After-Hours Care
**For Urgent or Emergent Issues Only**
If you need urgent medical attention that cannot wait until normal business hours (Monday-Friday 8am to 4:30pm), please call our after-hours care provider at UMass Hahnemann Family Health Center of Worcester, at 508-334-8830. Identify yourself as a WPI student to the person answering the phone, and they will have the medical provider on call return your call as soon as possible.
If there is a life-threatening emergency or if you are too sick to make necessary arrangements or need physical assistance, please contact Campus Police at 508-831-5555 and an officer will respond to your location and request an ambulance if warranted. Students with serious illnesses and injuries will be transported to a local hospital via ambulance. The ambulance fee will be the responsibility of the student. To report off-campus emergencies, call 911.
Emergent vs. Urgent Medical Concerns
I’m sick/hurt and I want to be evaluated. What’s the difference between the hospital emergency room and an urgent care clinic?
Urgent care clinics are generally walk-in clinics that are equipped to deal with urgent, but non-life threatening medical conditions. Meanwhile, emergency rooms or emergency departments are walk-in, hospital-based locations that are equipped to deal with major and/or life-threatening medical conditions.
|
EMERGENCIES |
URGENT CARE |
ROUTINE |
|
UMass Memorial Health Emergency Department (55 Lake Ave. North, Worcester or 119 Belmont St., Worcester) Saint Vincent Hospital Emergency Department (123 Summer St., Worcester) |
ReadyMed Urgent Care (366 Shrewsbury St., Worcester) CareWell Urgent Care (500 Lincoln St., Worcester) AFC Urgent Care (117 Stafford St., Worcester) |
WPI Student Health Services CVS Minute Clinic (44 West Boylston St., Worcester) Your primary care provider (PCP) |
|
Loss of consciousness |
Worsening concussion |
Headache |
|
Severe pain |
Consistent pain from existing issue |
Improving, but persistent pain |
|
Difficulty breathing |
Worsening asthma symptoms - responding well to inhaler |
Cough without fever |
|
Chest pain |
Injury to chest area |
Heartburn, pulled muscle, rib bruise |
|
Uncontrollable bleeding or severe burns |
Deep cut that might need stitches or tetanus shot |
Minor cuts, scrapes, burns that don't blister |
|
Alcohol poisoning or drug overdose |
Alcohol or drug addiction in sober person |
|
|
Allergic reaction |
Rash |
Seasonal allergies |
|
Fractures or Dislocations |
Concussion |
Sprains/Strains |
|
Numbness, bluing of extremity |
Painful redness of extremity |
Cuts, scrapes, small bruises |
|
Loss of vision |
Redness & constant discharge from eye |
Minor itching & redness of eye |
|
Inability to drink fluids >24hrs |
Nausea, Vomiting, Abdominal pain |
Stomach bugs |
|
Someone who is a danger to self or others |
Severe anxiety or depression |
Stress, sleep issues, fatigue |
|
Fever >103 F not responding to acetaminophen |
Fever >100.4 F persistent >48hr |
Temperature <100.4 F |
|
Inability to swallow, talk or manage saliva |
Sore throat w fever >100.4 F |
Minor sore throats, colds, ear aches |
|
Sexual assault |
Emergency contraception |
Sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy tests |
**Emergency room visits and being transported via an ambulance are oftentimes much more expensive than an urgent care visit. Please note, an urgent care clinic may still recommend you go to an emergency room/department if they deem your medical condition requires a higher level of care than they can provide.