As the former Medical Director at the largest Pediatric Emergency Center in San Antonio, I became acutely aware of the number of children brought to the emergency room for non-life threatening or non-emergent problems. The child and parents sometimes waited up to 12 hours to be seen by a physician. The parents were usually unable to find a doctor to see their child or if the child had one, were unable to get an appointment. It also was not uncommon to have children sent to the emergency room by their doctor because certain procedures such as repairing a cut or evaluating a possible broken bone could not be performed. A very large bill usually compounded the whole experience. This experience highlights the need for accessible kids urgent care solutions to address such issues promptly and affordably.
I saw the need for a facility staffed by trained pediatric providers that could offer cost effective quality care to children with minor emergency needs. I envisioned working with the area pediatricians and family doctors to provide a kids urgent care center where they could refer children for minor emergencies when their practice either was closed or too booked for an appointment, while at the same time, keeping children out of the emergency room.
In 2006, I opened my first Little Spurs Pediatric Urgent Care in San Antonio. It was well received by the local Pediatricians and Family Practice physicians. Parents loved the ability to have a cost effective facility where no appointment was necessary, and a pediatric trained provider could quickly see them.
I now have facilities in San Antonio, Selma, New Braunfels, and Garland area. We are the largest pediatric urgent care group in Texas run and owned by Board Certified Pediatricians with emergency medicine training. We are on almost all insurance plans as well as most Medicaid plans. We do not charge a facility fee, common with hospital sponsored or owned urgent care centers.
If your child has a sudden illness or injury , Little Spurs Pediatric Urgent Care can treat your child needs. For more information, please call us at (210) 543-7334.
Written by: Dr. Thomas Spurgat, MD, MBA,
CEO, Little Spurs Pediatric Urgent Care, PLLC