As hospitals reach capacity, doctors urge it's more important now than ever to understand exactly when you should or should not go to the emergency room. 

If can't see your primary care doctor, Urgent Care is the place to go and there's plenty in the Mahoning Valley.

"We want to save the emergency room for emergencies," Dr. Shina, Internal Medicine Physician of Steward Medical Group.

Doctor's say people should go to Urgent Care if they have the following :
-head cold
-cough
-congestion & mucus
-achiness
-broken bones that are not open wounds

The ER should be saved for the following:
-who think they have a heart attack
-chest pain
-shortness of breath, trouble breathing
-stroke-like symptoms
-severe dizziness
-head trauma, unconsciousness

Steward and Mercy Health Urgent Care offices can get you COVID tested, treated and access patients' records

"They get you in quickly and the most important part is you have somebody that you're going to be able to give a proper history to and they do a physical exam, check your vital signs, potentially have some imaging whether it's a chest X-ray or ultrasound or things like that," Shina said. 

Doctors said patients will save a lot of time and money by going to urgent care. 

"Usually the co-pay is the same it would be to see your primary care doctor to be seen at one of our urgent care facilities so that also is a huge saving compared to going to the emergency room," Mercy Health Physician Assistant Caitlin Spillan said. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STEWARD HEALTH WALK-IN URGENT CARE:

Steward Urgent Care of Austintown

20 Ohltown Road

Austintown, OH 44515

Phone: 330-884-1500

Hours: Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Saturday: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

 

QuickMed of Sharon Regional

880 W. Liberty Street

Hubbard, OH 44425

Phone: 330-269-1924

Monday-Friday: 7 a.m.-5p.m.