Hospitals and regional care
Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital is in Roanoke, and LewisGale Medical Center is in Salem. The region also has outpatient offices, specialty practices, urgent care, dental care, and behavioral health services. The right location depends on the care you need and your insurance coverage.
- Check both the facility and individual clinician against your insurance network.
- Consider travel time from rural and lake communities when choosing regular care.
Establish everyday care
A primary care office can coordinate preventive care and referrals. New-patient availability varies, so arrange appointments before a routine need becomes urgent.
- Transfer medical records, current medication lists, and relevant test results.
- Choose a pharmacy and arrange prescription transfers with enough time to avoid a gap.
- Ask about referral requirements, accessibility, and language support if needed.
Prepare for urgent needs
Urgent care and emergency departments serve different needs. For a life-threatening emergency, call 911. For non-emergency concerns, your clinician or insurer's nurse line can help determine an appropriate care setting.
- Keep insurance information, allergies, medications, and emergency contacts accessible.
- Know the nearest emergency department and the hours of your usual urgent care location.