Urgent Care
From sore throats to scraped knees, minor medical conditions can crop up at any time. When they do, you can get fast, excellent treatment without an appointment at one of Columbia Memorial Hospital's urgent care clinics. See a list of things we'll treat at urgent care and what you should head to the ER for.
If you need to get tested for COVID-19, you can walk in to any of CMH's Lab locations.
Walk-in urgent care locations and hours
We have three convenient urgent care locations to serve you:
CMH Urgent Care - Astoria, in the CMH Health & Wellness Pavilion, just off U.S. Route 30/Marine Drive in Astoria.
Urgent care hours: Monday - Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
CMH Urgent Care - Seaside, at the Seaside Outlet Mall on Roosevelt Drive in Seaside.
Urgent care hours: Open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
CMH Urgent Care - Warrenton, in the CMH-OHSU Health Primary Care Clinic - Warrenton near Petco, just off U.S. Highway 101 in Warrenton.
Urgent care hours: Open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Our urgent care clinics are closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Emergency room or urgent care?
Emergency rooms (ERs) and urgent care centers serve very different purposes. When you need medical care right away, it helps to know which one is the better choice. This true-false quiz can help you learn the difference between them.
True or false: The main difference between an urgent care center and an ER is size.
False. The biggest difference between an urgent care center and an ER is the type of cases they can handle. When people have a condition that is life-threatening or could cause disability, they should go to the ER. If the problem is not that serious, urgent care may be a better choice.
True or false: Urgent care can be a good option if you have a health concern but can't get in to see your doctor quickly enough.
True. Urgent care centers can deal with minor illnesses like colds, the flu, earaches, sore throats and low-grade fevers. They can also handle non-life-threatening injuries, such as sprains, bruises, minor broken bones or minor eye injuries.
True or false: Both urgent care centers and ERs are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
False. ERs are open 24/7. Urgent care centers may be open 7 days a week, but with more limited hours that vary from location to location. Call ahead if you're unsure of an urgent care center's hours.
True or false: It's cheaper to be treated at an urgent care center than at an ER.
True. You're also likely to be seen and treated more quickly at an urgent care center. That's because urgent care centers see people on a 1st-come, 1st-served basis. ERs, on the other hand, treat patients based on the seriousness of their conditions.
True or false: If you or someone else has chest pain that lasts more than a few minutes, you should drive to an ER.
False. Call 911 instead. Chest pain is the most common symptom of a heart attack, and a heart attack is always an emergency. But don't drive to the ER—the condition could get worse on the way. Call 911 for immediate medical help.
Call 911 if:
- You're unsure that you're facing an emergency.
- The condition threatens life or limb.
- The person could get worse on the way to the hospital, or traffic is an issue.
- Moving the person could cause further injury.
Sources: American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine; American College of Emergency Physicians; American Heart Association; National Institutes of Health
Quality urgent care services, including x-ray
All three of our urgent care clinics have on-site laboratory services; x-rays; and the ability to test for conditions such as strep throat, flu and urinary tract infections.
At CMH Urgent Care - Seaside, the CMH Community Pharmacy is right in the building. You don't have to make a second stop if your provider prescribes a new medicine during your urgent care visit.
When to choose urgent care
If you think you have a serious or life-threatening emergency, you should call 911 or visit the emergency room. But if your condition isn't an emergency, visit one of our urgent care clinics. You can often get care more quickly and for a lower cost at urgent care than at the ER. See a list of things we'll treat at urgent care and what you should head to the ER for.
Here are some of the conditions we treat:
- Minor illnesses, such as colds and the flu; coughs and sore throats; high fever; and vomiting, diarrhea and stomach ache.
- Minor injuries and burns, including cuts and scrapes.
- Broken bones and sports injuries, when you need orthopedic urgent care.
Our CMH Urgent Care providers can consult with other providers at CMH, when needed. And they work closely with physicians at the CMH Emergency Room to transfer care, if necessary.
We provide care to people of all ages — from babies (over 3 months) to grandparents. So if you're looking for pediatric urgent care, we can help. For kids, check out the OHSU MD 4KIDS app. It can help you make smart choices about when to head to our clinic and which illnesses or injuries you can manage on your own.
We serve people regardless of insurance coverage, and we offer a number of payment options.
No matter which location you visit, you'll get the same compassionate service you've come to expect from all of the providers at our Planetree gold-certified hospital. We put people first.
Virtual urgent care
Virtual visits can be an option for some urgent care issues. At CMH, virtual urgent care is offered by OHSU seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
You will see an OHSU provider from the comfort of your home. And a telehealth visit costs $49 without insurance. Get started.