Know Where to Go This Thanksgiving: Urgent Care or ER?

We see a spike in visitors between Thanksgiving and New Years for some very typical or standard ailments that are seemingly related to the season and all it brings. If you or anyone you are with experiences any health issues, it's vital that you know where you can go, who is open, and which place is proper for you to visit. We have hours, addresses, and contact information of every Emergency Room and Urgent Care Clinic in the Metro Area.

Below this contact information are some helpful tips if someone is choking, has a deep cut, burns, food poisoning, or experiencing heart issues.

Urgent Care Locations in Denver-Boulder Metro

Provider Name	Phone	Address	Hours	Holiday Hours
Rocky Mountain Urgent Care - Aurora	(303) 695-1338	13650 E Mississippi Ave, Aurora, CO 80012	Open Mon - Sun 8am - 9pm	Dec. 24th - 8am-9 pm Dec. 25th - Closed Dec. 31st - 8am-9 pm Jan. 1st - 8am-9 pm
Rocky Mountain Urgent Care - Westminster	(303) 429-9311	6080 W 92nd Ave, Westminster, CO 80031	Open Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm, Sat & Sun 8am - 6pm	Dec. 24th - 8am-4 pm Dec. 25th - Closed Dec. 31st - 8am-6 pm Jan. 1st - 8am-8pm
Rocky Mountain Urgent Care - Boulder	(303) 499-4800	4800 Baseline Rd D106, Boulder, CO 80303	Open Mon - Fri 8am - 7pm, Sat & Sun 9am - 4pm	Dec. 24th - 9am-4 pm Dec. 25th - Closed Dec. 31st - 9am-4 pm Jan. 1st - 8am-7 pm
Rocky Mountain Urgent Care - Lakewood	(303) 986-9610	605 Parfet St #103, Lakewood, CO 80215	Open Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm, Sat & Sun 8am - 6pm	Black Friday: 8am-5pm Christmas Eve: Closed Christmas: Closed New Years Eve: Closed New Years: 8am-8pm
Rocky Mountain Urgent Care - Englewood	(720) 974-7464	730 W Hampden Ave #200, Englewood, CO 80110	Open Mon - Fri 8am - 7pm	Black Friday: Closed Christmas Eve: Closed Christmas: Closed New Years Eve: Closed New Years: Closed
Rocky Mountain Urgent Care - Centennial/Smoky Hill	(303) 693-2000	20270 E Smoky Hill Rd, Centennial, CO 80015	Open Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm, Sat & Sun 10am - 6pm	Dec. 24th - 10 am-4pm Dec. 25th - Closed Dec. 31st - 10 am-4 pm Jan. 1st - 10 am-6 pm
American Family Care Urgent Care - Denver East	(303) 639-1000	1295 Colorado Blvd. Denver, CO 80206	Open Mon - Fri 8am – 8pm, Sat & Sun 8am – 6pm
American Family Care Urgent Care - Cherry Creek	(303) 692-8000	760 S. Colorado Blvd. Denver, CO 80246	Open Mon - Fri 8am – 8pm, Sat & Sun 8am – 6pm
American Family Care Urgent Care - Denver Highlands	(303) 477-6000	3800 Iring St. Denver, CO 80211	Open Mon - Fri 8am – 8pm, Sat & Sun 8am – 6pm	Dec 25, 2017: 9am - 5pm, Dec 31, 2017: 8 am - 8 pm, Jan 1, 2018: 9 am - 8 pm
American Family Care Urgent Care - Englewood	(303) 761-1699	901 W. Hampden Ave. Englewood, CO 80110	Open Mon - Fri 8am – 8pm, Sat & Sun 8am – 6pm	Christmas Day/New Year's Day : 8am - 6pm
American Family Care Urgent Care - Centennial	(303) 816-3811	8006 E Arapahoe Rd. Centennial, CO 80112	Open Mon - Fri 8am – 7pm, Sat & Sun 8am – 5pm	Christmas Eve/Christmas Day/New Year's Eve/New Year's Day : 8am - 4pm
ZipClinic Urgent Care - Denver	(303) 455-6345	A, 1 S Broadway #100, Denver, CO 80209	Open Mon - Fri 8am – 7pm, Sat & Sun 8am – 5pm
ZipClinic Urgent Care - Westminster	(303) 645-4770	5165 West 72nd Ave. Westminster, CO 80030	Open Mon - Fri 8am – 7pm, Sat & Sun 8am – 5pm
ZipClinic Urgent Care - Aurora	(303) 223-9863	1250 S. Buckley Rd. N Aurora, CO 80017	Open Mon - Fri 8am – 7pm, Sat & Sun 8am – 5pm
Denver Health Adult Urgent Care - Pediatric Emergency and Urgent Care	(303) 436-6000	777 Bannock Street, Pavilion A, 1st Floor, Denver, CO 80204	Open Mon - Fri 7am – 8pm, Sat & Sun 8am – 7pm	Christmas Eve/Christmas Day : 9am - 5pm; New Year's Eve : 8am - 9pm; New Year's Day : 9am - 8pm
Denver Health Adult Urgent Care - Southwest Family Health and Urgent Care	(303) 602-0000	1339 S Federal Blvd. Denver, CO 80219	Open Mon - Fri 9am – 8pm, Sat & Sun 9am – 4pm	Christmas Day : Closed; New Year's Day : Closed
AfterOurs Urgent Care - Denver Southeast	(303) 861-7878	6895 E Hampden Ave, Denver, CO 80224	Open Mon - Sun 8am - 11pm
AfterOurs Urgent Care - Highlands Ranch	(303) 861-7878	101 W Mineral Ave, Unit 105, Littleton, CO 80120	Open Mon - Sun 8am - 11pm
AfterOurs Urgent Care - Thornton	(303) 861-7878	3212 East 104th Ave. Thornton, CO 80233	Open Mon - Sun 8am - 11pm
AfterOurs Urgent Care - Downtown Denver	(303) 861-7878	4500 W 38th Ave #220, Denver, CO 80212	Open Mon - Fri 5pm – 11pm, Sat & Sun 8am – 11pm
Concentra Urgent Care - Downtown Denver	(303) 296-2273	1730 Blake St #100, Denver, CO 80202	Open Mon - Fri 8am – 6pm, Closed Sat & Sun	Christmas Eve :  8am - 3pm; Christmas Day :  Closed
Concentra Urgent Care - North Denver	(303) 292-2273	420 E 58th Avenue Ste. 111, Denver, CO 80216	Open Mon - Fri  7am - 5pm	Christmas Eve :  7am - 3pm
Concentra Urgent Care - South Broadway	(303) 777-2777	1212 S Broadway Ste. 150, Denver, CO 80210	Open Mon - Fri  7am - 5pm	Christmas Eve :  7am - 3pm
Concentra Urgent Care - Stapleton	(303) 371-7444	5855 Stapleton Drive North Suite A-130, Denver, CO 80216	Open Mon - Fri  7am - 5pm	Christmas Eve :  7am - 3pm
Concentra Urgent Care - Cherry Creek	(303) 388-3627	875 South Colorado Blvd. Denver, CO 80246	Open Mon - Fri  8am - 8:00 pm Saturday  8am - 4pm; Sunday  10am - 4pm	Christmas Eve :  8am - 2pm; Christmas Day :  Closed; New Year's Eve :  8am - 4am
Concentra Urgent Care - Highlands Ranch	(303) 346-3627	9330 South University Blvd. Suite 100 & 120, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126	Open Mon - Fri  8am - 6pm Saturday  8am - 4pm; Sunday  10am - 4pm	Christmas Eve :  8am - 2pm; Christmas Day :  Closed; New Year's Eve :  8am - 4pm
Concentra Urgent Care - Lakewood Simms	(303) 239-6060	11185 W. 6th Ave. Ste. 100, Lakewood, CO 80215	Open Mon - Fri  8am - 6pm	Christmas Eve :  8am - 3pm; Christmas Day :  Closed
Concentra Urgent Care - Littleton	(303) 798-1009	20 W Dry Creek Circle Suite 100, Littleton, CO 80120	Open Mon - Fri  8am - 5pm	Christmas Eve :  8am - 3pm; Christmas Day :  Closed
Concentra Urgent Care - Thornton Parkway	(720) 872-0399	550 East Thornton Parkway  Suite 110, Thornton, CO 80229	Open Mon - Fri  8am - 5pm
Concentra Urgent Care - Thornton	(303) 287-7070	500 E 84th Avenue Ste. B14, Thornton, CO 80229	Open Mon - Fri  8am - 5pm	Christmas Eve :  8am - 3pm
Concentra Urgent Care - Aurora North	(303) 340-3053	15235 East 38th Ave. Aurora, CO 80011	Open Mon - Fri  8am - 8:00 pm Saturday  8am - 4pm	Christmas Eve :  8am - 2pm; Christmas Day :  Closed; New Year's Eve :  8am - 4pm
Concentra Urgent Care - Aurora Southeast	(303) 755-4955	10355 E Iliff Ave. Aurora, CO 80247	Open Mon - Fri  8am - 5pm	Christmas Eve :  8am - 3pm; Christmas Day :  Closed
Concentra Urgent Care - Aurora Chambers	(720) 859-6139	3449 Chambers Road Suite B, Aurora, CO 80011	Open Mon - Fri  8am - 5pm
Concentra Urgent Care - Boulder	(303) 541-9090	3300 28th St. Boulder, CO 80301	Open Mon - Fri  8am - 6pm	Christmas Eve :  8am - 3pm; Christmas Day :  Closed
Concentra Urgent Care - Tech Center	(303) 792-7368	11877 E. Arapahoe Rd. Centennial, CO 80112	Open Mon - Fri  8am - 6pm	Christmas Eve :  8am - 3pm
Children's Hospital Colorado - Uptown Denver	(720) 777-1360	1830 Franklin Street, Denver, CO 80218	Open Mon - Fri 12pm - 10pm, Sat - Sun 10am - 8 pm	Holdidays 10am - 8pm
Children's Hospital Colorado - Wheat Ridge	(720) 777-1370	3455 Lutheran Parkway Suite 230, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033	Open Mon - Fri 12pm - 10pm, Sat - Sun 10am - 8 pm	Holdidays 10am - 8pm
Children's Hospital Colorado - Broomfield	(720) 777-1340	469 West State Highway 7, Broomfield, CO 80023	Open 24 Hours
Children's Hospital Colorado South Campus, Highlands Ranch	(720) 478-1234	1811 Plaza Drive, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129	Open Mon - Fri 12pm - 10pm, Sat - Sun 10am - 8 pm	Holdidays 10am - 8pm
Green Valley Ranch Medical Clinic	(303) 344-8700	4809 Argonne Street, Suite 100, Denver, CO 80249	Open Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm, Sat & Sun 10am - 4pm	Christmas Day : Closed
UCHealth Urgent Care - Cherry Creek	(303) 372-4000	311 Steele St, Denver, CO 80206	Open Mon - Sun 8am - 8pm	Christmas Eve : 8am-4pm; Christmas Day : Closed; New Year's Eve : 8am-6pm; New Year's Day : 8am-6pm
UCHealth Urgent Care - Thornton	(303) 252-2960	13631 Colorado Blvd, Thornton, CO 80602	Open Mon - Sun 8am - 8pm	Christmas Eve : 8am-4pm; Christmas Day : Closed; New Year's Eve : 8am-6pm; New Year's Day : 8am-6pm
Advanced Urgent Care & Occupational Medicine - Northglenn	(303) 558-0502	1050 W 104th Ave, Northglenn, CO 80234	Open Mon - Sun 8am - 8pm
Advanced Urgent Care & Occupational Medicine - Brighton	(303) 659-9700	2801 Purcell St, Brighton, CO 80601	Open Mon - Sun 8am - 8pm
Advanced Urgent Care & Occupational Medicine - Fort Lupton	(303) 558-0501	112 S Denver Ave, Fort Lupton, CO 80621	Open Mon - Fri 8am - 5pm
NextCare Urgent Care - Arvada	(303) 463-5941	7380 West 52nd Avenue Suite I, Arvada, CO 80002	Open Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm, Sat & Sun 9am - 4pm
NextCare Urgent Care - Thornton	(303) 756-3499	9720 Grant St, Thornton, CO 80229	Open Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm, Sat & Sun 9am - 4pm
NextCare Urgent Care - Golden	(720) 506-1332	17121 S Golden Rd c150, Golden, CO 80401	Open Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm, Sat & Sun 9am - 4pm
NextCare Urgent Care - Broomfield	(303) 439-4544	4590 West 121st Avenue, Broomfield, CO 80020	Open Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm, Sat & Sun 9am - 4pm
NextCare Urgent Care - Centennial	(303) 766-1006	16728 East Smoky Hill Road #10D, Centennial, CO 80015	Open Mon - Fri 8am -12 pm & 1pm - 5pm
NextCare Urgent Care - Aurora	(303) 617-1604	18890 East Hampden Avenue, Aurora, CO 80013	Open Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm, Sat & Sun 9am - 4pm
OnPoint Urgent Care - Lone Tree	(720) 255-2350	9695 S Yosemite St, Lone Tree, CO 80124	Open Mon - Fri 8am - 9:30pm, Sat & Sun 8am - 7:30pm	Christmas Day : Closed; New Year's Day : Closed
OnPoint Urgent Care - Aurora	(303) 330-0410	24300 E Smoky Hill Rd, Aurora, CO 80016	Open Mon - Fri 8am - 9:30pm, Sat & Sun 8am - 7:30pm	Christmas Day : Closed; New Year's Day : Closed
OnPoint Urgent Care - Highlands Ranch	(303) 330-0271	9137 S Ridgeline Blvd Suite 100, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129	Open Mon - Fri 8am - 9:30pm, Sat & Sun 8am - 7:30pm	Christmas Day : Closed; New Year's Day : Closed
San Antonio Medical Center	(303) 936-1760	1701 S Federal Blvd, Denver, CO 80219	Open Mon - Sat 9am - 7pm, Closed Sunday
Urgent Care of Colorado	(303) 904-2600	9116 W Bowles Ave # 3A, Littleton, CO 80123	Open Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm, Sat & Sun 9am - 5pm	Holidays 9am - 5pm (Closed Christmas)
CareNow Urgent Care - Stapleton	(720) 458-6825	3001 Havana St, Denver, CO 80238	Open Mon - Sat 8am - 8pm, Sun 8am - 5pm
CareNow Urgent Care - Greenwood Village	(720) 446-5890	5990 S University Blvd, Greenwood Village, CO 80121	Open Mon - Sat 8am - 8pm, Sun 8am - 5pm
CareNow Urgent Care - Aurora	(720) 446-5893	5620 S. Parker Rd. Aurora, CO 80015	Open Mon - Sat 8am - 8pm, Sun 8am - 5pm
CareNow Urgent Care - Highlands Ranch	(720) 446-5891	7120 E. County Line Rd. Highlands Ranch, CO 80126	Open Mon - Sat 8am - 8pm, Sun 8am - 5pm
CareNow Urgent Care - Parker	(720) 588-4000	11339 S Pikes Peak Dr. Parker, CO 80138	Open Mon - Sat 8am - 8pm, Sun 8am - 5pm
Castle Pines Urgent Care and Family Practice	(303) 814-0505	7280 Lagae Rd, Castle Pines, CO 80108	Open Mon - Fri 8am - 7:30pm, Sat & Sun 8am - 5:30pm
Boulder Community Health Urgent Care	(303) 415-5199	6685 Gunpark Dr #102, Boulder, CO 80301	Open Mon - Sun 7am - 9pm
Boulder Bone and Joint: Orthopedic Urgent Care	(720) 577-2663	4820 Riverbend Rd, Boulder, CO 80301	Open Weds - Fri 3pm - 9pm, Sat & Sun 12pm - 9pm
Boulder Medical Center at Broadway	(303) 440-3000	2750 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304	Open Mon - Fri 8:30am - 5pm, Sat 9am - 12pm. Closed Sunday 5:30pm

Emergency Room Locations in Denver-Boulder Metro

Provider Name	Phone	Address	Hours
Denver Health Main Campus	(303) 436-6000	777 Bannock St. Denver, CO 80204	Open 24 Hours
Emergency Care at Parker Adventist Hospital	(720) 777-1350	9395 Crown Crest Blvd. Parker, CO 80138	Open 24 Hours
Anschutz Medical Campus	(720) 777-1234	13123 East 16th Ave. Aurora, CO 80045	Open 24 Hours
Children's Hospital Colorado South Campus, Highlands Ranch	(720) 478-1234	1811 Plaza Drive, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129	Open 24 Hours
Rose Medical Center Emergency Room	(303) 320-2455	4567 E 9th Ave, Denver, CO 80220	Open 24 Hours
Swedish Medical Center	(303) 788-5000	501 E Hampden Ave, Englewood, CO 80113	Open 24 Hours
The Medical Center of Aurora	(303) 695-2600	1501 S. Potomac Street	Open 24 Hours
North Suburban Medical Center	(303) 451-7800	9191 Grant St. Thornton, CO 80229	Open 24 Hours
Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center	(303) 839-6000	1719 East 19th Ave. Denver, CO 80218	Open 24 Hours
Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children	(720) 754-1000	2001 N. High St. Denver, CO 80205	Open 24 Hours
Sky Ridge Medical Center	(720) 225-1000	10101 RidgeGate Pkwy. Lone Tree, CO 80124	Open 24 Hours
UCHealth Emergency Care - Arvada 64th Ave	(303) 463-7180	15240 W 64th Ave, Arvada, CO 80007	Open 24 Hours
UCHealth Emergency Care - Aurora Mississippi	(303) 671-4140	15300 E Mississippi Ave, Aurora, CO 80017	Open 24 Hours
UCHealth Emergency Care - Arvada Ralston	(720) 390-6200	9505 Ralston Rd, Arvada, CO 80002	Open 24 Hours
UCHealth Emergency Care - Green Valley Ranch	(303) 307-5900	18610 Green Valley Ranch Blvd, Denver, CO 80249	Open 24 Hours
UCHealth Emergency Care - Broomfield 136th Ave	(303) 457-7700	875 W 136th Ave, Broomfield, CO 80023	Open 24 Hours
UCHealth Emergency Care - Littleton	(720) 922-4120	13351 W Bowles Ave, Littleton, CO 80127	Open 24 Hours
UCHealth Emergency Care - Smoky Hill	(303) 400-4280	25551 E Smoky Hill Rd, Aurora, CO 80016	Open 24 Hours
UCHealth Emergency Care - Thornton	(303) 255-6940	12020 Colorado Blvd, Thornton, CO 80241	Open 24 Hours
UCHealth Emergency Care - Parker	(303) 805-3020	16990 Village Center Dr E, Parker, CO 80134	Open 24 Hours
UCHealth Emergency Care - Commerce City	(303) 286-6920	15100 E 104th Ave, Commerce City, CO 80022	Open 24 Hours
UCHealth Emergency Care - Highlands Ranch	(303) 470-4060	9475 S University Blvd, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126	Open 24 Hours
UCHealth Emergency Care - Aurora 16th Ave	(720) 848-9111	12505 E 16th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045	Open 24 Hours
UCHealth Emergency Care - Broomfield Destination Dr.	(303) 460-6000	11820 Destination Dr. Broomfield, CO 80021	Open 24 Hours
UCHealth Emergency Care - Firestone	(303) 678-4340	5965 Firestone Blvd, Firestone, CO 80504	Open 24 Hours
UCHealth Emergency Care - Longmont	(720) 745-8020	2101 Main Street, Longmont, CO 80501	Open 24 Hours
BCH Community Medical Center	(303) 415-4300	1000 W. South Boulder Rd. Lafayette, CO 80026	Open 24 Hours
BCH Foothills Hospital	(303) 415-7000	4747 Arapahoe Ave. Boulder, CO 80303	Open 24 Hours
Specialty Urgent Care and Emergency Services
Provider Name	Phone	Address	Hours
Emergency Dental Care	(303) 495-3443	7500 E Arapahoe Rd #202, Centennial, CO 80112	Open Mon - Sun 9am - 9pm
Dispatch Health (sends someone to your home)	(303) 500-1518
Care on Location (telemedicine)	(720) 778-0005	Thurs-Mon 4pm - 12am
Doctor at Your Door	(720) 418-1705		Open 24 Hours
Denver Pet Urgent Care - Emergency Veterinary Hospital	(303) 416-3203	4595 N Harlan St, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
Boulder Emergency Pet Clinic	(303) 440-7722	1658 30th St, Boulder, CO 80301
Alpenglow Veterinary Specialty + Emergency Center	(303) 443-4569	3640 Walnut Street, Main Unit, Boulder, CO 80301

How to Manage the Top 5 Health Hazards of Thanksgiving

1. Accidents and Injuries

In terms of cooking for a large group and injuries like cuts, burns, food poisoning, and choking, Thanksgiving is peak season. The end-of-year holidays, however, add to the list of potential hazards. Between space heaters, candles, and trees, house fires also spike during the holiday season. Then, there’s the stampede of last-minute shoppers, tripping over extension cords, and throwing your back out while carrying luggage.

• Things You Can Do: Take a minute to review the best practices for the Heimlich and saving a severed finger. Confirm internal cooking temperatures for your holiday meal. Know and follow the safety instructions for holiday decorations. Accept the fact that things get busy during the holidays.

2. Cold and Flu Season

Up to 20 percent of the population can get the flu each year, and this year may be trying to test that limit. More than 200 state residents were hospitalized with the flu just in October and November, a five-year high and more than three times last year’s rate. Find the latest local flu statistics from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. Anti-viral medications can help reduce the severity of the symptoms in vulnerable populations, but otherwise healthy adults should consider managing their flu symptoms at home.

• Things You Can Do: The best things you can do are preventative. Wash your hands regularly and review these other steps for preventing the flu. Once infected, it’s important to stay hydrated and manage your symptoms as needed. If a small child has a fever of 104 or higher, it’s time you go to the ER. 

3. Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Sometimes called the Merry Christmas Coronary or the Happy Hanukah Heart Attack, there are a number of specific cardiovascular risk factors that tend to rear their heads during the holidays. Cold temperatures constrict blood vessels and make your blood clot more easily. Combined with holiday stress and physically strenuous activities like snow removal, it’s no wonder that research studies suggest that there’s “an overall increase of 5 percent more heart-related deaths during the holiday season,” and that the most common days to experience a heart attack are Dec. 25^th and 26^th, followed by Jan. 1^st.

• Things You Can Do: The most immediate thing you can do is to listen to the common wisdom. Stay warm, take it easy, and don’t overeat or drink too much. Hire someone to help with snow removal. And explore ways to improve your increase your heart health throughout the year.

4. Holiday Stress and Mental Health

Even in the best of times, the holidays can be stressful. There’s often a general pressure to make sure that everybody has a good time, which can backfire for the host and their guests. For some, there’s additional stress that comes with traveling or hosting the festivities. The pressure to overeat and then diet or over-exercise can contribute to an eating disorder. New Year’s lingering around the corner doesn’t help at all. Feelings of loneliness can intensify during the holidays to the point that physical symptoms start to manifest in the body.

• Things You Can Do: Make yourself take short breaks to decompress from social pressures. This break could be a personal distraction, or you could start a meditation practice. Don’t wait till New Year’s to start your new exercise routine. And if the holidays end up really taking a toll on you this year, talk to a mental health professional.

5. Complications from Delayed Care

Between the time-crunch and the budget-crunch that is the holiday season, many people rationalize their way out of a doctor’s visit even when they know they should probably go. While the holidays send people with psychological distress to the doctor, others may avoid health services altogether. It could be fatigue or body pains or speech problems. It could be allergies or indigestion or headaches that are no longer responding to over-the-counter medications. It could be vomiting that won’t stop. It could be a stubborn grandparent who’s in denial about how bad their flu symptoms are.

• Things You Can Do: Whenever possible, make an appointment with your doctor whenever you suspect something is seriously wrong. Even if you were toughing it out in the beginning, you should take the first opportunity you get to see someone. Unless you have a medical emergency, you can take advantage of urgent care walk-in clinics to get around especially long waits at the ER and the limited availability of your regular doctor during the holiday season.

Emergency Room or Urgent Care?

Make Sure You Know Where to Go. It'll Save You Money.

Without knowing the details of your situation, the best general advice we can give is to trust your instincts and make the best decision you can with the information available. What we can provide is basic guidance for a range of common symptoms and ailments.

Just because a situation doesn’t appear to be life-threatening doesn’t mean you can wait for a regular doctor’s appointment. Whether the problem is a cause for concern or a source of serious discomfort, any number of medical problems can be handled by one of our urgent care centers. 

Emergency Room or Urgent Care?

Ailment	Urgent Care	Emergency Room
Altered mental status or confusion, including suicidal or homicidal thoughts
Back pain
Compound fracture
Convulsions, seizures or loss of consciousness
Cuts and abrasions (with controlled bleeding but requiring stitches)
Deep knife wounds or gunshot wounds
Dehydration
Diagnostic services
Diarrhea (unless severe and persistent)
Dislocated joints
Ear pain
EKG (electrocardiogram)
Eye irritation and redness
Falls and minor injuries
Fever in newborn (less than 3 months old)
Fever or flu
Heart attack (chest pain that lasts longer than two minutes, radiates to arm or jaw, or coupled with difficult breathing, sweating, or vomiting)
Heavy, uncontrollable bleeding
Laboratory testing
Mild to moderate breathing difficulties (unless coupled with chest pain)
Minor broken bones and fractures
Orthopedic and occupational medicine
Painful urination
Physicals
Poisoning
Rashes (unless coupled with a fever)
Serious head, neck or back injury
Serious problems related to a pregnancy
Severe abdominal pain
Severe burns
Severe fever (104+) or fever with rash
Sore throat or cough
Spirometry
Sprains and strains
Stroke (sudden numbness or weakness especially one-sided, loss of vision, double vision, slurred speech, or confusion)
Sudden clumsiness or loss of balance
Sudden testicular pain and swelling
Sudden, severe headache
Urinary tract infections
Vaccines
Vomiting (unless severe and persistent)
X-rays

Important Urgent Care Information

• It’s next to impossible to come up with a comprehensive list of things that can send you to the ER. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the most common reason for adults to visit the Emergency Room is “Other.” Next to injury (14 percent), abdominal pain (9 percent), chest pain (7 percent), and back/neck problems (6 percent), a whopping 34 percent of visits get lumped into this “Other” category.

• People are still getting a lot of their healthcare from emergency room visits when they don’t have to, but we’re making progress. According to the CDC, in 2011, only 2 out of 3 people visited the ER due to the “seriousness of the medical problem.” By 2014, more than 7 out of 8 people visited the ER because of a serious medical problem. “Urgent care centers and other on-demand healthcare options in Denver and Boulder are expanding their services to treat more illnesses and injuries, making it easier for patients to access affordable care,” says Greg Meadows, CEO at Rocky Mountain Urgent Care & Family Medicine. “ER-alternatives provide high-quality, affordable care when patients need it most.”

• Other sources point out that only about “20 percent of ER patients are admitted to the hospital.” While even more people could get the care they need from urgent care rather than the ER, studies show that they do need access to urgent care services. One recent study showed that only 3.3% of ER visits were completely avoidable, meaning that the patient didn’t require “any diagnostic or screening services, procedures or medications, and were discharged home.”

• Choosing the right health provider can have a huge financial impact. According to the Urgent Care Association of America, the average cost of an urgent care visit is $168, while the average cost of an ER visit is $2,259. It’s also a big time-saver. Ninety-two percent of urgent care visits are seen by a provider within 30 minutes, and 90 percent of urgent care visits are completed in 60 minutes or less. The average wait at an emergency room? 4 hours.