The Endres household is a busy one. Jackie and her husband, Shaun, both work full time, and their children, Olan, seven, Lauren, four, and Ryder, 15 months, are involved in numerous activities. When Jackie receives a call at work about a sick child, everything else is put on hold.
Same-Day Appointment
“Olan’s school called at 3 p.m., said he was sick and needed to be picked up,” she said. “He had a very sore throat. He’s had strep before, so I figured it was that again.”
Jackie’s next step was to call Altru’s Pediatric Clinic to see if an appointment was still available that afternoon.
“They were booked the rest of the day,” she said, “but suggested I contact Family Medicine at Altru Professional Center to see if I could get into night clinic. I didn’t even know that existed.”
Evening clinic hours are available Monday through Thursday from 5-8 p.m., so patients can schedule same-day appointments for acute, non-emergency care.
“It was great,” said Jackie. “Our appointment was at 6 p.m. and was a very good experience. The doctor was knowledgeable and listened to my concerns as a mom.”
Jackie shared with the doctor that Olan doesn’t take oral medication well. They discussed options, and together, agreed that three penicillin injections would be the best course of action. The medication was administered, and Jackie and Olan were on their way.
“It was so convenient having everything right there,” said Jackie. “Otherwise, with how sick he was, we may have very well ended up in urgent care or even the emergency room. Instead, we saw a physician the same day, received medication and Olan was on his way to feeling better.”
Because of Olan’s recurrent bouts with strep, the doctor recommended a tonsillectomy consult with otolaryngologist Dr. Glen Yoshida to see if his tonsils should be removed. Olan saw Dr. Yoshida for tubes in his ear a few years prior.
Because of their large size, Dr. Yoshida recommended removing both Olan’s tonsils and adenoids.
“Olan’s overall health has been better since they were removed,” said Jackie. “He doesn’t get sick as often, and he’s sleeping better because he no longer snores.”
“The night clinic worked great for us,” continued Jackie. “I’ve also recommended it to people. We live on the south end of Grand Forks, so the location is perfect for the end of the day. I will use it as one of my ‘go-to’ options when needing same daycare.”
In addition to evening clinic hours, Altru offers walk-in express clinics for access to care for your non-emergent needs.
