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Where to Go for Care

  • Sometimes it is difficult to know if a problem is serious enough to be considered an emergency. There is usually a large difference in the amount you pay for service at a walk-in clinic, an urgent care center and an emergency room. Here are some guidelines to help you decide where you should seek treatment. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, dial 911.
  • If you are unsure about where to seek treatment or have questions or concerns regarding your symptoms, the nurse practitioners at the Health Center would be happy to advise you. Please call the Health Center at 773-298-3712. If it is after hours, your insurance carrier may provide a 24-hour nurse help line where you can call for advice. Check your insurance card for the number.
  • Please see our After Hours Care page for specific locations of local urgent care centers and emergency rooms.
SXU Health Center Urgent Care Center Emergency Room

The SXU Health Center functions as a primary care clinic. Here are some examples of the type of visits that we typically see:

Preventive Care

  1. Physicals (school, athletic, etc)
  2. Well-woman exams (including pap smears)
  3. Immunizations (including flu shots)

Sick Visits

  1. Cold/flu
  2. Sore throat
  3. Urinary tract infections
  4. Ear pain
  5. Pink eye
  6. Cough
  7. Anxiety/Depression
  8. Minor cuts and burns
  9. Minor sprains and strains
  10. Back pain
  11. Acne
  12. Boils and blisters
  13. Seasonal allergies

Additional

  1. Laboratory testing (including pregnancy tests, STD testing, and immunity titers)
  2. TB tests
  3. Suture Removal
  4. Chronic disease management

Urgent Care Centers were developed for people who have medical problems that need attention quickly, but who are not experiencing an emergency.

In general, Urgent Care Centers have the capabilities to perform:

  1. X-rays for more moderate/severe orthopedic injuries (i.e. broken fingers, ankle/knee/foot injury, etc.)
  2. Splints and/or casts for broken bones, severe sprains, or torn ligaments
  3. Intravenous fluids if you are dehydrated (please note that not all urgent care centers perform this service)
  4. Laboratory tests with same day results
  5. Sutures for deep cuts
Urgent Care is generally open late at night and on the weekends, so if you require non-emergent medical attention and the SXU Health Center is closed, this is a good place to seek care.

Emergency Rooms are for just that -- emergencies. They are designed to quickly assess and treat medical problems that could be potentially life threatening. Here are some examples of reasons to go to an Emergency Room:

  1. Loss of consciousness
  2. Difficulty breathing
  3. Chest pain
  4. Sudden severe headache
  5. Bleeding that does not stop
  6. Vomiting or coughing up blood
  7. Vomiting that does not stop
  8. Severe orthopedic injuries
  9. Head injury with loss of consciousness
  10. Sudden and unexplained confusion, sleepiness, or slurred speech
  11. Poisoning (call Poison Control Center first at 1-800-222-1222)
  12. Severe allergic reactions
  13. Suicidal feelings
  14. Serious burns
  15. Deep cuts
  16. Seizures
  17. Vaginal bleeding with pregnancy
  18. Fall from greater than 5 feet
  19. Major motor vehicle accident