Doc PAM Office Policies

There is a fee of $50 if you do not come to your appointment or cancel it less than 24 hours in advance. We know things come up, and things get forgotten; however, we need to be able to plan for open appointment slots to meet the demand for other patients that need to be seen.

We make every attempt to stay on schedule, so you do not have to wait long for your appointment. This can only happen when everyone is on time. If you are going to be late, please call the office to let us know you are on your way so we can plan accordingly. If you are more than 15 minutes late, we may need to reschedule your appointment until the next open slot, or you may need to wait a bit extra until we can fit you in.

Kids from 0 to 17 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or their legal guardian. If you will be sending your child to an appointment with a different adult, we will need you to sign an Alternative Caregiver Consent which gives permission to that person to act on your behalf for medical decision making when they bring your child for a visit.

By phone: Please call the office for scheduling requests, billing questions, and any updates to your information. Messages left on the office voicemail will be answered on the same day, or on Monday if left over the weekend.

Through the patient portal: All medical questions* and medication refill requests should be sent through the patient portal. These will be addressed within 2 business days.

*Any urgent medical issues should prompt a phone call to the office during business hours. If it is after hours, please call our main number and connect to an after-hours option.

Via email: We use email to send out forms, referral resources, and periodic office updates. Email is not appropriate for any messages containing patient information or pictures. If you send or request personal information via email, we will assume you are consenting to your information being sent without guarantee of confidentiality or security.

Please see the Privia Health Financial Policy which reviews your responsibilities as it pertains to insurance, outstanding balances, payment plans, and the card-on-file process. It also explains your rights under the No Surprises Act.

There are many times that an explanation or a picture is sufficient for your child’s problem to be evaluated, and a plan formulated. We are happy to be able to solve many problems like this through the portal, and it often saves you a trip to our office which offers additional convenience. However, it is still healthcare that takes time and documentation. If the evaluation and solution to your portal case involves a prescription being sent or written, or the time involved is more than ten minutes, then a convenience fee of $30 will be billed directly to you. If you prefer to only receive services that are billed to your insurance, you can call the office to schedule an appointment.

Over the years there will be several forms for your child that you will need us to complete. Some forms are very predictable, like school (or daycare) entry forms and sports forms. These forms are much easier to complete (and take less time) at the time of your child’s well visit versus at some later date. Other times, there may be a situation that requires that we write letters, which can vary from one sentence to some that take more time.

We will complete standard forms requested at the time of a well visit on the spot. If forms are requested at a different time, we will complete them within 2 business days of your request. Letters will be completed within 1 week of your request. For requests that include the completion of forms outside of your child’s well visit, or complex forms, or the creation of a letter that is more involved, there will be a $10 charge billed directly to you.

There may be times you are in the office for a vaccine visit or for a sibling and have a “quick question” to ask. If your answer requires evaluation, a treatment plan, a prescription, and/or a physical exam, we will add your child to our schedule and get them checked in. This way, the visit will be documented, and exam findings and any orders or plans will be in your child’s chart. This will then be billed as a regular visit to your insurance.

We require all patients in our practice to be fully vaccinated. That means we expect your child to receive all immunizations as recommended by the CDC, and to get them on schedule. (Click to see DocPAM Immunization Schedule.) We do not accept requests to delay or skip vaccines. Our office takes seriously the responsibility to help protect your child, those in our office, as well as people in the community. Click HERE to see our full vaccine policy.

Some patients may be on chronic, monthly medications. Many times, either the condition we are treating, or the effects of the medication need to be monitored. With many of these conditions, follow-up appointments at least every 3 to 6 months are appropriate. We will expect that you will bring your child for follow-up as recommended to continue to receive medication refills. Controlled medications (often used for ADHD) have additional risks and laws that apply to them being prescribed. Most mental health conditions that are significant enough to be treated with medication should also be followed more often than the usual well-visit schedule. Please see our Medication Policy for more information about our expectations for patients being prescribed controlled or psychoactive medications.

You can obtain your child’s medical records from the Athena Patient Portal at any time. If you transfer to a new provider, we will fax your child’s records to the new office after we receive a signed Authorization for Release of Medical Information. If you would like a copy of your child’s medical records for yourself, we require that you sign the Authorization for Release of Medical Records and there is a $10 charge for a copy provided via flash drive. You may also request records through the HealthMark Group to get a complimentary copy accessible by login to their website. Please see the Medical Records page on this website for more information.