oldham notes that if a sick visit component is addressed during the same appointment (for example, treating an ear infection discovered during a well-child exam), the sick visit portion may be billed separately and carry a copay depending on the plan. The front desk explains this dual-billing process at scheduling. Families without insurance can ask about self-pay rates for well-child visits and immunizations.

How Do I Schedule a Well-Child Visit With Dr. Oldham?

Frequently Asked Questions About Well-Child Visits