Holiday Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine available 24 hours a day

Dr. Dejneka It's not uncommon for Dr. Bohdan Dejneka to visit a patient at 2 a.m. or to answer his work phone on the weekends.

As a pediatric specialist, Dejneka has built his practice, Holiday Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, on knowing each of his patients, extending appointment hours and making house calls.

"I firmly believe in giving everyone all the time they need and being accessible," he said.

Dejneka added that children aren't sick just during business hours, but in a lot of cases, children are ill when they come home from school, late at night and on weekends. To make sure his patients receive treatment when they need it, Dejneka said he is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Should a family be unable to visit his office at 4201 Main St., Amherst, Dejneka will make a house call.

Cynthia Carey, who is the office manager and has 35 years of pediatric nursing experience, said there was a variety of cases where a family needed medical attention and Dejneka was able to respond.

"Many families have more than one child, and when one needs to be seen at night, it can disrupt the entire family. In that situation a house call would be perfect," Carey said, adding that parents with handicapped children, especially in inclement weather, use the house-call option as well.

Dejneka's office is located in a house, which he said helps children feel more comfortable. The homelike atmosphere helps children relax and be cooperative, which in turn helps him diagnose them.

In his experience, Dejneka has learned that many parents and children need reassurance. By seeing patients at all hours and in unconventional ways, he has helped families avoid unnecessary trips to the hospital.

A former attending physician in the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo emergency room, he knows how many times a trip to the ER could have been avoided.

Personal service is the base of Holiday Pediatrics, he said. Phones are not answered by an automated machine. Calls are transferred to Dejneka's or Carey's phones after hours, and they know each of their patients and their history.

Through their combined years of experience, the office staff maintains a warm, nonhospital setting while integrating new medical technology.

"Cold, medical places are scary for children. Here we make it less fearful," Carey said.

Dejneka said they believe that children live through their dreams, so Holiday Pediatric's motto is "Taking care of children one dream at a time."

The office is located at 4201 Main St., between Harlem and Eggert roads. Call 446-1010 for information.

Dejneka is a graduate of Vassar College and the University at Buffalo Medical School. He completed his residency at Women and Children's Hospital and also did an emergency pediatric fellowship there. He spent six years as an attending at the hospital and 10 years as an associate in a private practice.