Care that looks atthe whole person.

We encourage you to call with questions or concerns. Our office staff may be able to help you with many questions. If you need to speak with one of the clinicians, we will return your call as soon as we can, interrupting office visits only for emergencies. Please understand that many problems cannot be appropriately managed over the phone and we may ask you to schedule an appointment.

If you have an urgent or emergent problem, please let us know when you call. Acute and urgent problems can often be worked into the schedule and true emergencies will either be seen immediately or will be referred to the emergency room.

We understand that people do not always get sick during regular working hours. If you or your child is ill and you do not feel it can wait until the office is open, please call our regular office number and follow the directions on the message. The answering service will forward your phone number to the on-call clinician and s/he will call you back. Remember, if your phone doesn’t accept calls from a blocked number - please remove the block so we can return your call. If you need to be seen before the office is open again, you will be directed to the Emergency Room or other arrangements may be made. On rare occasions, we share call with other Family Physicians who will take care of any emergency.

Please call your pharmacy whenever you need a refill of a medication. The pharmacist will call us, your provider will review your chart and, if appropriate, order refills. Please plan ahead and allow sufficient time for refills. New written prescriptions should be picked up from the office to avoid being lost or stolen in the mail. Please understand that some medications require frequent monitoring and phone refills are not always appropriate. We generally cannot refill prescriptions after hours or on a weekend.

We do a number of tests in the office, including rapid strep screening, and pregnancy tests. Other tests may be drawn in the office and sent to an outside laboratory. All tests must be discussed beforehand and with one of the clinicians. It is our policy to inform you of all test results ordered by our office (except negative strep-cultures). Abnormal results will be called to you. If you do not receive results within a reasonable time, please call us. Do not assume that the tests are normal.

We want to ensure good continuity of care if you need to be admitted to the hospital. We work with inpatient specialists at both Lutheran Medical Center and St. Anthony’s Hospitals to take care of you if you need to be in the hospital.

We “accept assignment” from most major insurance companies. Contact our office to verify we accept your plan. Please familiarize yourself with the rules of your insurance policy. Insurance plans change frequently. We have no way to know what is covered or not covered under your policy. Please review your coverage (including deductible) before you come in. It is ultimately your responsibility to know and follow the rules of your plan.

Payment including your insurance co-pay, deductible, and coinsurance is expected at the time of service. If this is not possible, your appointment may be rescheduled. We realize that financial considerations sometimes prevent complete payment of your bill at a particular time. If you have any questions, please speak with one of our financial office staff to make advance arrangements.