It is an unfortunate truth that every day, Americans will become injured, ill, or otherwise suffer medical conditions that call for visiting 24 hour emergency care at the hospital, an urgent care center, or any other clinic in their hometown or city from time to time. Sometimes, finding these places means searching “24 hour emergency room near me” into a smart phone or computer to get the address and name of a local 24 hour urgent care location or an ER, and acting fast can save lives. Knowing which types of medical facility to visit is also important, since emergency care and urgent care are two distinct services, and different maladies necessitate visiting one over the other. There may also be the option of retail clinics for those needing medicine or those who have minor problems like a persistent rash or a case of the flu. Searching “24 hour emergency room near me” or “after hours medical care nearby” is just the start. Knowing what to look for and what services can be expected is also important.
The ER
For the most serious and life-threatening medical conditions, it will be necessary to visit a hospital’s ER, the emergency room, and getting the name and address of a nearby hospital will be critical for getting a patient there on time. Searching “24 hour emergency room near me” can help with that, for someone who is badly injured at any time of day. One thing to note, however, is that not just anyone should visit an emergency room; this care facility is for those with life-threatening and very serious injuries or illnesses, and patients with more mild conditions are best off going to an urgent care center instead, both to save money and to make room in the ER for those who need it most. In fact, it has been determined that anywhere from 44% to 65% of ER episodes could have been handled at an urgent care center instead.
What does necessitate a visit to the ER? Serious bodily trauma such as broken arms or legs, serious chest pain (that could indicate an upcoming heart attack), bullet wounds, stab wounds, eye wounds, difficulty breathing, a stroke, and any head wound. The staff at an emergency room will have the training and equipment needed to stabilize a patient and keep them out of harm’s way, and begin treatment for whatever conditions or illness they have. Hospitals accept various health insurance names for medical billing purposes.
An Urgent Clinic
Searching “24 hour emergency room near me” is best for a life-threatening conditions, and for more minor wounds or illnesses, a person is best off visiting an urgent care center, which are numerous across the country and are faster to visit and are more affordable than an emergency room. In fact, if a clinic is running smoothly, it may see up to three patients per hour, and wait times for patients is often as short as 15 minutes. Not all such clinics are open 24 hours a day or seven days a week, but many are, and a person who needs to visit such a clinic can carry out an online search such as “24 hour urgent care near me” to find such a place. These clinics are often independent or belong to very small networks, and will have staffs of nurse practitioners and physicians on hand, along with the right medical tools for minor wounds and health issues.
If broken bones and heart attacks are treated at the ER, what is treated at an urgent clinic? Many ailments can be treated here, starting with the common cold and flu viruses, food poisoning and allergies, rashes, broken fingers and toes, cuts that require stitches, or upper respiratory problems. These clinics can also refill or prescribe drug prescriptions as needed, and will include a pharmacy. Such clinics may be stand-alone buildings with their own campus, while others are what is known as retail clinics. These clinics are built into large retail chains like Target, Wal-Mart, and Walgreens, and this makes them easy to find and get parking for, since these retailers make themselves easy to find and access for shoppers. These clinics can often involve a pharmacy for filling out drug prescriptions, among other services that a clinic carries out.
