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ExpressCare or the ER?
Do you know where to go?
T
he baby spikes a fever at 2 a.m. You twist
your ankle rounding third on the weekend.
Or your daredevil wee-one takes a header
from a bunkbed during a Friday night sleepover.
There’s something about illnesses and injuries;
they always seem to happen when we’re least
prepared and often when the doctor’s office is
closed.
But happen they do, and suddenly you’re faced
with the question of where to go: the emergency
department or an urgent care clinic?
“It’s not always easy to figure out if an injury or
illness warrants a trip to the ER,” says Dr. Adam
Cohen, Medical Director of SVMC’s Emergency
Department, “But knowing the difference between
urgent care and emergency care can be key to
getting the right care in the timeliest manner.
Emergency Care v. ExpressCare
The biggest differences between emergency
departments and urgent care centers like SVMC’s
ExpressCare are the severity of the health issues
they treat and the hours they’re open.
Open 24/7, emergency departments are staffed
and equipped to treat life- or limb-threatening
health conditions in people of all ages. When
you require immediate medical attention for
a potentially serious condition, the emergency
department is the best option.
Urgent care clinics tend to have set hours. For
example, ExpressCare is open daily from 8 a.m.
to 6 p.m. and does not require an appointment.
They are staffed with physician assistants, nurse
practitioners, and nurses who can order basic
labs and imaging to help formulate diagnosis and
“If your issue is something you would normally feel
comfortable addressing with your primary care
doctor, then an urgent care center is likely a more
appropriate choice than the emergency room.”
– Dr. Adam Cohen, Medical Diretor, SVMC Emergency Department
12 | HEALTHY+ | SUMMER/FALL 2022