Knowing when to choose our Urgent Nurse Line vs. Leaving a Voicemail for Non-Urgent Issues or Scheduling an Appointment with our Front Desk

Every year, “sick season” can feel overwhelming for many famlies. It’s frustrating when children face back-to-back illnesses due to multiple organisms spreading in the community. While our nurses are here to listen, offer guidance and support you, the high volume of calls during this peak season means we must prioritize urgent concerns. If an urgent issue is mistakenly left on the non-urgent line, our nurses will identify it and respond promptly.

Urgent Nurse Line:

The Urgent Nurse Line is for pressing medical needs.

Non-Urgent Nurse Line

The Non-Urgent line is for less critical concerns.

If we’re unable to fully address your questions within 5 minutes, we’ll recommend a visit so one of our providers can give your concerns the time and attention they deserve. In some cases, a telemedicine visit may be an option.

When to skip the phone call and just schedule an appointment:

Fever over 100.4 for > 72 hours
Diarrhea for > 7 days
Infant pulling on ears with significant sleep difficulty or fever
Not significantly improved in time frame recommended when previously seen in office
Exposure to illness and now symptomatic with desire for testing (Flu, COVID, Strep, RSV)
Requesting medication for illness but has not been seen for illness (we are unable to prescribe medications and/or antibiotics for children we have not seen in our office, even if you are out of town)

While you wait for a nurse to return your call, take a look at the helpful handouts on our website! They’re written by our own providers and reflect the same advice you’ll hear when we call you back.