When should I call 911?

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

• Chest pain (including the feeling of pressure or squeezing)
• Stroke symptoms (slurred speech, numbness or weakness in part of your body, loss of balance or vision)
• Head injury
• Dilated pupils, or trouble waking up or staying awake
• Loss of consciousness
• Shortness of breath
• Seizures
• Severe allergic reactions
• Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy
• Bleeding that won't stop
• Severe abdominal pain
• Broken bones
• Major burns

Don't drive yourself to the hospital if you are suffering from chest pains, slurred speech (or any other stroke symptoms), experiencing heavy bleeding, if you feel like you might faint, or your vision is impaired. Call 911. EMS professionals can begin treating you as soon as they arrive, especially when minutes and seconds count.

Urgent Care and Walk-in Clinics

Urgent care and walk-in clinics provide medical treatment of illnesses or injuries that require immediate attention but are not life-threatening. Call your primary care provider first if you can. They can often determine over the phone if you need immediate care and where best to go.

If you can’t get in immediately to see your primary care doctor, don’t have a doctor, or are visiting from out of town, you can walk in for medical care and avoid an expensive and unnecessary trip to the emergency department.