Emergency care
Emergency care is the treatment of unexpected, severe medical injuries or infections. It is typically delivered in an emergency room or an ambulance. Our emergency medicine physicians stabilize your condition as quickly as possible to prepare you for the next step of care or discharge.
Emergency rooms (ERs) in San Antonio
It’s often called “self-nosis,” but in an emergency, that may not be the best way to diagnose a medical condition.
When help is needed immediately, trust the board-certified emergency medicine physicians at Methodist Healthcare. Our specially trained emergency medicine physicians and nurses will get you and your loved ones from assessment to treatment and back to life faster.
Whether it’s back pain, a broken bone or sprain, chest pain, high fever or stomach pain – don’t trust just anyone. Methodist Healthcare provides comprehensive family emergency care at our hospitals and freestanding locations 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
When you’re facing an unclear medical situation, Methodist Healthcare’s emergency teams are here to help.
Emergency rooms in San Antonio Texas
What's the difference between a free-standing ER and a hospital ER?
Methodist Healthcare has full-service free-standing ERs in 10 area neighborhoods and hospital ERs that are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our team of specially-trained ER and trauma physicians, registered nurses and other medical staff are prepared to deliver quality, compassionate care for you and your family.
Our free-standing ERs are self-contained and an extension of our hospital emergency rooms. They are also called neighborhood ERs and are conveniently located for easy access. While structurally separate from hospitals, they are capable of delivering emergency services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Some of the advantages include:
- Shorter wait times
- More time spent with your physician
- Seamless transition of care if hospitalization is needed
- Convenient parking
If a higher level of care is required, freestanding ERs work with the Methodist Healthcare System to transfer you to one of our hospital ER locations.
ER vs Urgent Care
Methodist Healthcare also has 18 convenient urgent care locations, ideal for treating colds, flu, sore throat and other illnesses. For minor injuries and illnesses, urgent care clinics can be a better choice than an ER. However, if you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, the ER is usually the best option.
Our hospital ER locations
- Methodist Hospital
- Methodist Children’s Hospital
- Methodist Hospital Hill Country
- Methodist Hospital Metropolitan
- Methodist Hospital Northeast
- Methodist Hospital Landmark
- Methodist Hospital Atascosa
- Methodist Hospital Specialty and Transplant
- Methodist Hospital Stone Oak
- Methodist Hospital Texsan
- Methodist Hospital Westover Hills
Our pediatric friendly ER locations
At Methodist Children's Hospital, we offer an emergency department that is solely devoted to helping young patients who require emergency medical attention. Our additional pediatric-friendly locations are designed to treat the emergency medical needs of children in a comfortable and safe environment, close to home.
What is a freestanding emergency room?
A free-standing emergency department is a full-service, emergency center that is physically separate from a hospital. You can think of us as your neighborhood ER.
These neighborhood ERs are conveniently located in your backyard for easy access to medical care. With convenient parking, socially distanced lobbies and shorter wait times, at a Free-Standing Emergency Department, you’ll spend more time with your physician and less time waiting for the medical care. We’re open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and we’re here to help you and your family, when you’re in need.
Conditions we can treat
Adult emergency conditions
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm
- Accidents
- Acid reflux
- Allergic reactions
- Appendicitis
- Chest pain
- Cold or flu
- Concussion
- Diverticulitis
- Fever
- Food poisoning
- Gallstones
- Hernia
- Indigestion
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Poisonings
- Serious burns
- Sexual Assault
- Stomach pain
- Stomach virus
- Stroke
- Ulcer
Pediatric emergency conditions
- Breathing troubles
- Difficulty speaking or slurred speech
- Serious head injuries
- Body numbness, tingling or weakness
- Broken bones
- Dangerous or toxic ingestion
Specialized programs and services offered throughout the Methodist Healthcare Network
- Chest Pain Centers
- Stroke Centers
- Trauma Centers
- HIV/AIDS Testing
Know when you should go to the Emergency Room
Medical emergencies are not always obvious. Sometimes, you find yourself worrying that you aren’t sick enough or thinking that you can wait it out. But in that moment, deciding to call 911 or go to the ER could save a life. Here are some common reasons both adults and kids require emergency medical attention:<
Chest pain, pressure, tightness or squeezing should never be ignored. If your chest pain is caused by a heart-related problem, calling 911 gives you the best chance at survival.
A stroke deprives parts of your brain of blood and oxygen, which kills brain cells. Because of this, it is important to recognize the signs of a stroke and receive treatment as quickly as possible.
Our ER provides stroke care and treatment for both types of stroke (ischemic and hemorrhagic), including the fast-acting tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which dissolves blood clots in the brain.
When is a fever just a fever and when is it cause for concern? For you or your child, the answer may be in your other symptoms.*
Normal body temperature: 97.5°F to 98.9°F
For adults and kids, even infants, a fever is defined as any temperature over 100.4°F orally and 101.4°F using a rectal or temporal artery thermometer. But most fevers don't require medical attention. Below is a general guideline for when to call a doctor or visit the ER:
- 3 months old and younger: Any temperature greater than 100.4°F
- 3 to 6 months old: Oral temperature greater than 102°F
- 6 to 24 months old: Oral temperature greater 102°F lasting more than one day
- 2 to 17 years old: Oral temperature greater than 102°F and one or more of these factors:
- Seems unusually irritable, lethargic and uncomfortable
- Lasts longer than three days
- Doesn't respond to medication
- Adults: Oral temperature is consistently 103°F or lasts longer than three days
*Individuals who have recently been immunized or have chronic medical conditions may be given specific instructions by their doctors when to report a fever.
When it comes to stomach pain, it’s better to trust your gut. Abdominal pain can have serious causes, so if you're concerned, go to the ER as soon as possible. There are many organs, muscles, blood vessels and tissue in the area we commonly refer to as our stomach. The liver, spleen, diaphragm, bowels, sex organs and more are all located in this general area.
Should I go to an Urgent Care or an Emergency Room
Urgent care locations or walk-in clinics typically treat minor illnesses like the flu or strep throat, which makes CareNow® locations ideal for treating 24-hour bugs and minor illnesses if you are unable to see your primary care doctor.
Although urgent care centers are equipped to quickly diagnose and treat a variety of minor illnesses and injuries, if you are experiencing a life-threatening medical emergency, call 911 immediately. Below, we have outlined instances where patients should go directly to the emergency room versus receiving non-emergent care at an urgent care clinic.
Some common reasons to visit an urgent care center include:
- Cold, flu or seasonal allergies and illnesses
- Rashes or skin conditions
- Breaks, twists and sprains
- Sore throat
- Minor burns
Our Care Now Urgent Care locations
Urgent care locations or walk-in clinics typically treat minor illnesses like the flu or strep throat, which makes CareNow® locations ideal for treating 24-hour bugs and minor illnesses if you are unable to see your primary care doctor.
If you are unsure of your next step, call us at (844) 706-8773 to speak to a Methodist Healthcare nurse about your symptoms.
Medical Emergency Transport Assistance
The Medical Emergency Transport Assistance (META) is a service provided by Methodist Healthcare to U.S. travelers abroad and residents in other countries in need of emergency medical transport to our high-level, acute-care hospitals.
In order to respond immediately to medical emergencies, Methodist Healthcare has a protocol that can be activated by placing one phone call. When the phone call is received, an air ambulance can be arranged, the appropriate specialist is notified and hospital admission is secured.
Methodist Healthcare partners with air ambulance companies to provide this service.
Here are some tips for you and your emergency contact before you travel:
- Let your family and friends know where you will be in case they are contacted for an emergency.
- Take your insurance card, and leave a copy with your family or friends.
- Take a list of the medicines that you take, and leave a copy with your family or friends.
- Save all the following telephone numbers to your cell phone, and give them to your loved ones:
- AirMedical: (866) 945-8959
- AirLink: (888) 673-7427 or (52-333) 629-8700
- Air Ambulance: (800) 424-9000
- Leave a copy of your ID with family and friends.
- Leave a signed power of attorney with your family doctor and family.
- Let your credit card company know where and how long you will be out of town.
- Let your medical insurance know where and how long you will be out of town.
- Check your international medical coverage and emergency medical transport coverage.
Methodist AirCare
Methodist AirCare provides life-saving emergency transport for adults and children throughout south and central Texas. Methodist Hospital serves as a home base to the bright yellow helicopter and its highly skilled medical crew.
Some high-tech features Methodist AirCare offers include bedside admitting, electronic medication administration records, computerized provider order entry and picture archiving and communications systems.
These tools help ensure the most efficient models of safety and quality care for the patient by taking full advantage of these technological advances.
How to contact the Department of Transportation to file a complaint
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 requires Air Ambulance Providers to include the hotline telephone number ((202) 366-2220), website address, and contact information (Aviation Consumer Protection Division, C-75, US Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE, Washington, DC 20590) for the Department of Transportation's (DOT) Aviation Consumer Advocate on its website.