For most medical care, your PCP should be the first person you call. But if you can’t reach your doctor or need care outside of regular office hours, an urgent care center can be used for an illness or injury that is not life-threatening.

An urgent care center is a walk-in clinic that offers medical care in a facility outside of a traditional Emergency Room (ER). Urgent care centers have doctors and other health care professionals on site and most can provide services such as X-rays and laboratory tests. The wait time for care is usually shorter than at the ER.

Conditions that can be treated in an urgent care center include:

• Eye irritation and redness • Skin rash and infection

• Fever or flu • Sprains and strains

• Minor broken bones and fractures • Urinary tract infection

• Sore throat and cough • Vomiting, diarrhea or dehydration

Remember, for a life-threatening emergency, such as a heart attack or serious head injury, you should call 911 or go to the nearest ER.