Navigating Emergency and Urgent Care Services at Stanford University

Stanford University and its associated medical facilities provide a comprehensive network of emergency, urgent, and express care services to students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community. Understanding the available options ensures individuals can access the most appropriate care in a timely and efficient manner. This article outlines the various services offered, their locations, and when to utilize each.

Emergency Services

For life-threatening situations, immediate action is crucial.

When to Call 911:

Call 911 (or 9-911 from a campus telephone) immediately if you are experiencing any of the following:

Difficulty breathing
Chest pain
Sudden dizziness or weakness
Severe bleeding
Loss of consciousness
Other life-threatening symptoms

If you are on campus, you can also press the red button on a blue emergency tower to connect directly with an emergency dispatcher.

Emergency Departments:

Stanford University has multiple Emergency Departments (ED) catering to different needs:

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The Marc and Laura Andreessen Adult Emergency Department (Palo Alto): Located at 900 Quarry Road Extension, Stanford, CA 94304, this is the only Level 1 Trauma Center between San Francisco and the South Bay. It serves San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and acts as a transfer center for facilities needing specialized expertise. It is also a designated Comprehensive Stroke Center and Chest Pain Center. The phone number is (650) 723-5111.
The Marc and Laura Andreessen Pediatric Emergency Department (Palo Alto): Situated near Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, this is the only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center between San Francisco and the South Bay. It offers a calming environment designed for children and their parents.
Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley Emergency Department (Pleasanton): This ED serves the Tri-Valley community and is equipped to handle a variety of injuries and illnesses. It is a designated Primary Stroke Center.

Stanford Medical Center Emergency Department:

Stanford's Medical Center Emergency Department is open 24 hours per day for emergency visits. Located at 900 Quarry Road ExtensionStanford, CA 94304. Contact number is (650) 723-5111. Patients will need to present their insurance card at the time of service. Students with Cardinal Care will have a $100.00 copay (waived if admitted to the hospital). If you are not near campus, go to the nearest local emergency room.

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center:

The Santa Clara Valley Medical Center is the dedicated facility in Santa Clara County for providing collection of medical/legal evidence in cases of sexual or relationship violence, and has specially trained staff to do so. Stanford Police are available to transport students to this medical center, and an advocate from the YWCA is available to support them through the process. It is located at 751 S. Bascom AveSan Jose, CA 95128 and the contact number is (408) 885-6466.

Urgent Care Services

Urgent care centers are designed for medical problems that are not life-threatening but require prompt attention. Stanford Health Care offers several urgent care options:

When to Choose Urgent Care:

Consider urgent care for conditions such as:

Minor cuts or burns
Sprains and strains
Flu-like symptoms
Infections
Allergic reactions (non-life-threatening)

Stanford Health Care Urgent Care:

Stanford Health Care operates two convenient Urgent Care locations that are open days, evenings, weekends, and holidays. These centers specialize in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating non-life-threatening medical issues. They provide on-site laboratory testing, ultrasound scans, and X-rays for fast and accurate diagnoses. Appointments are not required but are available. The Urgent Care team includes board-certified family medicine, emergency medicine, and internal medicine doctors, specially trained nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and radiologists.

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Palo Alto Medical Foundation Urgent Care:

Palo Alto Medical Foundation Urgent Care offers extended hours for urgent care. Patients will need to present their insurance card at the time of service. If you have Cardinal Care, a $50.00 copay will apply.

Express Care and Walk-In Clinics

For minor illnesses and injuries that are not life-threatening, Stanford offers Express Care and Walk-In Clinic options.

Express Care:

Express Care clinics are open daily and offer same-day care options, depending on availability. Appointments are required. Conditions treated are the same for Express Care and Urgent Care Clinics. You can get care at any Stanford Health Care Express Clinic, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley Urgent Care Clinic, or the Stanford Walk-In Clinic even if you are not a current patient.

Walk-In Clinic:

The Stanford Walk-In Clinic is located at 211 Quarry Rd, 4th Fl. Ste and is open Monday through Friday. No appointments are required.

Specialty Clinics:

Orthopaedic Acute Injury Clinic: For patients 17 years and older with minor orthopaedic-related injuries.
Early Pregnancy Clinic: Open Monday through Friday for patients who are up to 10 weeks pregnant.

Stanford Express Care:

Stanford Express care offers primary care services for non-urgent situations. The clinic is located in the Hoover Pavilion at 211 Quarry Road, Suite 202 (close to Stanford Shopping Center) and has extended evening and weekend hours. Same day appointments are offered. Patients will need to present their insurance card at the time of service. If you have Cardinal Care, a $25.00 copay will apply. Please call (650) 736-5211 to make an appointment. The address is 211 Quarry Road, Suite 102Palo Alto, CA 94304 and the contact number is (650) 736-5211.

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Vaden Health Services

Vaden Health Services, located at 866 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-8580, (650) 498-2336, is the first place to go with illnesses or medical concerns. The University’s mandatory Campus Health Service Fee covers most (but not all) of the services provided at Vaden Health Center. The medical care is free for enrolled students; however, the cost of hospitalization, surgery, physician fees and prescriptions is NOT covered. If you require care that is beyond what Vaden can provide, they will assist you in a referral to the appropriate local medical resource.

Additional Resources

Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, Mountain View:

Planned Parenthood Mar Monte serves Northern California and Nevada and provides a range of reproductive and general health services including birth control, pregnancy testing and options counseling, STD testing and treatment, HIV testing, breast and cervical cancer screening, abortion, pediatrics and adult primary health care. This off-campus resource accepts most forms of insurance.

The Bridge and CAPS:

Located on the second floor of Vaden Health Center, CAPS provides students with psychological and counseling resources. The Bridge offers counseling services with trained students.

Understanding Insurance Coverage

Stanford Health Care accepts a wide variety of insurance plans, including Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, and United Healthcare. It is crucial to contact your insurance provider directly to confirm coverage at Stanford Health Care.

Stanford University Medical Center

Stanford University Medical Center is an American teaching hospital which includes Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children's Health. It serves as a private hospital for the Stanford University School of Medicine. Stanford Health Care is located at 500 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, California. The facility, located at the north end of the university campus, includes the main hospital building, Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center, Blake Wilbur Building, Boswell Building, Hoover Pavilion, Neurosciences Health Center, and the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences building, as well as miscellaneous professional offices & departments of the School of Medicine and Stanford Health Care, plus the recent expansions. Stanford Health Care provides both general acute care services and tertiary medical care for patients locally, nationally and internationally. Organ transplantation, cancer diagnosis and treatment, cardiovascular medicine and surgery, and neurosciences are clinical specialties of worldwide renown. Stanford University Medical Center is world-renowned for its work in cardiovascular medicine and cardiothoracic surgery, organ transplantation, neurology, neurosurgery, and cancer medicine. It has over 100,000 emergency department visits per year. The hospital's medical staff numbers 1,910 with an additional 850 interns and residents, as well as nearly 1,500 registered nurses and approximately 610 licensed beds. Stanford Clinics offer more than 100 specialty and subspecialty service areas. Under the supervision of faculty physicians, Stanford medical students and residents participate in patient care in most specialties.

Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford

Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford (LPCH) is a nationally ranked women's and children's hospital which is part of the Stanford University Health system. The hospital is located adjacent to the campus at 725 Welch Road, Palo Alto, California.

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