Office Policies

• Prenatal visits- If you are expecting and would like to meet with one of our doctors, please call the office for a free prenatal consultation.
• New patients- If you are transferring from another pediatric practice, please have your child’s records, including immunization dates, sent to our office before the initial appointment.
• Sick visits- We see patients by appointment only, and we do our best to accommodate same day sick visits. Please call as early in the day as possible if you feel your child might need to be seen so that we can reserve a time for him/her. Depending upon availability, you may be booked to see a provider who is not your usual primary care provider. If you want siblings to be seen as well, please inform us. Despite our best intentions, schedule constraints and consideration for already booked patients may prevent us from accommodating siblings that are added on without prior notification.
• Well appointments- The routine schedule we follow is visits at: 2-3 days after hospital discharge, 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, 2 years, 2 ½ years, 3 years, and yearly thereafter. Please call 6-12 weeks in advance of the desired date for school and sports physical exams.

• There is always a physician on call to address urgent concerns. When you call, the answering service will forward your name and phone number to the doctor on call. If you have not received a call back within one hour, please call again to make sure we have your correct contact information. In the unlikely event of a phone malfunction, you can reach the answering service directly at 521-0900. If you have a true emergency, we recommend you dial 911 or proceed directly to the Emergency Room.

• Please give us 1 week advance notice to complete a referral. We need the following information:

• Name and date of birth of child
• Primary care provider of child
• Correct insurance information
• Name, phone number, and fax of physician being referred to
• Date and time of appointment
• Reason for visit

• Please give us 24 hour notice for medication refills. Some medications, such as stimulants and antidepressants, will be refilled only if the patient has come in for the appropriate medication checks. For example, patients receiving birth control medication must be seen at least once per year, patients with asthma must be seen at least every 6 months, and patients on ADD/ADHD meds must be seen at least every 3 months.

• We hold admitting privileges at Women & Infants’ Hospital and will see your newborn every day during his/her stay there. We have recently decided that the use of the hospital service at Hasbro Children’s Hospital best ensures that your child receives timely and expert care in case of hospitalizations after the newborn period.

• If you need to change an appointment, please do so at least 24 hours in advance so that your time slot may be filled by another patient. Failure to do so will result in a missed appointment fee of $50. In the event that you arrive more than 20 minutes late, we may have to reschedule your appointment to another day or time.

• At each well visit, we will provide you with a completed state school physical examination form and immunization record. This form is good for one year, and you may photocopy it and submit it in response to medical information requests from school, camps, and sports organizations throughout the year. There is a standard fee of $5.00 for replacement of the form or for any additional forms that may require completion by our office. These additional forms will not be completed unless the fee is paid in advance and the required information filled out. There is no charge for WIC forms. Please allow 5 business days for the completion of any forms. Any form required in 24 hours or less incurs a $25.00 charge. These fees are not billable to your insurance.

• If you would like your child’s records transferred from our office, there will be a $25.00 charge. In compliance with HIPAA rules and regulations, we require a written request to transfer records. Patients who are 18 years of age or older must personally sign the release form.

• Our phone calls are answered by trained and experienced individuals who are prepared to help you manage common childhood illnesses and general care concerns. If you are calling with an emergency or if you need to speak to a physician, please inform the secretary when you call. The physician may return your call between patients, at lunchtime, or at the end of the day, or he/she may decide that it is more appropriate for you to make an appointment to discuss the matter in the office.

Please adhere to the following phone etiquette:

• Restrict after-hours telephone calls to emergencies only. Routine advice, laboratory results, and prescription refills are more appropriately handled during our normal office hours.
• Please give us one phone number where we can reach you.
• Especially if you are calling after hours, keep the phone line free so we may return your call. We try to call back within the hour and busy phone lines prevent us from providing prompt service.
• Please have your caller ID turned off and respect the privacy of the numbers that we’re using to return your call.
• When your call is returned, please state the name, age of the child, and a brief description of your concern.
• Have your regular pharmacy number as well as a back-up 24-hour pharmacy handy when you call. It is also helpful if you know the approximate weight of your child as well as the names and dosages of meds he/she is taking.
• If you are experience problems with the answering service or have suggestions for us to improve our telephone coverage, please let us know.