Our ConvenientCare walk-in clinics provide medical services to patients aged 12 months and older. If you need to be seen quickly for a minor medical issue or require other medical services, such as laboratory tests and vaccines, an urgent care center is the ideal solution. These centers are easily accessible and offer fast, convenient care. Urgent care centers are sometimes referred to as immediate care centers.
Patient First is one such center that provides urgent care for a variety of illnesses and injuries, from colds and coughs to broken bones and cuts. Our providers offer excellent care in clean, modern facilities when you need it most. Pediatricians and pediatric nurses certified by the Philadelphia Children's Hospital staff these urgent care centers. Over the past five years, there has been a rapid proliferation of these centers, which has been both a blessing and a curse. If you need urgent care but can wait a little while, call the nearest urgent care center and ask for the estimated wait time before leaving home. A study published in the Rhode Island Medical Journal revealed that emergency room doctors are particularly uncomfortable evaluating children for minor brain injuries, suturing facial cuts in children, and caring for seriously ill babies.
COVID-19 testing is not available in emergency departments or urgent care centers for patients who do not have symptoms. If you're unsure about the severity of your child's symptoms and the type of care they need, use an online symptom checker to make an informed decision. In case of an emergency or urgent problem, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency service right away. Emergency services prioritize the sickest patients first, so those with less serious illnesses may have to wait longer. When you can't get an appointment quickly enough to treat a mild, acute problem, an urgent care center can usually provide the same level of care. These walk-in clinics offer services after working hours and on weekends, providing much-needed medical attention to those who cannot be seen by their doctors on the same day.
