TOPIC
PRACTICE PHILOSOPHY
Agree!
Vaccines
Our vaccine policy follows the schedule outlined by the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics. We vaccinate our own children on schedule and expect the same of our patients.
Antibiotics
We work hard to not overuse antibiotics. We educate families on appropriate use of antibiotics, but follow evidence-based guidelines and don’t automatically treat ear pain or a green snotty nose with antibiotics. We do not routinely call in antibiotics over the phone as we do not believe that is good medicine. When we believe antibiotics are appropriate treatment, we will be happy to answer your questions.
Medical Home
We work hard to provide comprehensive medical care and serve as your medical home. To that end, we expect that you contact our office FIRST before seeking specialty care, or heading to Urgent Care.
Technology
Our practice prides itself on efficiency through use of technology. You will be expected to contact us through our patient portal and effectively use automated reminders and patient engagement enabled via technology.
Office Hours
We make every effort to meet the needs of our patients, but we are a small practice and don’t see well visits on the weekend, nor have walk in hours. Please familiarize yourself with our office hours to see if they work for your family.
After Hours
We have a physician on call 24/7/365. Their contact information is available by calling our main number. We expect that unless it is a true medical emergency and requires 911, that you will call the on-call physician to discuss recommendations prior to heading to the Emergency Department or Urgent Care. We often arrange to see patients in our office on Saturday and/or Sunday AM who should not wait to be seen until Monday.
Specialist Care
As your medical home we expect that you will contact our office to discuss care plans before scheduling an appointment with a specialist. We want to be involved in either providing care in our office where appropriate, or referring you to the most appropriate specialist and helping coordinate your care. Whenever you do see a specialist, we ask that you request a report be sent directly to our office so we can coordinate all of your care.
Insurance
Please make sure we take your specific insurance plan. If there are any questions, call our office and/or check with your specific insurance company.
Billing and Fees
It is up to you to understand how your insurance works including deductibles and co-insurance and to provide up-to-date insurance information at every visit. Our fees (including missed appointment fees and form fees) can be found here along with our payment policy.
Appointments
We do not have walk-in hours. Please call our office to make an appointment and tell the nursing staff all of your concerns so that they can allow the appropriate length of time. Well visit appointments are opened for scheduling 3 months in advance
Timeliness
Our practice makes every effort to run on time with appointments, as we believe everyone’s time is equally valuable. We ask that you make every effort to present to the office at your scheduled appointment time and call us if you are running behind. We reserve the right to ask you to reschedule if you have missed your scheduled appointment time.