Pediatric emergencies do not wait for regular office hours, and neither does Priority Emergency Center. When your child is sick or hurt, you need a team that treats children differently from adults, not just a smaller version of the same care.
Located at 3563 Far West Blvd in Austin, TX, Priority Emergency Center is a fully licensed freestanding emergency room open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Below is a closer look at what actually happens when you bring your child through our doors, and why so many Austin families choose us over urgent care or a crowded hospital ER.
Why Children Cannot Be Treated Like Small Adults
A child’s body responds to illness and injury in ways that are not the same as an adult’s. Fevers spike faster, dehydration sets in sooner, and warning signs can be easy to miss if a provider is not specifically trained to look for them.
That is exactly why our physicians approach every pediatric case with a different mindset. We are not guessing based on adult symptoms scaled down. We are trained to recognize how emergencies present in infants, toddlers, and teenagers, each of which can look completely different from one another.
Board Certified Physicians Who Treat Every Age Group
Every child who walks into Priority Emergency Center is seen by a board-certified emergency medicine physician, not a rotating resident or a physician assistant working alone. Our doctors have experience managing pediatric emergencies across every age group, from newborns to teens.
This matters because pediatric cases require quick judgment calls. A physician who regularly treats children can spot the difference between a fever that needs monitoring and one that signals something more serious, often within minutes of walking into the room.
On-Site Testing Built for Smaller Bodies
One of the biggest advantages of coming to a freestanding ER like ours is that we do not have to send your child somewhere else for imaging or lab work. Our facility has on-site X-ray, CT, ultrasound, and a full laboratory, all available the moment your child needs them.
Urgent care clinics typically cannot offer this level of diagnostic testing. That gap can mean hours of delay for a child with a suspected fracture, appendicitis, or a head injury, time that genuinely matters when a young patient is in pain.
Zero Wait Time for Kids Who Cannot Wait
A child in distress should never sit in a crowded waiting room. At Priority Emergency Center, there is no triage line and no long hold before a doctor sees your child. Our team responds the moment you walk in, at any hour, day or night.
This is one of the clearest differences between a freestanding ER and a hospital emergency department. Hospital ERs often prioritize based on a packed queue of unrelated cases. Ours is built so your child gets seen right away, whether it is 2 in the afternoon or 3 in the morning.
A Calm, Child-Friendly Environment
Fear can make an already stressful moment worse for a child. Our staff takes the time to explain what is happening in simple terms your child can understand, and we keep both you and your child informed at every step of the visit.
We also understand that parents need reassurance just as much as their kids do. Our team walks you through each test, each result, and each next step so nothing feels confusing or rushed.
What This Looks Like in Practice
A calm environment is not just about a friendly waiting area. It means a nurse explaining why an X-ray is needed before taking the picture. It means a physician getting down to a child’s eye level instead of talking over their head. Small moments like these change how a child remembers an emergency room visit.
Pediatric Conditions We Treat Most Often
Our emergency team sees the full range of pediatric emergencies, including:
- High fever, especially in infants under 3 months old
- Asthma attacks and breathing difficulties
- Bone fractures and sports injuries
- Severe allergic reactions
- Head injuries and concussions
- Dehydration from vomiting or diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Deep cuts and lacerations
- Seizures
If your child shows any of these signs, do not wait to see if symptoms improve on their own. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends seeking emergency care right away for high fever in very young infants, difficulty breathing, or any loss of consciousness.
ER or Urgent Care? Knowing Where to Take Your Child
Not every childhood illness needs an emergency room visit, and we would never tell a parent otherwise. But some symptoms cross a line that urgent care simply is not equipped to handle.
Take your child to an emergency room, not urgent care, for high fever in infants, seizures, labored breathing, severe dehydration, loss of consciousness, or a fracture with visible deformity. Our full breakdown of ER versus urgent care covers this in more detail if you want to read further.
If your child’s symptoms come up outside normal business hours, our guide on after-hours urgent care in Austin explains why a freestanding ER is often the safer choice once regular clinics are closed.
What to Bring When You Come In
Walking in prepared can save time once you arrive. It helps to bring:
- A valid photo ID
- Your insurance card or a payment method
- A list of your child’s current medications
- Any known allergies
- Prior test results or medical records, if you have them
No appointment is ever needed. You can walk in at any hour, and our team will begin assessing your child right away.
Visit Priority Emergency Center in Austin, TX
Priority Emergency Center is located at 3563 Far West Blvd, Suite 110, Austin, TX 78731, serving families across Northwest Austin, Allandale, Rosedale, and the Arboretum area. We accept most major insurance plans and offer transparent self-pay pricing for families without coverage.
Call us anytime at (737) 423-2300 if you are unsure whether your child needs emergency care. We would rather answer a quick question than have you second-guess a real emergency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Priority Emergency Center treat infants?
Yes. We treat patients of every age, from newborns through teenagers, for the full range of pediatric emergencies.
Do I need an appointment for my child?
No. You can walk in at any hour of the day or night. Our team will assess your child immediately.
Is a freestanding ER as capable as a hospital ER for children?
Yes. Priority Emergency Center offers the same on-site imaging, lab testing, and board-certified physicians you would find at a hospital emergency department, without the long hospital wait.
What should I do if my infant has a fever?
Any rectal temperature above 100.4°F in an infant under 3 months old needs immediate emergency evaluation. Do not wait to see if it improves.
If your child needs emergency care right now, walk into Priority Emergency Center at 3563 Far West Blvd, Austin, TX, or call (737) 423-2300. We are open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
