PedsPlus Urgent Care To Move

Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s PedsPlus is relocating from Roper Hospital in downtown Charleston to Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital in West Ashley, effective March 6.  PedsPlus is an after-hours, urgent care service that offers convenient, cost-effective pediatric care during evening and weekend hours.

“It’s a place where you can take your child to be seen by a pediatrician when his or her pediatrician’s office is closed and the situation doesn’t require a trip to the emergency department,” said Linda Schofield, R.N., Service Line Director for Women’s, Infant’s and Children’s Services at RSFH.

The move from Roper Hospital to St. Francis will make PedsPlus more accessible to those who use it most often. PedsPlus serves between 300 and 400 children each month, with most of those patients from James Island, West Ashley and North Charleston.

“Inpatient pediatric surgeries were consolidated and moved to one location at St. Francis Hospital last May, so it makes sense to have PedsPlus located there too. It makes things easier for our patients and the entire family,” said Schofield.

Board certified pediatricians and specially trained pediatric nurses staff PedsPlus from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Holiday hours vary.

PedsPlus will be located next to the cafeteria on the first floor of St. Francis Hospital.

The service started July 5, 1994 as a way to broaden pediatric services and give parents a convenient urgent care option.

“So many kids were going to the emergency department with issues that would be better served by an urgent care facility. PedsPlus was the answer, and it has been extremely well received by the community,” said Gene Glave, R.N., Pediatric Services Manager.

PedsPlus is also less costly than a trip to the emergency department. Most insurance companies help cover the fee.

PedsPlus is just one way Roper St. Francis Healthcare is caring for children in the Lowcountry.  A wide-range of pediatric services brings together the healthcare providers, technology and resources children need to get well and stay healthy.  Both Roper and St. Francis hospitals are staffed with professionals, specially trained to care for the youngest patients. A new child-friendly waiting area called KidsSpot was added inside the Ambulatory Surgery Department at St. Francis Hospital in January.  Kid-size furniture, colorful artwork, puzzles, and games serve as a positive distraction to calm fears and reduce anxiety before a medical or surgical procedure. 

Both hospitals also offer tours for children who are scheduled for an upcoming procedure.

“The goal is to make our patients more comfortable and familiar with the hospital before surgery. We want to ease their anxiety as best we can,” said Glave.