It’s 10 pm on a Sunday night, and your six-week-old daughter is running a high fever. You’re not sure what to do. Should you wait until the pediatrician’s office opens at 9 am the following morning, or head off to the ER at the local hospital?

It’s Christmas afternoon, and your teenager may have just fractured a wrist trying out a brand new skateboard. Does the closest urgent care knows how to deal with adolescent bones?

PM Pediatrics in Wayne understands that the need for urgent pediatric care doesn’t always happen from 9-5, Monday through Friday. That’s why the area’s first pediatric urgent care office not associated with a major children’s hospital is open from noon to midnight, Monday through Saturday, and 10 am–midnight on Sundays and select holidays.

Commitment to Keeping Care in the Community

Partnering with local pediatricians, PM Pediatrics is committed to working together to keep a child’s care in the community. “We’re located in people’s neighborhoods,” said Dr. Christina Johns, Senior Medical Advisor for PM Pediatrics and mom of two. “When I go to the grocery store or the library, I see the families I treat. Part of what makes us different is that we live in the communities where our offices are located.”

Focusing on Children and Young Adults

That commitment to community and pediatric care is what makes PM Pediatrics different from other urgent care practices who focus primarily on adults. “Our scope is from 0 through age 26,” Johns explains.

“Unlike other urgent care offices, we have a pediatric emergency physician onsite at all times when we’re open,” Johns stressed. So whether your child is there for a fever, cough, laceration, or more complex issue, there is a doctor on site who is specially trained in treating pediatric and young adult patients.

Treating More Than the Common Cold

When asked what the scope of practice is at PM Pediatrics, Johns explained. “I think it’s just as important to talk about what we don’t do as what we do,” she said. “We don’t do primary care, immunizations, or sports physicals. We keep our focus on urgent care and refer patients back to their primary understands that for routine treatment. We call our treatment ‘Urgent Care Plus’ since we treat higher acuity injuries and illnesses than traditional urgent care practices.”

In addition to treating common issues, PM Pediatrics is also able to address respiratory illnesses like asthma, croup, and pneumonia. They can manage complex lacerations, administer IV fluids for dehydration, and their onsite lab and X-ray facilities give them the capability to set bones and scan for fractures. “All of the X-rays are reviewed by a radiologist and the pediatrician, so the patient is getting the highest care possible,” she explained. “We’re a PainLESS practice, so we take our patients’ comfort seriously.”

Healthcare for Life

In addition to providing high quality pediatric care, PM Pediatrics takes seriously their role in making each child’s experience as positive as possible. “We want kids to make a positive association with their own healthcare,” Johns stressed. That positive association helps patients create a lifelong commitment to their health. The kid-friendly setting of each office is non-institutional by design and helps to reinforce that positive experience.

Providing high quality pediatric urgent care in children’s communities may be PM Pediatrics’ mission, but what they contribute to the community, anxious parents, and sick and injured children is so much more. Key for parents’ peace of mind is a reliable partner in children’s healthcare, no matter what time of day.

Visit PM Pediatrics

PM Pediatrics is located at 101 E. Swedesford Rd. in the Gateway Shopping Center in Wayne. Visit the PM Pediatrics website for more information about their hours, insurance, and more.

Story written by Brandi Jordan. Photos by Amrit Gluck, Perfectly Paired Photography.