Know Where to Go: Who to See When You’re Sick
January 8, 2025
By: Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare
Categories: Urgent Care, Emergency Medicine, Healthy Living
When you’re not feeling well, it can be tricky determining what level of healthcare you may need. Oftentimes, patients report to the Emergency Room for non-emergency needs, which increases their wait time and often comes with a large co-payment or fee. At Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and TMH Physician Partners, we offer a range of healthcare options for different levels of care based on your symptoms.
Our guide below outlines different symptoms and options to help you figure out where to go.
Symptoms
- Care for chronic conditions
- Sports/school physicals
- Medication refills
- Vaccinations
- Sick appointments
Your best bet: Primary Care
Every person should have a dedicated primary care physician who can provide routine check-ups, sick appointments and nursing triage over the phone. Many primary care providers hold appointments for established patients who are feeling sick, so if it’s not an emergency, start with your primary care doc.
Did You Know? Patients who have been discharged in the last 30 days and do not have a primary care provider or need to be seen quickly can receive treatment at the TMH Transition Center.
Symptoms
- Cold, flu, asthma or allergy symptoms
- Earache, sore throat or eye irritation
- Minor injury, fracture or muscle ache
- Minor skin wound, rash or infection
- Painful urination or stomach virus
Your best bet: Urgent Care or Walk-in Clinic
We have four Urgent Care clinics across the region to see patients of all ages who aren’t able to be seen by their primary care physician and need care quickly. Our partners at Capital Health Plan (CHP) also have an Urgent Care facility for CHP members.
At TMH Physician Partners – Primary Care in Quincy and Wakulla, we offer extended hours for our Walk-In Clinic services. You do not have to be an existing patient to use our Walk-in Clinics!
Symptoms
- Mood changes such as prolonged sadness, apathy or extreme mood swings
- Behavioral changes, such as excess anger, hostility or acting out
- Difficulty coping, with problems or daily activities or feeling disconnected
- Problematic thoughts, such as thoughts of death, suicide or harming others
- Fears or obsessive thoughts
- Hallucinations, whether visual or audio
- Substance abuse
Your best bet: Apalachee Center, Tallahassee Memorial Behavioral Health Center or another community behavioral health provider.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. You can also call or text 988 for the Suicide or Crisis Lifeline.
Crisis Intervention Services (Mobile Response Team): 800-342-0774
Same day, non-emergency treatment: 850-523-3483
Symptoms
- Signs of stroke or heart attack
- Severe difficulty breathing
- Severe injury, head trauma or bleeding
- Severe depression or suicidal thoughts
- Severe stomach pain, dehydration or fainting
- Child with a high fever despite over-the-counter medications
- A severe or worsening reaction to an insect bite, food or medication
- Profuse bleeding that does not stop after 10 minutes of direct pressure
Your best bet: Emergency Center
We have two Emergency Centers in Tallahassee for patients experiencing severe symptoms that require emergency care. If you are having a medical emergency and cannot drive, call 911.
Knowing where to go during a medical emergency can save you time, money and unnecessary stress while ensuring you receive the appropriate level of care. By understanding the differences between the emergency room, urgent care, walk-in clinics and primary care, you can make the best decision for your health needs. For more information about all of the services TMH has to offer and to find the most convenient location for you, visit TMH.ORG/Emergency. Remember, the right care starts with the right choice.
