Samantha Barden, MD, IBCLC

Samantha Barden, MD, IBCLC, is an urgent care pediatrician and an internationally board-certified lactation consultant at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

Dr. Barden began working at CHOP in 2022. Her favorite part of working in pediatric urgent care is the wide variety of cases she sees every day.

From a young age, she has loved working with kids. “I started babysitting at 12 and teaching swimming at 16,” Dr. Barden says. “When I was 4, I told my doctor I wanted to be just like him. The day I decided to apply to medical school, I had this amazing sense that this is what I was supposed to do.”

She believes her certification as a lactation consultant brings valuable perspective to her pediatric practice. “When my son was born, I realized that residency does not fully prepare doctors to help new moms breastfeed,” she says.  “I went back and started to take more classes and went on to get my IBCLC. In urgent care that training does not get used a lot, but when a new mom comes in with questions, I love that I can help.”

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.