Urgent & Emergency Care

About

The USNH GB Emergency Department provides level 3 Emergency Care, Emergency Ambulance Services and Urgent Care to the 6000+ residents of our Guantanamo Bay community.  
Emergency care is provided locally by our fully staffed emergency department or by stateside providers through emergency medical evacuation. 

What's the difference between an urgent care and emergency care?

Urgent care is medically necessary care that you need for a sudden illness or injury that isn’t life threatening. It does require immediate attention from a medical professional to avoid complications, like infection.  Emergency care, on the other hand, is care you need to treat a serious medical condition immediately. This includes a mental health emergency. An emergency is a threat to either:
• Life
• Limb
• Sight
• Safety

Conditions that require emergency medical care include:

• Severe chest pain or difficulty breathing
• Compound fracture (bone protrudes through skin)
• Convulsions, seizures or loss of consciousness
• Fever in newborn (less than three months old)
• Heavy, uncontrollable bleeding
• Deep knife wounds or gunshot wounds
• Moderate to severe burns
• Poisoning
• Eye injuries or loss of vision
• Anaphylaxis (allergic reactions)
• Serious head, neck or back injury
• Severe abdominal pain
• (Signs of) Heart attack (chest pain lasting longer than two minutes)
• (Signs of) Stroke (loss of vision, sudden numbness, weakness, slurred speech, or confusion)
• Suicidal or homicidal feelings

Urgent medical conditions are ones that are not considered emergencies but still require care within 24 hours. Below are some examples of such conditions:

• Accidents and falls (less than five feet)
• Sprains and strains
• Moderate back problems
• Breathing difficulties (i.e. mild to moderate asthma)
• Bleeding/cuts - not bleeding a lot but requiring stitches
• Diagnostic services, including X-rays and laboratory tests
• Eye irritation and redness
• Fever or flu
• Vomiting, diarrhea or dehydration
• Severe sore throat or cough
• Minor broken bones and fractures (i.e. fingers, toes)
• Skin rashes and infections
• Urinary tract infections

An available resource to help you determine if you should seek emergency care call the Nurse Advice Line (NALL0 available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-874-2273, 
The nurse can review and discuss your concerns and provide recommendations for urgent, emergency or home treatment/care, if applicable. 

Patients are also encouraged to use their USNH GB provider to schedule appointments for common illnesses such as flu and fever; minor injuries such as sprains and strains; and regular physicals, prescription refills, vaccinations and screenings.

How are we doing? 

Patients are encouraged to complete the online Emergency Department Customer Service Survey each time you visit our facility, especially if you observe a difference in the care received, whether positive or negative. Feedback from our patients is extremely important in assisting our team to make a positive and lasting impression of our facility and your care.