February 28, 2023
Hello NAP Families,
We are excited to announce that, starting tomorrow morning, NAP will be offering acute care virtual “walk-in” appointments each weekday from 8-9 am. These appointments can be booked through the MyChart portal starting 24 hours before the appointment time – select “sick” and then “virtual visit”. As a reminder, if your child is 13 years old or older, they will need to sign into their own account to book and start a virtual visit. Please contact our office if you need help signing up for the portal.
These walk-in appointments will be 10 minutes in length and are for relatively minor/uncomplicated illnesses and injuries that require a provider’s assessment and advice but do not need to be examined in the office.
Some examples of appropriate visits for this time are:
- new rash without fever or other signs of more serious illness
- pink eye/conjunctivitis without ear pain in children > 2 years old who can talk well enough to tell you how they are feeling
- sore throat (we may ask you to come to the office for a parking lot strep swab if needed)
- mild cold symptoms, such as when a child missed school and now needs a note
- mild constipation
These appointments are not able to be used for:
- mental health conferences, crises, or med checks
- severe headaches, prolonged fevers, significant abdominal pain, or other symptoms that may be a sign of more serious illness
- worsening symptoms previously evaluated by a provider at NAP, urgent care, or the emergency department
- ear pain which requires an in person examination to check the ear drums
If an appointment is scheduled for a walk-in slot that is not able to be managed appropriately in that time, you will be asked to schedule an appointment in NAP’s acute care area, or with your primary care provider who knows you and your child best, depending on the situation.
We look forward to being able to offer some walk-in appointments again and hope you will take advantage of this service!
Best,
Northampton Area Pediatrics