Emergency Room, Urgent Care Center, or Primary Care Office?
Choosing the level of care you need when you are sick or injured isn’t always clear. Understanding the types of services provided in emergency rooms, at urgent care centers, and at your doctor’s office can help you decide where to go.
Emergency Rooms
If you feel you have a medical emergency, call 911.
Medical emergencies are life-threatening, alarming situations that need immediate attention in a hospital setting. Examples include but are not limited to:
- Heart attack symptoms
- Stroke symptoms
- Trouble breathing
- Severe allergic reaction
- Severe abdominal pain
- Uncontrollable bleeding
- High and uncontrollable fever
- Uncontrollable vomiting
- Severe dehydration
- Broken bones
- Severe burn
- Poisoning
- Sudden dizziness or confusion
- Unconsciousness
- Severe headache
- Head trauma
- Overdose
- Electric shock
- First-time seizure
- Vaginal bleeding and/or abdominal pain during pregnancy
If you're unsure, listen to your body, and consider how severe your symptoms are. If you believe it’s an emergency, call 911 or go to the ER.
Urgent Care Centers
Like ERs, urgent care centers often are available when your regular doctor’s office is not. And, like ERs, urgent care centers typically offer on-site X-ray and lab services. However, they are not staffed or equipped to provide care for emergencies like those listed above. Use urgent care when you need treatment quickly but know your situation is not a medical emergency. Examples of urgent medical needs include but are not limited to:
- Sprains and strains
- Low-grade fever
- Colds and general allergy symptoms
- Mild flu (no emergency symptoms)
- Sore throat
- Sinus and ear pain
- Minor infection
- Minor cuts needing stitches
- Painful urination
- Minor rash
Primary Care Offices
Your primary care provider (PCP) wants to know you and your medical history to help coordinate your care – unlike a single visit to an ER or urgent care center. So, if your medical situation is not life-threatening, and if you do not need immediate care, make an appointment to see a PCP. That doesn’t mean you have to wait long. Many of our PCPs offer same-day appointments and welcome walk-ins.
Find a PCP
Find an Urgent Care Center
Find our ER