Emergency Center

Life's Little (& large) Emergencies

It's a sunny afternoon. Your child comes screaming up the driveway, crying and bleeding from a small cut on her head. She tells you that she has fallen from a tree. After a minute or so, her crying seems to have slowed. You think she'll be okay. She stands up and her balance is off, she seems to be dizzy, and can't describe her feeling to you.

What is the right course of action, Medi Center or Emergency Center?

A visit to the emergency for a non-emergency can cost the patient extra expense and tie up the emergency room personnel and space. In addition, a Medi Center visit for a medical emergency can use precious time for critical treatment.

These are broad criteria for making a decision on where to go in an emergency. You'll need a visit to the EMERGENCY CENTER when you have these kinds of symptoms or injuries.

• Head - injuries resulting in the loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, cuts over one inch in length, confusion/disorientation, vomiting and obvious injury.
• Nervous system - weakness or paralysis, loss of sensation, first seizure or prolonged seizure.
• Eyes - obvious injury or chemical in the eyes, loss of or sudden alteration in vision.
• Nose - severe or uncontrolled nosebleed, foreign object in the nose.
• Throat - difficulty breathing or swallowing, any bleeding
• Chest - any chest pain, shortness of breath, breathing more than 25 time per minute.
• Abdomen - severe pain, serious blunt injury or penetrating injury, rapid bleeding from the rectum.
• Genital/Urinary - sever, sudden or recent onset of belly or pelvis pain, vaginal bleeding during pregnancy.
• Back - difficulty in walking, severe pain or any injury.
• Limbs/skin - Injury resulting in deformity, deep or long cuts, facial cut, swollen joints with injury, severe burns or allergic reaction affecting breathing or swallowing in the mouth or throat.

MEDI CENTER treatment is best for these types of injuries.

• Head - no loss of consciousness, cuts less than one inch.
• Ears - earaches, infection, foreign object, severe dizziness or drainage.
• Eyes - scrapes/bruises, infections or a stye, objects in the eye, swelling around the eye.
• Nose - infection.
• Throat - sore throat
• Chest - cough with or without fever, moderate asthma.
• Abdomen - persistent nausea and/or vomiting.
• Genital/Urinary - frequent trips to the bathroom, burning/pain with urination, vaginal/penis discharge, bleeding or discomfort with intercourse.
• Back - minor strains or backache.
• Limbs/skin - sprains without deformity, shallow or short cuts, stitch removal, puncture wounds to hands or feet, minor scrapes or burns, rash, insect or animal bites.

Mercy Health Partners offers several options:

The Sherman Emergency Department is located at 1500 E. Sherman Boulevard near U.S. 31. The Emergency Department is open 24 hours a day.

Oak Medi Center, 1700 Oak Avenue, Muskegon. Located between Marquette and Apple Avenues.
(231) 672-6430.

Medi Center hours:
Sunday: 9 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday: noon - 10:30 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.