St. Louis Children’s Hospital offers outpatient services in multiple locations, including the main campus and Specialty Care Center - West County.

Whether you’re coming to us for an office visit or a test or procedure, we want you and your child to be prepared. We encourage you to ask any questions you may have.

For tests or procedures:

After your primary care physician sends us a referral, a staff member from St. Louis Children’s Hospital will contact you about:

  • Scheduling the test or procedure

  • Specific information about the test or procedure

What to Bring to an Outpatient Visit

  • Insurance card (private, Medicare or Medicaid). 

  • Pharmacy card, if separate from insurance card.

  • Valid government-issued photo identification (e.g., driver's license, passport, etc.) for the patient’s parent or guardian.

  • List or photos of medications your child takes with the dosage amounts and how often your child takes them.

  • List of your child’s food or medicine allergies.

  • Your and your child’s questions; as part of patient- and family-centered care, we encourage you and your child to become active members of the health care team.

Please bring this information to any of the following:

Preparing Your Child for an Outpatient Procedure

Visiting the hospital can be stressful for your child — especially if he or she is having a test or procedure. Review the list of tips below and have your child watch this video that gives a first-hand account of what to expect when coming for an outpatient visit.

These tips can help you prepare your child for what to expect:

  • When to talk to your child about an upcoming test or procedure depends on your child’s age. Visit our Preparing Your Child for a Hospital Stay page for age-appropriate tips on when to talk to your child.  

  • Speak in simple terms about your child’s procedure.

  • Be honest about what your child may experience, including shots or other potentially painful aspects of a visit or procedure. It may help to know that our staff use distraction techniques during potentially painful procedures.

  • Encourage your child to ask questions: It will give you a better idea what he or she is concerned about and how to address any concerns.

  • If your child is having a test or procedure at the Ambulatory Procedure Center, watch the Visiting the Ambulatory Procedure Center video with your child.

For Help During an Outpatient Procedure

  • During outpatient tests or procedures, child life specialists  may be available to help minimize anxiety and your child have a positive experience.

  • Please note: Child life specialists are not available for office or clinic visits.

Visiting St. Louis Children’s Hospital

For information about parking or to see a virtual tour, go to our Visit Us page.

Visit our offsite services page to see additional locations where some of our outpatient procedures can be performed. Ask your physician for more details.