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Office Procedures
REGISTRATION
First Visit
You should plan to arrive one hour
before your scheduled appointment. This will allow time
to establish both your medical record and your patient account.
Please make sure you have all necessary information with you,
including:
• Insurance
cards
• Your social
security number
• Your driver’s
license
• Medical
records from your referring doctor
• Referral
Forms
Co-payments or any co-insurance is expected before services
are rendered.
Subsequent Visits
Please notify our Receptionist
of any change in your registration information. Incorrect
phone numbers will make it impossible to reach you with test
results or to notify you of a change of an appointment time. Incorrect
insurance information will delay benefits due to you under your
policy.
Designate a Key Contact (Friend or Family)
You may want to talk with your family and friends to identify
someone who can accompany you to your first visit to help with
the completion of paperwork, meet your physician, and take notes
about treatment options and future visits.
Naturally, you will be anxious during
your first few visits but we are confident you will find our
team of physicians, nurses and staff to be your extended family
as well. Having one
friend or family member accompany you from time to time gives
you added support and confidence.
Appointments
When You Need An Appointment:
• Call the office location you visit
• Ask for the Appointment Desk
Scheduling
All office and diagnostic appointments are made through our Front
Desk Assistants. They will ask you to be specific regarding
the reason for your appointment. This information is
necessary so that we may allow sufficient time in the schedule
to take care of your needs. In order to be as efficient as
possible, patients are seen by appointment time not by arrival
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Unable to Keep Your
Appointment
Please
notify us of a cancellation at least 24 hours in advance if possible. If
you are running late but are still able to come in, give us a
call so we can adjust scheduling to accommodate you and other
patients.
Urgent Medical Need
If you develop an
acute medical problem which is not an emergency but needs urgent
attention, please call the office and we will work you into the
schedule as soon as possible. There may be a delay after
you arrive, but you will be seen.
Occasional Delays
We make every effort
to remain on schedule; however, it is sometimes necessary to
meet the needs of hospital or emergency patients. We ask
for your patience and understanding should your appointment be
delayed.
Your Doctor’s On-Call
Schedule
Our
physicians see office patients between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, Monday
through Friday. They rotate on-call schedules during evenings
and weekends. To reach the on-call physician, call the
office you visit. Our answering service will forward your
information to the on-call physician. If the physician
does not call you back within twenty minutes, please call the
answering service again. Continuity of care is always maintained
under the direct supervision of your personal physician.
Patient Care Telephone Calls
When calling our office, you will be asked:
• Your name
• The patient’s
name
• The nature
of the call
(If it is an emergency phone call, make the Receptionist aware
so that a nurse can get to you immediately.)
Non-Emergency Situations
When you call, you will
be directed to the appropriate clinical area. If the nurses are
either on the phone or caring for patients in the office, you
will be connected to the voicemail system. Please leave a detailed
message.
The nurses receive
a great many phone calls. Please have
all your questions ready so that they may address all of your
issues in a single call. Don’t be concerned if your
call is not returned until the end of the day. The
nurses return every voicemail or message before the office
closes, at a time when they can give you their full and uninterrupted
attention.
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