When someone in your family gets sick or hurt, every minute counts. Knowing where to go, either Immediate Care or the Emergency Room (ER), can help save you time, money, and even lives. Let’s break it down so you feel ready and confident when care is needed.
What is Immediate Care For?
Immediate Care is for health problems that aren’t life-threatening, but still need quick attention. It’s the right choice when your regular doctor isn’t available and you need help fast.
Go to Immediate Care for things like:
- Coughs, colds, and flus
- Earaches or sore throats
- Minor cuts, burns, or rashes
- Sprains or small injuries
- Mild fevers
- Urinary tract, vaginal yeast, or sexually transmitted infections
Immediate Care clinics are designed to treat common problems that can’t wait, but don’t need the ER. Hancock Health offers two convenient Immediate Care locations in Greenfield and at our Gateway location.
What is the ER For?
The Emergency Room is for serious and life-threatening issues. If someone’s life or long-term health is at risk, the ER is the place to go.
Go to the ER for things like:
- Signs of a stroke, like sudden numbness, confusion, or slurred speech
- 頭部受傷
- Severe bleeding
- Major burns
- 骨折
- Injury from a car accident
- Serious allergic reactions
- Severe abdominal pain
When in doubt, trust your gut. If something feels wrong or scary, it’s always better to be safe and head to the emergency room.
Cost and Convenience Differences
One big reason to choose wisely is the cost and wait time. A visit to Immediate Care is usually much faster and less expensive than a trip to the ER.
- Average ER wait time: can be hours, especially for non-emergencies
- Average Immediate Care wait time: often 30 minutes or less
- 成本: Immediate Care typically costs much less than an ER visit, and your bill is typically more straightforward
Please note: These times are averages and can vary spending on location, time of year, and patient volume. For example, flu season or major trauma events may lead to longer wait times across all care settings.
Where to Go at Hancock Health
Hancock Health has both Immediate Care and Emergency Room facilities right here in Hancock County.
- Open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Located in Greenfield in the Brandywine Plaza on North State Street
- Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Closed on Christmas Day and at 3 p.m. on other holidays
- Located at Hancock Gateway Park, where I-70 meets Mount Comfort Road
- Open 24/7 for emergencies
- Located on the back (east) side of Hancock Regional Hospital on the main level
Bookmark Hancock’s Immediate Care and Emergency Room locations on your phone, or write them down somewhere easy to find. Be sure to talk to your partner, kids, and other family members about what to do in an emergency, so everyone knows when and where to go for care.
Doing the work to prepare today helps keep you and your family healthy and safe tomorrow.
SOURCES
https://www.medsurgurgentcare.com/post/urgent-care-vs-er-cost-and-wait-time-comparison
https://www.debt.org/medical/emergency-room-urgent-care-costs
https://www.hancockhealth.org/2024/08/urgent-care-or-immediate-care/
https://www.hancockhealth.org/healthcare-service/emergency-immediate-care/
