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Howard County

Urgent Health and Wellness

Urgent Health and Wellness

As hospitals across the state and country combat long wait times and overcrowding, it's important to understand when residents should visit an emergency room, an urgent care center, and when to call 9-1-1. Emergency rooms are available 24-hrs a day and are qualified to respond to life-threatening medical emergencies. Urgent care centers can help with non-life-threatening medical problems. Residents are always encouraged to call 9-1-1 if you are experiencing a medical emergency. We will continue our efforts to ensure all our residents are thriving and healthy.

Urgent Care

When to go to an Emergency Room

Emergency Rooms (Emergency Departments) are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year and have special equipment and highly skilled and qualified to respond to life-threatening medical emergencies.

Go to the emergency department if you experience the following:

  • Trouble breathing
  • Facial drooping or weakness in an arm or leg
  • Chest pain
  • Bleeding that lasts longer than 10 minutes
  • Seizures
  • Head trauma
  • Sudden acute headache/dizziness
  • Major broken bones
  • Coughing or vomiting blood
  • Sudden confusion, disorientation
  • Severe abdominal pain 
  • Swallowed a foreign object 

When to go to the Urgent Care

Urgent care centers are same-day walk in clinics that can handle non-life-threatening medical problems and are a good option for when you are not injured or not feeling well, but it’s not serious enough for the emergency room. No appointment is necessary. Many Urgent Cares also provide primary care, sports physicals, and vaccines.

Urgent Cares centers can address the most minor of ailments, such as:

  • Cough, congestion, without severe difficulty breathing
  • Mild flu-like symptoms
  • Sneezing or running nose
  • Sore throat
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • Mild upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea
  • Rashes without fever
  • Sprains, Strains, minor bone fractures
  • Minor Cuts
  • Earache/Ear Pain
  • Painful urination
  • Pink eye, eye redness, discharge, or itchiness

When to Call 911

Always call 911 if you think you may be experiencing a medical emergency, some examples include:

  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Severe bleeding
  • Any symptoms of a heart attack, including chest pressure/pain, pain in the left arm or the jaw, sudden weakness, or dizziness
  • Signs of a stroke, such as slurred speech, severe headache, weakness, or numbness on one side of the face or body, or loss of consciousness
  • Life-or-limb-threatening injury

For a full listing of the urgent care center that you can download and share, click here.

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