Are We A Good Fit For You?

Our office follows the schedule outlined by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). 

We work hard to not overuse antibiotics. We educate families on appropriate use of antibiotics, but follow evidence-based guidelines and don’t automatically treat ear pain or a green snotty nose with antibiotics.

We do not routinely prescribe antibiotics over the phone as we do not believe that is good medicine. We will prescribe an antibiotic when we believe it is an appropriate treatment.

We work hard to provide comprehensive medical care and serve as your medical home. To that end, we expect that you contact our office FIRST before seeking specialty care, or heading to another provider for urgent care. We want to be involved in either providing care in our office where appropriate, or referring you to the most appropriate specialist and helping to coordinate your care.

Whenever you do see a specialist, we ask that you request a report be sent directly to our office so we may stay informed and have the most up-to-date information in your medical record.

Our practice prides itself on efficiency through use of technology. You will be encouraged to consult our website, register for and use our patient portal, and effectively use automated reminders for appointments and for routine care/immunizations that are due.

We make every effort to meet the needs of our patients, offering both routine well visits and sick visit appointments. 

To ensure we provided you with the most efficient care we highly recommend you call ahead to schedule an appointment.

Please familiarize yourself with our office hours to see if they work for your family.

We have a physician on call 24/7/365. When our office is closed and you have a question or urgent issue that cannot wait until the morning, Advocare has trained triage nurses who can help you. You can always speak to one of our on-call doctors if determined by triage nurse or by request.

You may wish to check the "Is Your Child Sick?" section of our website for helpful information before using this service. Read more about After Hours care.

Make sure we participate with your insurance plan. 

It is your responsibility to know the limits and coverage of your particular health insurance policy, to show your cards to us at each visit, and be prepared to pay any copays at the time of service.

Our billing staff will do their best to assist you with insurance questions; however, If you have questions about your coverage, it is best check with your specific insurance company. Our office does not want you to be surprised by a bill, but must always bill your health plan based on federal guidelines and the actual services provided.

Insurance copays are expected to be paid at the time of service. If you are unable to comply, you must speak with the billing department prior to the visit to set up a payment plan.

For acute care, call the office to speak with a triage nurse, who will listen to your concerns and schedule an appointment for you if needed. Sometimes an appointment may not be needed, and staff will advise you regarding your issue, or check with the physician and call you back.

Well visits may be scheduled up to 3 months in advance. Typically, insurance companies will pay for one well visit per 365 days, however, some may pay per calendar year. You will need to contact your insurance to confirm their well visit policy. 

Our practice makes every effort to run on time with appointments, as we believe everyone’s time is equally valuable. As a courtesy, we will remind you of your upcoming appointments via phone/text message/email.

We ask that you arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. We understand sometimes things happen beyond your control that may cause you to be late. However, we reserve the right to ask you to reschedule if you arrive late for your appointment.

Missed Appointments: Broken appointments represent a cost to us, to you, and to other patients who could have been seen in the time set aside for you. We reserve the right to charge a fee for canceled or missed appointments. We request 24 hours notice for cancellation of appointments.

A fee may be charged for a second missed appointment. The third consecutive missed appointment may result in discharge from the practice.

For new patients, a fee may be charged if the FIRST appointment is missed.