Serving Burke County
Urgent Care Serving Morganton & Eastern Burke County, NC
- Location
- 3019 N Center Street, Hickory, NC 28601
- From Morganton
- About 15 minutes from Icard and Hildebran via I-40 E
- Hours
- Mon–Fri 8:00am–7:30pm · Sat–Sun 10:00am–6:00pm
- Walk-ins
- Welcome — no appointment needed
- Cost
- Self-pay from $125 · Medicaid, Medicare, and most major insurance accepted
Having a medical emergency? Call 911.
Chest pain, stroke symptoms, trouble breathing, severe bleeding, a major head injury, or a bone through the skin all need an emergency room. Do not drive yourself. Emergency rooms are required by federal law to examine and stabilize you regardless of your ability to pay.
If you live on the eastern side of Burke County — Icard, Hildebran, Connelly Springs, or along the I-40 corridor toward the Catawba County line — you’re closer to us than to almost anything in Morganton. It’s about fifteen minutes east on I-40, then north through Hickory to Center Street.
We’re open seven days a week, until 7:30pm on weekdays, with no appointment needed.
What we treat
- Cold and flu symptoms
- Sinus and ear infections
- Sore throat and strep
- Stomach pain and digestive issues
- Urinary tract infections
- Rashes and allergic reactions
- Sprains and strains
- Minor fractures
- Cuts needing stitches
- Workplace injuries
- School and sports physicals
- Pre-employment physicals
Our providers are emergency medicine trained, with more than 45 years of combined experience — so complicated cases don’t automatically become somebody else’s problem.
When Burke County residents should choose an emergency room
UNC Health Blue Ridge in Morganton has a 184-bed hospital and a Level III trauma center. For a genuine emergency anywhere in Burke County, call 911 and go there — chest pain, stroke symptoms, trouble breathing, severe bleeding, major trauma. That’s not a decision we’d ever ask you to reconsider.
Urgent care is for the tier below that. A sprained ankle, a fever, a sinus infection, a cut that needs stitches, a minor fracture. If you’re in eastern Burke County, we’re often the closest option for that kind of care — and an urgent care visit costs a fraction of an emergency department visit, with no facility fee and no separate physician bill.
On-site X-ray means one visit
We have digital X-ray in the building. A suspected fracture gets imaged, diagnosed, splinted, and referred for orthopedic follow-up in a single visit. Without on-site imaging, that’s a clinic visit, a separate trip to an imaging center, and a third appointment for results.
Sports physicals for Burke County students
Students in Icard, Hildebran, and Connelly Springs attend Burke County Public Schools. NCHSAA requires a current physical before a student can practice or compete — we do them walk-in, same-day, $30 self-pay, no appointment.
Insurance and Medicaid
We accept NC Medicaid, Medicare, and most major insurance plans. Under NC Medicaid the maximum copay for any service is $4, and members under 21 are exempt entirely. If you’re uninsured, our self-pay pricing is published upfront — visits start at $125, and $165 covers your visit plus one X-ray or lab test.
Common questions
How far is it from eastern Burke County?
Icard, Hildebran, and Connelly Springs are roughly fifteen minutes via I-40 east, then north through Hickory. From Morganton proper it’s closer to thirty.
Should I come to you or go to UNC Health Blue Ridge?
For an emergency, go to the hospital — call 911. For a sprain, infection, fever, or cut that needs stitches, urgent care is faster and much cheaper, and if you’re on the eastern side of the county we’re likely closer.
Do you take Medicaid?
Yes — NC Medicaid, Medicare, and most major insurance. Under NC Medicaid the maximum copay is $4, and members under 21 are exempt.
Need to be seen today?
Walk in, save your spot online, or give us a call. We’re open seven days a week.