Dr. Thomas checks the throat of a young flu patient

Pediatric Urgent Care saves time, stress and money

With a location convenient to area freeways and a physician with the right experience, Cedar Mill’s newest clinic is ready to relieve more than respiratory problems and upset tummies. Having a kid-friendly and affordable alternative for parents of children with urgent medical problems will relieve the anxiety that comes with the realization that your child needs care when your pediatrician’s office is closed.

During the day, Dr. Paul Thomas’ Integrative Pediatrics occupies the ground-floor office, located at 11790 SW Barnes Road, just west of Cedar Hills Boulevard. But from 7-10 pm weekdays, and 1-9 pm on weekends and holidays—365 days a year—the space becomes Pediatric Urgent Care (PUC). Staffed by Thomas and two other pediatricians plus an RN and a receptionist, the clinic can handle urgent medical needs from severe respiratory problems, high fevers, and stomach problems to cuts and bruises, for patients from birth to age 21.

Before opening Integrative Pediatrics, Dr. Thomas worked for 15 years at Westside Pediatrics. Before that, he helped set up and run the Emanuel Hospital Pediatric After-hours clinic in NE Portland. He understands the importance of offering a kid-friendly environment and trained pediatric specialists in an urgent care setting.

When kids are not feeling well, the last thing they need is to spend hours in an adult emergency room waiting area, with trauma and serious illness all around. In addition, most of the problems that arise don’t require the extensive and expensive equipment necessary for a hospital ER. That allows PUC to offer much more affordable service. During the introductory period, services are being billed at the office-visit rate, around half to a quarter of the cost of an ER visit. The office accepts most insurances, and also offers a 30% discount for cash payment at the time of the service, for those without insurance.

PUC is forming partnerships with community pediatricians and family practice doctors and clinics so that PUC becomes the evening and weekend extension of your regular doctor’s office, “We think that every child should have a medical ‘home,” says Thomas. “We’re not trying to take patients away from their regular doctors. We send a complete copy of the visit to your child’s doctor within 24 hours of the visit, and if follow-up is needed or your child is being admitted to the hospital, we will call your child’s doctor right away.”

Services include an on-site lab for blood work, urine analysis, rapid strep, flu, mono, and other tests. Nebulizer treatments for respiratory distress, stitches for minor cuts, treatment for skin and eye infections and dehydration due to stomach ailments are some of the many situations that can be handled in the office. Children with more severe injuries or illnesses can be stabilized in the clinic and then sent to a hospital if necessary.

In addition to the list of common ailments treated at the clinic, the website (pediatricurgentcareonline.com) lists Rare Things That We Treat At Pediatric Urgent Care: Bugs and Beads in Noses and Ears, Families of 12, all with the Flu! Totally Normal Children With Anxious Parents. Dr. Thomas has a great sense of humor, and he’s skilled at calming fears and putting both patients and parents at ease and explaining examination and treatment procedures and options.

This is the only pediatric urgent care clinic in the Portland area, and possibly the only one in Oregon. As with any new idea, it’s taking a little while to catch on. “We’re seeing about one patient per hour now,” says Thomas. But with recent exposure on AM NW, in local newspapers, and with a tv ad about to come out, they expect business to pick up quickly.

“Once we reach profitability, 10% of our income will go to create a foundation to support orphans in Zimbabwe,” says Dr. Thomas. He was raised in that country by his missionary parents, and his visit last summer made him aware of the need (see article in the October Cedar Mill News). “We want to help the extended families who take over care of the many children who are orphaned by AIDS and other diseases.”

Gerald Drake, parent of a recent patient, said “My son was miserable, and they got him right in. No waiting! It was really a blessing to not force him to suffer over night.”

Walk-ins are welcome at Pediatric Urgent Care. Minimal waiting and efficient visits means patients are in and out within 30-45 minutes for most visits from time of arrival to departure. See the website for more information: pediatricurgentcareonline.com, or call (503) 597-KIDS.

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