Urgent Care vs. Emergency Center: Where Should I Take My Child?

​My child was bitten by a snake. Where should I go? My child has a rash. Where should I go? Texas Children’s Hospital not only has a pediatric emergency room but we also have a pediatric urgent care clinic. While the two are not the same, they are both are equipped to help your child when you are seeking immediate help. But how do you know which location is right for your child? Review this handy guide for when to choose an urgent care vs. a pediatric emergency room: 

​For more information about Texas Children’s Pediatric Urgent Care and Pediatric Emergency Center:

Texas Children’s Pediatric Urgent Care Clinic is staffed by board-certified pediatricians who have privileges at Texas Children’s Hospital. Our facility is not only equipped to diagnose and treat common pediatric illnesses and injuries, it also allows us to register, diagnose, treat and discharge your child in less than 30 minutes for most uncomplicated cases. By the time your child is discharged, your prescription will have been sent to the pharmacy of your choice and a summary of the visit sent to your pediatrician’s office. Texas Children’s Pediatric Urgent Care Clinics are open weekday evenings and weekends to accommodate your schedule. We have two locations: Cinco Ranch at 9727 Spring Green Blvd. in Katy and Memorial at 12850 Memorial Dr. in Houston. Visiting an urgent care clinic is a cost-effective alternative to visiting an emergency room. When dealing with a non-life-threatening medical situation, an urgent care will provide significantly lower-cost services than an emergency center. For more information about our Urgent Care locations, visit here.

Texas Children’s Pediatric Emergency Center is the largest pediatric emergency center in South Central Texas. Our Emergency Center is a level 1 pediatric trauma center with pediatric surgical sub-specialties in caring for children with a broad spectrum of traumatic injuries, and also serves as a referral center for children who are victims of assault and other violent crimes. Texas Children's Emergency Center locations are in the Texas Medical Center at 6621 Fannin St., and at our West Campus location at I-10 and Barker Cypress. They are both open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The center is staffed by full-time, board-certified pediatric emergency medicine physicians and pediatric nurses, along with ancillary services such as child-life specialists, social workers, sexual abuse nurse examiners, Spanish translators and respiratory therapists. For more infromation about Texas Children's Pediatric Emergency Center, visit here.

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