Every year, millions of Americans go to a hospital emergency room (ER) for non-emergencies like colds, minor sprains, and infections that could have been handled by visiting an urgent care facility. Let’s talk about when it’s appropriate to go to urgent care versus when you should head to the ER.
When should I go to urgent care?
If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, head to Sun River Health Urgent Care or another convenient urgent care facility:
- Cold and flu symptoms
- Strains and sprains
- Respiratory infections
- Earache
- Eye and skin infections
- Insect bites and rashes
- Migraines
- Minor cuts and wounds
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Pregnancy tests
When should I go to the ER?
If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, you should immediately call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room:
- Chest pain
- Head injury
- Broken bones
- Poison ingestion
- Trouble breathing
- Severe asthma attack
- Severe abdominal pain
- Burns or electric shock
- Uncontrollable bleeding
- Bleeding during pregnancy
- Coughing or vomiting blood
Urgent care vs the ER: What you need to know
If you are having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. But when it’s not an emergency, skip the ER wait.
Sun River Health Urgent Care offers excellent health care no matter what kind of insurance you have or what you can afford. Just walk in, including evenings and Saturdays. Our excellent urgent care team can also connect you with our primary care services for future care.
For more information on Sun River Health Urgent Care, or to find a location near you, visit sunriver.org/urgent-care/.
About Sun River Health: Sun River Health is a network of 48 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) providing primary, dental, pediatric, OB-GYN, and behavioral health care to over 250,000 patients annually. With a dedicated staff of 2,000 doctors, nurses, and health care professionals, we pride ourselves on delivering high-quality, affordable care to those who need it most. Sun River Health started in 1975 when four African American mothers started efforts to open our first health center in Peekskill, New York to deliver accessible, high-quality, affordable health care services to patients in need – no matter their race, religion, income, or insurance status. Today, after more than 45 years of service, Sun River Health is still delivering on that promise to communities across the Hudson Valley, New York City, and Long Island. For more information, visit sunriver.org
