Urgent Care & Emergency Care

Where to Go: Finding the Right Care

When you are sick or injured, you want to get relief quickly. But should you go to the emergency room (ER), urgent care, or make an appointment with your primary care doctor? Let our guide help you decide.

EMERGENCY ROOM – Chest pain, acute onset illness, or severe injuries that need more care than your PCP or an urgent care center can offer. This is when you should go to the emergency room or call 911.

URGENT CARE – It's not a condition threatening life, limb, or eyesight but needs care soon. Visit the nearest urgent care facility. To schedule an appointment at WACH, call the appointment line. You will be seen within the next 24 working hours at our primary care clinic.

PRIMARY CARE – For non-urgent or chronic conditions, start with your primary care provider (PCP).

PEDIATRIC CARE - If your baby or child is suffering a life-threatening condition, call 911 or go to an emergency room immediately.  

When in doubt, call 911.

Reason for Visit	Where to Go
Abdominal pain (severe)	ER
Allergic reaction (minor)	URGENT
Anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction)	ER
Animal or insect bite	URGENT
Breathing difficulty (serious)	ER
Broken bone(s)	URGENT or ER
Burns (severe)	ER
Burns (minor)	URGENT
Cold and flu symptoms (fever, sore throat)	PRIMARY or URGENT
Cuts requiring stitches	URGENT
Diabetic emergency	ER
Ear pain	PRIMARY or URGENT
Eye infections (pink eye)	PRIMARY or URGENT
Eye or head injuries	URGENT or ER
Heart attack symptoms or severe chest pain	ER
High blood pressure	PRIMARY or URGENT
Immunizations, vaccines*	PRIMARY or URGENT
Mental health crisis, suicide attempt	ER
Overdose or poisoning	ER
Rash or poison ivy	PRIMARY or URGENT
Routine and preventive care	PRIMARY
Sexual assault	ER
Sprains and strains, lower back pain	PRIMARY or URGENT
Stroke symptoms	ER

                   *Call your primary care or urgent care location to confirm specific vaccine availability. 

How to Know If It's an Emergency

Go to the emergency room for any life-or-death emergency or when you need immediate medical attention and cannot go to an urgent care. The following are some examples of situations that require emergency care.

Anaphylaxis

This life-threatening allergic reaction is often in response to food, insect stings, medications, latex or other allergens. Symptoms include (but are not limited to):

• Trouble breathing
• Tightness in the throat
• Hives or swelling
• Rapid heartbeat
• Vomiting

Even if you have already taken epinephrine (used an EpiPen), you should seek emergency care.

Diabetic Emergency

Both blood sugar that is too high or too low can cause a diabetic emergency. Patients — with guidance and education from their PCP or endocrinologist — can usually treat most of the highs and lows of diabetes.
But when the patient cannot manage dangerously high or low blood sugars, emergency care is needed. Signs of a diabetic emergency may include:

• Unconsciousness, drowsiness, confusion or difficulty staying awake may be signs of either high or low blood sugar.
• Jitteriness or sweating can be signs of low blood sugar.
• Blood sugar readings are below 60 g/dL or where the meter just registers as "HI".
• The person is having persistent vomiting with the inability to tolerate any liquids or food.

Heart Attack Symptoms

• A heart attack may feel like uncomfortable pressure, tightness, squeezing discomfort in the chest, neck, shoulders, arms or back.
• Cold sweats, nausea or shortness of breath can also be signs of a heart attack even without chest pain or pressure.
• Patients with a heart attack can also describe their symptoms as burning or "indigestion."

Mental Health Crisis or Feeling Suicidal

If you or someone you know is having a mental health emergency, the emergency room is a safe place to seek help. Thoughts or talk of suicide, other types of self-harm or harm to others are clear red flags that immediate help is needed.
Other symptoms that may lead to injury or harm, such as hallucinations, delusions, severe obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms and mania, can be addressed in the ER.

Sexual Assault

It is critical to seek medical attention as soon as possible after a sexual assault.
The emergency room can offer physical care as well as potential evidence collection. It is also a safe space to determine next steps. Sexual assault survivors may want the hospital to contact the police or arrange for safe housing. If you have been sexually assaulted, do not delay seeking professional care.

Stroke Symptoms

Use the acronym BE FAST to recognize stroke symptoms.

• Balance – Trouble walking, loss of coordination, dizziness
• Eyes – Loss of vision, double vision, eyes fixed to one side of the body
• Face – Asymmetry, drooping, twisting
• Arm – Weakness or inability to hold one's arm up
• Speech – Slurred speech, confusion, not being able to put words together
• Time – The need to act immediately is very importance

Suspected Overdose or Poisoning

An overdose can range from mild to life-threatening. Anyone with a suspected overdose of any substance, including illegal drugs, prescription medicine and alcohol, should be evaluated by a doctor immediately. Symptoms may include:

• Breathing problems
• Delusions or hallucinations
• Seizures or tremors
• Unconsciousness
• Vomiting

If you are seeking medical attention for a suspected overdose or poisoning try to determine what the person took. You may need to collect containers, substances or equipment.

 

Upon Arrival To The Emergency Room

The ER can be confusing and frustrating at times when you or your loved one is dealing with the unexpected. Rest assured, the ER staff is here for you. We will do everything necessary to address your questions and concerns.

Listed below are items that you will need to bring or know to assist us in providing the best care for you:

• Identification and Other Health Insurance (OHI) cards to show eligibility of care.
• A list of medications you are currently taking or bring the medications with you.
• A list of any allergies and/or significant medical conditions you may have.
• Someone to drive you home in the event medications are given that affect your ability to drive.

Triage

• Every patient entering the ER must be triaged or screened. The triage nurse is the first health professional you will meet. We use the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) system to assist us in classifying the severity of the illness or the potential for worsening symptoms.
• All patients are given a triage category from 1 to 5, with 1 being most severe and 5 being least severe. Categories are based on severity and resources needed. Critically ill or injured patients are always seen first regardless of the manner or time of arrival.

Waiting To Be Treated

• Your care is very important to us. We will always do our best to minimize the time spent in the waiting room. As soon as possible, you will be called and taken to a room in the ER or Triage-and-Treat area for an appropriate evaluation and treatment of your condition.
• If you feel your status has changed, please speak with the triage nurse for further evaluation.
• You may be asked to provide a urine sample or visit radiology for x-ray imaging to expedite your care.

Discharge and Follow-up Care

• If your problem does not require hospital admission, you will be discharged from the Emergency Department.
• Please read and keep the written instructions detailing home and follow-up care given and explained to you by a health care professional.
• You may receive a follow-up referral or prescription for medication. Appropriate actions to facilitate either will be explained by a health care professional. The Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital pharmacy is located on the second floor.
• Please do not hesitate to ask any questions that you may have.

Civilian Emergencies

• Weed Army Community Hospital is a military treatment facility and only provides care to eligible beneficiaries as defined by federal law.
  If you are not a beneficiary of military health care, or do not present an emergency medical condition, you will not receive medical care at this facility.