OFFICE POLICIES

In order to maintain organization throughout the office and to guarantee that your needs are met, please review our

OFFICE POLICIES

CONFIRMATION & CANCELLATION OF APPOINTMENTS

♦ You will receive an appointment reminder 24-48 business hours prior to your appointment date. If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, you MUST CALL AT LEAST 24 business hours prior.

♦ A $25 no-show fee will be automatically charged if you do not show up for your follow-up appointment without notifying the office of cancellation greater than 24 business hours prior. An $85 administrative fee will be charged for missed New Patient appointments. This fee is not covered by your medical insurance.

♦ We try our best to dedicate enough time to each patient. We ask that you arrive 15 minutes prior to all scheduled follow-up appointments to allow for any paperwork and adequate time with your provider. If you are late, you may be asked to reschedule or have to wait until the end of the session to be seen.

♦ If you do not show up for 3 scheduled appointments, we may request you seek care with an alternate Rheumatologist outside of AOCC.

LABS and X-RAYS

– You DO NOT need to fast prior to your new patient appointment because our blood work can be drawn even after you eat. We have a dedicated lab and x-ray department in our office.

MEDICATIONS and REFILLS

– We require at least 7 days notice for medication refill requests to provide us enough time to process your order and avoid missing your medications.

– Please request all medication refills at the time of your office visit whenever possible to avoid delays.

FORMS & FEES

• The charge for completing disability paperwork is $25.00 and payable upon request.
  • Disability forms will be filled out at the discretion of the provider based upon their medical assessment and will not be altered or changed to meet the patient’s requests.
• You may be asked to complete an assessment form to best gauge your disability or may be required to come in for a follow-up visit prior to forms being completed.
• You maybe referred to Physical Therapy to provide the most accurate assessment of your disabilities prior to completion of your paperwork.
• You may be asked to come in for an office visit to discuss the forms in detail.
• Please allow up to 14 business days for completion of your paperwork.

PATIENT PORTAL:

– The patient is not a substitute for an office visit and is for simple questions, medication refills or appointment requests. If you have complicated issues or extensive questions you will be asked to schedule a follow-up.

SAMPLES

– Due to a limit in the available samples and a large patient population, samples may not always be available.

PAIN MANAGEMENT

– Rheumatology specializes in treating pain with immune-modulators, anti-inflammatories, or referral to physical/occupational therapy. This specialty is not equivalent to Pain Management.

– Fibromyalgia is a non-inflammatory condition. If this is your primary diagnosis, you may be referred back to your Primary Care Provider who will be able to provide adequate long-term care of this condition.

– No controlled substance will be filled after hours. This includes sleep medications, and pain medications. Opioids will not be filled outside of an office visit.

AFTER HOURS on CALL DOCTOR 

– We have an on call doctor 24 hours a day, however this line is for emergencies only and is not for appointment changes, routine prescriptions or lab review. Please call during normal business hours for routine questions.

Your cooperation with these guidelines will help our practice provide the best possible care.

Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to getting to know you!