We all get sick or injured at some point, but do you
know the best place to go if you need care?
Often times, the Emergency Department (ED) is the first place we think to go when we wake up in the middle of the night sick, or when our doctor’s office is closed. While the ED may seem like the most convenient place to go, it may not be the best place to go based on symptoms. Below is a quick and easy guideline to follow if you or a loved one get sick or injured.
Where For Care When You Need Medical or Dental Attention?
Click a box for the list symptoms to help you determine where to go for care.
Why is it so important to know where to go for care?
When you or a loved one is sick, time is precious. Knowing where the best place for care is based on symptoms can save you time and frustration. In fact, you might find that your doctor’s office prefers that you call them first before you decide anything, even if it’s in the middle of the night. Your doctor knows you the best, which is why your doctor’s office is called your Medical Home.
In 2016, the Northern Michigan Community Health Innovation Region (NMCHIR), along with their partner healthcare organizations began work to help decrease Emergency Department use. The reason for this? Over half of Emergency Department visits nationally are estimated to be preventable and our community is no different. In 2016, 51% of Emergency Department visits in our region were recorded as being preventable or avoidable. When a visit is preventable or avoidable, that means a patient could have received better care somewhere else or could have prevented the Emergency Department visit by calling their doctor’s office first. By helping decrease this number the NMCHIR will help provide better, faster, appropriate care to all patients.
A Shared Vision.
A Culture of Health.
The Northern Michigan Community Health Innovation Region (NMCHIR) is a community-based mechanism to improve community health composed of partners from many different sectors. With the support of the Northern Michigan Public Health Alliance, the backbone organization, partners of NMCHIR work together for a better population health and health care at lower costs.
This section is for Medical and Dental Care Providers
If you provide medical or dental care in Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, or Wexford County, this toolkit is provided to assist you with informing your patients on the best place to go for care based on their symptoms.
A host of tools, including posters, magnets, wallet cards, social media posts, badge stickers, and more, can be found by clicking the button below. These tools can be customized and branded with your logo and practice location. Instructions on customizing all tools can be found in the toolkit. We hope you find this toolkit useful for your practice.
Find A Provider
PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS
Don’t have a doctor or primary care provider? Use one of the links below to search for doctors who are currently accepting new patients in our community.
McLaren Northern Michigan – McLaren Northern Michigan has a network of over 230 physicians that represent nearly all medical and surgical specialties. Serving residents in 22 counties across northern lower Michigan and the eastern part of the Upper Peninsula, we bring quality care close to home in 15 outreach locations.
Munson Healthcare – Search nine Munson hospitals and more than 1,000 health care providers in northern Michigan, including physicians and advanced practice professionals in more than 70 specialties.
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) – FQHCs are always accepting new patients. The following FQHCs have multiple practices and providers in northern Michigan.
Northwest Michigan Health Center
DENTAL CARE PROVIDERS
For dental care, visit one of these providers:
MCDC (My Community Dental Clinic)
