How a new pediatric urgent care is expected to address the mental health needs of local youth

By Evan Dawson,

Published May 16, 2024 at 3:36 PM EDT

Four smiling people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: A woman front left has shoulder-length dirty blonde hair and is wearing glasses and a grey top; a woman front right has short dark curly hair and is wearing glasses and a black and white striped dress; a man back left has short brown hair, a brown beard and mustache, and is wearing glasses and a blue polo shirt; a woman front right has long brown hair and is wearing a blue floral blouse and light blue sweater — (foreground) Kelly Spahr, Linda Alpert-Gillis, (background) Michael Scharf, and McKenzie Smallcomb on "Connections"

A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.

Beginning this summer, families in upstate New York will have access to a pediatric urgent care center focused on mental health.

Brighter Days Pediatric Urgent Care opens in mid-July as the first of its kind in the region. The clinic is available to young people up to the age of 18, with no appointment required. The center also has access to a vehicle designated for children who do not have reliable transportation, but need care at the clinic.

This hour, we’re joined by medical professionals and mental health advocates to discuss the new center, what it will offer, and the impact it’s expected to have on serving the mental health needs of young people in the region. Our guests:

Michael Scharf, M.D., Mark and Maureen Davitt Distinguished Professor in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center
Linda Alpert-Gillis, Ph.D., director of UR Medicine: Pediatric Behavioral Health & Wellness Outpatient Services and the Laboratory of Innovation in Child Mental Health Care Delivery
McKenzie Smallcomb, LMHC, clinical coordinator at Brighter Days Pediatric Urgent Care
Rev. Kelly Spahr, mental health advocate