Being located right in the center of town suits Dr. Achal Aggarwal just fine. As the head of Pediatrics at Reliant Medical Group’s Millbury location, the care he provides extends outside the walls of the medical center. Dr. Aggarwal is the Millbury school physician – pre-school through high school – and he finds that being connected to the community he serves makes for better health care outcomes. “Many of the students I see at the school are also patients here. They come to us because they know us, and we know them. It is very easy to get an appointment. We’re friendly, we take a team approach in our practice in the way we serve our patients, and we’re community-oriented. When a child is sick, you want to be able to come and talk to somebody and be seen, get evaluated and be treated.”

A practicing pediatrician for more than 20 years at Reliant Medical Group, Dr. Aggarwal also has two of his own children, and remembers well how it was being the father of a newborn. It reflects in how he treats his patients. “We love seeing families with their first baby. It’s an exciting process that they are going through, and it’s fun to be a part of that. It is a joy to see the babies grow and change and develop – to treat children at different stages of their life. Whether it’s school age kids involved with sports or music or teenagers thinking about college and jobs and relationships, there is a lot to pediatrics – it’s more than just illness and injuries, it’s the whole social side of medicine.”

Educated at UMass Medical School, Dr. Aggarwal has extensive experience in pediatrics, and is also the chief of Reliant Medical Group’s Pediatric Urgent Care department in Worcester. “Safety is one of today’s biggest issues in pediatrics. We see many cases in the office and in our Urgent Care department that are related to safety issues. A big part of my job involves education. I find out the parents’ concerns. If there is a medical or behavioral issue or problem they’re dealing with, I partner with them, discuss the options and provide feedback. Every family is different: different cultures, different backgrounds. I try to respect and be supportive of those differences as long as it is safe for their child.”

When he’s not practicing medicine, Dr. Aggarwal enjoys spending quality time with his wife, his son and his daughter.