Sponsored

Children's Alabama — Children’s of Alabama celebrates the new Pediatrics West Hueytown. (Pat Byington / Bham Now)

Back-to-school season is in full swing, and the checklists are piling up: notebooks, pencils, immunizations—you name it. Luckily, families in Central Alabama can head to Pediatrics West Hueytown to take care of annual check-ups, blue forms and more.

We talked to a pediatrician at Children’s of Alabama to learn about this new clinic in Hueytown and the importance of vaccines and tips to help your kids through the days ahead. Here’s what we learned.

Meet Dr. Charles Schlappi at Pediatrics West Hueytown

Charles Schlappi, pediatrician, Children's Pediatrics West Hueytown — Dr. Charles Schlappi, Pediatrics West Hueytown (Children’s of Alabama)

Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, Dr. Charles Schlappi now lives in the Birmingham area and works as a Pediatrician at Children’s of Alabama’s Pediatrics West Hueytown.

“I trained in both General Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at UAB while working at Children’s of Alabama.

The reason I stayed was that I met my beautiful wife, Elizabeth, who is also a transplant from Northeast Alabama.

In falling in love with each other, we also fell in love with the city and love calling Birmingham home.”

The opportunity to serve the Hueytown community allows Dr. Schlappi to combine his love for science, kids and his faith.

3 back-to-school tips from Dr. Schlappi

1. Stay up to date on vaccines

“Immunizations are our first line of defense against a lot of communicable diseases. Preventative medicine is a cornerstone of pediatrics; therefore, preventing the spread of an infection is a huge success for everyone.

As vaccine rates for some diseases have dropped, we are seeing pockets of these diseases spreading. All to say, vaccines are important and can save lives!”

2. Get your kids involved in extracurriculars

“Get your kids involved with extracurricular activities. The benefits for physical and emotional well-being cannot be overstated when kids are involved in any sort of team or club.”

3. Take time each day to be present with your kids

“Seek time to be present with your child every day after school. This will help them navigate challenges or bring to your attention anything that can become bigger problems in the future, like struggles with certain academic areas or uncovering social stressors.”

Children’s of Alabama Pediatrics West Hueytown

Officially opened as of June 2024, this brand-new 8,500-square-foot clinic will provide the services of five board-certified full-time pediatric doctors serving children from newborn to 18 years of age.

The clinic includes:

Immunization administration
Medication management
Onsite laboratory
16 patient rooms

“The City of Hueytown has been amazingly welcoming. Our clinic is staffed with caring, kind, funny and loving individuals who are passionate about their role in the community of bringing excellent care to our kiddos.

With the stellar staff and awesome new clinic space, I am beyond excited to continue our work under our new name.”

Stay on top of your back-to-school planning—stop by and say hey to Dr. Schlappi and the team at Pediatrics West Hueytown!