Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Patient Privacy Information

Our clinical and administrative staff use your medical information in ways that are confidential, respectful and safe.  We do not exchange your information without your consent.  Our office is HIPAA compliant and we maintain strict privacy practices with regard to your medical records.

Appointments

Please schedule physician exams and  routine follow-up visits with your primary care physician to ensure continuity of care.  These appointments should be scheduled 2 to 4 weeks in advance.

If you are acutely ill, we will make every effort to see you the same day.  Please do not walk in unannounced, but rather call the office ahead of time so an appointment can be made.

We have a 24-hour cancellation policy.  A $25 charge will be incurred to you if your appointment is cancelled on the same-day or if you do not show for your appointment.

In the interest of fairness to those who are on time, we are unable to accommodate late arrivals. Therefore, patients who arrive more than 10 minutes late for their appointments will be rescheduled.  This allows the doctors to see everyone within a reasonable period of time.

Prescription Refills

For routine prescription refills, please plan ahead and allow 48 hours for your pharmacy to complete your request.  Have your medication information ready and call your pharmacy during their regular business hours if they are not open 24 hours.  They will then fax our office for your refill information.  

Our prescription refill fax number is (888) 379-5710

Written prescriptions for patients to mail require 7 days prior notice.  This is posted in all exam rooms and in the reception area.  If you are mailing-away for a supply of your medication, please be aware that this may take up to 10 days for delivery. 

Narcotics, pain medication and other controlled substances WILL NOT be refilled after hours or on weekends.  Your medical records are necessary for this request. We do not write prescriptions on a walk-in basis.

Diagnostic Tests

Results from tests ordered by our office usually take several days to compile.  Below is a list of average times for different procedures.

  • Routine blood tests             3-5 days
  • X-ray, MRI, CT scans            3-5 days
  • Pap, mammogram              7-14 days
 

You will be contacted by mail or telephone after your physician has reviewed and signed off on the results.  If the results are abnormal, the doctor may have further recommendations or you may be asked to make a follow-up appointment.

Call Backs

If you feel you or someone in your care has a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or seek attention at the nearest emergency room.

Access First, Apple Urgent Care or ABC Urgent Care is located in Hemet Valley. 

If you have an HMO insurance plan, the urgent care MUST obtain authorization from the physician in order to treat you.  Please call the office BEFORE visiting the urgent care so appropriate arrangements can be made.

We presently have 0 full-time assistants to answer your phone calls.  Please try to call only once and leave a concise message regarding your medical needs.  Duplicate calls slow down our callback process and may delay a return call to you.

Our staff answers calls during the following hours:

  • Monday – Friday: 8:00 0am – 5:00pm | 

Office staff may try calling you back any time during the day, so please leave a phone number where you can be reached.  We attempt to answer calls the same day they are received.  Also keep in mind, if your phone rejects calls with Caller ID blocking, we may not be able to reach you.

After-hours phone calls are answered by an automated service which will give you the option of paging the physician on-call and leaving him a message if you have an urgent medical need. 

Please do NOT use this option to leave routine messages or request appointments. 

The on-call doctor may not be familiar with your medical history, so be prepared to give him a concise update including any medications and dosages you are taking.  Have your pharmacy name and phone number available.  These steps will make it easier for you and our staff who are involved with your care.

Outside Referrals

If your condition and treatment plan requires any outside care, we will refer you to a specialist.  Some referrals take 4-5 working days to process. If you have not been contacted with your referral information within 7 days, please call our office and ask to speak to the referral coordinator.

 If you have an HMO plan, the choice of specialists is determined by contracts they have with the medical group.  If you wish to be seen by an out-of-network provider, you will likely incur out-of-pocket costs.

Forms

There are a few forms that you can complete prior to your appointment to help you save time.

Click Here to go to the Forms page