Acute Care

Are acute care and urgent care the same thing?

Yes. Acute care and urgent care are different names for the same thing. Specifically, they provide prompt diagnosis and treatment of non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries.

Acute care provides a faster and cheaper alternative to visiting the emergency room. Since ERs see patients based on their level of need, you might have to wait hours to see a doctor, especially if someone else is sicker or more injured than you.

Acute care, on the other hand, lets you meet with a qualified provider right away. Simply call the Sage Medical Clinic office to speak with an administrative team member.

What types of illnesses and injuries does acute care treat?

The Sage Medical Clinic team uses acute care to treat various illnesses and injuries, including:

• Sprains and strains
• Respiratory problems, like asthma and bronchitis
• Fever
• Flu
• Colds
• COVID-19
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Insect bites
• Minor burns
• Eye irritation and redness
• Cuts and lacerations
• Urinary tract infections
• Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

You might benefit from acute care if gastrointestinal symptoms, like diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting, don’t improve with at-home measures. 

What does an acute care appointment involve?

At Sage Medical Clinic, acute care appointments average 30 minutes. Your provider reviews your medical records and asks about your symptoms, including when they started and how you managed them at home. Next, they complete a physical exam.

What happens during the exam depends on the location and severity of your symptoms. For example, if you have a sore throat, your provider feels your lymph nodes, looks at the back of your throat, and collects a throat swab for laboratory analysis. They might also prescribe antibiotics or antiviral medication to speed up healing.

Alternatively, if you cut yourself while cooking, your provider assesses the cut’s depth and severity. They clean and sterilize the wound, apply stitches if needed, and provide recommendations to speed up healing.

What should I bring to an acute care appointment?

The Sage Medical Team recommends bringing the following to your acute care appointment:

• Photo ID
• Health insurance information
• Names of the medications and supplements you take
• A list of questions for your doctor
• Results from any recent or relevant medical tests

Call Sage Medical Clinic today to schedule a new patient appointment, or book your visit online.