Office Policies

Note: All our forms are available online. You will save time if you complete them before you arrive at the office. Click here for our online printable forms.

We are extremely pleased that you have chosen us to provide pediatric care for your child. We look forward to a long relationship with your family. This sheet will provide some office guidelines, such as office hours, telephone procedures and after hours availability. Feel free to ask us, or any of the staff, for more details as needed.

Office Hours

Patient care hours begin at 9 a.m. on Monday through Saturday. Receptionists are available at 8:30 a.m. to begin scheduling appointments. Our last patients are seen at 4:45 Monday through Friday. Saturday appointments are scheduled as needed (usually until about noon) and are limited to sick children. We make every attempt to see patients at the appointed time. You can help by arriving on time (early if it is the first visit, so that information forms may be completed). It is also helpful if the receptionist knows the nature of the child’s problem, so that she may schedule the appropriate amount of time. We will try to schedule your appointments with your primary provider unless he or she is unavailable. We do not accept walk-ins, although you may stop in to schedule an appointment. Occasionally, after meeting, we may decide that more time is needed to fully address your concerns. We will then schedule additional time for a later date.

Telephone Procedures

If a question should arise, please feel free to call at any time during office hours. We do not have a specific call-in time, but handle calls as follows:

• The receptionist will take your name and number and a brief message and pull your child's chart.
• We then return calls as soon as possible between patients, as time permits. Please realize that calls may not be answered in the order received, but rather in the order of urgency.
• If there is a best time to call or a second phone number, please let the receptionist know. Also, please notify staff if your call is urgent.
• We prefer not to interrupt office visits but may need to due so for a true emergency.
  In addition, our website is able to receive non-urgent questions, if you find it easier to contact us in that way. Please do not use the website for urgent problems.
• At times, you may receive a call from one of our clinical staff. Please be assured that this is done as a convenience to you, so that you may get a response more quickly. All information given out by the staff originates with the provider and is documented in the child's chart.

Prescription Refills and Referrals

We have a voice mail system with menu items for both prescription refills and referrals. We also have our website ( http://www.boxhillpediatrics.com ) set up to handle these functions. For prescription refills, please allow 24 hours for the prescription to be called in to a pharmacy. Refills on controlled substances may take three days and must be picked up at the office. A member of the staff will notify you when the prescription is ready.

If your insurance requires written or electronic referrals, you may reach the referral coordinator between 9 am. and 4:30 pm on weekdays by voicemail or the website. It helps to be specific in your message. Please allow three business days for all referrals.

After Hours

Occasionally, your child may become ill after the office has closed. If your child needs medical attention before the office reopens, call the usual office number. Our voice mail will allow you to reach one of the physicians in two ways. (The instructions are on the voice mail when you call). If you have a concern that cannot wait until the following business day, you may leave a message on the "non-urgent" line before 9 p.m. The physician on call will call in and retrieve the messages regularly and return your call . For any emergencies and all calls after 9pm, leave a message on the ‘emergency’ line and the physician’s pager will be activated. Please do not use the after hours voice mail for appointment requests and other administrative questions; this only delays the physician in calling back the parents with sick children.