How Do I Prepare for My Appointment?

You will be invited to our electronic portal where you can complete most of the registration information needed for your appointment. When coming in for your appointment, please bring your insurance cards and photo identification, all your current medications in their original prescription bottles, and any over-the-counter vitamins and supplements that you take.

Prior Medical Records

Please send any recent health records to us via postal mail or by uploading them into the portal and our clinicians will review them with you during your appointment. To upload attachments, go to the patient portal and login. Once logged in, scroll down to the “Messages” section and click on “Send a message”. From there you can add text and then click on the paperclip icon to attach documents, photos, etc.

Patient Portal Use

The patient portal is designed to enhance secure patient-clinician communication and is provided as a courtesy to our patients. The response time in the portal is typically two business days. The portal is not monitored after-hours or on weekends. Once you are given access, you will be able to communicate with our staff, view your records, and update your information. It is important to remember that optimal care requires face-to-face time with your clinician, and the portal cannot be used to substitute for an office visit. Information exchanged through the portal is not intended to be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition.

THE PORTAL IS NOT INTENDED FOR THE FOLLOWING:

• Emergency communications or services (Go to the nearest emergency room or dial 911 if you have a medical emergency.)
• Requests for medication refills or new medications
• Diagnoses or treatment

Phone calls

We try to return all calls as soon as possible. The patient portal is the best way to contact us.

Appointment Reminder Calls

If you do not plan to keep your appointment, please contact us at least 24 hours in advance to cancel or reschedule. Please be aware that multiple late cancellations and/or no-show appointments may be grounds for dismissal from our practice. Out of respect for other patients and our providers, we kindly request 24-hour notification for cancellation of appointments. Failure to do so will result in a “No Show Fee” of $25.00.

Test Results

Please allow seven business days for routine test results. If you haven’t heard from us within that time, you should contact our office or check the patient portal. If there is an abnormal result requiring urgent attention, you will be contacted by one of our clinicians as soon as the result is reviewed.

Laboratory and imaging requests

At the provider’s discretion, laboratory and imaging orders may only be ordered during scheduled appointment times. Providers must review your medical chart, previous test results, and previous office notes to ensure that the appropriate laboratory and imaging tests are ordered and that the orders follow evidence-based protocols.

Referrals

Referrals will only be provided during scheduled appointment times. Our providers must evaluate your health concerns and review your medical chart to ensure that evidence-based protocols are followed, and appropriate referrals are made. If you have a health concern that you feel requires a referral, you will need to make an appointment.

Financial Policy

For services not covered by your insurance, the balance may be transferred to you for payment. Financial assistance may be available. Please contact our office for more information.

If you are covered by an insurance plan we accept and can provide a valid insurance card, we will bill your insurance company. Your insurance is a contract between you, your employer and your insurance carrier. It’s your responsibility to contact your insurance carrier to make sure that medical provider is contracted with your plan/network. We will make every effort to obtain benefits information regarding what the client’s insurance will or will not cover. This includes benefits that may have been quoted by your insurance company. All patients are responsible for all charges for service rendered. If the patient responsibility portion of your charges, including charges applied to your deductible and/or coinsurance, are not paid in full within sixty (60) days following the billing statement, we will charge the credit card listed below for the unpaid balances. Payment plans are available for large balances and can be customized to fit your needs. Please contact our office directly for more information. For smaller balances, $50 will be charged in addition to the visit copay to be applied to existing balances and will be due at every appointment.

If you are not covered by one of our accepted insurance plans, you must pay in full at the time of your service. Many insurance plans do provide reimbursement for “out-of-network” care. Please contact your insurance company directly for instructions for submitting a claim.

We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover credit/debit cards for payment.

What if I Need Medical Attention After Normal Office Hours?

If you have a medical emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Otherwise, please call our office and leave a voicemail, or send us a message via the Patient Portal as we will get back to you as soon as possible. Please be advised that after hours phone calls to the physician will be billed to your insurance. 

Hospital Admissions and Stays

If you are admitted to a hospital, you will be cared for by a hospitalist, a physician who specializes in caring for acutely ill patients in the hospital setting. We would like to see you in the office within one to two weeks after discharge or as directed by the hospital physician. Please call during business hours to make an appointment, and let the receptionist know that you have recently been discharged from the hospital. Bring the pertinent hospital records with you to your next appointment. Please ask your hospital to send the medical records of your recent hospital stay, including new test results or change in medications.

Medication Refills or New Prescriptions

Prescription medications require close monitoring by our providers to ensure safety and effectiveness based on evidence-based clinical protocols. Also, adverse drug reactions and drug interactions amongst prescription and over-the-counter drugs (including supplements) are common. Our providers must review your medical chart, previous labs, and previous office notes to ensure correct dosing, frequency, and quantity regardless of how long you have been taking the medication. We may not be able to accommodate last-minute refill requests and advise you to plan and schedule your appointments at least 3-4 weeks before you are due for a refill. No new prescriptions (including antibiotics) will be given without an appointment. Please note that we do not refill medications prescribed by other doctors or specialists.

Telemedicine

Scheduling a telemedicine visit with our practice works the same way as scheduling an in-office visit. Simply call our office and speak to our staff. If your clinician feels your care necessitates an in-office visit, we will communicate that to you.