Area clinic extends pediatric well-check availability
Busy parents and kids can now get a well-check on weekday evenings and weekends.
Beginning Aug. 1, Austin Regional Clinic (ARC) Pediatrics extended its well-check availability to include appointments on weekday evenings and weekends at all five ARC After Hours Clinics, for added patient and parent convenience.
Pediatric well-checks are more than just a physical exam, they are an opportunity to ensure children grow into healthy young adults, physically, mentally and emotionally. Well-checks include needed vaccinations for potentially fatal diseases, such as measles and pertussis, which are required for children to enter school.
Parents can also talk to their pediatricians about the anxiety their child may be feeling about going back to school, or about their child’s ADHD medication as they return to online learning.
In addition to the usual daytime hours, Pediatric Well-Checks are now available on weekday evenings, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
ARC After Hours Clinic locations include ARC Far West and ARC Southwest (Austin), ARC Round Rock, ARC Now (Cedar Park), and ARC Kyle Plum Creek.
ARC has offered evening and Saturday well-checks, a popular option, every summer to help parents during the back-to school period. In April, ARC began offering extended hours for well-checks to encourage parents to come in and keep their children updated on vaccines, especially the youngest patients. Over the last four months of COVID-19, many children have fallen behind on their vaccine schedule.
“The Saturday clinics have been very well-attended, and as a busy mom myself, I know that adding our After Hours Clinics for appointments will be an even greater convenience for parents, now and all year-round,“ said Dr. Elizabeth Knapp, ARC Pediatrics co-chief.
Clinic safety protocols are strictly adhered to at all ARC clinics to ensure that parents feel confident that it is safe to visit their doctor at this time. Avoiding needed visits can increase risk for more serious illness.
All well-checks provided in ARC After Hours Clinics include the same services as in regular weekday well-check appointments, including eye checks, immunizations, growth charts, and more. Consistent with all appointments in ARC After Hours Clinics, a patient schedules with the first available pediatrician and is charged a $30 convenience fee in addition to any required co-pay. Many insurance plans cover the after hours fee and do not charge a copay for a well-check.
