SmartER
As hospitals across the nation face long wait times and overcrowding, it is more important than ever to know where to go for care.
Emergency Departments are open 24 hours a day and are equipped to treat life-threatening medical emergencies. Urgent care centers are a convenient option for non-life-threatening medical needs. And if you are experiencing a medical emergency, always call 9-1-1.
With real-time hospital capacity, clear urgent care options, and transparent information before you leave your house, SmartER helps residents make smarter decisions about where to seek care. By directing non-emergent needs to the appropriate setting, we can reduce unnecessary emergency department visits and protect capacity for true emergencies.
Less guesswork. Shorter wait times. SmartER for smarter healthcare.
Emergency Department Capacity
The Emergency Department Advisory System provides real-time insight into how busy emergency departments are across the region. The ED Census Indicator Score (ED Index) reflects how much of each emergency department’s routine capacity is currently occupied by patients
Level 1 indicates lower volume and less crowded conditions. Level 4 indicates the highest level of occupancy relative to capacity.
ED Index Levels:
- Icon 1: 0–75% occupied
- Icon 2: 76–100% occupied
- Icon 3: 101–130% occupied
- Icon 4: 131% or more occupied
View the Current Regional Hospital Capacity to See Up-to-Date Emergency Department Activity
When to Go to an Emergency Department
Emergency departments are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year and have special equipment and highly skilled and qualified to respond to life-threatening medical emergencies.
Go to the emergency department if you experience the following:
- Trouble breathing
- Facial drooping or weakness in an arm or leg
- Chest pain
- Bleeding that lasts longer than 10 minutes
- Seizures
- Head trauma
- Sudden acute headache/dizziness
- Major broken bones
- Coughing or vomiting blood
- Sudden confusion, disorientation
- Severe abdominal pain
- Swallowed a foreign object
When to Go to Urgent Care
Urgent care centers are same-day walk in clinics that can handle non-life-threatening medical problems and are a good option for when you are not injured or not feeling well, but it’s not serious enough for the emergency department. No appointment is necessary. Many Urgent Cares also provide primary care, sports physicals, and vaccines.
Urgent Cares centers can address the most minor of ailments, such as:
- Cough, congestion, without severe difficulty breathing
- Mild flu-like symptoms
- Sneezing or running nose
- Sore throat
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Mild upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea
- Rashes without fever
- Sprains, Strains, minor bone fractures
- Minor Cuts
- Earache/Ear Pain
- Painful urination
- Pink eye, eye redness, discharge, or itchiness
When to Call 911
Always call 911 if you think you may be experiencing a medical emergency, some examples include:
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Severe bleeding
- Any symptoms of a heart attack, including chest pressure/pain, pain in the left arm or the jaw, sudden weakness, or dizziness
- Signs of a stroke, such as slurred speech, severe headache, weakness, or numbness on one side of the face or body, or loss of consciousness
- Life-or-limb-threatening injury