Emergencies or urgent care? Here's what to consider before making a choice

As everyone is more active during the summer, there is a greater risk of injury. It can be difficult to know whether to take someone to urgent care or the emergency room. So how do you know whether to wait for an appointment with your primary care provider, visit the ER, or go to the emergency room?

Here are some things to consider when trying to make a decision, including the symptoms you are experiencing and the cost associated with visits.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911 immediately.

What conditions require going to the emergency room?

Unless an illness is life-threatening, it’s usually better to go to urgent care rather than the emergency room. The University of Chicago says emergency rooms are useful when a person is “systemically ill”: when an illness affects the entire body, there is the sudden onset of serious symptoms or severe pain, a fever that does not go away or an inability to move an arm or leg or breathe normally.

According to Mercy, the following conditions should be observed in the emergency room:

Severe breathing difficulty;
Chest pain;
Heart rate greater than 120 to 150 beats per minute;
A person faints or becomes unresponsive;
Difficulty speaking;
Heavy bleeding;
Broken bones visible through skin;
Drowning;
Choking;
Severe burns;
Allergic reaction with difficulty breathing;
Extremely hot or cold;
Poisoning or drug overdose;
New severe headache;
Sudden, intense, intense pain;
Sudden blindness or change in vision.

When should you go to the emergency room?

According to Mercy and CoxHealth, the following conditions can be treated in urgent care:

Coughs, colds and flu;
Sore throat;
Ear problems;
Fever;
Sprains or possible fractures;
Minor burns, scrapes or cuts;
Animal or insect bites;
Urinary discomfort;
Flu, strep or mono.

Some urgent care centers will also offer sports physicals, DOT physicals, and occupational health services such as drug testing and return-to-work exams.

Time and cost may also factor into the decision

If the illness is not urgent, an appointment with a primary care provider can sometimes be your best choice to save time and money, according to health insurance company Blue Cross Blue Shield. Your PCP already has your medical history and the co-pay for a doctor’s visit is much lower than a co-pay for an emergency room visit.

Before going to an urgent care clinic, check to see if your insurance covers services there. Urgent care costs depend on the service provided as well as the type of health insurance you have — UnitedHealthcare says an urgent care visit costs an average of $185 for its members, while an emergency room visit can cost an average of $2,700.

Emergency departments treat cases based on severity, so seeking care for a non-life-threatening illness may mean a longer wait. According to data released by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, from July 2022 to June 2023, patients spent an average of 157 minutes in Missouri’s emergency room before leaving.

Wait times for urgent care are not tracked by CMS, but UnitedHealthcare and urgent care clinics estimate the average wait at 30 minutes or less. Unlike emergency departments, urgent care patients are generally seen on a first-come, first-served basis.

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What are my options in Springfield?

The two main health systems in the Springfield area – Mercy and CoxHealth – offer emergency and urgent care services.

CoxHealth has two emergency departments in Springfield and Mercy has one.

Cox North Emergency Department, 1423 N. Jefferson Ave., is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The telephone number is 417-269-4083.
Cox South Emergency Department, 3801 S. National Ave., is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The telephone number is 417-269-3393.
The emergency department at Mercy Hospital Springfield, 1235 E. Cherokee St., is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The telephone number is 417-820-2000.

Both health systems have four urgent care centers in Springfield. With the exception of CoxHealth’s Turner Center, all CoxHealth urgent care locations are open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Additionally, the CoxHealth Urgent Care Center located at 1429 W. Sunshine St. is temporarily closed. Mercy Urgent Care Centers are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Because the 24/7 Urgent Care Plus at 1000 E. Primrose St. is hospital-based, it may have higher costs, according to CoxHealth.