Urgent Care vs Emergency Care

Our urgent care clinics can see you for a wide range of medical problems. It’s important that emergency conditions be seen at the emergency department. If our medical providers find you have an emergency condition, you’ll be moved to a hospital emergency room.

Urgent Medical Conditions

Urgent medical conditions require care quickly — usually within 24 hours — but aren’t life-threatening emergencies. Examples of urgent conditions include:

• Accidents, falls and moderate cuts requiring stitches
• Sprains, strains and moderate back problems
• Breathing difficulties like mild to moderate asthma
• Eye irritation and redness
• Fever, flu, severe sore throat and coughs
• Vomiting, diarrhea or dehydration
• Minor broken bones and fractures like fingers and toes
• Skin rashes and infections
• Urinary tract infections

Diagnostic and Occupational Services

Our urgent care clinics are also able to provide diagnostic tests and imaging. These services include:

• Radiology (X-rays)
• Laboratory tests, including pregnancy, strep throat, mononucleosis, blood sugar levels and hemoccult (blood in stool)
• Adult vaccinations

What isn’t appropriate for urgent care?

Our urgent care clinics are not emergency departments. Conditions that could permanently damage you or endanger your life should be seen at the emergency room.

Dial 9-1-1 immediately if you or someone near you is suffering from a life-threatening medical problem.

Examples of conditions requiring emergency care include:

• Severe chest pain or difficulty breathing
• Compound fracture (bone protrudes through skin)
• Convulsions, seizures or loss of consciousness
• Heavy and uncontrollable bleeding, deep knife wounds and gunshot wounds
• Moderate to severe burns
• Poisoning
• Serious head, neck or back injury
• Pregnancy-related problems
• Severe abdominal pain
• Signs of heart attack, including chest pain lasting longer than two minutes
• Signs of stroke like sudden numbness, weakness or slurred speech
• Suicidal or homicidal feelings