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Urgent Care vs. Emergency Care: What You Need to Know

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Find a St. Luke's Urgent Care or Emergency Department location near you.

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St. Luke’s Urgent Care and Walk-in Clinics provide medical treatment of illnesses or injuries that require immediate attention but are not life-threatening. Patients who can’t get in immediately to see their primary care doctor, don’t have a doctor, or are visiting from out of town can walk in for medical care and avoid a trip to the emergency department.

To receive the most appropriate medical care, it’s important to know the difference between urgency and emergency.

Urgent Care

Choose Urgent Care when your condition requires immediate attention but is not life-threatening, such as:

  • Fever
  • Ear pain
  • Sore throat
  • Cough
  • Respiratory illness
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Urinary infection
  • Sprains and strains
  • Puncture wounds and lacerations
  • Minor burns


Emergency Department

Call 911 immediately or go directly to the nearest emergency department for life-threatening conditions, such as:

  • Chest pain
  • Stroke
  • Head injury
  • Abdominal pain
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Seizure
  • Bleeding
  • Broken bones
  • Major burns


In a life-threatening situation, call 911 without delay.


To receive the most appropriate medical care, it's important to know the difference between an urgent medical need and an emergency situation.


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