ETSU Health Pediatrics Offering Extended Hours

From East Tennessee State University:

September 7, 2021

JOHNSON CITY – As children and teenagers return to school this fall, ETSU Health Pediatrics encourages families to schedule an annual well-child visit to update immunizations and obtain a comprehensive physical exam.

“This is a great time of the year to schedule those well visits, because as your kids get back into school, they may need a sports physical. It’s also a good time to make sure they are all caught up with their vaccines or schedule a flu shot when available this fall,” said Dr. Gayatri Jaishankar. “It also gives you an opportunity to talk to your doctor about how they can safely continue their in-person learning this school year.”

In an effort to make pediatric health care more accessible for families, ETSU Health Pediatrics will extend clinic hours. Beginning Sept. 16, the clinic will remain open until 8 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays.

It is a struggle for working parents and adolescents who often also hold a job or participate in extra-curricular activities to schedule appointments during most clinics’ normal operating hours. Extended after hours will help ease this burden for families.

“It is more important than ever for us to extend our hours in order to meet the needs of the families in our community,” Dr. Jodi Gage said. “By offering later appointment times, it will make it easier for families to stay caught up with their child’s well visits and vaccinations, while not having to miss work or school. As a working parent myself, I appreciate the need for increased accessibility for acute visits when your child happens to get sick during the day at school.”

The ETSU Health Pediatrics office is located at 325 N. State of Franklin Road, on the ground floor.

The clinic is currently welcoming new patients and accepts most major health insurance carriers. To schedule an appointment, call 423-439-7320.

With 30 clinical sites and more than 250 healthcare providers, ETSU Health is on the front lines of efforts to improve the health of Northeast Tennessee by offering leading-edge health care in dozens of specialties.

ETSU Health is the outward-facing brand that includes the pursuits of ETSU’s thriving Academic Health Science Center and the clinical components of ETSU Physicians & Associates and Northeast Tennessee Community Health Centers Inc. For more, visit ETSUHealth.org.

This press release was produced by East Tennessee State University. The views expressed are the author's own.