How to Choose the Best Care at the Right Time
Our goal is to help you access the most appropriate healthcare services when you need them. Please review the information below to help determine the best care for you at this time.
Primary Care >
Same Day Appointments >
Urgent Care >
Emergency Care >
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Primary Care
One of the best ways to make sure you are getting excellent healthcare is to have a Primary Care Physician (PCP). Your PCP is often a doctor but may also be a Nurse Practitioner or other certified health professional.
Your PCP serves as your partner in your overall health, making sure you get recommended preventive screenings and risk assessments. Having a doctor who looks at the “big picture” of your health and helps you manage your overall progress will assure continuity of your healthcare.
Over the long term, a doctor who knows your health history, your habits, and your personality can more easily recognize signs of a potential change in your health, and can help you get the appropriate care more quickly when you need it.
When to Seek Primary Care
- Illness or Infections
- Chronic Disease Management
- Adult Immunizations
- Childhood Immunizations
- Flu and Pneumonia Shots
- Tetanus Shots
- Annual Physical Examinations
- Employment Physicals
- School, Sports, and Camp Physicals
- Health Screenings (Blood Tests, TB tests, etc.)
- Referrals to Specialists
- Advice: Weight Loss, Diet,
- Smoking Cessation
We encourage all our patients to choose a PCP. We currently have male and female Internists, Family Practitioners, Pediatricians and Obstetricians/Gynecologists at various locations who are accepting new patients.
Internal Medicine >
Family Medicine >
Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine >
Obstetrics & Gynegology >
For help choosing your doctor and scheduling an appointment visit Find a Doctor, or call 1 (800) 4-SANSUM. We look forward to serving your primary healthcare needs.
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Same Day Appointments
Several of our primary care locations offer same day appointments. We know that you can’t always anticipate an illness or injury and it can be difficult to get an appointment at the last minute. Same day appointments enable us to care for you when unplanned conditions occur.
For same day appointments, we will make every effort to schedule appointments for serious illnesses as soon as possible. Appointments are prioritized for minor yet urgent problems.
Schedule Same Day Appointments for:
- Fever
- Cold and Flu Symptoms
- Sore Throat
- Rash
- Earache
- Cough
- Urinary Tract Infection
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Asthma
- Allergic Reactions
Please note: Same day appointments are not for treating long-term chronic issues or preventive healthcare (for example, they are not for diabetic checkups, medication refills, general exams, pap smears, well child exams, or immunizations.) They are also not for medical emergencies. If you or a loved one experiences a medical emergency, such as chest pain, stroke, difficulty breathing, serious injury or trauma, please visit the nearest emergency room or call 911.
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Urgent Care
Urgent Care is an option for when same day appointments with your doctor are unavailable or if you need immediate treatment outside of office hours. Our urgent care clinic can handle a number of medical conditions that are unplanned, and that need to be treated right away but are not a life or limb-threatening emergency.
Some Symptoms Treated at Urgent Care
- Severe Fever or Infections
- Minor Injuries to Limbs (sprains, simple fractures of bones)
- Persistent Diarrhea
- Persistent Vomiting
- Severe Back Pain or Migraine
- Small Lacerations (cuts)
If your symptoms come on gradually or are not severe, you may want to try to get a same day appointment with your PCP. While our urgent care clinic is often convenient, your doctor will have a better picture of your overall health for a more accurate diagnosis and can provide more cost-effective care.
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Emergency Care
The hospital emergency department or “emergency room” (ER) is the right choice when you need immediate life, limb or eyesight-saving care. If you are ever in doubt it is better to be safe and go to the closest ER.
Conditions that Require Emergency Care
- Severe Persistent Chest Pain or Shortness of Breath
- Difficulty Speaking, Altered Mental Status or Confusion
- Sudden Severe Headache
- Falls with Injury or While Taking Blood Thinning Medications
- Loss of Vision
- Serious Injury or Trauma
While the ER is appropriate for emergencies, your PCP or Urgent Care are available for other health matters.
You may also be sent to the ER by your doctor if you have an underlying condition, such as hypertension or diabetes, which could complicate your diagnosis and require extra care.
Affiliated Local Hospitals with Emergency Departments >
When to call 911
Sometimes driving yourself or a loved one to the emergency room won’t get you to the medical care you need fast enough. Many people are confused about when to call 911. It is better to be safe than sorry.
If you are in doubt, please call 911.
Do not drive if you are having severe chest pain or severe bleeding, if feel like you might faint or if your vision is impaired. For certain medical emergencies, such as a heart attack or stroke, taking an ambulance is safer because paramedics can deliver life-saving care on the way to the hospital.
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