Emergency or Prompt Care?

person with a leg injury

Where Should You Go?

Understanding the services offered at Enloe Health’s Emergency Department (ED) and Enloe Health Prompt Care can save you time — and even your life — when immediate care is required.

Here’s what you need to know when deciding where to go.

‘E’ Is for Emergency

If you experience symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, be sure to head to the Emergency Department, as these conditions are extremely time sensitive and require immediate care. If you can’t get yourself or a loved one there, call 911.

Patients are encouraged to seek help in the Emergency Department for:

Chest pain
Difficulty breathing
Sudden numbness or loss of coordination
Loss of consciousness
Serious head injury
Burns or uncontrolled bleeding
Need for emergency pediatric care

The Emergency Department sees all patients, regardless of their symptoms. Since there is no way to make an appointment there, patients who are the sickest or have the most urgent needs are seen first. Patients are not seen on a first-come, first-served basis. This is often why patients who have non-emergent needs wait longer.

Consider these facts:

It takes at least nine Emergency Department staff members to care for one major-trauma patient. If a traumatic accident brings multiple people to the hospital via ambulance or FlightCare, expect those patients will move to the front of the line. This will potentially increase wait times for those with less emergent medical needs.
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) is a federal law requiring anyone who comes to the Emergency Department to be stabilized and treated, regardless of their insurance or ability to pay.

For medical treatment after 8:30 p.m., the Emergency Department may be your only option until Enloe Health Prompt Care opens the next day. You may also find when you’re evaluating treatment options that Prompt Care or an urgent care facility will be easier on your wallet.

Hospitals base their Emergency Department charges on the severity of the condition they are treating. Your costs will depend on your insurance coverage.*

Enloe Health Prompt Care is best for treating minor injuries and illnesses that are not life threatening. It offers the same quality care available in the Emergency Department.

*Consult your insurance provider or call Enloe Health Patient Financial Services at 530-332-6700 for an explanation of your benefits coverage.

Prompt Care Is Best for Everyday Concerns

Enloe Health Prompt Care is best for treating minor injuries and illnesses that are not life threatening. It offers the same quality care available in the Emergency Department. Prompt Care is open in the evenings, as well as on weekends and holidays. View the facility’s hours.

People are usually seen on a first-come, first-served basis there, so wait times are typically shorter than in the Emergency Department.

You should visit Prompt Care if you need care for a:

Flu, cold, sore throat or bronchitis
Ear ache
Cut that require stitches
Skin rash or infection
Sprain, strain or fracture

Want to Know More?

Learn more about Enloe Health’s Emergency Services and Prompt Care clinic.

Experiencing symptoms of a condition that requires emergency intervention, such as a heart attack or stroke? Go straight to the Emergency Department. If you can’t get yourself or a loved one there, call 911.