With winter respiratory illnesses on the rise and healthcare in high demand, you may have questions about where to seek medical care. To help treat your symptoms and get you and your family feeling better faster, it’s important to choose the right place to get the right care at the right time.

Keep reading to find out when and where you and your family should go when experiencing symptoms.

Primary Care Provider

Contact your primary care provider for guidance on the type of care that’s most appropriate for you. Because your primary care provider understands your health and has your records available, seeing your personal physician can result in overall better care at a lower cost. Typical office visits include:

• Cold, flu, bronchitis or cough
• Aches, pains or headaches
• Pink eye
• Fever or sore throat
• Earache or hearing loss
• Rash
• Allergies
• Sunburn or minor burns
• Stomach pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding or constipation
• Urinary tract infection or blood in urine
• Sprains or strains
• Minor infections

Patients also see primary care providers for general medical advice, yearly exams, chronic condition management, lab tests, referrals to specialists and vaccinations.

Urgent Care

Visit an urgent care center for minor injuries or illnesses when your primary care physician is not available. Urgent care centers can help with:

• Minor injuries and cuts requiring stitches
• Upper respiratory infections, flu, fever and sore throat
• Fractures of small bones like fingers or toes
• Skin rashes and infections
• Eye and ear infections
• Other non-life-threatening conditions

Telehealth

For minor medical conditions when you don’t want to leave home, telehealth is an option. Common issues addressed by telehealth are:

• Cough/cold or flu
• Pink eye
• Sore throat
• Rash
• Allergies
• Minor respiratory, sinus and ear infections
• Migraines/headaches

AultmanNow Telehealth is available 24/7 at aultman.org/NOWTelehealth and on the Aultman Anywhere app. Download the app from the App Store or Google Play.

Emergency Room

Visit an emergency department or call 911 as soon as possible for these symptoms:

• Stroke or heart attack symptoms
• Chest pain or difficulty breathing
• Deep cuts or bleeding that won’t stop
• Fractures of large bones
• Pregnancy-related problems
• Knife or gunshot wounds
• Coughing or vomiting blood
• Severe burns
• Loss of consciousness or seizures
• Abdominal pain
• Head injuries or injuries from falls
• Evaluation of urgent behavioral health needs

For a quick, printable guide to find the right care at the right place at the right time, please click here.