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20 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • August 2015 Ask the Expert Q: Talk about PedsXpress and how it differs from a regular pediatrician's office? PedsXpress is a pediatric urgent care, an after-hours clinic that provides medical treatment to ill or injured children seven days a week. Unlike a pediatrician's office, we don't perform routine well child exams, and parents don't need to make an appointment for their child to see us. We know parents have to work and their kids often get sick or injured when their pediatrician's office is closed, which is why we're open weekday evenings and on weekends. About 70-80 percent of what I treat in a pediatric ER we can treat at PedsXpress. There is often a long wait and higher copay for ER treatment as well, so coming to our urgent care clinic will be less expensive and significantly more convenient. Q: What inspired you to open the practice? Aside from my own family, children are my life. Their treatment is specialized and medications are typically weight based, so they really should be cared for by a physician who had specialized training in pediatrics. Access to after-hours medical care specifically for children was simply not adequate in our community, so my partners at PrimeCare and I decided to open the first urgent care dedicated to children in Fredericksburg. Parents and families are so happy that we provide this care from 3 – 11 p.m. on weekdays and from 9am-7pm on weekends. Q: Does PedsXpress do vaccines? We give Tetanus (Tdap) vaccines when indicated for minor injuries if a patient isn't up to date on their tetanus vaccine. Due to limited supply and availability, we also administer seasonal flu vaccines. However, we do not administer routine vaccines typically given at well child exams. Children should receive vaccines at their annual checkups, which should be performed by their primary care doctor. a sk t h e e x p e rt W hy do kids seem to always get sick after the doctor's office closes? That's a frustration that Dr. Hood of PedsXpress understands which is why in 2014, he co-founded a different kind of pediatrics practice. PedsXpress is designed to compliment to your child's primary care physician by providing after-hours care for ill and injured children ages newborn to 18. Their office is open Monday through Friday from 3:00 p.m.- 11:00 p.m., and from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. on week- ends, offering you a viable care option when most pedia- tricians' offices are closed. They will even forward your appointment details directly to your child's doctor. Dr.Hood answered a few questions about PedsXepress and offered his advice on Summertime ailments our kids may face. INTERVIEWED BY BRENDA SAPANGHILA