OFFICE POLICIES

Office Entrances

We offer separate sick and well entrances and reception areas at our Cascade location.  Where sick and well entrances are available, we ask that you make the best choice of where you and your child should wait.  We ask that you limit the number of guests that accompany you and your child on an office visit.  Seating is limited in our reception area and your guests might be exposed to illnesses.

Please do not leave children unattended in the reception areas.  We request that you not bring food or beverages (other than formula) into the office.

Both locations provide a smoke free environment.  Smoking is prohibited anywhere inside the facility.

If you suspect your child is ill to any degree please be considerate and keep your child in the sick reception area.  If you think your child has chicken pox and needs to be seen, please discuss entry into the facility with each location staff prior to coming in. 

We do not keep toys in the reception areas because they are not practical with the many children we see throughout the day.  The risk of transmission of germs is too great.  We tidy up and disinfect our reception areas once a day.  We encourage you to bring your child's favorite books or small toy to help them be entertained and more comfortable during the visit.  We also provide television viewing with appropriate programming for your child to watch.

Refusal to Vaccinate

Effective January 1, 2019, it will be the policy of this office not to accept or retain patients that refuse to vaccinate their children.

We also will not participate in alternative vaccination schedules all in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the United States Center for Disease Control.

Sick and Well Visits

The appointment time for sick children is shorter than for well child visits.  If your child is already scheduled for a well visit but happens to be sick we can usually still do the check-up.  If your child is scheduled for a sick visit we usually do not have time that day to do a full check-up.

Add On Sibling Sick Visits

Our schedule allows for several work-in slots every day to accommodate our patient’s needs.  If you have a scheduled sick visit for one child and feel another child in your family needs to be seen, please call ahead so we can review the practitioners schedule to make sure the time is available.

Appointments

We see our patients by appointment so we can see your child with the least wait time.  We will make every effort to see your child on time, because we know your time is as valuable as ours.  Below are some suggestions and guidelines that will help you to understand our systems and allow us to serve you more effectively.

Should we have an emergency and are unable to see you as scheduled, we will let you know as soon as possible so you can have the option to reschedule the appointment. Other situations that cause the wait to be longer:

• illness that requires extra time
• scheduling errors- patient goes to wrong location
• patients are late or add another child at the office

As hard as we try, we cannot always predict the needed amount and/or duration of appointment times correctly.  The volume and degree of illness is not always predictable. 
When you call and schedule an appointment we will repeat back to you the day, time, practitioner, and service location to try to cut down on errors.  We also confirm all check-ups and consultations the day before your appointment.   If for some reason you do not hear from us the day before please call us.

Even though we are a group practice we will encourage you to see the same practitioner in our group.  We get to know you and your child, and you get to know us.  If you plan ahead for well care visits you will most always be able to get the appointment time you want with the practitioner you prefer.  On urgent visits, if your regular practitioner is not available, another practitioner is always available to see your child.  Please call us as soon as you think your child might need to be seen so we can accommodate your schedule to the best of our ability. 

Phone Calls

We receive many calls each day, and we do our best to answer each call as quickly as possible. We take questions regarding appointments, prescription refills, insurance, etc. during normal office hours.

Our offices use a centralized phone system.  Calls to either location or the billing office are all directed through our main number (702) 641-2150.  Pressing "4" will automatically connect you to our appointment schedulers.  Pressing "5" will direct you to the nurse line where prescription refill requests, basic nurse advise and immunization guidance can be given.  See advice line.  Pressing "6" directs you to our billing and referral specialists.
Here are some tips to help you save time. 

• Any questions that can wait until your child’s routine checkup please write down and bring with you to the check up appointment.
• To minimize delays in processing your non-urgent calls, avoid our busiest hours, which are early morning and after school.  You may experience more difficulty getting through on Mondays.
• You may be asked if you can wait on hold.  If this is not convenient, please tell the receptionist that you will call back later
• Consider using our website for non-urgent advice.  Many of the most common childhood illnesses are addressed with recommendations for home care in our medical library.

Advice Line 

The nurse line can be reached by pressing "5" after dialing our main number (702)641-2150.  Our staff has been trained to handle many of your questions and will be happy to assist you.  They can help you decide if your child needs to be seen in the office or if there is something you might try at home first.  If your child is ill please take her/his temperature so we can help you more quickly.  Our goal is to return messages within one to two hours.  Occasionally, during peak periods we may prioritize calls by urgency and return non-urgent calls within four hours.  For example, feeding problems or a question about a camp form may be delayed.  We will attempt to return all calls at least twice by the end of the day.  If you do not receive a return call from us within a reasonable amount of time, please call us back. 
If your question requires the attention of a practitioner one will call you back as soon as possible.  Practitioners return phone calls after they finish seeing patients.  If your call is urgent we suggest you have the Advice Line be your liaison between the practitioner and yourself. 

After Hours and Emergencies

If you believe you have a life threatening emergency dial 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.  When an urgent need arises after our scheduled office hours, you can reach our practitioner on-call through our answering service by calling (702) 641-2150.  We have found that answering services are not flawless.  If your after hours call is not returned in a reasonable amount of time, please call the service back and let them know this is the second time you have called.

Please have a pharmacy number available when calling.  If we feel that your child needs to be evaluated we may direct you and your child to a local children's emergency room. 

Referrals 

We can help you find a specialist and/or an outside testing facility and will work closely with them to care for your child's needs.  Our practitioners will help you decide when a specialist or outside testing is necessary. 

All referrals generated by a provider during an office visit will be sent to our Referral Specialist.  In most cases we require a week to obtain non-urgent referrals.  Referrals deemed urgent "Stat" by our providers will be handled the same business day. 

If you go to the emergency room, and the ER Physician recommends a specialist, please call our office on the first business day following the ER visit.  In some situations your child may be required to be seen in our office to generate the referral.

Medical Records

New patients should bring copies of their prior medical records for their first visit with our practice whenever possible.  We will enter the data and scan the records into your child’s Electronic Health Record and return the paper copies to you.

If your child receives care out of town or after hours from another practitioner, please bring a copy of the visit, or ask them to mail / fax a copy so we can keep your child's medical record complete.

Even though we have two locations available, we will encourage you to see your primary practitioner at whatever location is most convenient for you.  If our practitioner’s rotate between locations, they will still have access to your child’s medical records with our Electronic Health Record system.

As we see your child for well care we will provide you with an update on your child’s immunization records and growth and development data.  This record is important to keep at home.  From time to time you may need these records when our office is not available. Your child’s medical records are maintained with strict adherence to patient confidentiality laws.  You may, with a written, signed request, obtain copies of your child’s medical records.  Whether the copy is for you or for another physician we will forward the records, a reasonable number of times.  Nevada State Law allows for a $.60 per page charge for medical records.  We usually require 10 business days notice to prepare your records.