Save My Spot Saves the Day

It was 5 p.m. on what was shaping to be a typical Wednesday evening for busy Johnson County mom, Georgann. She had picked up her three children ages 10 months, 4 and 6, from daycare and school and was in the middle of cooking dinner when she noticed 4-year-old Maizie was coming down with something.

“She felt warm and was just not herself,” Georgeann said. “I suspected strep because of her breath and knew we needed to go to urgent care.”

Because having three young children teaches you to be an organized planner, Georgeann visited the Children’s Mercy website to check wait times at the Blue Valley Urgent Care location. She saw it would be a 75-minute wait. Just as she was doing the mental gymnastics to plan for more than an hour in a busy waiting area with two hungry children and one sick little girl, she noticed the Children’s Mercy Save My Spot online check-in feature. Using the new technology, Georgeann was able to reserve their place in line and do the “waiting” at home rather than in the waiting room.

“It was really easy. You could choose the time you wanted to come in. It’s very convenient, especially if you have a more than one child,” she said.

Just over an hour after using Save My Spot, Georgeann received a text saying Maizie was second in line. By then, she had fed everyone, grabbed everything they needed for the appointment and figured out what to do with her other children.

“I got the text 15 minutes before they were ready for us, which was exactly how much time we needed to get there. It was perfect. We waited maybe 10 minutes instead of over an hour, and didn’t have to potentially pick up other germs in the waiting area. I was able to get her in, get her out and get her medicated.”

Georgeann says she was so satisfied with the Save My Spot experience that she recommends it all her friends and would use it again … should a typical day turn upside down with a sick kiddo.

“Maizie loved it, too, even though she did have strep, because she got a Popsicle at the end!”

How it Works

Children’s Mercy offers Save My Spot at three area Urgent Care locations. The online check-in program uses Clockwise MD technology, software that’s smart-phone friendly and simple to use.

To Save Your Spot:

Check for the current estimated wait time on childrensmercy.org/urgentcare.
Select a convenient location and waiting time.
Reserve a check-in time.
Fill out a short form.
Receive a text reminder when the check-in time is near.

Beginning in February parents can also access wait times and check-in with Save My Spot using the new Children’s Mercy app. The app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.