When you or a loved one needs medical attention, it’s important to choose the right type of care. This is especially true now, as many emergency rooms across Alabama are busier than ever.
“Knowing where to go to be treated for an injury or illness could help maximize emergency departments for true emergencies and get patients to other providers who can help them more quickly with minor conditions,” said Marie-Carmelle Elie, M.D., endowed professor and chair of the UAB Department of Emergency Medicine.
Providers at UAB Medicine and UAB St. Vincent’s treat patients at many different locations across the state. The information below helps explain the differences and offers guidance on choosing the right one for your medical needs.
Emergency rooms
Emergency departments are staffed 24/7 and treat patients whose conditions require immediate care, and no appointment is needed. They also connect you to any follow-up care you may need later. Most emergency departments feature technology such as X-rays, CT scans, and ultrasound, which allow for faster and more accurate diagnoses.
Emergency departments are usually attached to hospitals, but both UAB Medicine and UAB St. Vincent’s also operate freestanding emergency departments that can be more convenient for residents of suburban communities. Click here to see a list of UAB St. Vincent’s emergency departments, or click here to see the same list for UAB Medicine.
“Patients need to be treated on an individual basis,” Dr. Elie said. “There is no clear line of when you should or shouldn’t go to the emergency department. There are often many variables that go into deciding the best place for care.”
Still, the conditions listed below are best suited for emergency departments in most cases:
- Broken bones
- Chest pain
- Concussion
- Coughing up or vomiting blood
- Heart attack
- Major trauma
- Moderate to severe abdominal pain
- Pregnancy labor pains
- Severe allergic reactions
- Severe back pain
- Severe burns
- Shortness of breath
- Severe skin infections or abscesses (pus-filled areas)
- Stroke
- Sudden neurological changes like weakness, difficulty speaking, numbness, difficulty walking, or loss of consciousness
Urgent care clinics
Urgent care clinics offer convenient access to physicians and advanced practice providers when care is needed quickly for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries. Walk-ins are generally accepted, but appointments can also be made. Most urgent care clinics feature on-site lab and X-ray services.
“If you experience an illness or injury that is not threatening your life, going to an urgent care clinic provides you top-level care without the long wait times,” Dr. Elie said. “Oftentimes, those who come to the emergency department with a non-life-threatening illness or injury will wait longer to see a physician. Choosing urgent care could get you in and out quicker.”
UAB Medicine St. Vincent’s Urgent Care was named the “Favorite Walk-In Urgent Care” clinic in Birmingham Parent magazine’s 2024 Family Favorite Awards. It treats children and adult patients with non-emergency medical conditions such as:
- Allergies
- Animal and insect bites
- Fever
- Cuts that may need stitches
- Ear or eye infections
- Minor burns
- Skin infections
- Severe sore throat and cough
- Sprains and strains
- Sinus or upper respiratory infections
- Urinary tract infections (UTI)
Click here to see a list of UAB Medicine Urgent Care locations.
UAB eMedicine
Another option for fast, convenient care is UAB eMedicine On-Demand Urgent Care Online, which provides 24/7 online access to the expertise of UAB Medicine providers. Open to anyone age 18 and up, it offers care for common conditions such as cold/flu, sinus infection, female bladder infection, pink eye, vaginal yeast infection, back pain, and skin conditions.
On-Demand Urgent Care Online starts with filling out a short electronic questionnaire. A UAB Medicine provider will evaluate your symptoms, and if your condition qualifies, he or she will make a diagnosis, recommend treatment, and send any needed prescriptions to the pharmacy of your choice.
After submitting your questionnaire, a provider will respond during the hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturdays; and 1 p.m.-5 p.m. on Sundays. No appointment is necessary, but a Wi-Fi or strong cellular Internet connection is recommended.
The service costs just $25. If the provider cannot safely diagnose your condition, you will not be charged, and you will receive a referral for the appropriate care.
Primary care doctors
Urgent care centers and emergency rooms are not meant to replace a primary care provider, though they can be convenient and offer many of the same services. However, primary care physicians can address illnesses and injuries while also keeping tabs on your medical history and general health, which allows them to provide more complete and consistent care. Having an ongoing relationship with a primary care provider can also help prevent serious illness and emergency room visits.
“UAB’s primary care providers are a great resource for non-life-threatening, non-urgent care and can serve as a patient’s first point of contact when an illness or injury that doesn’t need immediate attention arises,” Dr. Elie said. “We care about each patient and want you to be informed about your options for care at UAB. Visiting your primary care physician for a non-urgent illness or injury could save your life.”
Both UAB St. Vincent’s and UAB Medicine operate primary care clinics for adults and children throughout central Alabama area. Click here for information on UAB Medicine’s primary care options, or click here for a list of UAB St. Vincent’s primary care locations.