Dakota Dunes Mother Cares for Many Area Children

It's not uncommon for her clientele to enthusiastically show off their tooth-less smiles, proudly display their new found shoe-tying skills or even sit in their mother's laps for an exam.

After all, Dr. Rehan is a pediatrician at Prairie Pediatrics P.C. and Adolescent Clinic in the Morningside area of Sioux City.

This mother of three, wife and Dakota Dunes resident spends her days educating children and their caretakers about how to be healthy, and curing the illnesses that have already struck.

When she's not at the clinic, her friends and neighbors know her as Ann Goebel, or more commonly, "Danny's mom", since she spends a good amount of her free time shuttling her three children to school activities.

She and her husband, Dr. John Goebel, relocated to Dakota Dunes in 2003 after Dr. Goebel was offered the position of Emergency Room Director at St. Luke's Hospital, where he is currently employed.

Dr. Rehan was born and raised in Sioux City. Her parents, Bob and Mary Rehan, still live in Morningside, when they aren't spending time in Arizona.

The Dakota Dunes couple have three active children.

Their oldest daughter, Katie,16 is involved in track and cross country at Bishop Heelan Catholic High School in Sioux City. Katie, and her younger sister, Mary,14, are both active in music, show choir and theater at Heelan.

Their son Danny, 12, is a student at Mater Dei School in Sioux City and enjoys playing baseball.

When she isn't taking care of her own children, Dr. Rehan is making sure hundreds of Siouxland children are well cared-for.

Dr. Rehan likes to be proactive at the clinic. "It's more preventative care, and how to stay healthy. I like that approach; don't have a problem by preventing it to begin with," she commented.

Wellness checks are the key to having a healthy child, according to Dr. Rehan. Periodic check-ups as a child help doctors detect delays in development early on, which in turn allows doctors to correct or prevent long term medical issues.

"Most of our kids are under 10. The vast majority are under 5. Most of the visits occur in those age groups. In the first few years you come to the doctor a lot for shots and check-ups," Dr. Rehan commented.

When dealing with a younger client base, Dr. Rehan has modified her techniques, to make her young patients more comfortable.

"A lot of times you have to get down on their level. If they're down on the floor, you kind of have to get on the floor," Dr. Rehan explained. "You have to be a lot more friendly as a pediatrician when you're talking to kids, so they're not afraid of you."

The warm environment at Prairie Pediatrics also makes children feel welcome. From movies and books in the waiting room to teddy bear and bug themed exam rooms, kites hanging from the hallway ceilings, to puzzles and toys available during exams, this clinic is child friendly.

Dr. Rehan also dresses with the children in mind.

"I tend not to wear a lab coat. Then they just kind of think you're one of their mom or dad's friends. It's always worked well for me," the doctor explained in her springy pink sweater.

And keeping the visits short, and to the point, make for a better exam.

Dr. Rehan noted, "We try to keep things moving along as quickly as a possible because we know long waits for small children just don't work out well."

Dr. Rehan's love of pediatrics was realized during her medical training.

"I did a rotation at Blank Children's Hospital in Des Moines and it was so good. I just enjoyed it completely. And I liked working with that age group of patients so much," Dr. Rehan, a graduate of the University of Iowa's Medical Program, noted.

The study of pediatrics won over her second choice of Obstetrics / Gynecology.

"It wasn't really what I went to school thinking I would be, but it was the thing I enjoyed doing and enjoyed getting up to do everyday," Dr. Rehan said about pediatrics.

Dr. Rehan also enjoys spending time at her Dakota Dunes home cooking, entertaining and just enjoying family time.

"Personally I think it's the most beautiful area to live in and I like all it has to offer for community and the kids. The kids love it," she noted.

Dr. Rehan says the family enjoys the social aspects of the club, the pool, golfing and watching the wildlife that meanders into their yard on the 18^th fairway.

"We love our neighborhood. Our street is great for kids. We just really lucked out when we moved back," she said.

***The article was originally published in the North Sioux City / Dakota Dunes Times on May 14, 2008 by Sedgwick Publishing.***