FAQs

Yes, we always welcome new patients to our practice! 

If your child is new to the practice and needs a well visit, please note that we need all prior records sent to our office before making your appointment. 

This gives our doctors adequate time to prepare prior to your appointment and that means less wait time. It also allows for us to give an appropriate amount of time for the appointment in case there are additional issues to discuss and make sure that the last well visit has been at least one year prior for insurance purposes. 

If the entire chart is unavailable in time, we ask that you please have your prior doctors office fax the vaccine records and last well summary to our office in the meantime. Thank you and welcome aboard!

Our office is open Monday through Friday and weekends and holidays are for same-day sick appointments only. We are closed on Christmas Day. 

To make an appointment please call our office or request an appointment through your portal. To ensure the best use of time, for both our physicians and patients, all of our office visits are by appointment only. 

We ask that you arrive at our office 10 - 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time. 

If you must cancel an appointment, please notify us as soon as possible so we can offer that time to someone else.

Emergencies arise. We will advise you if there is going to be a delay in seeing you. If your schedule won't allow you to wait, we will be happy to reschedule your appointment. We do appreciate your patience and cooperation during our busy times and we will make every effort to keep your wait time to a minimum.

Please refer to our insurance page to review a list of accepted insurance providers.

We offer after-hours triage services. If you have a concern when the office is closed, please call the office number and you will be connected to an RN who can advise you appropriately. Refill of medications and referrals will not get handled after hours.

IN THE EVENT OF A LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY, CALL 911.

Every effort is made to arrange your child's well care and follow up visits with the physician of your choice. When your child is ill, he or she may see any one of our physicians.

For infants, our routine health maintenance visit schedule follows the American Academy of Pediatrics vaccine guideline for children.

For adolescents, we recommend annual well child checks. 

Depending on chronic conditions or medications, your Pediatrician may recommend more frequest visits. 

Immunizations are a series of shots given to children at different ages to help ward off serious, and potentially fatal, childhood diseases. Making sure your child receives immunizations when scheduled is the best way to help protect your child from potentially fatal diseases. According to The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), vaccinations have reduced the number of infections from vaccine-preventable diseases by more than 90%. 

We accept patients with delayed and alternative vaccine schedules. 

If you're apprehensive about vaccinations, please do not hesitate to discuss them with your Pediatrician at your next visit. 

Please contact the office and speak to one of our referral coordinators to see if your Pediatrician can place a referral to the specialist or if an appointment is needed. 

If your child has not yet been seen regarding the concern, please make an appointment to discuss it with your Pediatrician. 

Please call our office and follow the prompts for our prescription refill line. Allow 1-3 business days for all routine prescription refills. 

For prescriptions that require prior authorization from your insurance company, please plan ahead to allow at least 3-5 days for refill approval. Prescription refills are handled Monday through Friday only.

Yes, we promote breastfeeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding babies for the first six to twelve months. Breastfeeding helps defend children against infections, prevents allergies, and protects against a number of chronic conditions. While experts believe that breast milk is the best nutritional choice for infants, breastfeeding may not be possible for all women.

Some women have specific medical considerations that impede breastfeeding; others choose to feed by formula because of discomfort, work schedule, or lifestyle choices. In these cases, an iron-fortified, milk-based infant formula is a good alternative. We will gladly discuss your diet and feeding concerns at your child's well care visit, or please call during office hours to speak with our experienced staff.

Yes, in fact we strongly encourage parents-to-be to visit our office for a prenatal appointment. This is a great way to get acquainted with our office and our doctors. 

During this visit, we will answer any questions that you have about our practice or your new child. Please call our office to schedule an appointment. 

We recommend that your newborn be seen in our office 1-2 days after discharge from the hospital. Our staff understands the importance of this first visit and will make every effort to schedule this visit promptly.

Whenever possible, it’s a good idea for your regular doctor to see your child for their well visits. Despite our best efforts to maintain open well visit appointments for all of providers, sometimes the wait is too long or it’s not convenient. 

In these cases, it’s fine to schedule a well check with one of our other providers to best meet your and your child’s needs. You can be sure that any significant medical findings will be shared with your child’s regular physician.

These convenient clinics can be appealing since an appointment is not needed. Unfortunately, this level of convenience can have some undesirable consequences. For instance, you may pay more out of pocket for the well check since many insurances prefer you use your primary physician. Secondly, the convenience clinic doesn’t have the benefit of knowing your child’s documented health history. Thirdly, more services, testing, and vaccines are available from your primary physician’s office. Finally, Pediatricians are experts in child health and risk conditions. By using your regular physician, you’ll have the peace of mind that your child has been thoroughly examined and cleared for the rigors of school, camp, or sports. 

We also will not be able to use a physical from these clinics to provide referrals or prescription refills if needed. 

• Prevention. Your child gets scheduled immunizations to prevent illness. You also can ask your pediatrician about nutrition and safety in the home and at school.
• Tracking growth and development. See how much your child has grown in the time since your last visit, and talk with your doctor about your child's development. You can discuss your child's milestones, social behaviors and learning.
• Raising concerns. Make a list of topics you want to talk about with your child's pediatrician such as development, behavior, sleep, eating or getting along with other family members. Bring your top three to five questions or concerns with you to talk with your pediatrician at the start of the visit.
• Team approach. Regular visits create strong, trustworthy relationships among pediatrician, parent and child. The AAP recommends well-child visits as a way for pediatricians and parents to serve the needs of children. This team approach helps develop optimal physical, mental and social health of a child.
• Screening using a validated tool, evaluation and counseling is provided for specific behavioral conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and smoking cessation. This proactive screening and treatment can prevent harmful behaviors early in a child’s life.

Our physicians stay abreast of the latest studies regarding flouride supplements. As a precautionary measure, our physicians prescribe oral fluoride supplementation starting at age 6 months for children whose water supply is deficient in fluoride. 

We also recommend the application of a fluoride varnish to the primary teeth of all infants and children starting at the age of primary tooth eruption. If you have additional questions regarding flouride supplements, please don't hesitate to ask them on your next vist.