Jennifer Gittleman, DO

Jennifer Gittleman, DO, is an urgent care pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

Dr. Gittleman joined CHOP urgent care in 2020. What she finds most meaningful about working in urgent care is “providing a high level of service when patients need me, without them having to visit an emergency room.”

“I've wanted to be a pediatrician for as long as I could remember,” she says. “Every single night I’d ask my parents to read me ‘Farley Goes to the Doctor,’ by Emily Kingsley,” in which a doctor “checks” Farley's teddy bear to put the child at ease. Talking about the book’s influence on her work, Dr. Gittleman says, “Soothing a young child's fears is one of the most professionally satisfying aspects of my job.”

CHOP’s pediatric Urgent Care Centers provide fast, convenient care for children and teens with non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries. Typically, these are situations when your child can’t wait until the pediatrician’s office is open, but they don’t need the resources of an emergency department (ED). Urgent Care Centers are staffed by board-certified pediatricians and pediatric nurses with expertise in caring for children with urgent healthcare needs. The facilities offer onsite X-rays and testing to help with fast diagnosis and treatment plans.

Learn about the difference between urgent care and ER services, when to choose each and how to find a pediatric Urgent Care location near you.