Page 5 - RR-12-4-25

Thursday, December 4, 2025 • • 5
The doctors will see you now: Allentown Pediatrics moves practice to Black Rock

By Amber Healy It’s not just physical health, but reach the age of five, sometimes
r. Daryl Ehlenfield knew mental health that takes priority, Dr. they keep books on hand for older
his practice was starting to Conley says. “We have to make siblings, so they don’t feel left out
Doutgrow the office in Al- sure we do certain things and ask as their younger brother or sister
lentown that had been home for certain questions,” because some comes home with a new book, Dr.
many years. There wasn’t enough health challenges, like depression, Conley says.
parking, for him or his patients, and will look different in a 12-year-old The simple act of providing
it was time to create a new office patient compared to one that’s a few books to children, on top of caring
that would allow his patients and his years older, she says. for their sniffles, scrapes and sick-
practice room to grow, strong and “We’re also part of the Reach ness, is at the core of Allentown
healthy. Out and Read program, through the Pediatric and Adolescent Medi-
“Allentown Pediatrics has been American Academy of Pediatrics. cine’s guiding principle and north
in business since 2003. We original- It’s an amazing program. We pro- star.
ly started on Delaware Avenue and vide books from six months old “We’re here for the kids,” Dr.
moved to Franklin and North in through five years old at every well Ehlenfield says. “We want to pro-
2013, then we moved in at the end visit. We give out all new books. vide the care that they need.”
of March,” he explains. “This move Either we purchase them or we get
more than doubled our space.” grants (to pay for them). It’s some-
Now located at 1775 Niagara Dr. Danielle Conley and Dr. Daryl Ehlenfield at Allentown Pediat- thing Dr. Raiken started and I’ve
St., in the same building as Spec- rics, 1775 Niagara St.,in front of Max Collins’ artwork. continued it. It’s really awesome for
trum Health and Human Services’ in total, a combination of every one of our patients, and then
Riverside Counseling Center, Al- four doctors and four ad- we get to interact with them and
lentown Pediatrics and Adolescent vanced practice provid- read the books.” Some of the books
Medicine is the latest evolution in ers. are classic children’s titles, like
Dr. Ehlenfield’s vision for commu- Art and bright colors “Goodnight Moon,” while others
nity-centered care for patients from were an important feature are more health-focused and con-
birth to age 22. of the former location and tain stories about healthy foods or
He and his current partner in it’s something Drs. emotional well-being.
practice, Dr. Danielle Conley, de- Ehlenfield and Conley Even though the program is sup-
cided to keep the name for a few wanted to bring forward posed to end for kids once they
reasons. “We love the district of to the new location as well. They surgery. I liked it the most. I liked
Allentown. That’s our name and we worked closely with Black Rock the people I worked with and I liked
love that it represents community artist Max Collins to incorporate the patients way more.”
and diversity. We really want to local landmarks and recognizable Dr. Conley always had a fond-
care for everyone. That’s our goal: scenery, dividing the exam rooms ness for science and biology and
all the kids.” into different pods: Southtowns, started college with the intent of
But with a scarcity of parking in Downtown, Niagara Falls, the Wa- maybe working as a researcher.
a busy district – Dr. Ehlenfield said terfront and Parkside. “Then I realized really quickly that
he often had to park several blocks “Those were the inspiration for I’m a talker and I could not go into
away to walk to his office – it was the photos or the artwork that’s dis- research,” she laughed. “That
time for a change. He spent more played in each room in that pod,” he would not work for my day-to-day,
than a year renovating the building says, from ski lifts depicting the but I looked into what medicine
to make it warm, welcoming and hills of the southtowns to a black provided, and it still allowed me to
comfortable for his patients and and white photo of the ships at Ca- do a lot of science and support.”
their parents. nalside. Pediatrics were the last thing on
With the new location, on Niag- They also made sure to carefully her mind because she was con-
ara Street near the 190, Scajaquada work with Collins to transport a cerned about spending her days
Expressway and with bus stops just large custom-made sculpture of a dealing with the difficult and some-
outside the front door and a large winding ribbon that hangs down times delicate issues faced by chil-
parking lot behind the building, he from the high ceilings, something dren. “I was very wrong about what
believes patients will find it easier that was made for the Allentown pediatricians did. I wanted to really
than ever to arrive for appoint- location, to retain the familiar feel be able to spend my time focused on
ments. in the practice’s new home. The kids and children’s health. I decided
“A lot of our patients, we did a focus on art comes from the close on pediatrics during my third year
zip code analysis, they’re really all ties with the Allentown neighbor- of medical school.”
around the area, so we’re closer to hood as well, Dr. Ehlenfield says. Joining Drs. Ehlenfield and Rai-
some people now than before. Some Those common, familiar fea- ken was an easy decision. “They
have to travel a little further, but tures help make some patients con- made all of their decisions by put-
we’re hoping it’s faster travel and tinue to feel at home in the new ting their patients first, and based on
less lights,” he said. office, especially those who have why they had started the practice,
Building on a grown up with the practice. “Most that was always their leading fac-
successful history people can stay through college, tor.”
Dr. Ehlenfield started Allen- even if they’re out of town. They Dr. Ehlenfield and Dr. Conley
town Pediatrics and Adolescent come back, get their care, and then are pediatric generalists and will
Medicine with his founding partner, go back,” he says. help care for all of their patients’
Deborah Raiken, more than 20 An unexpected career path needs, whether that’s immuniza-
years ago at a time when indepen- For two doctors whose passion tions or physicals for playing sports
dent, community-based physicians for pediatrics and young patients is or helping older teenagers get work-
were in difficult positions with so palpable, neither Dr. Ehlenfield ing papers to take on part-time jobs
large insurance companies. “It nor Dr. Conley intended to become in high school or during the sum-
didn’t work,” he says. The group pediatricians when they started their mer. They also work to help parents
they originally worked for, Pro education. understand good health practices
Medicus, had to declare bankruptcy Dr. Ehlenfield didn’t even ini- they can start at home to give their
after disputes with Univera, but tially consider being a doctor at all. children the best opportunities to
Drs. Ehlenfield and Raiken wanted “It came to me later, like during grow up healthy and strong.
to continue caring for their estab- adolescence. People were telling me
lished patient group. that” he should consider going into
“I essentially joined her and medicine and pediatrics.
then she and I went out together and He went into medical school
formed Allentown Pediatrics,” he thinking maybe he’d be a surgeon,
says, a care practice that now sees finding a new and more precise way
about 7,500 patients a year and can of using the skills he’d picked up
welcome new patients in about two from a long family tradition of tal-
weeks. Dr. Raiken retired in 2020, ented car mechanics. “So when I
eight years after Dr. Conley joined did my rotations and finally did
the team. There are eight providers pediatrics, I liked it way more than