A desire to help ease the stress for families with sick children was the driving factor behind Dr. Bishir Abdullah’s decision to bring his practice to Northwest Pediatric Center in Centralia. “It’s hard for families to make the drive to our offices in Puyallup or Tacoma,” explains Dr. Abdullah. “Parents have to take time off of work, arrange child care for other children, take the time to make the drive. We all know that parents will do whatever they need to for their children, but we can make it easier for them. It’s also less stressful for the sick child as well, not having to go to a strange place.”
Dr. Abdullah is a Pediatric Gastroenterologist. He treats all kinds of issues related to digestion, nutrition, food allergies, bowel issues, liver diseases and stomach problems. Born in Damascus, Syria, Dr. Abdullah came to the United States to attend medical school in Ohio and a fellowship at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana.
“I always liked pediatrics,” he smiles. “Then I noticed all the gastroenterology problems that could affect children. It impacted their performance in school, their attendance, their growth, even their social lives.” But there was also another factor that made this field appealing to Dr. Abdullah. He had an 18-month-old brother who died of dehydration. “No one knew much about it back then,” he says with regret. “I saw how it impacted my parents, even years later, so I wanted to make a difference.”
After medical school, Dr. Abdullah came to the Pacific Northwest for a job interview. “I liked the area and I really like the people,” he says with a big grin. “And that was 18 years ago.” So for the past 17 years, he has seen patients referred to his practice from Lewis County. Two years ago he and his partner, Heather Buckle, N.D., decided to provide their services in Centralia.
The services the team provides is a little different that the traditional model. For the past three years, they have being doing what is known as an integrated model of care. “Besides the two of us, we have three dieticians. Karyn Schmidt and Stephanie Moore, plus Heather Powell who is based at Northwest Pediatrics.” A rotating group of medical students also assists the team.
“We incorporate medical, naturopathic and nutrition, all in one place. So instead of parents having to shop around to find three different providers, we do it all. It’s not unusual for all of us to be in on the meeting, discussing the child’s health, with the parents there as partners. We are advisors and consultants for the child’s health care. No one knows their children better than their parents. We can’t possibly know them as well when we only see them in one setting for half an hour,” explains Dr. Abdullah.
Dr. Abdullah and Dr. Buckle decided to integrate conventional medicine with holistic options and nutritional support when they realized that 70% of patients use alternative medicine. “And 50% of those who use alternative medicine don’t let their doctor know,” says Dr. Abdullah. “This way families can receive all available modalities and the providers will know medicines or supplements they are taking, we can talk about possible side effects, talk about a plan, natural medicines and nutrition, all in one setting.”
“People here are extremely receptive and looking for it. In the Pacific Northwest, people are used to natural medicine, they’re healthy in general and having it all in one setting is appealing to them. The impact is amazing, we have outstanding results,” says Dr. Abdullah. “Patients are not coming to us looking for medication, contrary to many opinions. They want a whole body approach, not just one aspect. They want a doctor who will listen, hear and work with them. They don’t want Band-aids put on a symptom.”
Dr. Abdullah and his team currently serve at Northwest Pediatric Center on Fridays every three weeks. They also go to Pope’s Kids Place on Saturdays every six weeks. The team really enjoys providing their much-needed service in Lewis County. So much so that Dr. Abdullah has plans to expand clinics locally in the near future. “We’re getting great response,” he says with a smile.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Abdullah and his team, you can ask for a referral from your primary care provider, or call the office at 253-268-0720.
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