Acute Care or Emergency

Where should you take your child for medical care when he or she is ill or injured? How do you decide whether to go to Pediatric Acute Care or the Emergency Department?

If you think your child is experiencing a life-threatening or severe condition, call 911 or go directly to the Emergency Department.

Emergency Department

The Emergency Department treats children and adults with conditions that need immediate attention, ranging from simple but pressing injuries such as a cut that needs stitches to a life-threatening head injury. Care is provided 24 hours a day.

Acute Care

Acute Care is available to children with minor illnesses or injuries such as a cough, earache or sprained ankle. To make an appointment, your child must have a pediatrician or primary care doctor at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital at Parnassus, UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion or Lakeshore Family Medical Center.

Parents who call (415) 353-2001 can speak to an advice nurse who will provide assistance or help schedule a same-day appointment at the Acute Care Clinic. Clinic hours are 9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 9 – 11:45 a.m. on Saturday.