WELCOME TO OUR OFFICE

We appreciate your choosing our office to serve your medical and health care needs, and we pledge to do our utmost to provide you with the very best of care.

Our entire staff operates as a team, and we take pride in each staff member's training and capabilities. We want you to have the same confidence that we do and to let us serve you fully.

We have tried to provide you as much information about the practice as possible and to anticipate your questions. We feel the more that you know about our policies and methods of practice, the more we can be of service to you.

A family practice physician is specially trained for three years after medical school to treat more than 85% of all illnesses, including behavioral, emotional, and mental problems, and to provide total health care for you and your family. The specialty is broad-based and includes adult medicine, geriatrics, gynecology, minor surgery, and uncomplicated orthopedics.

Since there are several physicians in our group, you may prefer to see a single doctor on a continuous basis - or see any of us on a random basis. As the group keeps a central record file and we do not consult with each other on treatment, all members of the group are able to help you. Because of medical seminar meetings, surgery scheduling, or our on-call schedule, there are times when a specific physician will be unable to see you, and we encourage you to see one of the other members of the group so your discomfort can be promptly treated.

OFFICE HOURS AND APPOINTMENTS

Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. When you call for an appointment, the receptionist will inquire as to the nature of your problem. Please be as specific as possible in explaining your problem so that she can expedite a solution or schedule you more efficiently.

Routine appointments may be scheduled by calling the office during regular office hours. If you cannot keep your appointment, reasonable notice should be given to this office to cancel the appointment. Patients with scheduled appointments are given priority. Patients who "drop in" without an appointment or "work-ins" will be seen as soon as possible, but some wait can be expected.

TELEPHONE CALLS

If your call is of a routine nature, please telephone during regular office hours when we have access to your records. Our staff members have been trained to assist you and can answer your routine questions. They are also qualified to ask questions so that the doctor has the information he needs in order to help solve your medical problems.

In the event that it is necessary for you to speak with a doctor, one will contact you as soon as possible. Otherwise, a member of the staff will handle your call, or relay information to the doctor and call you back with his instructions. Remember, providing the staff member with the information requested will enable us to get the answers to you more quickly.

FEES

We wish to stress that the financial responsibility for services rendered rests totally with the patient or his family regardless of any insurance coverage or pending liability action against someone else.

The charges for services rendered in our office are due and payable at the time services are rendered. This procedure will help reduce administrative costs and assist us in holding rising medical costs to a minimum. If you are unable to pay at the time of service, you should contact the office to make arrangements prior to the visit.

INSURANCE

It is our policy to accept insurance company assignments on Medicaid, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama, Medicare, United Healthcare, Health Choice, QHP/QSA, Starcare, Key Benefits Admin., and Mid-South. If you have insurance coverage, please understand that this is an agreement between you and your insurance company to pay certain amounts for medical care. Our bill for services is an agreement between you and our office. You are responsible for the payment of your bill regardless of the status of your insurance claim. Our office will furnish you with an itemized statement that you may use when you file your insurance claim.

AFTER HOURS CARE

One doctor of our group is on call twenty-four hours a day. This includes nights, weekends, and holidays. After hours, please call 334-756-4136, and our answering service will contact the physician on call. Occasionally due to problems beyond our control, the physician is not notified; therefore, you do not receive a phone within one hour. If this should happen, please call back and notify the answering service.

EMERGENCIES

In urgent situations, we prefer that you call us so that we may advise you and arrange to see you in the office or emergency room as necessary. But in emergency situations, you should call 911 go to the emergency room of Lanier Health Services and be seen by the emergency room physician until one of our doctors can be contacted.

VALLEY AFTER HOURS CLINIC

We also have a minor emergency clinic, which operates Monday through Friday, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Our physicians work in the night clinic on a rotation basis. Routine prescription refills are NOT handled during the night clinic.

HOW YOU CAN HELP OUR OFFICE

Call for an appointment ahead of time. Be on time for your appointment. Bring all of your medicines when you see your physician. If you are unable to keep your appointment, advise us immediately. Be prepared to pay for the medical services when rendered. Let us know when we do not meet your expectations. When you place a routine telephone call to your physician, remember that he is busy seeing patients. Allow the receptionist to take a message so the physician can return your call when he is available.

A PERSONAL NOTE

Family Physicians is here to serve you. We provide courteous, professional and quality health care. We prefer to keep our patients informed and appreciate being informed by them. If you have any suggestions, or if you have a problem that needs resolving, please let us know. We welcome you to this office and will do all that we can to keep you satisfied with the services we render.