Pediatric Urgent Care
Walk-in care for kids of all ages — fevers, ear infections, sports injuries, rashes, and everything in between. No appointment needed, seven days a week.
Walk-In Care When Your Pediatrician Can't Fit You In
Kids get sick at the worst times — Sunday afternoons, late evenings, the day before a big game. When your pediatrician's office is closed or fully booked for the next two weeks, Sage Urgent Care is here. We treat children of all ages with the same care, attention, and urgency we'd want for our own family.
Our providers are experienced with pediatric patients. We talk to your child at their level, explain what we're doing, and try to make a stressful situation feel manageable. Most visits take 30–45 minutes, and you'll leave with a clear diagnosis, a treatment plan, and any prescriptions sent to your pharmacy.
We're staffed seven days a week from 8 AM to 8 PM, so whether it's a 2 PM Saturday ear infection or a 7 PM weeknight fever that won't quit, you can walk in and be seen.
Common Pediatric Conditions We Treat
We handle the full range of non-emergency pediatric concerns. If you're not sure whether to bring your child in, call us at (908) 363-0378 — we can usually help you decide.
Fevers & flu-like illness
Fever evaluation, rapid flu and COVID tests, and treatment for influenza, RSV, and other viral illnesses.
Ear infections
Examination, diagnosis, and antibiotics if needed. Most kids feel relief within 24–48 hours of starting treatment.
Sore throats & strep
Rapid strep tests with results in 5–10 minutes. If positive, we send antibiotics to your pharmacy same visit.
Coughs & respiratory illness
Bronchitis, croup, RSV, and persistent coughs. Nebulizer treatments available on site for kids with asthma flares.
Rashes & skin issues
Eczema flares, hives, contact dermatitis, impetigo, ringworm, poison ivy, and unidentified rashes.
Vomiting & diarrhea
Stomach bugs, suspected food poisoning, and dehydration. We can give anti-nausea medication and IV fluids if needed.
Sports injuries
Sprains, strains, jammed fingers, and suspected fractures. On-site X-ray means we can diagnose and treat in one visit.
Cuts & minor injuries
Wound cleaning, stitches, splinter removal, animal and insect bites, minor burns, and minor head injuries.
Allergic reactions
Hives, mild allergic reactions, and bee/insect stings. For severe reactions or trouble breathing, call 911.
Urgent Care vs. ER: When to Go Where
Knowing the difference can save you hours and hundreds of dollars. Here's a practical guide for parents:
Bring your child to urgent care for:
- Fevers (in children over 3 months) without other severe symptoms
- Ear pain, sore throats, persistent cough
- Vomiting and diarrhea (without severe dehydration)
- Mild asthma flares responsive to inhaler
- Minor cuts, bruises, sprains, and suspected simple fractures
- Rashes (without breathing trouble)
- Pink eye, ear wax impaction, swimmer's ear
- Mild allergic reactions, bug bites, poison ivy
- Sports injuries (jammed fingers, twisted ankles, minor head bumps)
- Sports physicals, school physicals, camp forms
Go to the ER (or call 911) for:
- Trouble breathing or wheezing not responding to inhaler
- Fever in babies under 3 months (any temperature over 100.4°F)
- Severe allergic reaction (face/throat swelling, severe hives, difficulty breathing)
- Severe head injury, loss of consciousness, or persistent vomiting after a head bump
- Seizures or any unusual loss of awareness
- Suspected broken bone with visible deformity or bone breaking through skin
- Severe, persistent abdominal pain
- Severe dehydration (no urination for 8+ hours, lethargy, sunken eyes)
- Significant cuts that won't stop bleeding after 10–15 minutes of pressure
- Any time your child is unresponsive, extremely lethargic, or you feel something is seriously wrong
When in doubt, call us first. A quick phone call to (908) 363-0378 can save you a wasted ER trip — or get you to the ER faster when needed. We're happy to help you decide.
What Parents Need to Know
What to bring
- Your photo ID (parent/guardian) and the child's insurance card
- The child's vaccination record, especially if shots may be needed or for school forms
- Current medications and dosages (a phone photo of bottles works)
- Known allergies — drug allergies, food allergies, environmental
- Any forms that need to be filled out (school physical, camp medical, return-to-school note)
- The child's inhaler if they have asthma
If a non-parent is bringing the child
If a grandparent, babysitter, or other caregiver is bringing your child, they'll need a signed consent letter from you authorizing treatment. The letter should include the child's full name and date of birth, the caregiver's full name, what treatment is authorized, and your signature with the date. Call us at (908) 363-0378 ahead of time and we can email a consent form template, or accept a handwritten letter at check-in.
Insurance and cost
We accept most major insurance plans (Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Horizon NJ, United, Medicaid, and others). Most pediatric urgent care visits are covered with a standard urgent care copay. If you don't have insurance, our self-pay rate is $150–$200 for a typical visit. Sports physicals are $50, vaccines start at $35.
X-rays and pediatric safety
If your child needs an X-ray, we use the lowest effective radiation dose with appropriate protective shielding. Our digital X-ray system delivers significantly less radiation than older film systems. Your provider will discuss any imaging with you before we do it, and we only X-ray when there's a clear medical reason.
Records and your pediatrician
With your permission, we'll send a copy of your child's visit summary to their primary pediatrician — usually within one business day. This keeps your child's record complete and ensures everyone treating them has the full picture.
Tips to Make the Visit Easier on Your Child
An urgent care visit can be intimidating for kids. A few things can make it go more smoothly:
- Be honest but reassuring. Tell your child where you're going and why. Avoid surprises ("we're going to the doctor") that can feel like a betrayal when they realize what's happening.
- Bring a comfort item. A favorite stuffed animal, blanket, or small toy gives them something to hold during the exam.
- Pack a snack or drink if their illness allows it — wait times are usually short, but having something on hand helps if they get hungry.
- For older kids, give them a job. Asking them to "help you remember what hurts" or "tell the doctor about it yourself" puts them in control.
- Stay calm yourself. Kids read parents' anxiety. If you're calm and matter-of-fact, they're more likely to be too.
- Promise something small for after. A trip to the playground, ice cream, or just lots of cuddles on the couch — having a "reward" to look forward to helps.
Our staff is used to wiggly toddlers, scared kindergarteners, and stoic teenagers. We'll meet your child where they are and do our best to make the visit as easy as possible.
Pediatric Urgent Care FAQs
Quick answers from parents who've been here before.
Yes — we see infants 3 months and older for non-emergency concerns like coughs, mild fevers, ear pulling, rashes, and feeding issues. For babies under 3 months with any fever (over 100.4°F), please go directly to a pediatric ER — fevers in newborns require immediate evaluation that's beyond what an urgent care can provide.
Urgent care is right for fevers in children over 3 months, ear pain, sore throats, coughs, vomiting/diarrhea without severe dehydration, mild asthma flares, sprains, suspected simple fractures, rashes, and minor cuts. Go to the ER for trouble breathing not responding to inhaler, fever in babies under 3 months, severe allergic reactions, severe head injuries, seizures, or anything where you feel something is seriously wrong. When in doubt, call us at (908) 363-0378 — we can help you decide quickly.
No appointment needed. Sage Urgent Care is walk-in, seven days a week, from 8 AM to 8 PM. Just bring your child in and we'll see you. Call ahead to (908) 363-0378 if you'd like to check current wait times.
Bring your photo ID, your child's insurance card, their vaccination record (especially if shots may be needed or you're getting a school form filled out), a list of current medications and allergies, any forms that need filling out, and their inhaler if they have asthma. A phone photo of medication bottles is fine — you don't need to bring the bottles themselves.
Yes — but the caregiver will need a signed consent letter from a parent or legal guardian authorizing treatment. The letter should include the child's full name and date of birth, the caregiver's full name, what treatment is authorized, and a parent's signature with the date. Call (908) 363-0378 ahead of time and we can email a consent template, or accept a handwritten letter at check-in.
Yes. We do walk-in school physicals, sports physicals (including NJSIAA forms), and camp medical forms, seven days a week. Most physicals take under 30 minutes and we complete the forms during the visit so you leave with everything signed.
Only if there's a clear medical reason — we don't X-ray children unless we need imaging to make a diagnosis. When we do, our digital X-ray system uses the lowest effective radiation dose, and we apply protective shielding for pediatric patients. Your provider will explain why imaging is needed and answer any questions before we proceed.
Yes — we can administer most routine and travel vaccines for children, as well as a tetanus booster after a cut or animal bite. Bring the vaccination record so we know what's already been done. For a complete pediatric immunization schedule, your child's pediatrician is the best long-term home; we're happy to coordinate or fill in gaps as needed.
Wait times do increase during peak respiratory illness season (typically November through February), but we staff up to keep most visits under an hour from check-in to walking out. Call (908) 363-0378 before coming in if you'd like a current estimate. Mornings and early afternoons tend to be less busy than evenings.
Yes — with your permission, we send a copy of your child's visit summary to their primary pediatrician, usually within one business day. This keeps your child's record complete and ensures everyone treating them has the full picture.
Related care at Sage
Other services frequently used by families visiting Sage:
Walk in today — we're ready to see you
No appointment needed. Stop by our Berkeley Heights location any day from 8 AM to 8 PM, or call ahead with questions about your child's symptoms.
Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
Authoritative sources: AAP: HealthyChildren.org, CDC: Children's Vaccines.
Walk-In Urgent Care Serving Union County, NJ
Sage Urgent Care provides walk-in medical care for Berkeley Heights, Summit, New Providence, Murray Hill, Chatham, Springfield, Mountainside, Watchung, Stirling, Gillette, Warren, Scotch Plains, Westfield, Millburn, Short Hills, and surrounding Union County, Somerset County, and Morris County communities. Walk in 7 days a week, 8 AM to 8 PM — no appointment needed.