It’s that time of year. And we’re not talking about the holidays. We’re talking about germs. Germs, germs, germs. And inevitably, calls to the doctor’s office. As moms, one of the dilemmas that often comes up is when to call the doctor to make an appointment. Or call the nurse to ask a question. Or call the on-call service to ask a question. For the answers to those questions, we went to our friends at Mercy Pediatric Clinics...
Hello Moms!
It’s Becky, the triage nurse for Mercy Pediatric Clinic. If your child is a patient of ours and you’ve ever called to speak with a nurse chances are that nurse was me!
Recently, we’ve been asked by many of you for clarification on when is best to call our clinic versus Mercy On Call. Allow me to explain.
{Mercy On Call}
Mercy On Call is a confidential triage service staffed by Mercy RN’s of various backgrounds. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The triage nurses are knowledgeable and have a wide variety of resources and references to help you. Anyone is welcome to call this number. They can assist you when your child is not feeling well, they can help you find a physician, they can get you registered for classes, programs, health screenings and support groups offered through Mercy Iowa City.
{Mercy Pediatric Clinic Nurses}
We encourage you to call our office anytime with questions regarding your children. Your phone call will be routed to me (or a message taken) if you ask to speak with a nurse during office hours. If you call our office after hours (Mon-Thur 7:00-7:00, Fri 7:00-5:00, Sat 8:00-12:00) your call will be forwarded to our pediatric triage line. This service is staffed by pediatric nurses who base their advice on the same protocols our pediatric providers recommend. While these nurses do not have access to our patient charts they can contact our Pediatricians for emergencies.
{Poison Control}
Another important phone number I recommend you add to your contact list is Poison Control: 800-222-1222. If your child or anyone you know ingests, inhales, or comes into contact with a substance you are not sure is safe, THEY have the answers. They can instruct you on the safest way to treat such incidents.
I hope this helps! If not, please feel free to call our office with any questions: (319) 688-7337.
Wishing you all a Happy Holiday Season!
{About Becky}
I have been a pediatric R.N. for 26 years, the first ten of which were spent at UIHC in the Pediatric and NICU units, and the last 16 have been in pediatric clinics. I have been very fortunate to have worked with and learned from some of the best Pediatricians in this area, including Dr. Shirley Paul, Dr. Kathy Skopec, Dr. Tori Smith, and Lisa Moenning, PA-C.
