With the increase in illnesses this season, we have had unprecedented call volumes in our offices this fall.  In addition, we continue to experience many staffing shortages that have stretched our tireless team thin on many days.  We know that it is never fun to wait on hold, and long hold times can feel impossible when you are with a sick child, which has caused many of our families to be frustrated and disappointed.  We are working diligently to train new staff members joining us to help get to you quicker, our doctors are digging deep to come in for extra hours and see sick children we are concerned about, and lastly we are finalizing a change in our phone system.  In our new model, we will have 30 call spots waiting in order to talk to one of our nurses.  After that during our busiest times during the week day, rather than having to wait on hold, you will be directed to leave a message.  This way other staff members can help get your message directly to a nurse who is available within the next few hours, freeing you up to see to your sick child.  As a reminder, the portal is not only a convenient way for you to make non-urgent requests or ask questions that can wait a day or two, it also allows the nurses to focus on worried families during the busiest times.  When you click on our patient portal from the website, first select “view your health record.”  Then I suggest selecting the option “using mobile phone” which makes it easy to not have to remember a password.  A security code will get sent to a phone number that is on file.  If you are having difficulty with accessing the portal, our receptionists are able to help!  Again we are extremely sorry for the stress that our phones have caused, and appreciate your patience while we work to make improvements.