HOUSTON — Legacy Community Health has launched a virtual pediatric clinic to help test and diagnose sick children while providing an alternative for in-person patient visits in most situations.
It’s to help families with children younger than 17 years old.
To set up an appointment through Legacy’s Virtual Pediatric Clinic, call 832-548-5000 and follow instructions to see a provider. If they deem it necessary, they will direct the patient to a site for further testing or evaluation.
Providers and on-site staff who speak Spanish or other languages are available.
The clinic said some patients may require in-person testing for situations such as a rapid flu test or strep throat swab. Rather than coming inside a clinic, the parents can now take their sick children to the clinic through a drive-thru set up to do these tests without families having to get out of their car.
“Through this new way of seeing sick pediatric patients, our clinic staff can focus on diagnosing our patients to help them get better while maintaining the health of our well patients and staff,” said Dr. Vian Nguyen, chief medical officer for Legacy Community Health. “We are consistently improving the way we see patients due to the current pandemic, and this is one of the ideas that seemed to be a win-win.”
Legacy also continues to offer adult and pediatric primary care and sick visits, HIV/AIDS care, OB/GYN and maternity, vaccination, immunization, free HIV and pregnancy testing, and telehealth visits for pediatrics, behavioral health and some adult primary care services.
Patients can call 832-548-5000 with questions or to make an appointment.
They accept most HMOs/PPOs, Medicaid and CHIP. Legacy also utilizes a sliding scale fee to lower the cost of services for uninsured patients.
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Coronavirus symptoms
The symptoms of coronavirus can be similar to the flu or a bad cold. Symptoms include a fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Some patients also have nausea, body aches, headaches and stomach issues. Losing your sense of taste and/or smell can also be an early warning sign.
Most healthy people will have mild symptoms. A study of more than 72,000 patients by the Centers for Disease Control in China showed 80 percent of the cases there were mild.
But infections can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death, according to the World Health Organization. Older people with underlying health conditions are most at risk for becoming seriously ill. However, U.S. experts are seeing a significant number of younger people being hospitalized, including some in ICU.
The CDC believes symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 14 days after being exposed.
Human coronaviruses are usually spread through...
- The air by coughing or sneezing
- Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
- Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands.
Help stop the spread of coronavirus
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Eat and sleep separately from your family members
- Use different utensils and dishes
- Cover your cough or sneeze with your arm, not your hand.
- If you use a tissue, throw it in the trash.
- Follow social distancing
Lower your risk
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- If you are 60 or over and have an underlying health condition such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or respiratory illnesses like asthma or COPD, the World Health Organization advises you to try to avoid crowds or places where you might interact with people who are sick.
Get complete coverage of the coronavirus by texting 'FACTS' to 713-526-1111.
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