After-Hours Care and Local Hospitals

As a general rule, you should seek care after regular Health Center hours in case of a medical emergency or when your medical condition appears to need attention immediately. If your medical condition is worsening quickly or if you are unable to do key activities to provide for yourself, then you should seek care from a community provider.

Call toll free 1-866-439-2012 to speak with an after-hours advice nurse. For more details, visit Nurse Line Service.

If your medical condition is worsening or is serious enough to interfere with your ability to perform your needed activities, then you may want to use an Urgent Care facility. Common problems would include high fever that does not respond to Tylenol, ongoing vomiting or diarrhea, moderate athletic injuries. For non-emergency after-hours care, urgent care facilities can be substantially less expensive to use than an emergency room. If you have an HMO, be sure to call for pre-approval. If you have a Preferred Provider Organization plan, check to see which facility is on your list of preferred providers.

A medical emergency is a medical condition that is an immediate threat to your life or long-term health. Generally, if your medical condition can wait until the next day for assessment or treatment, it is not a medical emergency. If you, or someone you know, is experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 (blue phone on campus) or go immediately to the nearest emergency department.

The following are the 24-hour emergency rooms in San Luis Obispo.

All types of insurance cover the treatment of medical emergencies in this community. However, some insurers, particularly health maintenance organizations (HMOs), will not pay for non-emergency care provided in an emergency room.  

We strongly recommend students to be covered by an insurance plan. In a recent survey conducted by the Student Health Advisory Council, less than half of students indicated they knew how to use their insurance in an emergency. Trying to find this information when you need, it can be very difficult.  Please have a copy of your health insurance ID card with you at all times and know how to use it.