It’s good to have choices, unless those choices leave you confused. That’s why anyone needing medical care after hours needs to understand their options and choose wisely.

EMERGENCY MEDICINE: This is what you need when it comes to life-threatening illnesses or injuries. If you’re having a stroke, a heart attack, you’ve been involved in a vehicle crash or terrible accident, the emergency room is always your best bet for life-saving care. It is the only choice for those middle-of-the-night issues where you need immediate attention.

The downside: It is the most expensive option. Copays vary greatly, depending upon insurance. And the wait time can vary, depending on the severity of your condition, compared to others also waiting.

NorthBay has full service Emergency Departments in both of its hospitals, at NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield and at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville. Both hospitals are certified stroke centers and certified to handle pediatric patients. NorthBay Medical Center is also an accredited Chest Pain Center with a cardiac catheterization lab and heart surgeons ready to respond at a moment’s notice.

CARE ’TIL 8: This is a great option for NorthBay Healthcare patients, who want to seek care at the same address where they see their primary physician, but need services with last-minute notice, or after hours. Provider teams at the Vacaville and Fairfield Center for Primary Care facilities offer Care ’til 8 every day, with the exception of a few holidays.

NorthBay patients pay the same copay as they would for an office visit. Not a NorthBay patient? A number of payment options and insurance plans are accepted. Visit www.NorthBay.org for a complete list of accepted insurances. Click on Insurance under the Patients & Visitors tab. Self-pay rates are also available.

X-ray services are available in the Fairfield CPC from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day and in Vacaville from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

NORTHBAY URGENT CARE: The latest addition to NorthBay Healthcare’s family of medical services can be found in the Nut Tree Plaza and delivers “retail medicine” to anyone seeking care, from 10 to 12 hours per day, seven days a week.

It accepts most insurance plans, including Medicare and Tricare. In many cases, the patient will pay only the typical copay and for some, nothing at all.

The average length of treatment is less than an hour in most cases. Online reservations with a virtual queue will help minimize wait times and the need for a large lobby. Walkin patients can “save my spot” and are sent a text message when a treatment room and health care provider is available.

There is an onsite lab, X-ray and pharmacy for one-stop shopping for medical care.

Find Help:

NorthBay Medical Center
1200 B. Gale Wilson Blvd., Fairfield, 94533

NorthBay VacaValley Hospital
1000 Nut Tree Road, Vacaville, 95687

NorthBay Urgent Care
1661 E. Monte Vista Ave., Vacaville, 95688

Care ’til 8 Fairfield
2458 Hilborn Road, Fairfield, 94534

Care ’til 8 Vacaville
421 Nut Tree Road, Vacaville, 95687