General Information

NEW PATIENT

New patients are asked to arrive at least 20-30 minutes before their scheduled appointments in order to fill out new patient forms.  Please bring your driver's license and insurance card information with you so we can have accurate information in your record.  You may click on forms to print out new patient forms and bring with you to cut down on the time you will spend on your visit.

ALL PATIENTS

Health information: Medical records are very important and we will like to keep your medical record up to date.  However, it is your responsibility to notify our office of any changes or corrections that need to be made to your record.  Please review that information and show your insurance card at every visit.  Having your current information on file will help us to serve you better.  Thank you for assisting us in this regard.

Medication management: To help us manage your health better, we encourage you to bring all medications to each appointment.  Please bring the original containers if possible so that we may verify each medication's name and dosage.

APPOINTMENTS

Walk-ins are welcome however; appointments are preferred so our staff can prepare for your specific need in advance.  Appointments can be made by calling the office during normal business hours or by setting an appointment online.

When scheduling via the web or by phone, please give a clear description of your medical condition so we can allow an appropriate amount of time to address your needs when you do arrive.

Appointments for routine care are best arranged well in advance, preferably at the end of the previous appointment.  We encourage the scheduling of routine physicals for school and sports physicals as soon as possible.  Summer camp physicals can be scheduled prior to the end of spring semester or when necessary.

There is usually no waiting time for school, sports, or summer camp physicals.  Adults may schedule routine physical exams throughout the year.  Calls for sick patient appointments should be made early in the day, so that arrangements can be made for you early enough.  We value your time and will make every effort to accommodate you as soon as possible.

TELEPHONE CALLS

If you have a life-threatening situation, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.  After hours, your call will be re-routed to the Clinician on call after you leave a message on our answering machine.  Calls will be returned as soon as possible.  Routine medical questions will be handled by calling the office during normal business hours.

To better serve you, we have protocols to handle some problems over the phone.  However, you may need to be seen in the office to properly diagnose and treat the problem.  When you call please give your full name, birth date, and as much information about the problem as possible, including symptoms, medications or remedy taken, and duration of the problem.  Have a pen, paper, and pharmacy telephone number handy in the case a medication need to be called in for you.

We prefer to address your problems with access to your medical history and records, therefore depending on the circumstance; we may need to access your health information during normal business hours so as to properly address your concern.  Therefore, please limit your after-hour calls to those that you feel absolutely cannot wait until the office opens.  Please remember, for all emergencies, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

APPOINTMENT CANCELLATIONS

We understand that circumstances do arise that may force you to cancel your appointment.  If you will not keep your appointment, we encourage you to call us at least 24 hours before your scheduled visit.  We do reserve the right to charge a last minute cancellation or no show fee if we are unable to fill your scheduled appointment.  It will be our pleasure to arrange another appointment for you if necessary.

DOCTOR/PATIENT RELATIONSHIP

Our office appreciates good and open communication between our patients and our staff.  Although you may have many questions regarding your health, we encourage you to be specific to the issue that was scheduled for when you are with the clinician.

This is important so our practitioners may stay on time with you and others.  You can always schedule another day for other health concerns.  However, time permitting our providers will address your other concerns on same visit.  On the day of your visit, your practitioner or physician may discuss with you current medical problems, symptoms, medical history, allergies, current medications, treatments, personal habits, recent lifestyle changes, possible referrals, and other pertinent information you or your practitioner may deem necessary.

PRESCRIPTIONS AND REFILLS

In order to provide the very best and quality care to our patients, our clinicians need to monitor our patients' condition and ensure compliance with medications and the medication and treatment effectiveness.  Medication refills will be issued only during office hours, so as to be able to review the patient's medical record.  After hours refills will be handled on an emergency case basis only. Refills will be provided for those conditions requiring you to take medication for an extended period of time.

Our office may request a follow- up checkup to re-evaluate your progress before refilling the medication.  Please contact your pharmacy several days before your prescription runs out so that your refill can be processed on time.  Please allow a good amount of time for our staff to review your records before refills can be authorized.

REFERRALS

We are pleased that you have chosen our office for your care.  However, we work with many other specialists that may be able to assist you in special circumstances.  If you have been referred to a specialist and your insurance requires a formal referral, please allow our office a few days to process the paperwork and obtain authorization from your insurance company.

EMERGENCIES

If you have a life-threatening situation, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.  During business hours, please call 911 first and then if possible, call your doctor's office.  After hours, your call will be re-routed to the Clinician on call after you leave a message on our answering machine.  Calls will be returned as soon as possible. Please call our office during normal business hours for all routine medical questions.

PAYMENT FOR SERVICES

Payment for services, including applicable co-payments, is due at the time of your visit and will be collected on the day that you see the doctor. We accept cash, Visa, Credit, and debit cards.  At this time we are not accepting American Express credit card.  We also accept many forms of insurances including Medicaid and Medicare, PPO's and HMO's.  Please check with our receptionist before you see the doctor.  Unpaid charges are billed to you and are due upon receipt.

RECOMMENDATION AND GRIEVANCE

Our clinical and administrative staffs are eager to assist you and answer any question you may have.  We encourage you to bring to the attention of the office manager any employee you will like us to recognize due to exceptional service.

However, should you have a concern including your visit experience, please do not hesitate to let us know.  Call the office and speak to the office manager or contact the administrator by phone, regular mail, or by email at: email@emmasonhealth.com.

Your input goes a long way in helping us provide a better service to our patients.  Thank you in advance for your recommendations.