We schedule appointments with your primary doctor whenever possible, but especially for routine appointments. Each day we have appointment slots available for the more urgent problems requiring a same-day appointment; these appointments are with the available doctor. These often fill quickly, so it is best to call early in the day if you suspect you may need to be seen.
For scheduled appointments, we partner with an appointment reminder service called Clienttell. A few days before your scheduled appointment you will receive a reminder call about your upcoming appointment. When you confirm, we know to look forward to seeing you. If the appointment is no longer needed or needs to be put off you can alert us through this convenient service.
Time is valuable for all of the patients scheduled for the day and for the doctor. Every attempt will be made to see you on time, but please understand that unpredictable circumstances can occur that may put the doctor behind schedule. If you cannot wait please alert our reception staff and we can reschedule you.
In an effort to minimize one of the reasons that appointment schedules can get thrown off, we ask that you arrive a few minutes early for your scheduled appointment, allowing extra time if you are a new patient. If you are late for your appointment we will make every attempt to accommodate you; however, in fairness to other scheduled patients who arrived on time, we reserve the right to reschedule your appointment.
If you are unable to keep your appointment please try to cancel or reschedule as soon as possible so we may offer the appointment to someone else needing to be seen.
Many insurance companies require you to have a referral to see specialists or obtain certain tests. You as the patient bear the responsibility to know if a referral is needed and whether the specialist is in your insurance network. It is in your best interest to be sure that any needed referrals are completed before you visit with the specialist or have the test done; a lack of proper referral means the bill for services is yours.
In most cases you will be required to schedule an appointment with us before any referral is made so we can evaluate your needs and facilitate the referral process. This is often true even if another provider such as an emergency room physician or specialist has recommended the referral. Please allow as much time as possible for us to see you, determine your referral needs, and work through the often time-consuming process of obtaining an insurance referral.
Sometimes referrals are needed to go to an emergency room, ambulatory care clinic or urgent care facility. Because it is important and in your best interest for us to be involved in your medical care, we will not, in most cases, provide referrals for non-urgent visits to ambulatory care facilities or emergency rooms unless we have directed you to go there or it is clear that after-hours care was needed and could not wait for us. If you are seen in one of those facilities, it is important to contact us with an update and see if and when a follow-up appointment with us is needed.