May 12, 2022

Seven days a week, 363 days a year, Texas Children’s Urgent Care (UC) teams make pediatric health care possible at times that may otherwise be impossible – afternoons, evenings and weekends. Urgent Care Week, May 9 through 15, honors our dedicated UC team members and highlights their work providing the most compassionate care for patient families who have non-emergency yet pressing health care needs or questions.

UC team members will be unleashing their UC spirit all week with fun activities: team jersey Monday, crazy sock Tuesday, crazy headband Wednesday, twin Thursday, PJ’s and pizza Friday, Disney Saturday, and Superhero Sunday. Show your appreciation by celebrating along with them and thanking them for their wonderful work all year!

“I believe Urgent Care Week is a great time to celebrate the services we offer, but also to highlight the amazing care that our teams deliver every day,” said Terry Yen, Medical Director, Texas Children’s Urgent Care. “We know that the last couple of years have been incredibly difficult for many families, and it has been our honor and a privilege to continue to provide high quality patient care for the children of the greater Houston and Austin communities throughout this period. Acute illnesses and injuries often occur at the most unexpected and inconvenient times, and we strive to be there for families as an after-hours option and on the weekends to provide access to pediatric health care during their time of need – and when other services may be unavailable.”

“As part of Urgent Care Week, I also wanted to take a moment to praise our patient care teams,” Yen added. “Everyone has shown remarkable perseverance and dedication by stepping up during the pandemic despite their own personal hardships, and by working extremely long hours into the late evenings and on weekends to ensure that every child is cared for. They have truly exemplified our core value of ‘living compassionately’ by shifting the focus back to our patients during this unpredictable time.”

One Amazing Team serves growing pediatric urgent care needs of Houston and Austin communities

Texas Children’s Urgent Care sites are located at all three hospital campuses – Medical Center, West and The Woodlands, with seven locations throughout the Houston community (Pearland, Heights, East Houston, Kingwood, Cinco Ranch, Fairfield, Vintage) and at one location in South Austin.

These pediatric-centered spaces are designed to put kids at ease, with the same fun, brightly-colored, child-friendly décor seen throughout Texas Children’s. Board-certified pediatricians, advance practice providers, nurses and diagnostic technicians, along with front office and support staff build relationships with the families they serve for common pediatric illnesses and injuries including fever, cough, sore throat, ear pain, minor burn, sprain or strain. The urgent care locations perform procedures such as antibiotic injections, X-rays, stitches and sports physicals. Virtual care visits are another convenient option for parents. All services can be found on the Texas Children’s Urgent Care website.

By providing immediate care for common conditions, Texas Children’s UC teams help improve patient flow at our hospital campuses as well. Families seeking basic procedures will be triaged by a nurse and given the option to be seen at Texas Children’s UC for more convenient care that can be provided in a more cost effective setting for the patient. During COVID surges, UC teams were able to help ease the volume at our Emergency Centers by taking more patients and extending hours until 3 a.m. with our Virtual Care team.

“We operate together as a team,” explained Director of Urgent Care Clinical Operations Gary Macleod. “No matter what tool is in hand (mop or stethoscope), each team member plays an essential part in providing high-quality care for our Urgent Care patients and families.”

UC team members are passionate about working in a dynamic environment. Many of their stories about how they care deeply for patients and why they love their work have been shared on the Texas Children’s People website. There you can learn how their unique training and experience helps them thrive in an environment that involves practical listening and medical skills along with lots of smiles, quick thinking and de-escalation skills for situations that can arise when families are challenged with unknown circumstances.

“If you’ve ever visited one of our urgent care locations, you’ve experienced world class care, in a child friendly environment from team members who are passionate about providing exceptional care to our patients,” said Assistant Vice President of Urgent Care Kara Abrameit. “They have a unique ability to quickly develop relationships with our patients and families, making an often scary situation a pleasant experience. I am grateful for this #OneAmazingTeam who choose to share their time and talents with Texas Children’s Urgent Care and truly make a difference every day.”

As more bright, young physicians, nurses and other Texas Children’s medical staff find their career paths in pediatric urgent care, they have the opportunity to learn from our veterans who built our centers from the ground up. Together, they continue to provide excellent and innovative service in our unique settings geared toward children and young adults through the age of 18. Future plans include opening a second location in Austin in February 2024.

Each May, the Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA) celebrates National Urgent Care Awareness Month and Urgent Care Week to highlight the invaluable services that urgent care centers provide to consumers.

“The COVID pandemic further proved the importance that urgent care centers can have in the community, playing a key role in helping keep low acuity emergency center volumes down, so the higher need patients can be seen more timely,” added Dan Gollins, President of Texas Children’s Pediatrics and Urgent Care.

Thank you Texas Children’s UC team members, for the excellent care you provide to our patients. Happy Urgent Care Week!

September 16, 2019

By just saying, “Alexa, open Texas Children’s Urgent Care,” you will now be able to access wait times and available hours immediately from your Amazon smart device. The feature was developed to make retrieving information about your local urgent care more convenient and hands-free.

Alexa is a widely popular digital assistant built into smart devices, answering questions and performing a multitude of tasks in millions of homes across the country.

Paola Alvarez-Malo, Vice President of Innovation, wanted to explore how to leverage the popularity of Alexa and connected with Information Services Applications Architect Brian Warwick.

“It gets information that’s already out there, and it’s quick, easy and very helpful,” Alvarez-Malo said. “Innovative ideas often come from two people with a common interest connecting and helping each other think through the possibilities. The partnership with IS and Texas Children’s Urgent Care is a great example of how we can work together to bring new ideas to life.”

Warwick had previously built the online Texas Children’s Urgent Care wait times and had already begun to explore how to extend that build to Alexa as a means to demonstrate the use of new technologies.

“I think it’s something that definitely sets us apart from other children’s hospitals and what’s being offered right now,” Warwick said. “I believe we are the only one that is actually pulling real time Epic data, so I’m pretty proud of it.”

By just saying, “Alexa, open Texas Children’s Urgent Care,” you will be able to access wait times and available hours.

“This skill is another way that Texas Children’s is enhancing patient experience through innovative tactics,” President of Texas Children’s Pediatrics and Urgent Care Kay Tittle said. “We look forward to its expansion and how this skill will allow our urgent cares to provide even more efficient services.”

As the first phase of this process rolls out, the information services team plans to include more features and add more locations to the skill. We would love your feedback to determine how we can make Alexa more effective for all patients.

Click here to take our survey and let us know your thoughts.

July 9, 2019

Texas Children’s West Campus Urgent Care opened its doors in September 2018 and has served many patients since. Located next to Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, the West Campus Urgent Care opened to help manage the Emergency Center to serve patients and families in the west Houston area. Learn more by visiting our 2018 virtual Annual Report.

November 19, 2018

After the grand opening over two months ago, Texas Children’s 12th urgent care clinic, the second of which is located near a Texas Children’s Emergency Center has exceeded expectations.

“We are thrilled with the strong start our West Campus Urgent Care has had so far,” Director of Business Operations for the Urgent Care, Roula Smith said. “It definitely reaffirms that this was the right decision for our patients, as we provide the right care, at the right place, at the right time, at the right cost.”

On September 11, located next to the Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus Emergency Center, the clinic opened to help manage the Emergency Center’s low-acuity patient population and to serve patients and families in the West Houston area.

From opening through the end of October, the clinic has seen nearly 3,000 patients. Approximately one third of the patients are Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) members. This helps TCHP members have access to the same high quality care but in a more cost effective environment. More than half of the patients seen at Texas Children’s Urgent Care West Campus have been self-select patients, who are not presenting via the Emergency Center but arrive to the clinic voluntarily.

This collaboration with the Emergency Center offers a quicker and less expensive option for low-acuity patients. The number of patients that leave the Emergency Center without being seen has been reduced by 80 percent during operating hours.

“In addition to being a win for our patients, it is a win for the Texas Children’s system as a whole,” Smith said. “We know that our colleagues in the Emergency Center are able to take care of higher acuity patients and our TCHP members are receiving care in the right environment for their needs.”

Prior to the clinic opening, the “Save My Spot” feature launched which allows patient families to reserve a time slot at the clinic from the comfort of their own home. This feature is live and wait times are also posted on the website so families know how long it will be before they are seen. Nearly 200 families have used this feature so far and the average cycle time for clinic visits is approximately an hour.

“Urgent care has been the perfect addition to the West Campus,” Assistant Vice President at West Campus Sara Montenegro said. “We have the full spectrum of care available – primary care, specialty care, urgent care, emergent care, surgery, and inpatient care, available in close proximity to each other now, and we are seeing very strong patient arrivals in our Urgent Care & Emergency Center, with this new addition. We knew this was a need in the community, and it is exceeding expectations!”

For more information about Texas Children’s Urgent Care and its locations, click here.

September 10, 2018

On September 11, Texas Children’s opened its 12th urgent care clinic, the second of which is located near a Texas Children’s Emergency Center.

The recently opened urgent care is located next to the Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus Emergency Center to help manage the Emergency Center’s low-acuity patient population and to serve patients and families in the West Houston area. The care team includes front office staff, nurses and clinical support staff, and board certified pediatricians and pediatric-focused advanced practice providers.

At 4,250 square feet, the clinic has 11 exam rooms, an X-ray room, and a spacious waiting area covered in murals, providing a relaxing, child-friendly atmosphere.

“A strong collaboration between this Urgent Care and the Emergency Center is going to be critical,” said Sara Montenegro, assistant vice President at West Campus. “It has been great so far as we have simulated ahead of time and practiced best and worst case scenarios to make sure we are as prepared as possible.”

This collaboration with the Emergency Center offers a quicker and less expensive option for low-acuity patients. To be seen at the clinic, patients can go directly there or be transferred from the Emergency Center after being assessed. If they are transferred, patients and their family members will be escorted to the clinic’s location.

“We are very excited to be out here at West Campus,” said Gary Macleod, the clinic’s director of clinical operations. “Hospital-based urgent cares are always really exciting for us. The ability to work hand-in-hand with the hospital makes us more effective.”

The West Campus Urgent Care is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. The “Save My Spot” feature, which allows patient families to reserve a time slot at the clinic from the comfort of their own home, is live and wait times are also posted on the website so families know how long it will be before they are seen. Electronic check in is also available to expedite the registration process and potentially aid in lowering wait times.

“Our mantra is to ensure that patients are getting the right care, at the right place at the right time, and with us specifically, at the right cost,” said Roula Zoghbi Smith, director of Business Operations for the Urgent Care. “The urgent care is typically a more cost effective option for families, than seeking care in the Emergency Center, which is always appreciated.”

For more information about Texas Children’s Urgent Care and its locations, click here.

June 5, 2018

In an effort to better serve patients seeking care at one of 10 Texas Children’s Urgent Care sites, wait times for each location have been posted on the Urgent Care website.

“Our goal is to be completely transparent to our families as to how long it takes for them to be seen,” said Melissa Fischer, director of community and business development for Urgent Care and Texas Children’s Pediatrics. “For families that live in between two locations, we believe that posting wait times will help our families choose which site to visit.”

The information also will help manage expectations around wait times, which average about 17 minutes from check-in to being taken to a patient room. Patients spend about 60 minutes from check-in to check-out.

The wait time feature on the Urgent Care website is automatically updated every five minutes based on the number of providers who are seeing patients and the number of patients who have checked in.

The feature was piloted at Texas Children’s Urgent Care Pearland and was then implemented in Austin. As of May, online wait times are available for all Urgent Care locations.

Save My Spot is also available to patients and families visiting one of our Urgent Care locations, allowing them to reserve a time slot from the comfort of their own home. All the patient family member has to do is pre-register online and the check-in process is expedited. Their personal information is also pre-populated which makes the process easier for existing patients.

“Patients and their families now look for ease and convenience in every aspect of their lives,” said Roula Smith, director of Urgent Care business operations. “You are able to save a spot at places like the DMV and restaurants, why not at Urgent Care?”

Smith added that, Save My Spot allows Urgent Cares to stay competitive as well as evenly distribute patients throughout the day to be more efficient overall.

Save My Spot also was piloted at the Pearland location, and is now available at all Urgent Care locations. More than 600 patients have used the feature to date.

Welcome, an electronic check-in process, is another feature that has been created to expedite the registration process. Check-in is done on an electronic tablet, making the experience paperless. This feature is expected to be rolled out to all Urgent Care locations soon.

Texas Children’s Urgent Care was launched in 2014 and currently has 10 locations, all of which are staffed by board certified pediatricians who diagnose and treat a wide variety of ailments, illnesses and conditions, including: asthma, strep throat, fever, minor burns, influenza, ear infections, allergic reactions and more. Procedures provided include: antibiotic injections, breathing treatments, fracture care and splinting, IV (intravenous) fluids, lab services, laceration repair and X-rays onsite.

For more information about Texas Children’s Urgent Care and its locations, click here.

March 13, 2018

Texas Children’s marked the beginning of an exciting chapter in its history Thursday when President and CEO Mark A. Wallace joined other organization leaders in celebrating the opening of Texas Children’s Urgent Care Westgate – the first Texas Children’s location in Austin.

“It’s great to be in Austin,” Wallace said during a private ribbon cutting ceremony for clinical staff and Texas Children’s leaders. “We can’t wait to serve the children, women and families of the greater Austin area.”

View event photos below.

Texas Children’s leaders announced in June their plan to open a pediatric-focused urgent care in Austin, with the goal of supplementing the great health care options already available to the community and improve access to care, at nights and on weekends, in a convenient location. Texas Children’s Urgent Care Westgate at 4477 South Lamar Blvd. is modeled after other Texas Children’s urgent care facilities, all of which are located in the Greater Houston area and offer high-quality, efficient and affordable pediatric care at a convenient location.

Open Monday through Friday, 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 8 p.m., Texas Children’s Urgent Care Westgate is staffed by board certified pediatricians who diagnose and treat a wide variety of ailments, illnesses and conditions, including: asthma, strep throat, fever, minor burns, influenza, ear infections, allergic reactions and more. Procedures to be provided include: antibiotic injections, breathing treatments, fracture care and splinting, IV (intravenous) fluids, lab services, laceration repair and X-rays onsite.

“As we all know, children are not simply tiny adults; their medical care, as well as the tools and equipment used, should be designed specifically to meet their needs,” said Dr. Lisa Gaw, lead physician at Westgate. “This is why it is important children are seen and treated by the experts trained to care for them. We are proud to have created a place local pediatricians and caregivers can feel confident sending their children knowing they will be well cared for by experts specially trained in treating kids.”

Texas Children’s opened its first urgent care facility in 2014 and has since seen tremendous success in getting pediatric patients where they need to be to receive the proper treatment for their illness or injury, decreasing the number of low-acuity cases at Texas Children’s emergency rooms.

In addition to opening Texas Children’s Urgent Care Westgate, Texas Children’s plans to open additional pediatric urgent care clinics, primary care pediatric practices, pediatric specialty care locations and maternal-fetal medicine practices across Austin over the next five years.

“This opening is the first step in a thoughtful plan Texas Children’s has in place to bring pediatric-focused care to Austin in a way that will help us serve the state of Texas even more successfully,” said Executive Vice President Michelle Riley-Brown, who leads Texas Children’s community and outpatient strategy. “We aspire to collaborate with the many established pediatric providers in the region to help support the growing Austin market, and see our growth in the area as an extension of our mission to ensure women and children have access to exceptional health care close to home.”

To learn more about Texas Children’s efforts in Austin, click here, and to find out more about Texas Children’s Urgent Care, click here.