Emergency Care
When you have an injury or illness, we are prepared to provide you with expert compassionate care. We treat all levels of illness and injury, including the most critical. Our emergency departments are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to treat people of all ages. When needed, our emergency medicine teams work closely with other medical and surgical specialists to coordinate the best plan of care for you. If you're having an emergency and need immediate care, call 911 to take you to the nearest emergency department.
What Type of Appointment Do I Need?
Primary Care encompasses the comprehensive treatment of a number of diseases in symptoms and specialties including pediatrics, internal medicine and family medicine. Rather than specializing in one particular area of medicine, the physician is trained to meet all the needs of patients as one point of contact. Examples of symptoms and conditions treated by a primary care provider can include:
- Minor medical problems and injuries
- Physicals/Sports Physicals
- Medicine Checks
- Long Term Care
- Medication Refill
- Ongoing Symptoms (ex: Continued Back Pain)
- Care or Treatment Planning
- Disease Management
- Managing Existing Conditions (Migraines, Depression, Anxiety, Arthritis, etc.)
- Substance Abuse
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes and obesity
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Skin problems
Urgent Care and Express treat minor medical problems and injuries that are not life-threatening, but need the attention of a health care provider. These are not an alternative to the emergency room, but offer the ability to get walk-in care without an appointment for all patient ages. Urgent Care is available after hours, weekends and holidays. Our Urgent Care Clinics can provide medical treatment for minor illness and injuries such as:
- Allergies
- Burns
- Colds
- Coughs
- Cuts (Stitches)
- Earaches or Ear Infections
- Fevers
- Minor Medical Problems and Injuries
- Minor Eye Care
- Flu
- Fractures (X-Ray On-Site at Most Locations)
- Infections
- Sore Throats
- Sprains, Including Sprained Ankles (X-Ray On-Site at Most Locations)
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
- Yeast Infections
- Certain Rapid Tests
Please note: Flu shots, physicals and/or sports physicals are not offered at every walk-in care location.
*If you are experiencing chest pain or shortness of breath, please go to the Emergency Department or call 911 immediately. For less serious medical issues, such as physicals, medication refills or to leave a message for your primary care doctor, you can access your My UnityPoint patient portal 24/7!
Connect with a UnityPoint Health provider online using MyUnityPoint to access virtual urgent care or SmartExam. Virtual care doctors can diagnose, recommend treatment and prescribe medication when necessary for commonly treated conditions. Available every day, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for individuals 2 years and older located in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota.
Virtual care should be used for minor, common ailments and illnesses. Some examples, and the qualifying age to receive virtual care or SmartExam for that condition, include:
| Condition | Virtual Urgent Care | SmartExam |
|---|---|---|
| Acne | 2+ | 2+ |
| Burn | 2+ | 2+ |
| Cold/Flu | 2+ | 2+ |
| Cold Sores | 13+ | 18+ |
| Constipation | 2+ | 18+ |
| Cough/Upper Respiratory Infection | 2+ | 18+ |
| Diarrhea | 2+ | 18+ |
| Fever | 2+ | 18+ |
| Head Lice | 2+ | 2+ |
| Heartburn | 2+ | 18+ |
| Headache/Migraine | 18+ | 18+ |
| Joint Pan | 2+ | 18+ |
| Rash | 2+ | 18+ |
| Red Eye | 2+ | 2+ |
| Sinuses | 2+ | 2+ |
| Sore Throat | 2+ | 18+ |
| Urinary Tract Infection | 13+ (female only) | 18+ |
| Vaginal Infection (yeast/bacterial vaginosis) | 18+ | 18+ |
| Vomiting | 2+ | 18+ |
Emergency rooms are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for severe or life-threatening conditions. Conditions that require emergency care include excessive bleeding, broken bones, chest pain or trouble breathing. Emergency services include diagnostic testing and access to specialists.
Examples of symptoms and conditions treated by emergency departments can include:
- Symptoms of a heart attack, including severe chest pain, sweating and shortness of breath.
- Profuse bleeding or blood loss that continues even after direct pressure has been placed on the wound.
- Severe abdominal pain.
- Sudden dizziness, weakness, loss of coordination, balance or vision problems, which are signs of stroke.
- High fever and vomiting that continues nonstop for several hours.
- Signs of meningitis for adults: severe headaches, neck/joint pain and stiffness, vomiting, high temperature, sensitivity to light or babies and small children: high-pitched whimpering/crying, lethargy, fussiness, restlessness, high fever, vomiting, cold extremities, refusing food, pale or blotchy skin.
- Seizures lasting longer than five minutes.
- Injuries occurring from an accident or fall - intense back or neck pain, obvious compound fractures and/or dislocations of bones, deep cuts and severe burns.
Medication Matters Card
Time is of the essence during a medical emergency. During a trip to the emergency room you may be unable to speak, or be too confused, sick or injured to accurately share your medical history with healthcare providers.
This information is critical in order to treat an emergency properly. We want you to be prepared for the unexpected and that's why we created the Medication Matters card. This medication tracking template helps you take control before an emergency strikes and provide accurate and up-to-date medical information to first responders and emergency teams.
We encourage you to fill out the Medication Matters card. Then place it in your purse, wallet or on your refrigerator and let your family know where you keep it — that way it's easy to find in an emergency. You can also get online access to your loved ones’ health information by giving them proxy access to your MyUnityPoint patient portal records.
How to Best Use the Card
- List everything you take; prescriptions, over-the-counter products, dietary supplements, herbal remedies, eye drops, inhalers and oxygen.
- Describe the purpose or condition treated with each product.
- Carry the card with you at all times in your wallet or purse or attach it to your refrigerator where family or first responders can find it in an emergency. Then tell family where it is located in the event you are unable to speak.
- At your doctor's office, present the card for updating.
- At the pharmacy, ask your pharmacist to review the card when a new prescription is added.
- At the hospital, ask your nurse to review the card when you are admitted and again when you are sent home.
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist about your medicines and the best way you should take them or if there are any special concerns you need to be aware of regarding drug interactions.
Intensive Care Units (ICU)
If your emergency situation requires hospitalization, the Intensive Care Units in our hospitals provide critical care services for acutely ill patients. This specially designed area brings the best in technology, facilities and professional, compassionate staff together to care for patients who need constant, critical monitoring. Find a hospital to learn more about ICU facilities near you.
Trauma Centers
Trauma centers are usually located within the emergency department. Trauma centers handle the extreme cases where there is an issue of immediate survival. Highly-specialized surgeons work with the most advanced equipment to increase the likelihood of survival in the patients that are sent there. Learn more on our trauma services page.
Air Ambulance Services
Our LifeFlight and Life Guard programs provide quality, rapid air transport for critically-ill and injured patients. The ability to stabilize and transport patients as quickly as possible is critical, which is why our air ambulance crew can be instrumental during life-threatening situations. In addition to providing transport from an emergency scene, our team also transports between hospitals if a patient is in need of specialized medical or surgical treatment. Learn more about our air ambulance services by choosing a location.
