When Should I Visit an Emergency & Urgent Care Center?

June 18, 2021
Karla Baker, RN, with a patient at St. Anthony Summit Medical Center in Summit County, Colorado, March 24, 2021.

Sometimes your activities do not have the outcome you anticipated. Like, not seeing that rock on your mountain bike ride, missing that step down on your hike or grabbing that piece of firewood you thought had cooled. We’re human, right, and being human means sometimes we do things that require medical care when we least expect it. 

Centura takes the worry out of getting the help you need when the unexpected happens by combining emergency room and urgent care into one location. But remember, if your condition is life-threatening, call 911 immediately.

We are where you are

Centura's Emergency & Urgent Care Centers are strategically placed across metro Denver and Summit County to care for our communities. Our hybrid centers take the guesswork out of deciding what type of care you need and leaves that decision in the hands of our board-certified health care experts.

Come in & we will take care of the rest

When you arrive at one of our locations, you’ll receive an immediate evaluation by one of our board-certified emergency care providers to determine the right level of care for you. You will only pay for the level of care you received – urgent or emergency care. 

Find an Emergency & Urgent Care Center closest to you.

Emergency & urgent care examples

If you’re wondering when to visit an Emergency and Urgent Care Center, here's a few examples:

These are examples of diagnoses that are typically considered emergent. This list is not comprehensive or considered a replacement for a clinical examination, and may vary based on your specific symptoms and condition.

  • Abdominal pain
  • Baby less than 2 years old with a fever
  • Blood clots and DVTs
  • Broken or dislocated bones
  • Chest pain or chest pressure
  • Coughing up or vomiting blood
  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Dizziness or loss of consciousness
  • Eye injuries
  • Foreign body removal
  • Head injury
  • Heart palpitations/racing heart rate
  • High blood pressure crisis (severe headache, severe anxiety, shortness of breath, nosebleed)
  • High fever or fever with rash
  • Kidney stones 
  • Major burns
  • Major wounds or bleeding that won’t stop
  • Pregnancy complications
  • Poisoning
  • Seizure
  • Severe allergies
  • Severe back pain
  • Severe flu or pneumonia
  • Severe headache
  • Stroke symptoms (including sudden onset of slurred speech, impaired vision, numbness, confusion, dizziness)
  • Sudden change in vision
  • Sudden or severe pain
  • Sudden testicular pain or swelling
  • Suicidal or homicidal thoughts or hallucinations
  • Vomiting or dehydration

These are examples of diagnoses that are typically considered urgent. This list is not comprehensive or considered a replacement for a clinical examination, and may vary based on your specific symptoms and condition.

  • Allergies
  • Bladder or urinary tract infections
  • Cold
  • Cough
  • Earache
  • Flu/Influenza
  • Insect bites and stings
  • Minor asthma
  • Minor injury
  • Pink eye
  • Poison Ivy
  • Rash
  • Simple abscess (no packing needed)
  • Simple burn
  • Simple cuts, bruises or abrasions
  • Simple nose bleed (no packing needed)
  • Sinusitis
  • Sunburn
  • Sore throat
  • Strains or sprains