Urgent & Emergency Care
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If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911. To reach the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Emergency Department, call 301-295-4810.
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center offers the following services:
- Urgent Care
- Emergency Care
Urgent Care
Urgent Care services treat non-life-threatening health issues that require immediate attention, such as sprains, the flu, colds, back pain, skin rashes and other common illnesses. If you’re unsure about whether you need urgent care, contact the Military Health System Nurse Advice Line to speak to a registered nurse. Visit
MHSNurseAdviceLine.com for web chat and video chat, or dial 1-800-TRICARE (874-2273).
What is the Fast Track?
The Fast Track is a division of the WRNMMC Emergency Department that specializes in treating urgent care concerns. When your condition is not life-threatening but requires treatment within 24 hours, you need urgent care. As opposed to a traditional urgent care center where patients are seen in the order in which they arrive (or by appointment), all patients that arrive to an emergency room will be evaluated upon arrival to determine the level of care needed. This ensures the most serious conditions are given higher priority, and sometimes results in longer wait times for less serious conditions.
Emergency Care
Emergency care services treat life-threatening medical issues that pose a risk to your life, limbs, sight, or safety.
If you are experiencing a life-threatening medical situation (including mental health emergencies), call 911 immediately, or go to the nearest emergency room.
What is an Emergency?
An emergency is a sudden, unexpected, serious medical condition or the worsening of a condition that poses a threat to life, limb or sight, and requires immediate treatment. The WRNMMC Emergency Department serves patients with serious injuries or illnesses. Patients needing emergency care are seen immediately.
Emergency Symptoms:
- Bleeding that won’t stop.
- Vomiting or coughing blood, or passing black stools.
- Severe pain in the chest, upper abdomen or down the arm.
- Heart stops beating or pulse is very faint.
- Difficult breathing or the presence of blue lips, face or nail beds.
- Severe headache such as with nausea, vomiting, fever or dizziness.
- Injuries from trauma such as from a fall or auto accident.
- Suicidal or homicidal feelings.
- Extensive burns, especially where skin is white or charred.
- Eye injuries such as from acids or other strong solutions.
- Seizures or convulsion that does not stop.
- Insect stings when the patient is known to have allergic reactions.
- Suspected poisoning.
- Numbness or paralysis on a part of the body.
- Fever of 103 degrees F or higher.
- Consciousness is altered or affected.
If You Use a Civilian Emergency Room: