Emergency Care

When you need health care in an emergency, you can count on Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC).

More than 180,000 patients trust their emergency care to NGMC each year. Our Emergency Departments are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and are staffed by board-certified emergency medicine physicians and expert nurses, paramedics and technicians.

What is the difference between Urgent Care and the ED?

Urgent Care

When your doctor is not available, Urgent Care clinics provide care for non-life-threatening medical problems or problems that could become worse if you wait. Urgent Care clinics provide walk-in appointments and treat patients six months and older.  

  • colds
  • flu
  • bronchitis
  • earaches
  • seasonal allergies
  • sinus infections
  • sore throat
  • urinary tract infections
  • pink eye
  • sprains
  • minor back pain
  • minor cuts and burns
  • minor broken bones
  • minor muscular pain
  • minor eye injuries
  • minor abscesses
  • poison ivy

Click here to view Urgent Care locations and wait times.

Emergency Department

You should visit the hospital emergency department for very serious or life-threatening problems. The hospital emergency department is not the place to go for common illnesses and minor injuries.

If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, don’t wait!

  • chest pain or pressure
  • severe abdominal pain
  • coughing or vomiting blood
  • severe burns
  • deep cuts or bleeding that won’t stop
  • sudden blurred vision
  • difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • sudden dizziness, weakness or loss of coordination or balance
  • numbness in the face, arm or leg
  • sudden, severe headache (not a migraine)
  • seizures
  • high fevers
  • new discomfort that is caused by exercise
  • any condition you believe is life-threatening
Comprehensive Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in Our NGHS Emergency Departments

Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is an emergency that requires immediately treatment to prevent death or serious injury. Emergency staff treat patients from the immediate life-threatening overdose, however we know patients need more than this to recover and in many cases, survive.

In an effort to offer comprehensive care, the majority of our physicians are able to offer a variety of options for OUD, including medication assisted therapy. PEER counselors and intake specialists are also available to discuss several options including ambulatory and inpatient options for patients to start the path towards recovery.

Our facility also strives to identify patients with features of OUD and to prevent development by encouraging responsible use of opiates when necessary.


Emergency Department Locations