Dr. David Lowry takes good care of a large portion of the community - from birth to 18 years of age.
The pediatrician owns Platte County Pediatrics at 1104 Platte Falls Road and has practiced for 24 years.
Lowry was a pediatric nurse at Children’s Mercy Hospital before he decided to go back to pediatric training. He has practiced in Platte City for 14 years and has had his own practice for five years.
Although most physicians eventually become part of a healthcare organization, he always wanted to go out on his own. He said he loves being an independent provider and that it’s very rewarding to reap what you sow.
“I very much enjoy taking care of kids and promoting the wellness and preventive part of that,” Lowry said. “I enjoy the pediatric population. They are a lot of fun and they're healthier for the most part then adults. A big part of my job is prevention rather than trying to reverse the problems. I am more proactive rather than reactive. No day is the same, it's always something interesting and different.
He has found that kids are more receptive to suggestions such as better diet and exercise than adults and that parents who want what’s best for their kids advocate for their children better than they advocate for themselves.
Healthcare and the sciences have been Lowry’s biggest interests since he was in middle school, when he took a career interest test and results showed that nursing and being a physician were in the top five career suggestions, which he described as “eerie” when he looks back on it.
“I have a lot of health care people, specifically nurses, in my family,” Lowry said. “I've always kind of watched them. I will do general pediatrics until I'm done. I love what I do every day. I enjoy coming to work and I work with great people. I don't really have any desire to do anything else until I retire.”
One of the most common health problems that he sees is childhood obesity and he believes it will continue to be a big problem for a while. He doesn’t see a lot of patients with insulin dependent type 1 diabetes, but the kids who are obese could see the onset of type 1 diabetes as a secondary effect of the obesity problem and lifestyle issues as they become young adults.
"Eventually their pancreas is going to throw its hands up and say ‘I can't do this anymore’ and then they go from type 2 to type 1," Lowry said.
He also believes technology has added to the problem of obesity.
“I remember when I was young my parents had to force me to come in from outside,” Lowry said. “I had a curfew to come inside at a certain time but now you see the opposite, kids can’t get away from the video games and TV and sedentary lifestyle is now a big problem”
He has also noticed more young people with mental health issues such as depression.
“It’s a different world with depression and it’s unfortunately rearing its head more and more,” Lowry said. “But maybe it's always been prevalent but it's like the elephant in the room that you didn't want to address. From the mental health side with technology and social media there's a lot of stuff that kids are exposed to and interact with more, like ‘I'm pretty and you're not.’ I think kids have always been bullied but it's one of those things that now we're addressing it better.”
From a prevention standpoint Lowry recommends yearly wellness checks and physical exams to pick up on things from a physical, mental and social standpoint that may need to be addressed.
He is also a big proponent of vaccinations.
“Being up-to-date on your vaccines is one of the main ways to stay healthy,” Lowry said.
“We need to lead healthier lifestyles. We live in a society where everything's immediate gratification, the quick fix like fast food. It's just about making healthier choices.”
Lowry believes in general people are getting better about dietary choices and even though more and more people are beginning to pay attention to better nutrition, there is still a long way to go.
“I really do see more and more overweight kids on a daily basis because of their lifestyle at home and school,” Lowry said. “It’s still a big burden and a big problem in society.”
Although health challenges are something he faces each day with his patients, he never loses his enthusiasm for his job.
“People in this community are wonderful and the kids are a joy to take care of,” Lowry said. “I truly enjoy what I do every day. It sounds kind of corny but I can't imagine not coming to work and not enjoying what I do. I work with people who want to help kids and that makes them fun to be around. We have a great time but we're very good at what we do in my opinion. We have fun but we know when to be serious and we do what I think is a very good job at taking care of the kids.”
People ask him when he is going to retire but he says he would miss seeing community members and patients and doing what he loves.
“I don't sit still very well,” Lowry said. “I'd be a very poor retiree. This is the best thing that I've ever done.”