All patients are encouraged to call with any health questions and concerns. The office staff has been trained to assist you with many questions. You may call during office hours. A receptionist will answer your call and take a message for your doctor or the nurse. Your call will be returned as soon as possible, in the order of determined urgency, by one of the phone nurses or by your doctor between patients. If it is an emergency, please tell the person answering the phone.
If you find it necessary to contact the doctor after normal office hours, the answering service will forward all urgent messages to the doctor on call. However, we do ask that you limit your after hours and weekend calls to urgent problems.
You or your pharmacy can contact our office for refill requests; however, we do ask that you allow us a window of at least 48 hours for any refill requests. If you have a question about the refill, please leave a message for the nurse.
We open our schedules approximately two months in advance, and appointments are usually booked approximately one month in advance. You will receive a reminder card from our office when it's time to schedule your annual exam. Please take the time to schedule your appointment as soon as you receive your reminder card.
The best way to prepare for your visit with us is to complete all forms (patient history, patient registration, and privacy practices) prior to your appointment and then bring them with you on the day of your visit. You'll also want to arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
If Medicare will only pay for a Pap smear every two years, we encourage you to schedule annual appointments anyway. A typical annual exam consists of much more than a Pap smear. When you come in for your annual exam, we will do a pelvic exam, breast exam, and screening for various types of cancer. If you're over age 50, we will also perform a screening for colon cancer. Depending on age, we may also evaluate the need for mammography and bone density studies. Options for contraception, hormone therapy, and any other questions or concerns you may have are discussed.
If your daughter is sexually active, it is advised that we see her for her exam. However, if she is not sexually active, she should see us at age 18.
Once you pregnancy is confirmed, you will be scheduled for an established obstetrical appointment (your first prenatal visit). At this visit, your physician will take a detailed history, do a physical exam, order lab tests, figure your due date and set up a schedule for your prenatal care. You will be in the office approximately 30 to 45 minutes.
Most pregnancies are normal and uncomplicated. However, it's important to report certain problems to our office. Call us if you experience any of the following: