Where Should I Go for My Care?
When you’re not feeling well, sometimes it’s difficult to decide where you should go to seek care. Here's our advice.
If you have a primary care provider, your first call should always be to them unless you are in a life-threatening or emergency situation. Nearly all primary care offices have a provider or nurse on call 24/7 to discuss your medical needs and help you determine where to seek care.
Urgent care clinics provide many of the same services that you can get in a primary care clinic, but may have additional services such as x-ray. Urgent care clinics are also a great option for patients who do not have a primary care provider.
Below are some examples of situations where you would want to seek care from your primary care provider or at an urgent care clinic or click here to download an easy-to-use chart.
We encourage you to take a moment to consider the best place to seek the care you need to ensure our emergency departments remain accessible to critical patients in need.
Urgent Care
Urgent and ExpressCare is best if your condition is not life-threatening but your symptoms can't wait until an appointment with your primary care provider, or you do not have a primary care provider. You will be seen same-day, but wait times vary.
- Small cuts that may need stitches
- Sprains or minor bone breaks
- Colds, sore throat, earaches or bronchitis
- Nausea, vomiting, stomach flu
- Minor abdominal pain or diarrhea
- Urinary tract infection (consider the emergency department if the patient is under 4 years old)
- Rashes and minor allergic reactions
- Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
Primary Care
If your health concern is not urgent or life-threatening, make an appointment with your primary care provider — they know you and your medical history best. Typically, your primary care appointment is the most cost-effective option with the lowest co-pay.
- Sprains
- Flu or cold
- Sore throat
- Urinary tract infection
- Minor abdominal pain
- Sinus or ear infections
- Rashes
- Diarrhea
- Nausea, vomiting or stomach flu
- Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
- Prescription renewals
Mental Health Care
If your mental health condition poses a risk to yourself or others, seek immediate attention at your nearest emergency department. Emergency departments are open 24/7 and are equipped for immediate interventions.
In addition to primary care and Mental Health Urgent Care, the following resources are available to you:
- National Suicide Hotline: Call 988
- Essential Community Services: Call 211
Mental Health Urgent Care
Mental Health Urgent Care (MHUC) provides a bridge between emergency and primary care, much like traditional physical health urgent care.
- Free walk-in service in Burlington, VT
- For adults with non-emergency needs who cannot wait for an appointment or do not have a primary care team.
- Call 802-488-6482
Mental Health Primary Care
At UVM Health, we integrate mental health care into our primary care practices to treat common mental health concerns, such as anxiety, depression, substance use disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder.
If your mental health condition is not urgent, make an appointment with your primary care provider. Your care team knows you and your medical history best.
Emergency Department
Go to the emergency department is you have a serious or life-threatening medical emergency. Emergency departments are designed to treat the most critical medical needs 24/7. The most critical patients are seen first, not first-come-first-served. Wait times will depend on the severity of your illness or injury.
Below are some examples of situations where you should seek care at an emergency department.
- Symptoms of heart attack
- Symptoms of stroke
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Choking
- Severe abdominal pain
- Severe headache
- Seizures
- Severe burns
- Neck, head or spine injuries
- Major bone breaks with visible disfigurement
- Sexual assault
- Mental health crisis
If you think you have COVID-19 or are seeking COVID-19 testing, please contact your primary care provider.
