PRACTICE HOURS:

Monday through Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Saturday and Sunday: No Scheduled hours

HOUSE CALLS:

Home visits are virtually impossible because of the lack of equipment at home and the time-consuming problems which prevent other patients from receiving medical attention.

OFFICE VISIT ATTENDANCE:

Repeated and/or excessive lateness, broken office appointments, frequent cancellations, or canceling less than 24 hours in advance disrupts the continuity of medical care both for you as well as other patients who might have put that time to use. Please try to notify use of your inability to keep an established appointment at least 24 business hours in advance.

EMERGENCY CARE:

We recognize that you can have an emergency situation arise, and we will do our best to respond to your problem promptly. In the event of a severe situation, or one in which you are in doubt, you should go immediately to the emergency room of THE MIRIAM HOSPITAL or RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL or the nearest hospital, whichever is closer, and ask them to contact your doctor.

If the situation is not that severe, but one where you wish contact with your doctor, please telephone and the doctor will be in touch with you as soon as possible either directly or through office personnel giving you instructions.

TELEPHONE CALLS:

All patients are encouraged to call with any questions they have regarding medical problems. However, it would be most unfair to all patients, including yourself, were the doctor to leave to answer every telephone call immediately. The office staff has been trained to answer many of your questions. They will also relay your information to the doctor and your call will be returned or otherwise answered at the earliest opportunity.

Because the doctors attention is focused on patients being seen during the day, many telephone calls which are important, but not of a life-threatening nature are frequently returned after office hours.

AFTER HOURS TELEPHONE CALLS:

Non-Emergencies: Extended or complex telephone consultations of issues, test results, and considerations normally discussed at the time of office visits draw on the expertise of your physician in the same way as an office visit with discussion of those same relevant issues.

PRESCRIPTIONS AND RENEWALS:

Please read our pamphlet: "MEDICATIONS!", it contains much valuable information on the subject.

Unless there is a true EMERGENCY, most prescriptions (appropriately requested during normal office hours) will be called in on the day requested, but will be ready AFTER OFFICE HOURS.

Under certain situations, such as a new prescription for a new problem, or a renewal of a medication which requires monitoring in the office which hasn't been done in a long time, you may be required to establish and keep an appointment for followup in the office prior to our being able to safely presecribe or re-prescribe a medication. This caution and check-and-balance is kept in place for your protection - to make sure that a new medication is indicated, that you understand its use and risks completely, and that you understand what follow-up is necessary.  For long term medications, this caution assures that proper monitoring to prevent complications or toxicities (side-effects) from continued use of your medication, or loss of effectiveness in treating your condition, becomes evident.

FINANCIAL POLICY STATEMENT:

FEES AND PAYMENTS: We are committed to providing you with the best possible medical care. At the same time, we make every effort to keep down its cost. You can help by paying your share of your account upon completion of each visit. Payment in full for services is due at the time services are rendered unless other arrangements have been made in advance. For more complete information regarding our financial policies, please see our pamphlet entitled "FINANCIAL POLICY".

QUESTIONS: