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Chronic disease Management Success requires education and partnership. We have groups of patients with similar medical profiles and cluster their visits in the same time slot. Patients will be triaged by the nurse/medical assistant. The group will then be educated on a component of their disease including medications. There will be 20 minutes of talk and 20 minutes of questions. If you are sick or have an acute problem, you cannot be seen in a group that day and will need an individual appointment.
We prefer you do this so that you can get the provider and time of your choice. Last minute appointments make it difficult to get your provider of choice. We do not overbook our schedules.
We maintain a list of specialists that we choose to refer to based on insurance plan and experience with their office. Unfortunatly we do not know them and may need you to assist us if all the providers we are familiar with are out of network with your plan.
To provide you the fastest response on your results, we will call you as soon as each result is reviewed. However, results are returned to the office at different times, so you may get a separate call after each result is reviewed. The best way to reduce the numbers of calls is to sign up for the Patient Portal.
The focus in a physical is different from a regular follow-up visit. At a physical our goal is to identify any new risk factors for disease. Provide screening services to detect cancer. Provide immunizations to prevent disease. Perform a comprehensive physical exam which will include a rectal exam, pelvic and breast exam if appropriate. There simply is not enough time in a chronic care visit to do this effectively.
Regular appointment intervals vary from 3, 4, 6, or 12 months. The intervals are based on a careful consideration of several factors including your age, diagnosis, risk factors, and number of prescription medications you are on. You may also be asked to return to review abnormal test results. These appointments are critical to your health. Without them we will not be able to identify medication side effects, assess their efficacy and monitor for disease progression. It is a great day when we see you and are able to say "All is well; continue treatment, and return in 3 months."
If you wish to see the Doctor please keep in mind that her schedule is usually booked in advanced so we would advise you to schedule your next follow up with her.
If you are scheduled for a procedure and a provider you will get 2 calls, because you are on 2 schedules.
Sometimes after a sick visit, a follow-up maybe needed to ensure resolution of your symptoms and this can be combined with your already scheduled Follow-up visit. On the other hand, if all your lab and other test results that are planned to be reviewed at your regular follow-up are available at your sick visit, the provider may address those results and cancel the upcoming follow-up appointment.
We are accepting only straight Medicaid or Staywell for patients younger than 17 at this time.
Yes. However we will need to make that appointment if the referral is from us. Depending on your insurance you can self refer to certain specialists.
We would prefer to schedule your urgent or stat referrals so that you are seen in a timely manner based on why you are being seen. If you prefer to schedule your non-urgent referrals you may do so, we just ask for you to please inform us when you have scheduled so we are able to retrieve the records as soon as possible.
No. To adequately address both issues, you will need 2 appointments on the same day. We cannot guarantee your insurance will pay for 2 visit types on the same day. Most do not and you could end up being responsible in full for at least one.
15 minutes with the doctor, 20 minutes with the Nurse Practitioner. Additional time depends on the other services being performed each day. Your appointment time with the provider is the time we expect to start your visit. This begins with the interview at check-in when your contact information and insurance is verified and continues with Triage when the Nurse/MA reviews all your medications, changes from specialist doctors, updates your social and family risk factors. Procedures or vaccines may be performed per our protocols before you see the provider. You will then see the provider alone or with a group.
Yes and No. You can be seen at the same time slot by different providers. If you wish to see the same provider or be in the room for each others visit. There will be someone scheduled between you.
Patients are seen by appointment. If there is an opening you are welcome to wait or you can return closer to the time of your appointment.
