Emergency Department Care

The information you will find through the following links can help you with choices about your health care. However, if you feel your medical condition is life threatening, please call 911 immediately or go directly to the nearest hospital emergency department.

Do I need the Emergency Room? What choices do I have?
What to do when you have a medical crisis
Alternatives to the Emergency Room
Other Useful Resources

Do I need the Emergency Room? What choices do I have?

When you need an emergency room

When you may not need an emergency room

If your condition is life threatening or if your condition can quickly become life threatening.

If you suddenly or intensely experience the following:

Pain or pressure in chest
Pain or pressure in upper stomach
Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
Loss of consciousness or fainting
Sudden numbness or weakness
Confusion, change in mental state
Sudden change in vision
Trouble speaking
Sudden severe headache (with no history of migraines)
Serious injury to the body
Uncontrolled bleeding
Major broken bones
Seizures
Severe reaction to an insect bite/sting, medication, or food
Suicidal thoughts

If you have one of the following minor illnesses or injuries you may not need an emergency room:

Sore throat or cold
Bronchitis
Nasal congestion or sinus problems
Minor ear ache
Minor stomachache
Continuing cough
Pink eye
Urinary tract infection
Other minor illnesses

If you need this type of medical care, call for an appointment with your doctor or click Alternatives to the Emergency Room to find a local health care clinic.

Do not go to an emergency room just because you do not want to wait for an appointment with your doctor or a clinic.

Do not go to an emergency room only because you do not have health insurance. The clinics listed under Alternatives to the Emergency Room will treat you for little or no payment.

It is important to treat your medical condition before it becomes a crisis. If you have a medical condition that needs care, talk with your doctor or visit a medical clinic to learn about your condition, and what steps you need to take to be healthy.

What to do when you have a medical crisis

If possible first call your doctor. Your doctor can help you decide if there is a medical emergency and what would be the best action for you to take.

If you need to go to the emergency room, can you or someone you know drive you there or should you call an ambulance?

Call an ambulance if the condition is life threatening or if it could become life threatening on the way to the hospital.
Call an ambulance if the distance or traffic conditions could cause a delay in getting treatment.
Call an ambulance if you need the immediate care of paramedics or emergency medical technicians (EMTs).

If you have an emergency care plan, as described below, be sure to take it with you and show it to the ambulance staff when they arrive.

Emergency Care Plan

If you or a loved one has a serious illness that at some point may require emergency care, you may want to have a written emergency care plan. The written plan could be easily available in the home and carried with the person outside of the home. A written plan can alert friends, co-workers, and bystanders to special needs during a time of medical crisis and provide important medical information to health care providers.

The plan can include:

Name and age of the person
Allergies to medications and foods
Blood type
Current medical condition and medical history
Emergency response required for particular conditions
Current list of medications (prescription, over the counter, and herbal supplements)
Emergency contact information for family and/or friends
Emergency contact information for your health care providers
Insurance information
If there is a health care advance directive note where it is located

Alternatives to the Emergency Room

Some people go to hospital emergency rooms for treatment of minor medical problems because they do not have health insurance or because they do not want to wait for an appointment at their doctor’s office or local clinic. This causes crowding and long waits. It also costs more.

Emergency rooms are for the treatment of serious and life-threatening conditions. If you need treatment for a problem that is not an emergency and you do not have health insurance or a doctor, there are clinics where people can be treated for less serious health problems even without health insurance or if a person can’t afford to pay.

Also an emergency room does not give the preventive health care services your own doctor or a health clinic can offer. Preventive services support a person’s general health and can include health evaluations, immunizations, education, and other services. This can help you stay healthy, manage chronic health conditions, and hopefully prevent medical emergencies.

If you do not have health insurance, cannot pay to visit a doctor, or do not want to wait for an appointment with your doctor, the following resources may be able to help:

County Health Departments
Click www.doh.state.fl.us/chdsitelist.htm for a list of County Health Departments and a link to the type of health care services provided. Services might include all or some of the following: primary and personal health care, dental care, disease control through immunizations; testing and treatment for HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis; as well as programs to promote healthy lifestyles.

Florida Alliance for Information and Referral Services
Click www.flairs.org or call 211 for referral to various programs in a community that serve people in need, including medical care. The 211 phone number is not yet statewide, but covers most of the state.

Florida Association of Community Health Centers
Click www.fachc.org/resources-find-health-center.php for a list of addresses and phone numbers of Community Health Centers. Services can include comprehensive primary health care, dental care, and mental healthcare and substance abuse services.

Health Resources and Services Administration
Click ask.hrsa.gov/pc to find health care clinics that provide services to people who do not have health insurance or money to pay for care. Services can include primary care, pregnancy and gynecological care, dental, mental health and substance abuse, and other types of medical services.

The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida (BCBS)
Click www.ForFloridasHealth.com for a list of resources for people who do not have health insurance or are underserved. Services can include primary care, hospital services, mental health, dental, specialty care, etc.

Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA)
Click www.ucaoa.org/buyers/by_state.html for a list of urgent care centers in Florida who are members of UCAOA. Urgent care centers provide health care services minor injuries and illnesses without having to go to a hospital emergency room.

Other Useful Resources

The following resources can help you learn more about your health care.

Read more in the brochure “Emergency Medical Care.” View it by clicking Consumer Brochures or order it free by calling the toll-free number (888) 419-3456.

Other helpful brochures include “A Patient’s Guide to a Hospital Stay,” “Patient Safety,” and “Health Care Advance Directives.” These brochures and others can be viewed by clicking Consumer Brochures.

If you do not have health insurance and cannot pay for medical care, click Alternatives to the Emergency Room for groups and organizations that provide medical care. Also, click Medical Help Resources for help with medical care and other needs.

It is important to be an informed health care consumer. Discuss your medical condition and concerns with your doctor and other health care providers. To learn more about medical conditions and treatments click www.MedlinePlus.gov. The website is provided by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

For information on emergency medical services click the following link to Medline Plus www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/emergencymedicalservices.html.

For teens: To view information on dealing with a medical emergency, click http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/safebasics/911.html.

For consumer information from the American College of Emergency Physicians, click www.acep.org/webportal/PatientsConsumers.