Yes — and at Prime Valley Urgent Care, X-ray is available on site at our Delano and Tulare offices. That means a suspected fracture can be examined, imaged, and splinted in a single visit, without a referral to a separate imaging center or a trip to the emergency room. Not every urgent care offers imaging, which is worth knowing before you drive somewhere in pain.
Why on-site X-ray matters
Clinics without imaging have to send you elsewhere when a fracture is possible — a second trip, a second wait, and often a second bill, all while you are hurting. With imaging in the building, the sequence collapses into one appointment: examination, X-ray, diagnosis, splint, and a follow-up plan before you leave.
It also improves the diagnosis itself. Swelling and bruising look much the same whether the injury is a bad sprain or a small break, and clinical examination alone cannot always separate them. Imaging turns an educated guess into an answer.
What we use X-ray for
- Suspected fractures of the wrist, hand, finger, ankle, foot, or toe
- Distinguishing a sprain from a break when swelling and pain seem out of proportion
- Ruling out a fracture after a fall or a sports injury
- Evaluating a persistent cough or suspected pneumonia with a chest X-ray
- Locating certain swallowed or embedded foreign objects
- Follow-up imaging on a known injury
If a fracture is confirmed, we immobilize the injury with a splint, manage your pain, and arrange orthopedic follow-up for casting or further treatment.
When to go to the ER instead
On-site X-ray covers a wide range of injuries, but some need emergency resources we are not set up to provide:
- The bone is visibly deformed, bent, or breaking through the skin
- The limb is cold, blue, pale, or numb below the injury
- An obvious joint dislocation
- Suspected hip, pelvis, femur, skull, neck, or spine injury
- Significant head injury, or any injury from a high-speed collision or a fall from height
- Severe chest or abdominal trauma
- Injuries likely to need CT, MRI, or surgery
Our guide to urgent care versus the ER covers the wider decision.
What the visit looks like
A provider examines the injured area first — checking range of motion, circulation, and specific tender points. That examination determines whether imaging will actually change your treatment. Sometimes it will not, and you will be treated for a sprain without an X-ray, which spares you unnecessary radiation.
If imaging is ordered, the study itself takes only a few minutes. You will discuss the result before you leave, along with a splint if needed, pain management, and follow-up instructions. A radiologist reviews the images afterward, and we contact you if the final reading changes anything.
If the diagnosis turns out to be a sprain, see our guide on telling a sprained ankle from a broken one.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an appointment for an X-ray?
No. Walk-ins are welcome during all open hours at both offices. Imaging is ordered by the provider as part of your evaluation, so you do not book it separately.
Is an X-ray at urgent care cheaper than at the ER?
Generally yes, because urgent care does not charge an emergency facility fee. Your exact cost depends on your insurance and the services provided. See urgent care costs without insurance.
Can urgent care put on a cast?
We splint rather than cast. A splint accommodates the swelling that follows a fresh fracture; casting usually happens at orthopedic follow-up once the swelling subsides.
How soon will I get results?
Your provider reviews the images during your visit and discusses them with you before you leave.
Can I bring X-rays from another clinic?
Yes. Bring any prior imaging or discharge paperwork — comparison images are genuinely useful.
Visit Prime Valley Urgent Care in Delano or Tulare
Prime Valley Urgent Care is staffed by board-certified family and emergency physicians and is open seven days a week at two Central Valley locations. Walk-ins are always welcome.
- Delano Office — 1004 14th Ave., Delano, CA 93215 · (661) 325-4089 · Open Monday–Sunday, 9:00 AM–7:00 PM
- Tulare Office — 1581 Hillman St, Tulare, CA 93274 · (559) 687-5101 · Open Monday–Sunday, 8:00 AM–8:00 PM
New to our clinic? See what to bring to your first visit or contact our team with questions.
This article is general health information and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified provider. If you believe you are having a medical emergency, call 911.