Urgent Care and ER visits
Where did October go? It is has been a busy back to school season. There have been multiple respiratory illnesses going around. RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) made a reappearance after taking a break last winter. Various viruses, such as parainfluenza, that cause croup have been present in high numbers. We are seeing some just “normal colds” caused by rhinovirus or other viruses. And of course, COVID-19 has still been fairly prevalent in Michigan and our community. Influenza may be just around the corner! We are also seeing Strep Throat, and lots of Hand Foot and Mouth. It can be hard to decide where to bring your sick child to be checked out. Then, of course, there are the day to day minor injuries that kids experience, always seeming to happen in the evenings and the weekends.
Holland Pediatric Associates will always try to fit your child in the same day for an appointment. We have evening hours and Saturday morning hours. If we aren’t available we are always available by phone after hours if you are not sure if your child needs to be seen yet that evening or if can wait until we are open again.
Urgent Care: Is it Worth the No Wait
There are times you may need to go to the Emergency Room, such as a major trauma or if your child is working hard to breath. Don’t hesitate to go to the ER or call 911 if you feel like your child is severely ill.
Are you just trying to get your student back to school and need a COVID test? We can do those in the office or here is a link to various testing locations. If your child is not acutely ill it is best to not use Urgent Care or ER for testing as they have been very busy and they cost more than an office visit or lab visit.
If your child just started with a fever or cough and is not in acute distress it can often be helpful to wait a couple of days to see how they do. If you child complains of ear pain but calms down with ibuprofen they can be seen in the office the next day. If we cannot fit you in the same day that you call for an appointment our advice line nurses are always helpful to discuss if it can wait or not.
We are excited to continue to partner with you and your family to provide the best, most efficient care for your children.