A Kootenai County pediatric institution is using its three locations as an advantage to treat young patients during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are currently asked by the Centers for Disease Control not to see patients who have a fever or a cough,” said Connie Moering, administrator for Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics. “That’s very hard for us right now, because some of our patients are sick and need care.”

Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics — along with most other health care providers — is walking a tightrope with a fragile population: children and their parents.

“We had a brainstorming session last week,” Moering said, “and we decided to establish two wellness centers. In an effort to keep patients and parents away from [infection], we thought, ‘Let’s keep families safe while still treating our patients.’”

Starting Wednesday, under the provider’s new structure, the Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene branches will see children with regularly-scheduled appointments for matters such as wellness check-ups, medication checks, and bumps and bruises.

The Hayden location on Hess Street will keep its lobby closed. Doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners and staff are rallying in heated trailers for a drive-thru clinic behind the building. There, they will see patients who fall ill to common ailments.

Dr. Duane Craddock, pediatrician at Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics, said the outdoor treatment environment was one he and the staff are adapting to.

He said he and the staff outside are prepared to operate almost as if the new environment was business as usual.

He said they are running labs and tests as needed.

“We’re evaluating to see if people need COVID testing,” Craddock said.

That last test, he emphasized, was a particularly dicey subject.

“We’re trying to conserve our tests because we don’t have a plethora of tests, and so we’re trying to be wise about who gets appropriate testing, and then who gets tested for the other illnesses that are still prevalent in our community,” he said.

It’s another balancing act, Craddock said, that requires experience.

“A lot of times, they might need a medical provider to help them out, so the nurses will triage to see what’s going on, and then we help evaluate what needs to get tested,” he said.

Jeanna Padilla, a nurse practitioner at Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics, explained the set-up that was reminiscent of a 1950s drive-in.

“I think it’s set up so we have a really good process in place for our nurses to triage,” she said.

People can drive up to the front and check in.

“We talk to mom or dad, and the child stays in the car the whole time,” she said.

Moering said the system was a necessary step to provide care to their patients while still following the CDC mandate. She said Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics prefers a scheduled appointment but is able to see unscheduled drive-up traffic.

“It’s not fancy,” she said, “but we hope it’ll give our patients and their parents some peace of mind.”