Our appointments are made several weeks ahead and we schedule an appropriate amount of time for laboratory procedures, the doctor's examination and treatment. Keep in mind that your scheduled appointment time is the time to have your laboratory tests done and the time that you see the doctor will vary according to the complexity of the tests. If there are any particular conflicts in your schedule which will help us select a better time for you, please let us know. Our appointment schedule normally runs from 7:30 AM to 4:20 PM, Monday through Friday.

Occasionally events occur which will make it necessary for you to cancel and reschedule your appointment. Please let us know as far in advance as possible so that we can reschedule at a date and time convenient to you. Early cancellations will allow us to give another patient your time.

Your First Visit

A New Patient Coordinator will contact you and will send you a packet of information and forms to complete and return to our office before your first visit. These items are important as they prepare us for your appointment. If you have any questions prior to your appointment, the New Patient Coordinators will be happy to assist you!

When you first visit our office, we will compile a complete medical history, conduct a full physical examination and draw certain laboratory work, as we do for all new patients. This process may duplicate some of the procedures you may have undergone with another physician; however, our physicians look for unique and specific data, which we must know and enter in your permanent records in our office. Please help us as much as possible by giving us complete information. 

We recommend that you allow at least one and one-half hours for your first visit. You will also be meeting with our financial counselors, who will discuss your insurance benefits.

Prescriptions

Please bring your medications with you to your appointments. In most cases our doctors must prescribe medicines to help you with your condition. In order to prescribe medications as safely as possible, it is important for us to know the type and dosage of each medication so that your prescriptions do not adversely interact. By bringing your medications with you, we may collect precise information from the indications listed on the prescription bottles.

Please follow prescription directions very carefully. Unless instructed otherwise, finish the entire dosage given to you. Should the instructions not be clear to you, please check with us to make certain that you are following the physician's instructions. 

Prescription refills will be handled by telephone during office hours. No narcotic refills will be handled on weekends.

Our Records

It is extremely important that our records be kept up-to-date regarding your present address, telephone number, employment, and health insurance coverage. Please cooperate by notifying us promptly of any changes to the aforementioned information.

Likewise, if you have health insurance, please be sure that we get complete details regarding your coverage, group number and subscriber number. Also, please notify us if any of your information changes. 

If you have disability coverage requiring periodic claims, please be certain to complete your portion of the claim fully each time. Some commercial insurance companies require a referral from your primary care physician each time you are seen by a specialist. You are responsible for getting these referrals. 

Like your health information, your financial affairs are held in the strictest confidence by this office.