Urgent Care Center vs. Hospital Emergency Department

Why do we call Physicians Immediate Care a “non-urgent care center?” Although we do offer services that are offered in walk-in clinics generally called “urgent care centers” in the rest of the USA, the State of Illinois requires that we not label our facility an “urgent care center.” Traditional urgent care centers do not treat true emergencies, such as acute chest pain, severe trauma, or other life-threatening emergencies. A traditional urgent care center treats illnesses and injuries that cannot wait for a traditional physician appointment, but do not require the services of a hospital emergency department. A traditional urgent care center offers x-ray services and basic laboratory services. Under this definition of a traditional urgent care center, Physicians Immediate Care is proud to have been inspected and accredited by the Urgent Care Association of America awarding Physicians Immediate Care the prestigious Award of Distinction. As the premier association of traditional urgent care centers in the USA, this organization helps set the standards for providing traditional urgent care medicine in the USA.