Office Policies
Office Visits:
To help us make the most informed decision about your medical care, please bring the following to your appointment:
- Medicine bottles for all medication you are currently taking
- All medical records pertinent to your exam (stress tests, ultrasounds, radiological reports, etc.)
If you are a new patient an EKG will also be performed during this exam. Please do not wear any lotion on your arms, chest, or legs; it will keep the EKG sensors from sticking to your skin and will interfere with a proper EKG reading. Please arrive 10 minutes before any appointment.
Lab Appointments:
For the most accurate results we recommend that you don't eat anything for 8-10 hours before your lab appointment. However, we do recommend you drink several glasses of water, black coffee, or any other unsweetened/diet drink. Your blood draw will be easier if you are hydrated. It is very important that you make this lab appointment. Having your blood work drawn beforehand allows us to discuss the best treatment options during your exam. If you are unable to make your scheduled lab appointment, please call us as soon as you can so we may help you reschedule. If you miss your lab appointment and we don’t hear from you, your exam will be cancelled.
Financial:
Please remember to bring your most current insurance card(s) to your appointment. You will be asked to show them before every appointment. All co-pays, deductibles, and any charges not covered by insurance are due at the time of service.
We accept MasterCard, Visa, cash, and checks. There is a $25 service charge for returned checks.
If you are going to participate in the weight loss program please be aware that all shots are to be paid for with either cash or credit card. Checks will not be accepted.
Cancellations:
Our office gives a reminder call 48 hours in advance of your scheduled appointment. If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please give a 24 hour notice. This will allow sick patients to be seen. There is a $50 charge for unkept appointments.
Prescription Refills:
When you need a refill of a medication that has been previously prescribed for you, please call your pharmacy and have them fax a refill request to our office at (828) 728-2930. We can then fax them a prescription. Do not wait until you are down to your last pill; allow 24 hours for the prescription order to go through. New prescriptions typically require an appointment in order to evaluate the appropriateness of the medication for you. However, narcotics will never be prescribed or refilled after office hours or on weekends.
Telephone:
Every attempt is made to take care of each patient’s needs during the same business day you call. Please make sure to give us a contact number for yourself as well as the number of your pharmacy in case a prescription needs to be called in for you.
Emergencies:
After hours, please call the Frye Regional Medical Center operator at (828) 322-6070. Providers from our staff are on call 24-hours a day.
Patient Access to Medical Records:
Medical records are confidential documents and will only be released when permitted by law or with proper written authorization by the patient. Physicians are responsible for safeguarding and protecting the medical records and for providing adequate security measures.
Medical records will be copied for transfer to another physician at no cost to the patient the first time they are requested. For any additional requests there will be a reasonable fee for the preparation and/or photocopying of medical records.
Records will either be faxed to the new physician’s office or they can be signed for and picked up at our office by the patient or approved family member. We will not mail complete medical records.