Pediatric emergency room at Methodist Children's Hospital

Our pediatric ER in San Antonio is ready to care for your child, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our physicians are board-certified in pediatric emergency medicine, and our staff consists of specially trained and experienced pediatric registered nurses, who are also certified in pediatric advanced life support (PALS).

If you believe your child needs immediate attention and you have concerns about a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

Your Safety is our Priority

At Methodist Children’s Hospital, we are focused on providing our community the care they need in a safe environment. That’s why our team has continuously enhanced safety measures and protocols for patients, visitors, physicians and staff.

Our COVID-19 safety enhancements

Emergency Room Safety Enhancements at Methodist Children's Hospital

When should you bring your child to the ER?

At Methodist Children's Hospital, we are equipped to provide emergency pediatric care for a wide range of conditions and injuries. We recommend that you seek emergency care immediately if your child is experiencing any of these conditions:

  • Unresponsiveness
  • Breathing troubles
  • Difficulty speaking or slurred speech
  • Serious head injury
  • Body numbness, tingling or weakness
  • Broken bones
  • Burns
  • Dangerous or toxic ingestion
  • Fever
    • 3 months old and younger: Any temperature greater than 100.4°F
    • 3 to 6 months old: Oral temperature greater than 102°F
    • 6 to 24 months old: Oral temperature greater 102°F lasting more than one day
    • 2 to 17 years old: Oral temperature greater than 102°F and one or more of these factors:
      • Seems unusually irritable, lethargic and uncomfortable
      • Lasts longer than three days
      • Doesn't respond to medication

Region’s first sensory-friendly pediatric ER

The emergency room at Methodist Children’s Hospital is fully equipped to care for children with sensory needs. With a customizable approach to care, our specially trained staff provides a safer hospital experience for your child.

Services include:

  • Sensory-trained ER nurses and Certified Child Life Specialists at the bedside
  • Specially designed treatment rooms equipped with dimmable lights and additional upgrades to promote calmness
  • A menu of more than 20 sensory-friendly items, customizable for each patient’s specific sensory need

Please let us know if your child can benefit from this program by notifying the nurse at check-in.

Call-A-Nurse Hotline

Nurses representing Methodist Children’s Hospital are standing by to personally assist you with medical advice concerning your child when they are sick. If your child is having a non-life-threatening emergency and you do not need to call 911, you can call Call-A-Nurse for the appropriate advice.

Call-A-Nurse at (210) 226-8773 to speak to a nurse in the South Texas area.

Our freestanding ER locations

At Methodist Children's Hospital, our goal is to provide safe and convenient emergency care for our community. In addition to our main hospital ER, we have free-standing emergency rooms located throughout our community to help provide the emergency care you need, close to home.

What to expect at the pediatric ER

When you and your child arrive at the pediatric ER, a triage nurse will assess your child’s illness or injury. You will then be asked to have a seat in our child-friendly waiting area until we are ready to see your child. Our emergency room has translation services available for anyone who does not speak English.

Please know that we will always attend to your child as quickly as we can, but if another child arrives after your child and is experiencing a more dangerous or threatening illness or injury, our care team will need to see this child before yours. Even if the waiting room is empty, you may experience a wait if the exam rooms are full or many doctors and nurses are attending to a particularly serious case.

Our care team will ask a series of questions based on your child’s needs. A series of tests may need to be administered to determine the best course of care.

Methodist Children's Emergency Room photos

Methodist Children's Hospital Pictures


Methodist Children's Entrance Interior

Methodist Children's Check In

Cost of emergency pediatric care

The cost associated with an ER visit can be higher than a visit to an urgent care clinic or your child’s pediatrician because the ER is home to a much larger care team and the most advanced, life-saving medical technology.

It also helps to be aware of your insurance benefits. If you are unsure, call your insurance company and speak with a representative who should be able to explain your benefits, costs and copays. We offer a patient financial resource to help estimate pricing for hospital services.

Visiting our children’s ER

We are located on the first floor of the children's tower and offer a drive-up valet service. While most visitors choose our free valet service, you may also park in one of our parking garages. Be sure to bring a list of medications your child is currently taking with you to the ER.