Our Practice Policies

We are very pleased that you have chosen our office for your family’s pediatric care. We look forward to working with you as your child grows and develops from a newborn to a young adult ready to go out into the world. We are here to help guide you through normal childhood growth and development, nutrition and behavior as well as the illnesses and injuries that are part of being a social, active child in today’s society.

Please take a few moments to become familiar with our Office Policies and Procedures so that we may provide a Pediatric Home for your family.

PHYSICIAN PHONE HOUR – Every weekday between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. one of our physicians is available to answer your questions. This time is used for specific questions and concerns about your child or to give a follow-up report on an ongoing issue. For a sick child we may suggest a few interventions or give an appointment for that day. Parents of newborns often use this time to ask questions as they are learning what is typical for their infant. Calls will be answered in the order they are received.

Please call early if you would prefer to speak to a physician. Calls received later in the hour may be returned by a nurse once the office opens at 8:30 a.m. Calls received for a specific physician during phone hour may be put into that physician’s phone mailbox and returned at their earliest convenience. Calls on phone hour should be limited to a few minutes so we can assist as many families as possible. If you need more than a few minutes, or a specific doctor, we suggest you call during office hours and schedule an appointment.

OFFICE STAFF PHONE HOUR – A member of our office staff is also available weekdays between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. to schedule sick appointments. If your child needs to be seen today and your schedule is limited, calling early in phone hour is the best option to schedule an appointment. If phone hour is not utilized, we cannot guarantee same day appointments.

PRESCRIPTION REFILLS – To better serve you and your child, as well as to ensure accuracy on all prescription refills, we ask that our staff have 2 business days to process a refill. There are now increased NYS regulations on some prescriptions and refilling is a multistep process that takes nurses and physicians.
When calling in for a refill, please clearly state the child’s name, date of birth, the specific medication to be refilled, the pharmacy you would like it to go to and the best number for us to call if there are questions.

VISIT CHAPERONES – We understand that a parent may not be able to attend every appointment. We ask that the responsible adult your child comes to the visit with has accurate (preferably written) information, including medications taken. It is our office policy that we can discuss pertinent medical information with the adult you deem responsible to bring your child. This includes discussion and consent for recommended vaccines at yearly physicals and flu shots during the time of year they are offered.

We are unable to call parents and review each visit if they were not able to attend. When parents are no longer together we are happy to discuss all medical, developmental and behavioral issues with both parents as long as both maintain legal rights. However, if it is not possible for both parents to come to an appointment together we ask that a separate appointment be made for discussion with the other parent.

TESTING ORDERED – Some labs are routinely ordered and some are ordered at the discretion of the physician. Our office routinely does a urinalysis screen at physicals, and when necessary a formal urinalysis or culture is sent out. As part of the routine physical, all females 16 and older who give a urine specimen will be screened for gonorrhea and chlamydia. If you would like to refuse this routine screening, we ask that you remind the nurse at each visit.

IMMUNIZATIONS – Giombetti & Brady Pediatrics adheres to the current American Academy of Pediatrics Immunization schedule. We strongly believe that all immunizations should be given at the time they are recommended. This is important to ensure the health of all children. Infants and young children are especially susceptible to infectious diseases which makes it imperative to vaccinate them when they are at risk. If you prefer not to give several vaccines on the same day, we can split them up, but you will need to bring them in frequently in the first years to keep them up to date. We have nursing visits available for immunizations, but the times are limited.

FORMS – Routine forms are available for pick up one week after drop off. This assumes that all information on the form is complete. When dropping off forms, it is the parent’s responsibility to have first reviewed the papers and fill out as much information as possible. This includes name, medication including strength, and if there is a checklist or questions for optional medications, you need to indicate your preferences.

If our office staff needs to contact you for missing information, the form may take an additional week from the time we receive the missing details.

INFORMATION CHANGES – IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE UP TO DATE INSURANCE AND PERSONAL INFORMATION ON FILE.
Please let our office staff know of any changes in address, phone numbers, insurance, etc. This includes minor insurance changes – co-pay amounts, primary insurance holder, employer, as well as a new insurance plan. If we do not have the correct insurance information 30 days after a visit, you will be financially responsible. If your child is a newborn, we must receive an insurance card with the child’s name on it within 30 days of the date of birth. Up-to-date information is necessary to ensure that we are able to contact you when medically necessary (example – lab results).

INSURANCE DENIALS – If your insurance company denies a date of service for any reason, you will be responsible for the amount of the claim. We will provide you with a receipt to submit to the insurance company for payment. If for some reason the insurance company makes a payment to us after you have already paid the date of service, we will reimburse you the amount paid by the insurance company.

CO-PAYMENTS AND BALANCES – Due to the rising problem of unpaid co-pays and overdue balances, we are requesting that all co-pays and balances be paid before your visit with our providers. If you are unable to pay or commit to a payment plan, we may be unable to see your child that day. We accept cash, check, and credit cards (VISA, Mastercard and American Express).

RECEIPTS – If you need a receipt for your visit for yourself, your insurance company, flex spending account etc, please inform our office staff upon check-in.

APPOINTMENT NO SHOWS AND CANCELLATIONS LESS THAN 24 HOURS – When your child has an appointment we are reserving time in our provider’s day. Cancellation with less than 24-hour notice or a no show does not give us a fair opportunity to offer the allotted time to another patient. There will be a $25.00 charge for each missed appointment.

FAXING – Our office staff cannot fax forms at this time. At every routine physical visit, you will leave the office with a physical form that satisfies most school, sports and camp requirements. If there is a more specific form it can be dropped off and will be ready within a week for pick up or we can mail it out if you bring in an addressed envelope.