New Patients – Are We Right For You?

Choosing the right pediatrician is a big decision!  You want to make sure the expectations and philosophies of the physicians providing care to your children are in line with those of your family. With mutual respect and trust, we can serve your child as your medical home. Our entire staff is motivated to make each experience at our office a positive one for years to come. To accomplish this, please make sure you read each of the following statements to determine if A Bright Future Pediatrics is the best practice for your family.

Agree! TOPIC PRACTICE PHILOSOPHY
✓ Vaccines Our vaccine policy follows the schedule outlined by the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics. We firmly believe that vaccinating children and young adults may be the single most important health-promoting intervention we perform as health care providers and that you can perform as parents/caregivers; therefore, we do not follow alternative vaccine schedules unless medically indicated.
✓ Antibiotics We work hard to not overuse antibiotics. We educate families on appropriate use of antibiotics, follow evidence-based guidelines, and don’t automatically treat a cough or a runny nose with antibiotics. When we believe that antibiotics are an appropriate treatment, we will be happy to answer your questions about them.
✓ Medical Home We work hard to provide comprehensive medical care and serve as your medical home. To that end, we expect that you contact our office FIRST before seeking specialty care or heading to Urgent Care. We have a physician on-call 24/7 who will be happy to provide guidance if you are worried about your child.
✓ CHADIS Surveys CHADIS surveys are an integral part of the visit as we can obtain information to provide the highest quality of care. If you choose not to complete these, we will be unable to adequately assess your child and do not feel comfortable providing care with only the surveys that insurance companies cover as this does not follow AAP guidelines.
✓ Technology Our practice takes advantage of all the technology available to us today. You will be expected to contact us through our patient portal and effectively use automated reminders as well as update our office with new phone numbers and email addresses for your family.
✓ Office Hours We make every effort to meet the needs of our patients, but we cannot accept walk-ins. We also cannot schedule well-visits on the weekends. Please familiarize yourself with our office hours to see if they work for your family.
✓ After Hours We have a physician on call 24/7/365. Their contact information is available by calling our main number. We expect that unless it is a true medical emergency and requires 911, you will call the on-call physician to discuss recommendations prior to heading to the Emergency Department or Urgent Care.
✓ Urgent Care Our office offers Urgent Care hours when we have a high volume of sick patients (such as flu season). Appointments scheduled during Urgent Care hours are subject to your insurance Urgent Care fees. Hours and availability will vary on the necessity and volume of sick patients.
✓ Specialist Care As your medical home, we expect that you will contact our office to discuss care plans before scheduling an appointment with a specialist. We want to be involved in either providing care in our office where appropriate or referring you to the most appropriate specialist and helping coordinate your care. Whenever you do see a specialist, we ask that you request a report be sent directly to our office so we can coordinate all of your care.
✓ Insurance We participate with most major insurance plans; however, we do not participate in Medicaid or other plans offered through the healthcare marketplace.  If there are any questions, call our office and/or check with your specific insurance company.
✓ Billing & Fees Payment is always due at time of service, and it is the patient’s responsibility (patient’s legal guardian) to understand how your insurance works including deductibles and co-insurance and to provide up-to-date insurance information at every visit. We will bill your insurance company, but if any charges are denied, payment responsibility returns to the patient and will be collected at your next visit. You can always make payments through the Patient Portal.
✓ Appointments We do not have walk-in hours. Please call our office at 972-208-8668 to make an appointment and tell our staff all of your concerns so that they can allow the appropriate length of time. “After school” appointments are booked quickly, so it is recommended that you schedule well appointments at least three months in advance. Asthma and Behavioral Care plans must be followed with appointments scheduled accordingly.
✓ Timeliness Our practice makes every effort to run on time with appointments as we believe everyone’s time is equally valuable. We ask that you make every effort to be present at the office at your scheduled appointment time and call us if you are running behind. We reserve the right to ask you to reschedule if you have missed your scheduled appointment time as well as to apply a cancellation fee.

If you agree with all of the above, visit our New Patient page to learn how to join our practice!