Neighborhood Pediatric Care from Nationwide Children's: What Columbus Parents Should Know About Close To Home Centers
Nationwide Children's Hospital operates a network of outpatient pediatric health centers called Close To Home, spread across the Columbus metro area to reduce the need for families to travel to the main campus on East Broad Street for routine and specialty care.
What These Centers Actually Are
Each Close To Home location functions as a full-service pediatric outpatient facility, not a satellite urgent care or simple check-in station. Most sites offer primary care, and many carry specialty services such as behavioral health, orthopedics, cardiology, ENT, and physical therapy depending on the location. The network was built specifically around Columbus's geographic sprawl, recognizing that families in Westerville, Hilliard, Grove City, or Canal Winchester face real travel burdens when every appointment requires a trip to the Near East Side.
Locations Across the Columbus Area
Close To Home centers operate at more than a dozen sites throughout Franklin County and surrounding communities, including locations in:
- Dublin (Sawmill Road area)
- Westerville (near Polaris)
- Hilliard
- Grove City
- Canal Winchester
- Pickerington
- Lewis Center
- Gahanna
- New Albany
- Downtown Columbus / Near East Side (separate from the main hospital campus)
Each location's specialty lineup differs. The Westerville and Dublin centers tend to carry a broader range of specialty services than some of the smaller suburban sites. Before booking a specialty appointment, it's worth confirming through the Nationwide Children's website that your specific service is available at your preferred location, since not every site offers every subspecialty.
Services and What to Expect
Primary care visits at Close To Home cover well-child exams, immunizations, sick visits, and sports physicals. Specialty care varies by site but commonly includes:
- Behavioral and mental health services
- Orthopedics and sports medicine
- Audiology
- Allergy and immunology
- Developmental pediatrics
First visits follow standard pediatric practice intake: insurance verification, medical history review, and vitals before the provider comes in. For specialty referrals, families typically need a referral from their primary care physician, though Nationwide Children's can often coordinate that internally if the child's PCP is already within the system.
Appointments are required for primary care and specialty visits. Some locations offer same-day sick appointments when slots are available, accessible by calling the individual center directly or through the MyChart patient portal.
Insurance and Pricing
Nationwide Children's accepts most major insurance plans, including Medicaid and CHIP, which is significant given that a large portion of the patient population it serves in Columbus relies on public coverage. Families without insurance can request a financial assistance screening; Nationwide Children's has a published charity care program. Out-of-pocket costs for a well-child visit with insurance follow standard copay structures, typically $20 to $40 depending on the plan, though this varies widely.
How This Compares to Other Columbus Pediatric Options
The main alternative for Columbus families is private pediatric practices, many of which are affiliated with OhioHealth or operate independently. Practices like Pediatric Associates of Columbus or Central Ohio Primary Care's pediatric providers offer comparable primary care, sometimes with shorter new-patient wait times. The trade-off is that those offices generally cannot refer within a system that includes the same subspecialists and hospital, which matters when a child has a complex or ongoing condition.
For urgent but non-emergency situations, Nationwide Children's also operates Urgent Care locations (separate from Close To Home) at sites including Hilliard and Dublin, typically open until 11 p.m. Close To Home primary care should not be treated as a walk-in urgent care option.
Who These Centers Suit and Who They Don't
Close To Home works well for families who want all of their child's care, from annual checkups to specialist referrals, coordinated within one system with shared records. It's especially practical for families whose children have chronic conditions, developmental concerns, or ongoing specialist needs, because the referral pathway stays internal.
These centers are less ideal for families who need same-day walk-in sick care without an appointment, or for adults who need care alongside their children. Nationwide Children's serves patients up to age 18 (and in some cases up to 21 for established patients with certain conditions).
Practical Notes on Hours and Booking
Hours vary by location. Most Close To Home primary care sites operate Monday through Friday with some Saturday morning availability. Specialty clinics often run on more limited schedules. The Nationwide Children's website lists current hours by location, and the MyChart portal allows online scheduling for established patients. New patients can call the central scheduling line at 614-722-KIDS (614-722-5437) to find the right site and provider.
Parking at suburban Close To Home locations is generally free with dedicated lots. The Dublin and Westerville sites in particular have straightforward suburban parking without the constraints of the main hospital campus.
