Bumps, bruises and sore throats don’t keep regular business hours, and that’s why the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt has opened an after-hours clinic in Mt. Juliet, Tenn.
The Vanderbilt Children’s After-Hours Clinic, located at 2025 North Mt. Juliet Rd., Suite 200, will allow parents to take their children to get care when their pediatricians’ offices have closed for the day or the weekend. To keep care consistent and current, the child’s regular pediatrician will be sent a report about the visit the same evening.
The Vanderbilt Children’s After-Hours Clinic will be open seven days a week, including holidays. The hours are Monday-Friday, 6 – 9:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 3 – 9:30 p.m.
“We are excited to extend the same quality of care we offer here at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt by bringing these services to the Mt. Juliet community,” said Luke Gregory, chief executive officer of Children’s Hospital. “Our families have told us they want pediatric after-hours care closer to home, and opening this neighborhood location we hope strives to meet that need.”
Vanderbilt board-certified pediatricians will staff the 2,500-square-foot clinic space and offer primary care for issues such as ear infections, sore throats and scrapes. Services such as flu shots, or other vaccines, and X-rays will not be available.
No appointment is necessary, but it is recommended that parents call their child’s regular primary care physician first.
“This is a great opportunity for us both to carry our quality and service closer to families while also reinforcing the importance of the primary medical home and continuity of care,” said Meg Rush, M.D., chief of staff and executive medical director of Children’s Hospital.
“Because we will be staffing the after-hours clinic with pediatricians, we will have a higher level of expertise as well as full understanding of the importance of partnering with the primary pediatrician as care plans are developed. This ensures better integration and greater conti-nuity of care for patients.”
To celebrate the opening of the new clinic, Vanderbilt will hold a community event at the clinic location Sunday, April 7, from 2 – 4 p.m., with a ribbon cutting at 2:30 p.m. At the event, learn more about the after-hours clinic, meet the pediatricians, tour the neonatal transport ambulance and enjoy karaoke, games and prizes.