Welcome to Raleigh Pediatrics. We are happy that you have chosen our practice as your child’s medical home. Our physicians and staff strive to maintain open lines of communication and work as a team with our families in order to provide excellent pediatric care in a comforting environment. Ever since our practice was founded in 1972, we have taken tremendous pride in the care that we provide for the children of our community. We look forward to working with you and your family.
OFFICE INFORMATION
In order to acquaint new patients with our office, we have found the following information helpful in obtaining services you might require.
OFFICE HOURS
Raleigh Office
8:00am - 5:15pm Monday through Friday
5:15pm - 6:00pm Monday through Friday (extended hours for sick visits only)
8:00am - 11:00am Saturday and Sunday (for urgent problems only)
Garner Office
8:00am-5:15pm Monday through Friday
5:15pm-6:00pm Monday through Friday (extended hours for sick visits only)
APPOINTMENTS
All patients are seen by appointment only and, if available, parents may request a certain physician to see their child. Patients who arrive without an appointment will be given the next available opening, unless the medical staff determines the problem is urgent and the patient should not wait. Well exams, consultations, sick visits, and follow up appointments are done during regular office hours Monday through Friday. Extended weekday hours are for children who become sick later in the day and weekend hours are for urgent problems that cannot await regular office hours on Monday.
Well Exams: Parents are asked to call in advance to schedule well exams and oftentimes, for infants, this may be done prior to leaving the office from a current exam. Frequently, our time for well examinations is filled two months ahead; therefore, try to anticipate well in advance your need for camp, school, athletic, and other examinations with a deadline.
Sick appointments: We have openings available at the start of each workday to see sick children and encourage you to call as early in the day as possible if your child needs an appointment. Sick visits usually focus on a single problem and tend to be shorter visits.
WAITING ROOM
We request, when possible, that you limit the number of children, friends, and relatives accompanying your child to the office. We understand, of course, that on occasion babysitting or transportation problems may leave you no choice. It should be noted that there have been no studies documenting the need for, or benefit of, separate waiting rooms for well and sick children. Raleigh Pediatrics makes an effort to limit the transmission of illnesses by reducing the amount of time children spend in our waiting room.
Due to the difficulty of keeping them clean throughout the day, we have elected not to provide toys in the office. We suggest that parents bring a small toy or book to entertain their child during an appointment.
WEBSITE
www.raleighpediatrics.com
We encourage all families to check our website frequently. It provides medical information, office updates and physician information, a listing of our well exam schedule and immunizations, and special notices that may relate to your child. You will also find links to the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well information approved by our physicians to assist you in the care of your child, especially if they are sick. You will also be able to complete and print new patient and HIPAA forms to bring to your first visit to our office.
TELEPHONE INSTRUCTIONS
Clinical staff is available to discuss problems and concerns you have regarding your child. They have been instructed in specific information to give about common pediatric illnesses and will consult with a physician prior to giving advice if there is an unusual problem. We have found it difficult for physicians to receive telephone calls and maintain an appointment schedule without creating long waits for patients in the office. Some problems cannot be evaluated over the telephone and you will be instructed to schedule an appointment. Additionally, if you remain concerned after receiving advice from our clinical staff, call and arrange for a physician to see your child.
Whenever possible, we ask that calls requesting medical advice be made when the office is open and our staff has access to your child’s medical records. If an urgent problem arises and you cannot wait for the office to open, you may call our answering service. A nurse from the call center at WakeMed will contact you and offer medical advice that has been approved by our physicians. They can contact our on call physician if the need arises. Raleigh Pediatrics is charged for this service, but currently does not pass that charge along to you. We ask that you utilize this service for serious concerns.
PAYMENT FOR SERVICES/INSURANCE
At the end of your child’s visit, you will be given an encounter form to take to the cashier. The total charged will be based on services rendered during the appointment. Raleigh Pediatrics is a “fee for service” practice and, as such, payment is required at the end of the visit.
We accept Visa, MasterCard, personal checks, and expect payment from the parent accompanying the child to the visit. If an absent parent has financial responsibility, we must ask for payment from you and allow you to make arrangements with the responsible party.
We contract with several insurance companies in the form of PPO’s, HMO’s, etc. for which we will accept a co-payment and file for services. You must present your insurance card at each visit. Please check our website for complete information regarding our financial policy.
HOSPITAL AFFILIATION
Please note that our physicians see patients at WakeMed and Rex Healthcare only. WakeMed is our preferred hospital for sick children and has the only freestanding children’s emergency department in North Carolina. Should your child need emergency services, we ask that you consider the WakeMed Children’s Emergency Department. WakeMed has the depth of resources that make it the choice of care for children in Wake County.
