Rochester Urgent Care
When illness or a minor injury comes up unexpectedly, Sterling Medical Center provides urgent care for Rochester patients and families. Our healthcare team evaluates a range of non-emergency medical concerns and helps you understand the appropriate next step.
What Is Urgent Care and When Should You Use It?
Urgent care is designed for medical concerns that need prompt attention but are not life-threatening emergencies. It can be a practical option when you need care sooner than a routine appointment but don’t need an emergency room.
At Sterling Medical Center, our urgent care services are intended for a range of sudden illnesses, minor injuries, and other non-emergency concerns. Our providers evaluate your symptoms, discuss your concerns, and help determine the appropriate next step.
Urgent care can be especially useful when symptoms appear unexpectedly or when you need medical attention outside the timing of a routine visit. If you’re unsure whether urgent care is appropriate, contacting our office can help you determine where to start.
Health Concerns We Treat
From sudden illnesses to minor injuries, Sterling Medical Center provides urgent care for Rochester patients across a range of common non-emergency medical concerns.
Urgent Care
Non-emergency illnesses and injuries that need prompt attention, sooner than a routine appointment.
Sudden Illness
Evaluation of fever, congestion, sore throat and other symptoms that come on suddenly.
Minor Injury Needing Prompt Attention
Treatment for everyday cuts, scrapes, sprains and other minor injuries.
New Infection Symptoms
Evaluation of infection symptoms to determine the appropriate treatment.
New Urinary Symptoms
Prompt evaluation of urinary symptoms that need timely attention.
Sudden Skin Concerns
Assessment of rashes, irritation and other skin concerns that appear suddenly.
New Respiratory Symptoms
Assessment of breathing difficulty, persistent cough and other respiratory symptoms.
We're Here When You Need Us.
Walk-ins are welcome, or book your appointment online.
Urgent Care or Emergency Room?
Understanding the difference can help you choose the appropriate level of care based on the severity of your symptoms.
Urgent Care
Urgent care is usually the right choice when symptoms need prompt attention but are not severe or life-threatening:
- Symptoms that need attention today, not in a few days
- Symptoms that are uncomfortable but stable, not rapidly worsening
- You are alert and able to walk, speak and breathe comfortably
- Your primary care office is closed or fully booked
Emergency Care
Go to the emergency room or call 911 if any of these are present:
- Severe chest pain
- Severe breathing difficulty
- Major trauma
- Loss of consciousness
If symptoms are severe, rapidly worsening, or potentially life-threatening, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
What to Expect at Your Visit
When you’re not feeling well, the last thing you need is a complicated healthcare experience. Your visit begins with basic check-in information and a discussion about why you’re seeking care. Our healthcare team will ask about your symptoms, when they began, and any other information that may help your provider better understand your concern.
Tell Us Your Symptoms
Share what you're experiencing and what brought you in.
Share Your Health History
Provide relevant medications, allergies, and medical history.
Get Evaluated
Your provider will assess your symptoms and determine next steps.
Discuss Your Care
Review treatment options and recommendations with your provider.
Urgent Care for
the Whole Family
Urgent care works better when the practice already knows you. Sterling Medical Center provides both primary care and urgent care, so an unexpected visit does not mean explaining your history to a provider who has never met you, and follow-up does not mean starting over with a new practice.
Adults can be seen for non-emergency concerns that come up between routine visits, with the same team available afterward if the issue needs continued attention.
Children and teenagers can be evaluated as well. What is appropriate depends on age and individual circumstances, so contact our office to discuss your child’s needs.
Rochester patients are seen at our Sterling Heights or Dearborn office, and some concerns may be appropriate for a telemedicine visit. Most major insurance plans are accepted. If you are not sure which option fits your situation, call (586) 977-3900 and our team will help you decide where to start.
An urgent visit sometimes surfaces things a medical office does not handle directly — immunization records, communicable-disease follow-up, or WIC enrollment. For Rochester those run through the Oakland County Health Division, based at 1200 N. Telegraph Road in Pontiac.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about urgent care, appointments, insurance, or what we treat? Here are answers to some of the questions patients ask most often.
Yes. Sterling Medical Center provides primary care as well as urgent care, so follow-up for an urgent concern can be handled by our own team rather than starting over with a new practice. Contact our office to arrange a follow-up visit.
Urgent care may be appropriate when you have a new medical concern that needs prompt attention, while primary care is generally better suited to routine visits, preventive care, physicals, and ongoing healthcare needs.
Yes. Our providers evaluate common cold and flu symptoms and can help determine the appropriate care based on your condition.
Most major insurance plans are accepted. Coverage and any out-of-pocket cost depend on your individual plan, so contact our office at (586) 977-3900 to confirm your benefits before your visit.
Some urgent care concerns may be appropriate for telemedicine. Our team can help determine whether a virtual visit is suitable for your situation.
Choose the emergency room when symptoms are severe, rapidly worsening, or potentially life-threatening, such as chest pain, breathing difficulty, major trauma, or loss of consciousness. Call 911 rather than driving if symptoms are serious enough that traveling by car would be unsafe. If you are alert and stable, urgent care is usually the appropriate level of care. The Urgent Care or Emergency Room comparison above breaks the difference down side by side.