Parent’s Guide to Pediatric Urgent Care

When your child isn’t feeling well, you need care that moves as fast as you do. Midwest Express Clinic offers walk-in pediatric urgent care at locations across Chicago neighborhoods, Chicagoland suburbs, and Northwest Indiana — seven days a week, no appointment needed. Our team treats children of all ages, from infants through teens, with the same warmth and personal attention you’d expect from a trusted family doctor.

Through our dedicated MEC Kids pediatric urgent care program at participating locations, families have access to providers experienced in childhood illnesses, injuries, and preventive care — without the long waits of a hospital emergency room or the scheduling backlog of a pediatrician’s office.

Walk in any day of the week — or check in online to skip the wait at your nearest Midwest Express Clinic.

What Does Pediatric Urgent Care at Midwest Express Clinic Treat?

Our providers handle a wide range of pediatric illnesses, injuries, and everyday health needs. Common reasons families bring children to Midwest Express Clinic include:

Illnesses

• Ear infections — one of the most frequent reasons children visit urgent care
• Strep throat — with rapid in-office testing for fast answers
• Cold, cough, and upper respiratory infections
• Flu — evaluation and treatment, including antiviral prescriptions where appropriate
• RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) — especially relevant for infants and toddlers
• COVID-19 testing and treatment
• Fever evaluation
• Hand, foot, and mouth disease
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
• Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
• Mono — with in-house testing and treatment
• Rashes, allergic reactions, and skin conditions

Injuries

• Cuts and scrapes requiring cleaning or closure
• Laceration repair — stitches, staples, or skin glue depending on wound type
• Burns — minor to moderate
• Sprains and strains
• Suspected fractures — X-rays available at select locations
• Foreign body removal — from skin, ears, or nose
• Abdominal pain evaluation

Preventive & Routine Care

• School, sports, and camp physicals for K-12 students
• Lead testing for children up to age 6
• Flu shots and tetanus vaccines
• General wellness checks

If your child’s condition requires care beyond what urgent care can provide, our team will let you know immediately and help coordinate the appropriate next step — whether that’s a specialist referral or, in an emergency, direction to the nearest ER.

MEC Kids Sky Room

When Should You Bring Your Child to Urgent Care vs. the ER?

Choosing between urgent care and the emergency room can feel stressful when your child is sick or hurt. Here’s a practical guide:

Bring Your Child to Midwest Express Clinic for:

• Ear pain, ear infections, or fluid in the ear
• Sore throat, strep, or tonsil concerns
• Fever in children over 3 months without other emergency symptoms
• Cough, congestion, or respiratory symptoms that are not causing severe breathing difficulty
• Mild to moderate injuries — cuts, burns, sprains, suspected minor fractures
• Rashes, bug bites, or skin infections
• Vomiting or diarrhea without signs of severe dehydration
• Eye redness, discharge, or pink eye
• School, sports, or camp physicals

Go to the Emergency Room or Call 911 If Your Child Has:

• Difficulty breathing, rapid breathing, or lips or fingernails turning blue
• A seizure — especially a first seizure or one lasting more than five minutes
• Fever in an infant under 3 months of age — this is always an ER situation
• Loss of consciousness or extreme unresponsiveness
• Severe allergic reaction — swelling of the face, throat, or tongue; hives with breathing difficulty
• A suspected head, neck, or spinal injury
• Severe abdominal pain with rigid or distended belly
• Uncontrolled bleeding
• Signs of severe dehydration — no urination for many hours, sunken eyes, no tears when crying, extreme lethargy
• Ingestion of a poison, medication, or foreign object that may be in the airway

When in doubt, trust your instincts as a parent. If something feels serious, go to the ER. Our team will also refer you immediately if we determine during your visit that your child needs emergency care.

Sick or injured? Walk in to Midwest Express Clinic — pediatric urgent care, seven days a week, no appointment needed.

MEC Kids Art Room

What to Expect During a Pediatric Visit at Midwest Express Clinic

We know that bringing a sick or hurt child to any medical setting takes courage — for the child and the parent. Our team works hard to make every pediatric visit as calm, efficient, and reassuring as possible.

• Walk in or check in online — most patients are seen within 15 to 30 minutes
• A provider experienced in pediatric care will evaluate your child, review symptoms and history, and explain everything as they go
• On-site testing is available for many childhood conditions — including rapid strep, mono, and flu — so you get answers the same visit
• X-rays are available at select locations for injury evaluation; call ahead to confirm availability
• Parents or guardians are welcome in the exam room throughout the entire visit
• Prescriptions can be sent to your preferred pharmacy before you even leave the clinic

We accept most major insurance plans, including Medicaid. Self-pay pricing is available for families without coverage. Children of all ages are welcome — from newborns through high school seniors.

MEC Kids Space Room

Pediatric Urgent Care Across Chicago Neighborhoods

For Chicago families, getting to a pediatric specialist can mean navigating traffic, finding parking, and waiting weeks for an appointment. Midwest Express Clinic has walk-in locations throughout the city and surrounding suburbs so that quality pediatric care is always close to home.

Chicago neighborhood locations include Archer Heights, Belmont Cragin, Dunning, Gage Park, Garfield Ridge, Hyde Park, Lakeview, Logan Square, Mt. Greenwood, Mayfair, Portage Park, River North, Rogers Park, Roscoe Village, West Loop, and Wicker Park. Chatham and Little Village locations are coming soon.

Whether your child woke up with a sore throat before school, took a tumble at the park, or needs a sports physical before tryouts, there’s a Midwest Express Clinic nearby — open seven days a week.

Pediatric Urgent Care in Chicagoland Suburbs

Midwest Express Clinic serves families throughout the Chicagoland suburbs with convenient walk-in pediatric care. Suburban locations include Aurora, Blue Island, Bolingbrook, Bourbonnais, Burbank, Calumet Park, Carol Stream, Chicago Ridge, Cicero, Elmhurst (two locations), Evergreen Park, Lombard, Matteson, Melrose Park, Norridge, Northbrook, Oak Forest, Richton Park, River Forest, Skokie, Tinley Park (two locations), Westmont, Wheaton, and Willowbrook. A Homewood location is coming soon.

For suburban families, this means no long drive to a children’s hospital for a common ear infection, strep test, or sports physical — and no waiting for a weekday pediatrician slot when your child is sick on a Sunday.

Pediatric Urgent Care in Northwest Indiana

Midwest Express Clinic’s Northwest Indiana locations bring the same standard of pediatric walk-in care to families in the Region. Indiana locations include Cedar Lake, Crown Point (two locations), Dyer, Griffith, Hammond (two locations), Hobart, Merrillville (two locations), Michigan City, Munster, Portage, and Schererville.

Indiana families have access to the same MEC Kids pediatric services, the same seven-day-a-week walk-in model, and the same no-appointment-needed convenience as our Illinois locations.

Find your nearest Midwest Express Clinic and get your child seen today — walk-ins always welcome.

Common Childhood Conditions We Treat

Ear Infections in Children

Ear infections are among the most common reasons children visit urgent care — and they can escalate quickly from mild discomfort to significant ear pain, interrupted sleep, and fever. Our providers can evaluate both outer ear (otitis externa) and middle ear (otitis media) infections, assess severity, and prescribe treatment the same visit when appropriate.

Strep Throat

Strep throat spreads fast in schools and households — and because it’s caused by bacteria (not a virus), it requires antibiotic treatment to resolve. Midwest Express Clinic offers rapid strep testing so you can know within minutes whether your child’s sore throat is strep or a viral infection that doesn’t need antibiotics.

Fever in Children

A fever is the body’s natural response to infection, but it can be alarming — especially in young children. Our providers evaluate fever in context of the child’s age, other symptoms, and overall condition. As a general rule: fever in infants under 3 months always warrants emergency evaluation. For older children, fever alone without other concerning symptoms is typically appropriate for urgent care.

Rashes in Children

Children develop rashes from dozens of causes — viral infections, allergic reactions, heat, insect bites, eczema, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, and more. Our providers can evaluate your child’s rash, identify likely causes, and recommend appropriate treatment. If a rash is accompanied by difficulty breathing, throat swelling, or facial swelling, go to the ER immediately — these can be signs of anaphylaxis.

School, Sports & Camp Physicals

Getting your child’s physical done shouldn’t take a week of lead time. Walk-in school, sports, and camp physicals for K-12 students are available at Midwest Express Clinic for $30 — no appointment needed. Bring the required form from your school, team, or camp and most exams are completed in under an hour.

Frequently Asked Pediatric Care Questions

Your Neighborhood Pediatric Urgent Care — Open Every Day

When your child needs care, you shouldn’t have to wait until Monday morning or spend hours in a hospital ER for something a skilled team can handle close to home. Midwest Express Clinic is here for Chicago-area and Northwest Indiana families every day of the week — open, welcoming, and ready to help.

Walk in any time, or check in online to get ahead of the wait. We’ll take care of the rest.

Skip the wait — check in online at your nearest Midwest Express Clinic and bring your child in today.

This page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If your child is experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about your child’s specific symptoms or medical condition.