About Us
Your Doctor
At Polar Pediatrics, each time you come in you will see Monique Karaganis, MD.
Dr Karaganis is a board certified pediatrician who obtained her medical degree in 2000 which included a 4 month stint with the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
She has taught at both the University of Illinois and the University of Colorado as a clinical pediatric instructor for both medical students and pediatric residents. The first thing she did once fully trained at Cook County Hospital was to volunteer in Bolivia, South America. As an undergraduate, she studied Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Oxford University in England and obtained a Biology degree from Creighton University.
She is currently the Secretary for the American Acedemy of Pediatrics Alaska Chapter & the Chairperson of Pediatrics at Alaska Regional Hospital.
Our Practice
At Polar Pediatrics, we combined primary pediatric care with alternative, complementary pediatric focus, emphasizing non-invasive treatment when appropriate. Our community-based practice is committed to health promotion and education for children, adolescents and young adults.
We emphasize education through the use of prevention counseling, developmental assessment and physical evaluations geared to the age appropriate level for each child. Despite all good intentions, illness does occur. Our goal in the care of illness is to offer patients alternatives for returning to a state of wellness. Many times the body can be aided in self-healing through the use of nutrition, herbal remedies, environmental alterations or home remedies. At other times, prescription medications may be required. We will attempt to describe the benefits, risks and side effects of each option. It is our wish that each office visit become an educational experience that will encourage self-healing, independence, and parenting skills.Medical Philosophy
You should know the doctor you will see at each visit. Most of your time in an office ought to be with your physician. We have chosen to locate my practice away from the medical centers in the hope that your children may feel more comfortable coming into a home-like setting.
Our focus is on education because you, as a parent, will be there with your children all the time. We want to enable you to find the best parenting style for both you and your child so that both of you are nurtured and have the opportunity to grow.
We do not prescribe medication unless it is needed and the benefits outweigh the risk. This means that for a cold, you won't be receiving unnecessary antibiotics but instead, ideas on comfort care that can be provided for your child.