Meet Owen and Carolina

For Christine, a busy mom balancing work, family life and even running a farm, getting her kids the care they need has to be simple, fast and reliable.

So when both of her children needed care just weeks apart, the Children’s Mercy Express Care and Orthopedic Injury Clinic on Ash Avenue near Liberty, Mo., helped her family get answers quickly.

A busy family with no time to wait

Like many parents, Christine’s days are packed. Between school schedules, activities and everyday responsibilities, she’s constantly “trying to get to one place or another.” When something unexpected comes up, having quick access to care is essential.

“The ER wait can deter so many people,” Christine said. “Having that peace of mind and accessibility to get somewhere quickly is huge.”

An injury that needed specialized care

Christine’s 10-year-old son, Owen, is active and loves playing soccer, especially goalie. But after an injury at a trampoline park, he was in significant pain. She brought him to the Orthopedic Injury Clinic, where he was seen quickly and evaluated right away.

“They had the X-ray just 10 feet from his room,” Christine said. “He didn’t have to walk far at all on an injured foot.”

Within about 40 minutes, which included imaging and results, they had an answer to Owen’s pain: a cracked bone in his foot.

“It was nice knowing we were seeing an orthopedic professional who could really put the pieces together,” she said. “You might not get that same level of specialized care everywhere.”

Today, Owen is fully healed and back on the soccer field.

“He’s playing full games again and hasn’t complained of foot pain at all. He’s just happy to be back.”

Answers—and reassurance—at Express Care

Around the same time, Christine’s 7-year-old daughter, Carolina, was dealing with persistent fevers following a UTI diagnosis.

After multiple visits to urgent care, the emergency room and her pediatrician, Carolina was still sick, and Christine was still searching for answers.

“I probably would have waited longer,” she said. “But since we were already going to the facility with Owen, I decided to have her checked at Express Care too.”

That decision brought clarity. The Express Care team quickly confirmed Carolina’s UTI had cleared and identified a separate viral illness, giving Christine peace of mind and a clear path forward.

“Having that answer right away was so helpful,” she said.

1 location. 2 solutions.

What stood out most to Christine was how easy it was to navigate both visits in one stop.

On the same day, she was able to:

• Check in online with Save My Spot
• Move between the Orthopedic Injury Clinic and Express Care
• Have both children evaluated and treated efficiently

“We walked right in and had rooms right away,” she said. “We were in and out in about an hour for both visits.”

The convenience made a real difference.

“Everything was right there, which made it so easy.”

Less stress, faster answers

For Christine, the biggest impact was how much stress it removed from an already busy day.

“It made it a non-issue for our family,” she said. “It didn’t turn into a whole-day event or a headache.”

Instead of juggling multiple appointments or waiting for hours, she was able to get answers quickly and move on with her day.

“You were seen close to your time, and everything moved quickly,” she said.

Why access matters for families

Having both Express Care and the Orthopedic Injury Clinic in a single location gave Christine something especially valuable: options.

“It’s great to have different options for care in one ,” she said. “If it’s something minor, you can go to Express Care and get what you need quickly—but you also know you’re connected to the Children’s Mercy system if you need more.”

A message to other parents

Christine’s advice to other families is simple:

“Know that it’s there,” she said. “You can get quicker care, shorter waits and the answers you need faster.”

For families balancing busy schedules, that can make all the difference.

“Everything was efficient, and we got great care,” she said. “It just made things easier.”

Worried about this quote. It isn't really different levels - different types of care.