Emergency Room vs. Urgent Care: What’s the Difference?

You’ve probably noticed the increasing number of urgent care centers popping up around WNY in the past couple years (including ours here at Exclesior, ou know the right situations to pay them a visit? When is it right to go to an urgent care center, and when should you just go to the closest emergency room?

When to Head to the ER

If you think you’re experiencing life-threatening symptoms such as those suffered during a heart attack or stroke, you need to call 911 and get to an emergency room right away. The ER is the best place to treat any serious health problems that you wouldn’t go to your normal physician’s office to treat. The emergency room at your local hospital will have trained professionals who are on duty for the purpose of saving lives fast.

When to Seek an Urgent Care Center

Urgent care centers are great for less serious situations where you still need to see a medical professional immediately. Oftentimes, injuries happen outside of normal office hours for your primary care physician, or you’re suffering from immediate pain and want to get treated quickly. Getting to your closest urgent care facility can help you skip the line at the emergency room and get the help you need a lot faster.

Reports also show that the cost of an urgent care visit is much less than that of an emergency room visit. This helps you get the treatment you need without having to pay the outrageous bill you might receive from the hospital.

Our Orthopaedic Urgent Care Center

Our urgent care center at Excelsior Orthopaedics is a more specialized version of what you might find elsewhere in WNY. If you’ve suffered a strain, sprain or fracture, we offer the orthopaedic focus as well as on-site X-rays and MRIs to properly treat your injury. Those amenities are usually not available at all urgent care centers.