Urgent Care at Universal Urgent Care on Niles Street, Brimhall Road, and Ming Avenue in Bakersfield, and Fresno, CA

If you’re unsure whether the cut on your finger or the pain in your chest should send you to the emergency room or an urgent care center, we’re here to help! Here is a description of the different types of treatments available at urgent care, and where you should go to get the care you need.
 
Life-threatening emergencies, such as a heart attack or serious head injury, require a visit to the emergency room. On the other hand, an illness or injury that does not appear to be life-threatening, but cannot wait until the next day, should be treated at an urgent care center.
 
Urgent care centers should be utilized when suffering from conditions that are not emergencies, but still require care within 24 hours. These might include:

Sprains and Fractures: More than 80% of ankle sprains are the result of an inversion or the inward rolling of the ankle. The good news is that the majority of urgent care centers treat fractures, so you can have your bone treated and examined before determining if a hospital visit is even necessary.

Moderate Breathing Difficulty: Upper respiratory conditions are some of the most commonly diagnosed conditions in urgent care centers. For common medical problems, like strep throat or a hacking cough, head to your nearest walk-in clinic. However, should you suffer from severe chest pain or difficulty breathing, go to a hospital immediately.

Testing, Imaging, and Labs: If you suspect that you are at risk for the contraction of a disease or illness, go to a medical clinic for walk-in testing. Instead of waiting days or even weeks for a doctor’s appointment, or waiting hours at the emergency room, get tested at an urgent care center right away to put your mind at ease.

Yes, some urgent care providers like ours provide walk-in services. In basic terms, a walk-in clinic is a place where you can visit a medical professional without the need of an appointment.

When you need immediate, non-life-threatening medical care, urgent care clinics are the place to go. There are other reasons to visit an urgent care clinic:

● You need medical attention over the weekend.
● Your doctor’s office is closed.
● You’re a college student and your primary care doctor is in a different state.
● You don’t want to wait to see your primary care doctor.

While it’s true that an ER can handle all the same things that an urgent care center can, you will spend significantly more time waiting and receiving treatment in an ER. ERs have a triage system to make sure the sickest patients get care immediately. The median wait time to see a doctor in a U.S. ER is about 30 minutes. The less urgent your situation is, the longer you’ll have to wait. The median treatment time is 90 minutes.

In contrast, most urgent care centers have patients in and out the door in 60 minutes or less. This includes wait time and treatment time.  Time isn’t the only thing you’ll save by choosing an urgent care center. The average cost of an ER visit is about $1,300 to $1,400. However, many urgent care visits cost an average of $150.

If you or someone you know is experiencing mild to moderate symptoms, and your family care physician is not available, come to Universal Urgent Care today! For more information, contact us or book an appointment online. We are conveniently located at Niles Street, Brimhall Road, and Ming Avenue in Bakersfield, CA, and Fresno, CA. We serve patients from Bakersfield CA, Fresno CA, Clovis CA, Mayfair CA, Kayandee CA, Arvin CA, Fairfax CA, Rosedale CA, and surrounding areas.