Urgent Care Center or Emergency Room?

Knowing the difference can save time, money, and even your life.

If you’ve suffered an accident or sustained an injury, it’s important to know that you can find medical help nearby. And with Sarasota Memorial’s seven Urgent Care Centers and four Emergency Rooms spread throughout the county, that will always be the case.

But it’s important to know the difference between an Urgent Care Center and an Emergency Room because they’re not quite the same thing.

What’s the Difference Between an Urgent Care Center and an Emergency Room?

An Urgent Care Center is an incredibly versatile facility that can provide immediate treatment for urgent but not life-threatening illnesses or injuries. And they are available for a wide variety of basic healthcare services as well. Urgent Care Centers can even conduct on-site x-rays, perform lab tests and provide immunizations.

But they do not have the life-saving equipment or surgical capabilities available in an emergency room, like those found at both Sarasota Memorial Hospital campuses, the Sarasota Memorial ER in North Port, and Sarasota Memorial's new freestanding ER facility in Lakewood Ranch.

So, if you are experiencing signs of a stroke, heart attack or other life-threatening condition, call 9-1-1 or go straight to the ER. If you’re experiencing chest pain, impaired consciousness, bleeding that won’t stop or difficulty breathing, call 9-1-1 and get to the hospital ER quickly.

For most other common medical needs, consult the list below.

 

Go to Urgent Care for non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries, such as:

• Allergies
• Animal or insect bites, including tick removal or stings from jellyfish or a stingray
• Bone fractures or simple breaks
• Bronchitis
• Congestion, nasal and chest
• Cough and cold
• Diarrhea
• Ear infection
• Fever
• Flu
• Minor burns, cuts or bleeding that may require stitches
• Pink eye
• Rashes
• Sinus infection
• Sore throat
• Sprains / strains
• Strep throat
• TB Tests
• Upper respiratory infection
• Urinary tract infections
• Vomiting that isn’t constant

For more information, visit smhurgentcare.com

Go to the Emergency Room for true medical emergencies and traumas, including:

• Heart attack symptoms: Chest pain, any suspicion of heart ailment, heart irregularity
• Stroke symptoms: Weakness on one side, tingling, numbness, facial drooping
• Abdominal pain
• Bleeding that won’t stop
• Blood in stool
• Coughing blood or vomiting blood
• Debilitating headache
• Dehydration (weakness, no longer sweating, no urination in 12 hours, confusion, dizziness, nausea)
• Falls while pregnant
• Head injuries
• High fever
• Infant care, any symptoms if patient is younger than 3 months old
• Seizures
• Severe burns / cuts / wounds
• Severe injury / trauma
• Shortness of breath / gasping / respiratory distress
• Slurred speech
• Sudden paralysis
• Vaginal bleeding with pregnancy
• Visible fracture / broken bones / dislocation
• Vomiting that won’t stop

For more information, visit smh.com/er or smh.com/trauma.

Importantly, no matter which facility you go to or how you enter the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, our staff will make sure that you receive the care you need. But you just might save yourself a little time and hassle by skipping straight to where you need to be.

For information about health insurance accepted at all SMH locations, go to smh.com/insurances

Note: You have the right to seek emergency services and care anywhere they are provided, regardless of insurance.

Written by Sarasota Memorial copywriter Philip Lederer, MA, who crafts a variety of external communications for the healthcare system. SMH’s in-house wordsmith, Lederer earned his Master’s degree in Public Administration and Political Philosophy from Morehead State University, Ky, and has never officially broken a bone.