Almira A Contractor, MD, FAAP

Why I chose to pursue a career in healthcare:

I chose a career in medicine to help provide care and guidance for the next generation. So much of what we do in medicine does not consist of medicine - it is helping a family understand the health of their child, while providing clinically sound advice on many topics, including physical and emotional health. I value the ability to spend time with my patients, since I feel that helps with trust and knowledge sharing, especially as I follow babies into young adulthood, helping prepare them to be responsible caretakers of their own health into adulthood. Being a pediatrician is how I give back to community - by helping care for the most vulnerable of mankind, the children.

What I want my patients to know about me:

I want my patients to know that my goal is to provide the best medical care for their children that I can. I want them to join me in making good decisions on maintaining the health of their children by talking early on about healthy diet, activity, limiting screen time, healthy sleep, emotional health, healthy discipline, as well as illness prevention with one of our most important scientific advances: VACCINES. Immunizing your child is like putting on a seatbelt for safety from vaccine-preventable illnesses.

What I do when I'm not seeing patients:

When I am not seeing patients, I enjoy time with my family and a variety activities with my wonderful husband and sweet children. We like to travel, find adventures, participate in community events, Girl Scouts, exercise, and learn anything that seems new and interesting! As a family, we are very "renaissance" - enjoying the arts as well as the sciences. I also enjoy organizing photos of my children, who grow too fast... Prior to medicine, I had a language arts/literature background, which I still enjoy by reading and writing essays and poetry. I truly enjoy mindfulness and self-improvement, but also love participating in community and volunteer efforts, when time allows.