OFFICE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

MAKING APPOINTMENTS

          Please call our office during regular business hours to make an appointment for your child.  
Appointments can be scheduled for a well-baby or well-child visit, school and camp physicals, or
college and pre-employment physicals for your teenager.  Other types of non-urgent appointments
can also be scheduled by our receptionist.

          If your child is ill, same day appointments are available and can be scheduled by our
receptionist or nurse.

          If you think that your child has a life-threatening emergency (e.g. severe bleeding, not breathing, etc.)
you should contact your local emergency medical service.  Many health insurances also require that you
call our office within 24 hours.

          We remind you that you must select your child’s primary care provider through your
health insurance company prior to scheduling an appointment.

IF YOU ARE LATE FOR AN APPOINTMENT

          If you arrive more than 15 minutes after your scheduled appointment time, you may be asked to
reschedule the appointment.

CANCELLING APPOINTMENTS

          A member of our office staff will call you to confirm your child’s appointment two business days
prior to the scheduled appointment.

          If you are unable to keep a scheduled appointment we kindly ask that you call the office. 
We require a minimum of 24 hours notice for cancellations. 
There will be a $25 fee charged to your account for failure to cancel a missed appointment. 
You will have the opportunity to reschedule a missed appointment.

OUR NO SHOW POLICY

          If you fail to come in for a scheduled appointment without calling our office, we will send
you a letter informing you of the missed appointment.  You will have the opportunity to reschedule
the appointment. However, after the second missed appointment you will be asked in writing
to transfer your child’s medical care to another office.

TELEPHONE CALLS

          You may call our office during regular business hours if you have questions about your child’s
health.  Our nurses are very knowledgeable about many common pediatric problems and parent concerns. 
However, if you need to speak directly with your child’s pediatrician, a member of our staff will take a
message for the doctor to return your call.

          One of the doctors is on call whenever the office is closed. 
Please reserve these calls for emergencies only.

WEEKEND APPOINTMENTS

          The doctor on call is available for URGENT VISITS only on Saturday. Appointments start at
10:00am and we ask that you call the doctor between 8:00-9:00am to schedule a visit.

REFERRALS AND PRESCRIPTION REFILLS

          Please call the office during regular business hours if you would like to obtain a referral to a
specialist for your child.  In some cases we may ask that you schedule an appointment with your child’s
pediatrician before a referral can be made.

          Requests for a prescription refill can be made by leaving a message on our automated telephone
menu system (press 3).  These will be completed by the end of the next business day.

FORMS FOR DAYCARE, SCHOOL, CAMP, ETC.

          We ask that you bring these forms with you at the time of your child’s appointment.  Please give
them to the receptionist or nurse when you check in.

          If your child has had a recent visit (within one year) for a complete physical examination, you may
submit these forms by mail or fax.  Please provide a self-addressed and stamped envelope or provide a
fax number so that we may return the completed form to you.  You may come into the office to pick up
the form after 3 business days.

HEALTH INSURANCE

          At this time, our office participates with the following health insurance plans:

·        Aetna

·        APA Partners Network

·        Blue Shield of NENY

·        CDPHP

·        Empire Health Choice

·        Fidelis

·        GHI HMO Select

·        Great West

·        Health Economics Group

·        Managed Medicaid (through Blue Shield of NENY, Fidelis or CDPHP)

·        Martin’s Point Health Care

·        Medicare

·        Multiplan, Inc. (PHCS)

·        MVP

·        New York State Empire Plan

·        Shared Health Network

·        United Healthcare

If a copayment is required, we ask that this be made at the time of your child’s visit. 
An additional fee of $15 will be charged to your account if this copayment is not made on the day of the visit.

If we do not participate with your health insurance plan, we will require payment at the time of your child’s visit.