Know Your Options

Emergency, Urgent, or Virtual Care?

How to choose the right site of care. When you or a loved one has a medical emergency or serious issue that requires prompt care, choosing how and where to seek help can be confusing.

Emergency Room

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When your child has a serious illness or injury. If the illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911 right away.

Visit For

  • If your child's illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.
  • Severe abdominal pain, bleeding or chest pain
  • Choking
  • Severe allergic reactions
  • Severe burns
  • Severe fractures and broken bones
  • Unconsciousness/inability to awaken
  • Vomiting or coughing blood
  • Pregnancy complications

Advantages

  • Offers the highest level of emergency care for life-threatening conditions

Considerations

  • Patients typically pay more out of pocket for ER services than other types of emergency care.
  • May face long waits and risk exposure to other sick people in the waiting room.

Urgent Care

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When your child has an illness or injury that is not a medical emergency or life-threatening, and you cannot get into your primary care provider.

Visit For

  • Common illness (cold & flu)
  • Ear aches
  • Fever
  • Nausea and Vomiting
  • Non-severe allergies and hives
  • Headaches and migraines
  • Minor sprains, burns, cuts or rashes

Advantages

  • Can treat common conditions such as the flu, UTIs, minor cuts, sprains, bruises, and animal bites.
  • Many are open for extended hours and offer X-rays and lab work onsite.
  • If you don't need an ER, urgent care centers can save you money and time.
  • Wait times are typically shorter than in the ER.

Considerations

  • Urgent Care does not provide ultrasounds, CT scans or MRI studies. If your child needs one, they will be transferred to the Emergency Department.

Providers

Virtual Care

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If you or a loved one are experiencing a mild health concern, and your PCP isn't available for an appointment, telemedicine is another alternative.

Visit For

  • Fever
  • Nausea and Vomiting
  • Non-severe allergies and hives
  • Headaches and migraines
  • Minor sprains, burns or rashes

Advantages

  • An option for non-emergency conditions like colds, flu, and coughs.

Considerations

  • The medical professional must make a diagnosis without being able to conduct a thorough physical examination.

Providers

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I take my child to the emergency room?

Take your child to the ER for life-threatening conditions including severe abdominal pain, bleeding, chest pain, choking, severe allergic reactions, severe burns, fractures, unconsciousness, vomiting blood, or pregnancy complications. If the illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911 immediately.

When should I use urgent care instead of the ER?

Use urgent care for non-life-threatening conditions like common illnesses (cold, flu), earaches, fever, nausea, non-severe allergies, headaches, and minor sprains, burns, cuts, or rashes. Urgent care centers typically have shorter wait times and lower costs than emergency rooms.

When is virtual care appropriate?

Virtual care (telemedicine) is appropriate for non-emergency conditions like colds, flu, coughs, fever, nausea, non-severe allergies, headaches, and minor rashes. It provides convenient access to healthcare without leaving home.

Need Non-Emergency Care?

For non-emergency health concerns, schedule an appointment with Dr. Read at Dynamic Natural Medicine.

Schedule an Appointment