Beginning December 1st, families will be able to “check-in” online for Anderson, Green Township and Mason Urgent Care locations. We’re testing a new system for six months to determine if families will use the service and find it beneficial. Using results and feedback, we will determine whether it becomes permanent.
How will it work? – Similar to call-ahead seating in restaurants, the online check-in will save your spot in line based on your preselected arrival time. This will allow you to do most of your waiting in the comfort of your own home.
Where can I check-in? – Check-in is completely online and each location has its own page. Click the location name below to go to that location’s page (please note that the service will not be available until Dec. 1, 2015):
If we check-in online will we go straight back when we arrive at urgent care? – You will likely still need to wait a short time to see a provider, but your time in the waiting area will be significantly shorter because you’ve already done most of your waiting at home.
Do we have to use the new system in order to use urgent care services? – No, walk-in patients are always welcome at all five urgent care locations: Anderson, Burnet (main campus), Green Township, Liberty Campus and Mason.
Will we wait longer if I don’t check-in online? – No, your wait time will be the same. However, it may seem like other families are arriving after you and being seen before your child. These families will have most likely checked in already and waited at home instead of on-site.
Will the staff assess my child to determine if he or she needs to be seen more quickly than other children? – Yes, an assessment of every child is done as she or he arrives at the facility and adjustments are made to the order in which patients are seen if there is a need to do so.
Will Burnet and Liberty Campuses use the online check-in too? – No, they are not included in the test. Only Anderson, Green Township and Mason will participate. You are always welcome to choose Burnet or Liberty Campus for services and the urgent care check-in and wait times will be handled as they have always been.
Our hope is that families who utilize our urgent care services will become savvy users of our system. With available wait times – find them here – and online check-in with options for arrival times, families have more control over their experience than ever before.
This test will run through May 31, 2016, at which time we will review utilization of the service as well as feedback from families and urgent care staff. I encourage you to try checking in online during the test period and please let us know what you think. The good, the bad, we want to know it all so we can truly make the best decision in the long-run. You can leave comments here with feedback or send an email to ED_Patient_Experience@cchmc.org. Thank you for your help and for choosing Cincinnati Children’s!
This is a great concept. CCHMC continues to be a front runner in improving patient experience.