Our office is open from 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. daily Monday through Friday. We request that you call well in advance so that we can reserve time for you. If you are unable to keep an appointment, we would appreciate at least 24 hours notice. This courtesy will allow us to schedule another patient who might be having problems or is sick. After office hours or on days when the office is closed, you can reach the physician on call by calling our office number, 715-4496. At night, our answering service will refer all calls promptly to the doctor, and the doctor will return your call as quickly as possible.

If an emergency medical situation arises during office hours, call us at 715-4496. Your call will be put straight through to a member of our nursing staff. At night or during the weekend, call ___________ and our answering service will contact the doctor on call. He or she will call you back and instruct you where to meet if immediate treatment is necessary.

The doctors generally do not have sufficient time to receive telephone calls during office hours. By minimizing disruptions to the appointments scheduled, your waiting time in the office is reduced and the doctors have more time to see patients needing immediate care.

If you are calling about a problem, which you think requires attention the same day, please give our receptionist concise information about the nature of the problem. Your call will be returned by a member of our nursing staff, who will then consult with your physician as soon as he or she is available. This triage system allows us to both attend to the patients in our office and respond to your concerns. The doctor will return your call if needed, or see you in the office.

If you would like to be notified of your lab, mammogram, or pap test results, please tell the receptionist. A message will be taken and a staff member will return your call by the end of the day. Usually these results can take up to ten days to receive. If we need to reach you sooner, we will call you. If you have not heard from us within two weeks, please call us.

Routine prescriptions and authorizations for renewals should be requested at your pharmacy. When calling for a prescription renewal, please have your pharmacist fax a refill request to our office at 715-4499. Controlled substances (those containing narcotic components) require an office visit and cannot be renewed over the phone. We urge you to discuss all medications with your physician during your annual checkup.

We make every effort to keep down the cost of your medical care. You can help us by paying for your visit before you leave the office (This includes office co pays and percentages). This will help to minimize our billing costs, which can be quite considerable. If you are having financial difficulties, we are most willing to make special financial arrangements with you. Please ask to speak with our Insurance Coordinator or you may reach her by phone at 715-4491. It is your responsibility to pay any deductible amount, co-insurance or other balance not paid by your insurance company.

We know insurance matters can be confusing. If you have questions, we will do our best to answer them. Those we can't help you with should be referred to your insurance company.

We are here to serve you and want to do the best job we can. Your suggestions for ways we can improve care are welcome. We also appreciate being notified about any problems you have encountered here. Please address suggestions or problems to our Practice Manager, Kelli Bean. Drop her a note or call and she will be back in touch with you. (kbean1217@sbcglobal.net or (405) 715-4496)