The emergency room (ER) and urgent care are both medical facilities that provide care for illnesses and injuries, but they have some key differences.

Emergency Room

The emergency room is a part of a hospital that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is equipped to handle serious and life-threatening conditions such as:

  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Broken bones
  • Severe cuts and burns

The ER is staffed by doctors and nurses who are trained to handle emergencies and have access to advanced equipment such as x-ray machines, CT scanners and blood tests.

Urgent Care

Urgent care, on the other hand, is a walk-in medical clinic that is open during regular business hours and is equipped to handle non-life-threatening conditions such as: 

  • Sprains
  • Minor cuts and burns
  • The flu
  • Allergies

Urgent care centers are typically staffed by nurses, physician assistants and doctors who can provide basic medical care and may have some diagnostic equipment, but not as extensive as an emergency room.

Which Should You Choose?

When deciding whether to go to the ER or urgent care, it’s important to consider the severity of your condition. If you have a serious or life-threatening condition, you should go to the ER. If your condition is not serious and can wait until regular business hours, you can go to urgent care.

Another difference is the cost. Going to the ER is often more expensive than visiting an urgent care center, and it can also have long wait times. Urgent care centers are less expensive and have shorter wait times.

In summary, while both the emergency room and urgent care can provide medical care, the emergency room is better equipped to handle serious and life-threatening conditions and is open 24/7, while urgent care is more appropriate for non-life-threatening conditions and is open during regular business hours.

Our Services 

M.D. Express Urgent Care offers comprehensive medical care for all your urgent care needs. Our medical team can handle various illnesses like the flu, pneumonia, asthma, ear and eye infections and more. We are also equipped to care for minor sprains, strains, lacerations and burns. In addition, we provide annual physical exams, STD screening and routine vaccinations. Walk into one of our five convenient locations if you are in need of urgent medical care.