What Can Urgent Care Treat? A Complete Guide to CityHealth Services

You are sick or hurt, and you need help today. However, you are not sure if your problem — a rash, a sprained ankle, a UTI, or chest tightness — is something urgent care handles. So what can urgent care treat? A lot more than most people expect. CityHealth in San Leandro treats infections and injuries, runs lab tests, and does physicals — all same-day and walk-in. Because we handle so many different conditions, many patients use us whenever they need care and cannot wait for a regular doctor’s appointment.

Medically reviewed by Sean Parkin, PA — CEO & Founder, CityHealth Urgent Care

What Can Urgent Care Treat? Illnesses and Infections

Infectious illness is the most common reason people walk through our door. Because CityHealth has on-site lab testing, most infections are diagnosed and treated in a single visit.

Respiratory: We treat strep throat, sinus infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, the flu, and COVID-19. For example, we do a rapid strep test and send you home with antibiotics in the same visit. However, for pneumonia, we also have on-site chest X-ray to confirm the diagnosis.

Urinary and reproductive: We test and treat UTIs, yeast infections, and kidney infections. We also test for sexually transmitted infections including chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, and syphilis. Because we have in-house lab tools, most results come back the same day.

Skin infections: We treat cellulitis, abscesses, and boils — including draining them in the office. In addition, we handle ringworm, shingles, impetigo, and staph infections like MRSA.

Other infections: Pink eye, mono, food poisoning, and ear infections are all common visits. We also do TB skin tests and blood tests for school, work, and travel requirements.

What Can Urgent Care Treat? Injuries and Wounds

Urgent care handles a wide range of injuries. For example, most sprains, fractures, and cuts are managed entirely at CityHealth — without a separate ER visit.

Musculoskeletal injuries: We evaluate and treat sprained ankles, wrists, and knees. Because we have on-site X-ray, we can check for fractures right here. For simple breaks, we splint the injury and refer you to an orthopedic specialist. In addition, we treat back pain, neck pain, and joint pain after an injury.

Wound care: We close cuts with stitches and wound closure strips. We clean and dress burns, animal bites, and puncture wounds. In addition, we check tetanus status and update it if needed. We also remove ingrown toenails in the office.

Head and eye injuries: We evaluate concussions and corneal scratches. For example, if you get something stuck in your eye, we remove it safely and treat the injury. However, severe head injuries with loss of consciousness need the ER.

Diagnostic Tests Available at CityHealth

Because CityHealth has on-site tools, most tests produce results the same day. For example, these tests are available during a walk-in visit:

• Blood work — complete blood count, cholesterol, blood sugar, thyroid, and more
• Urine tests — for UTIs, kidney function, and pregnancy
• Chest X-ray, limb X-ray, and spine X-ray
• 12-lead EKG — for heart rhythm problems
• Rapid strep, flu, and COVID tests — results in minutes
• Mono test
• Blood pressure and oxygen level monitoring

In addition, CityHealth can order CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasounds when needed. However, those tests are performed at radiology centers, not at the clinic. We send the order and give you a referral so you can go directly to imaging.

Preventive and Administrative Services

Urgent care is not just for when you feel sick. For example, CityHealth provides a range of routine health services that are often hard to schedule quickly at a regular doctor’s office.

These services are available same-day at CityHealth:

• Annual physicals — no appointment needed
• Sports physicals for school and athletics
• DOT physicals for commercial drivers
• Pre-employment physicals and drug testing
• Workers’ compensation injury care
• Flu shots, COVID vaccines, and tetanus updates
• TB testing — both skin test and blood test
• Immigration medical exams
• Doctor’s notes for work and school

Because these services do not require an appointment, CityHealth is often faster and easier than waiting weeks for a primary care slot.

What Urgent Care Does NOT Treat

Knowing the limits is important too. Urgent care is not the right place for every situation. For instance, life-threatening events always need the ER — not a walk-in clinic.

Go to the ER or call 911 for:

• Chest pain that may be a heart attack
• Stroke signs — face drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech
• Severe trouble breathing at rest
• Major bleeding that will not stop
• Severe allergic reactions with throat swelling or passing out
• Psychiatric crises — active thoughts of suicide or psychosis

In addition, CityHealth does not manage complex ongoing conditions that require a specialist. However, if you have an acute flare of a known problem, we can help and get you the right referral. According to the Urgent Care Association, about 85% of what brings people to the ER can be treated at urgent care — faster and at lower cost.

How Much Does Urgent Care Cost?

Cost depends on your insurance plan. For example, most major plans cover urgent care at a set copay — often $30-$75. Because we accept Medi-Cal and Alameda Alliance, many low-income patients pay little to nothing. However, if you do not have insurance, ask about our self-pay rates at check-in. Most visits are much cheaper than an ER trip.

Because urgent care is less costly than the ER for the same level of care, choosing the right setting saves you money. In addition, our shorter wait times mean you get back to your day faster. For most non-emergency needs, urgent care is the smart choice.

Urgent Care as a Primary Care Alternative

Cannot get in to see your doctor? Because CityHealth handles most things a primary care visit covers — sick visits, blood work, physicals, and referrals — we serve as a same-day option for most health needs. However, we are not a replacement for an ongoing primary care relationship if you manage multiple complex conditions.

For day-to-day health needs, though, we cover it. In addition, we accept Medi-Cal, Alameda Alliance, and most major insurance plans. See the full list of CityHealth urgent care services or compare urgent care vs. the ER to find the right fit for your situation.

How Long Does a Visit Take?

Most visits take 30-60 minutes for straightforward conditions. For example, a UTI visit with a urine test and prescription typically takes under an hour. However, visits that need X-rays or multiple tests may take a bit longer. Because we are walk-in, there is no scheduling overhead — you come in and we take care of you.

Walk In Today — CityHealth San Leandro

Because urgent care works best when you come in quickly, do not wait. Walk in to CityHealth San Leandro for infections, injuries, lab tests, physicals, and more. No appointment needed. No referral required. Same-day care for most conditions.

Walk in or book your same-day visit at CityHealth San Leandro.

Note: CityHealth’s Oakland location (Montclair Village) offers dermatology services on Wednesdays only. All urgent care services are at our San Leandro clinic.