Office Policies

Referrals

What types of referrals are provided? Since we are a specialty practice we  DO NOT  provide primary care coverage. Most often patients are referred to us by their primary care team for help with a specific endocrine disorder or set of disorders. The referral may be for advice only or for help managing a condition.

We ask that the referring practice send critical pieces of information, such as your medical history and pertinent test results, to help us make your time worthwhile. We review all referrals prior to the appointment to try to be sure that we are the right specialty for the condition and that we have the information needed to make the referral appointment meaningful.

Diagnostic Testing

How are diagnostic tests handled? We will arrange for your diagnostic testing (blood work and imaging studies) to be done shortly before  the next office appointment. This allows us to be able to review and discuss the results with you when you come in for a visit.  

If we order testing for you, we will  go over the results with you regardless of whether they are normal or not.  If your results do come back “abnormal” and needs to be urgently addressed,  then our office will call you to come in sooner than your original scheduled appointment to address those results. If we can’t reach you by phone, we’ll send you a letter in the mail.

If you have signed up for the portal, we can send results to you through the portal.

Please note that -- for security reasons -- we may not share test results over the phone. Additionally, it is advisable to keep in mind that some of the tests ordered may take as long as 3 to 4 weeks to return. 

If we order a test for you and chose to have this done at your primary care practice or another practice,  please make sure that the results of that test are sent to us in advance. Please check to see if we have received those results and if not, have the results faxed to us.

Medication Renewals

Can you refill medications? We will refill only those medications that we prescribe for you. It is preferred that refill for  prescriptions be done at the time of your appointment.

In most cases,  prescription refills will be done electronically. If you would like a refill  for a non-endocrine related medication, you should contact your primary care physician.

Please be mindful when planning for your medication needs, especially prior to weekends and holidays.

Insurances:

What insurances are acceptable? We accept the following insurances:

  • Fidelis

  • Medicaid

  • MVP Health Care

  • Medicare

  • POMCO Group

  • Rapid Response Team (RRT)

  • VAToday’s Options

  • Tricare

  • UnitedHealthcare

  • AARP

  • Aetna

  • American Progressive

  • AmeriChoice

  • CDPHP

  • CHAMPVA

  • Cigna

  • Empire 

  • Excellus

Appointments & Cancellation

Our office hours are from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm on weekdays. Please remember that we are closed between 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm daily for lunch. 

We will call you to confirm your appointment  one week and  also 48 hours in advance.   If you are unable to take this call, we will ask you to call us back to confirm the appointment.  If we do not hear back from you 24 hours before your appointment, we could utilize that time for patients on our wait-list.   Please give us as much notice as possible if you need to reschedule your appointment.

You may receive a reminder email about your appointment if you are signed up in our Patient Portal.   

Cancellations

If you are unable to keep your appointment,  we ask that you provide us at least 24 hours advance notice.

You may leave a cancellation message on our voicemail after hours.

No Shows

At our practice, we define a no show as a confirmed appointment that has been missed or a last minute cancellation.    Patients with  Appointment No Show or Failure to Notify in Advance will be charged  a fee  per our office policy contract.  This is not covered by insurance.  This helps keep our schedules up to date and get patients in urgently when needed.  

We reserve the right to dismiss you from the practice if you do not pay these fees or if you have a third no show appointment.If you are a New Patient Appointment No Show, we  may not reschedule you for a new appointment.        

Making the Most of the Appointment

We strive to keep wait times at a minimum, but there are occasions when certain patients’ needs are extensive and require more time than is allotted for their appointments. Naturally, emergencies and hospital patients must take priority. 

Therefore, we recommend the following general guidelines for your consideration: 

  • Be prepared. Don’t forget to bring a list of your medications, any new test results from other physicians, or your glucose meter (if you have diabetes).

  • Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. This allows our staff to assist you to your exam room in a timely manner as well as  allow ample time to complete necessary forms and pre-visit requirements

  • Present your current insurance card. If your insurance requires that you have a referral, please be sure that it is current so that there is no delay at the front desk.

  • Think ahead. Keep any questions you may have in mind during your visit. For those times when you may have to experience a long wait, it is advisable to bring something to keep you occupied, like a book, however, our office provides patients with numerous magazines and an HD television.