Office phones are answered starting at 9 a.m. Monday – Friday. The volume of calls is the greatest at this time of day. If you are not calling for a same-day appointment or an urgent concern, calling at a later time during the day will allow us to manage your call more efficiently.

Your call is important to us. With multiple incoming lines in each of our family practices, it may be necessary for your call to be put on hold. You will always be asked if you are able to hold. We know your time is valuable and will make every effort to answer your call as soon as possible.

Providers/Nurses usually return morning calls at the noontime break; afternoon callbacks are made at the close of the day. It is not unusual for providers to remain in the office after hours to return phone calls.

Prior to your visit, we encourage you to call the customer service telephone number located on your medical insurance member-ship card. There are many insurance policies offered by each insurance company. They can best provide co-pay amounts and verify coverage for services according to your specific policy.

Facilitated Enrollment services are available for uninsured patients. There are also payment options available for self-pay patients. Please ask the secretary how to arrange for these.

Your health insurance contract requires that you be responsible for payment of co-pay fees at the time of the visit. Cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover are accepted.

Often our physicians team with Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants. These are highly trained, qualified, and licensed providers of health care. They are able to treat illnesses and write prescriptions without a physician present.

Talk to your provider about your prescriptions/renewals at the time of your appointment. Make sure the provider prescribes enough medicine to get you through to your next appointment. For exceptions, allow 48–72 hours notice for prescription renewals. Please avoid calling Monday morning for prescription requests. The best time to call is between 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tuesday – Friday. 

When calling in your prescriptions, please have the following information available:

• Name of medication
• Current dose
• How often medication is taken

Appointments are made to reserve a place for you in the schedule. If you cannot keep your appointment, please provide at least 24 hours’ notice. Your appointment may have to be rescheduled if you are late. We recommend making appointments for nurse visits such as allergy injections, having blood drawn, blood pressure checks, etc. You may be charged for missed appointments when advanced cancellation notice is not given.

If there is an abnormal result with your test, you will be contacted by the office. Otherwise, you can expect a written notification within two weeks.

If your provider wants you to be seen by a specialist, the office staff will obtain for you the referral and/or the appointment at the close of your visit, or you will be notified by the office within 24-72 hours with the information required.

Your personal Primary Care Provider can best meet your needs during the business day. After Hours, if your need is life threatening, proceed to the nearest emergency room. No call to the provider is necessary before proceeding to the Emergency Room.

For urgent problems that cannot wait for the following business day, there is a Thompson Health Provider on call. You can reach this provider by calling the practice telephone number and listening to the recorded message. The on call physician will not call in antibiotics or narcotics.

A completed Health Information Release form, including the patient’s signature, is required before records can be released. The release form can be obtained from the office. Allow 10 days for processing. Ask office for details on applicable fees.