Children's Hospital Colorado
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A parent wearing glasses and a white visitor’s badge flips through a book for kids while sitting with a child in the waiting room at a hospital or urgent care center.

Urgent Care and Emergency Services

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Find the expert pediatric care you need, when you need it. With a 24/7 nurse line, mobile app, urgent care centers and emergency rooms, we're here to help your child feel better — and give you peace of mind. 

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Talk to a nurse
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Check a symptom
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Find an ER or urgent care location

When your child is seriously sick or injured, you want to find care fast. At Children’s Hospital Colorado, we offer a 24/7 nurse advice line, plus emergency rooms and urgent care locations throughout the Denver metro area and Colorado Springs, so you can always get the expert pediatric care you need, when you need it.

If you believe your child needs immediate attention and you have concerns for a life-threatening emergency, call 911. 

What type of care does my child need?

If your child is sick or injured and you’re not sure what type of care they need, follow these steps to help you decide what to do:

Call your child’s primary care doctor first

If you are not concerned for a life-threatening emergency and unsure about where to go, call your child's doctor’s office. They will advise you on the best course of action.

Talk to a nurse

If it’s after hours and your child’s primary care provider is not available, you can call Children's Colorado's ParentSmart Healthline™ at 720-777-0123 to speak with an experienced pediatric nurse 24/7 who can help guide you to the best next steps.

Look up your child’s symptoms on our ChildrensMD mobile app

Use the ChildrensMD symptom checker mobile app to help you assess your child’s illness and better understand what their symptoms could mean. The app is available for Apple and Android devices.

Choose between urgent care and the emergency room

Generally, urgent care treats everyday injuries and illnesses that need medical attention when your primary care provider is not available. Emergency rooms are equipped to handle the most serious injuries and illnesses and offer a broader range of services.

Seeking urgent care in a situation that is not an emergency will not only save you time and money, but also ensure that our emergency services are available for kids who need it.

When to Choose Urgent Care vs. the Emergency Room

Learn the differences between urgent care and the emergency room and use our chart to determine where to seek care for certain illnesses and injuries.

View our chart

Find an urgent care or emergency room location near you

If you determine that your child needs to be seen, we offer urgent care and emergency room locations throughout the Denver metro area and in Colorado Springs.

Both urgent care and emergency services are available at our South Campus, Highlands Ranch and North Campus, Broomfield locations. The triage nurse in these locations can help determine what level of care your child needs.

What do I need to know about the cost of my urgent care or emergency room visit?

Many parents and caregivers are concerned about the cost of taking their child to the emergency room or urgent care. Typically, an urgent care visit will be less expensive than a trip to the emergency room.

Take these steps to prepare before your visit:

  • Make sure you always have your child’s insurance card with you.
  • Learn about your benefits and your co-pay costs for urgent care and emergency care.
  • If you are unsure about your benefits or need more information, call your insurance company. A representative should be able to explain your coverage, costs and co-pays.
  • You can get cost estimates for certain tests and procedures and check your benefits quickly and securely through MyChart. For more information or additional questions, contact our team at 720-777-0720.

Learn more about paying for care

Additional resources

Download the ChildrensMD app

Get access to our pediatric symptom checker, care guides and more to help you make decisions about your child’s care on the go.

Prepare for your visit

Find out what you should know before you go, including our visitation guidelines, general tips, what to bring and more.

Medication dosage tables

View the up-to-date dosage charts for common over-the-counter medications that can relieve your child’s symptoms.