Are We A Good Fit?

Our Vaccine Policy follows the schedule outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Please refer to our vaccination policy and ensure that you are comfortable with this policy before scheduling your first appointment.  If you are uncomfortable with our vaccination policy, we expect that you would not register with our practice.  We have a responsibility to our patients and families to maintain as healthy of an environment as possible for all patients including newborns and infants too young for the protection of vaccinations, children with chronic medical issues, and children with immunodeficiencies, some who are unable to be vaccinated at all. We can only do this in an environment where families understand and appreciate the importance of vaccinations. 

While we recommend vaccinating according to the CDC schedule, we are amenable to spacing vaccinations if this is desired by parents, however the scheduling must meet our vaccination policy requirements. 

Vaccine Information Sheets (VIS) are available in every exam room in our office as well as on our website. In this digital age, electronic information is often preferred by our parents, but please know that we are happy to provide paper copies to be taken home upon request.  

We respect all parents and have no desire to create an environment of conflict. You have the option to seek care elsewhere if our vaccination policy is not in line with your preferences, and we encourage you to do so in that case. 

We work hard to not overuse antibiotics. We educate families on appropriate use of antibiotics and follow evidence-based guidelines in prescribing these medications.  We do not automatically treat ear pain or a green snotty nose with antibiotics as this is poor medical practice and not in the best interest of your child.

We also do not routinely prescribe antibiotics over the phone as we do not believe this is good medicine. We will prescribe an antibiotic when we believe it is an appropriate treatment after examining your child in our office.

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 another provider for urgent care. We want to be involved in either providing care in our office where appropriate, or referring you to the most appropriate specialist and helping to coordinate your care.

Whenever you do see a specialist, we ask that you request a report be sent directly to our office so we may stay informed and have the most up-to-date information in your medical record.

We make every effort to meet the needs of our patients, offering both routine well visits and sick visit appointments.

We do offer walk-in appointments if necessary. However, walk-In appointments are seen in the first available sick visit appointment slot and will not be called back before a scheduled visit. To ensure we provide you with the most efficient care, we highly recommend you call ahead to schedule an appointment.

Please familiarize yourself with our office hours to see if they will meet the needs of your family. We are open every day of the week except Sunday which we reserve for our employees to spend time with their families. An on-call nurse or physician is available by phone for urgent concerns when the office is closed.  

We have a nurse or physician on call 24/7/365. When our office is closed overnight and you have an urgent issue that cannot wait until morning, you can call our main number and connect with our answering service. The nurse or doctor on-call will then return your call and give you advice regarding your child's problem.

You may wish to check the "Is Your Child Sick?" section of our website for helpful information before using this service. Read more about After Hours care.

Make sure we participate with your insurance plan. 

It is your responsibility to know the limits and coverage of your particular health insurance policy, to show your cards to us at each visit, and be prepared to pay any copays at the time of service.

Our billing staff will do their best to assist you with insurance questions; however, if you have questions about your coverage, it is best to check with your specific insurance company.

Our office does not want you to be surprised by a bill. By law, we must always bill your health plan based on federal guidelines and the actual services provided. Please contact our billing staff if you have questions about your bill. 

Please read our Financial Policy for more information regarding insurance.

Insurance copays are expected to be paid at the time of service. If you are unable to comply, you must speak with the billing department prior to the visit to set up a payment plan.

Our practice prides itself on efficiency through use of technology. You will be encouraged to consult our website, register for and use our patient portal, and effectively use automated reminders for appointments and for routine care/immunizations that are due.

For acute care, call the office to speak with triage staff who will listen to your concerns and schedule an appointment for you. Sometimes an appointment may not be needed, and staff will advise you regarding your issue or check with the physician and call you back.

If our triage nurse is on the phone with another family, you will be asked to leave a message and will receive a return call as quickly as possible.

For well visits, call our routine appointment line. We encourage you to schedule your well visits in advance to ensure that you are able to schedule with the physician or nurse practitioner of your choosing - best options are available by scheduling your next appointment before leaving the office.  You will receive an automated reminder when your child is due for their next well visit. Automated reminders are also sent for vaccines for which your child is due.

Our practice makes every effort to run on time with appointments; we believe everyone’s time is equally valuable. As a courtesy, we will remind you of your upcoming appointments via phone/text message/email.

We ask that you arrive 5 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. We understand that events happen beyond your control that may cause you to be late. However, we reserve the right to ask you to reschedule if you arrive late for your appointment.

Broken appointments represent a cost to us, to you, and to other patients who could have been seen in the time set aside for you. We reserve the right to charge a fee for canceled or missed appointments. We request 24 hours notice for cancellation of appointments.

Recurrent missed appointments may result in dismissal from the practice.