Please read the following information carefully.  These policies are in place after much thought on our part.  If you have any questions about any of these policies, you may speak to our practice administrator.

Appointments

• Each child requires his or her own appointment.  If you need more than one child seen, please let the clinical staff know when scheduling your appointment.
• In order to get the day and time of your preference, we recommend that you schedule your child’s physical exam appointment a year in advance.
• If your child participates in any sports or camp programs, make sure you know the requirements for the last date of physical exam and book your appointments accordingly.
• Patients must be 18 years old to come to an appointment by themselves.  Anyone under the age of 18 will need written consent to be treated without the presence of a guardian/parent.  Please note:  Any immunizations routinely given at this exam will be postponed until the patient is accompanied by his/her parent/guardian or appropriate authorization is obtained via phone.

Vaccination Policy

• We believe that a mutually respectful, trusting clinician-family relationship is fulfilling and essential for the quality patient care we provide at Wilmington Pediatrics.
• We believe that patients and staff in our practice should feel safe in our common waiting areas including reduction in risk, to the extent possible, of contacting vaccine preventable diseases.
• We are members of the American Academy of Pediatrics and follow their recommendation with regard to treatment, advice and immunization’s. We firmly believe in the ability to provide immunizations to keep our patients healthy and stand behind the evidence-based schedule published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization practices.

Keeping that in mind:

• All physicians in our office support full, on time vaccinations of all our patients.
• If a family has decided to refuse vaccines, it is our practice’s preference that they chose another practice to work with.  This decision is based on the premise that there would be an impaired level of mutual respect and trust, and this may result in less than exemplary care.
• For patients/families who decline to vaccinate with the required vaccines at the recommended age and well child visit, you will be given a refusal to vaccine signature form, as well as a copy of our office policies to sign.
• Any family in our practice whose child is not up to date on the AAP vaccine schedule will be required to adhere to the following:
  *Always notify the office with each interaction that your child is not up to date in accordance with AAP vaccine schedule.  This allows staff to properly assess       your child’s risk for preventable infections.
  *This includes telephone calls for advice, after-hours calls and weekend hours, as well as all in person visits. 

For children with incomplete vaccinations for their age, the following will be considered:

• If your child is febrile, there is a high probability lab testing and possible lumbar puncture will be performed to evaluate the risk of certain infections (pneumococcal, HIB and meningitis infections). This can result in emergency room visits with long wait times and mask wearing to reduce risk to other patients, staff and families.
• If your child requires a visit for a fever and rash, we may need you to wait in the car until an exam room becomes available, to avoid placing other children and staff in our practice at risk for vaccine preventable diseases such as measles, varicella (chicken pox), and rubella.
• Patient visits may need to be extended, and appropriately billed, to accommodate routine pediatric care, as well as additional time to review at each well child visit, the recommended vaccines and to continue the discussion to further the chance that a family will choose to vaccinate.

Patient Portal

• We strongly encourage you to use the Patient Portal for non-urgent matters.  It is a great way to ask and receive answers to simple questions, receive lab results and care plans, or obtain physical forms, school notes or other patient information, especially off-hours. Our front desk administrators are happy to help you get set up or navigate any concerns.

Billing

• When checking in for an appointment, please notify us of any changes in your information – address, insurance, phone number etc.
• Payment is due on the day of your visit. There is a $5.00 billing charge for any co-payment not paid on day of service.
• We accept major credit cards, personal checks and cash.  There is a charge for any returned checks.
• If you have an outstanding balance, you may be asked to visit the billing office prior to seeing the doctor. We recommend contacting the billing department before your appointment if there is an outstanding balance on your account.
• If you do not have health insurance, please ask us about our discount policy.
• There is a $50.00 fee for either failing to keep your child’s appointment or for canceling without proper 24-hour notice. If we are not in the office, you can leave a message with the answering service – 978-267-1966.
• What is Telehealth?
  Posted on April 21, 2021, by Lia Benoit
  ‘Telehealth’ (also known as ‘telemedicine’) is the provision of healthcare remotely through the use of telecommunication technology. You are now able to connect with your physician using telephone, texted or emailed images, and/or videoconferencing. Here are some of the criteria we use to determine whether a telecommunication meets the criteria for and will therefore be billed as a telemedicine visit: Any telephone or videoconference visit that lasts more than five minutes.
  Any telephone or videoconference encounter which results in:
  A lab or imaging order
  A referral to a specialist
  A new prescription (not a refill)
  A photo sent to the physician for further evaluation.
  Counseling for behavioral Health
  Discussion/counseling on positive COVID-19 test result.

Requests for Forms/Working papers/Record Release.

• You will find a recent copy of your child’s physical exam on your child’s patient portal under documents.   Our physical form is a standard MA physical form accepted by any school, sports, camp and or college.  If, however, you have been provided a form that specifically states that no other form is accepted, please allow 7-10 business days for your child’s form to be completed.  Please ensure all your child’s pertinent information is completed by you prior to submitting to our office.  Form should include, first name, last name, dob, any special medication request, and a contact number to reach you once the form is completed.
• Medical record requests-  WPI Record Release
• Please complete the attached record request and submit to our office via fax 978-988-6139 and or submit via our documents email documents@wilmingtonpedi.com. We will then submit your request to our medical records vendor SHARECARE for processing.  Should you have any questions pertaining to your record request, please reach out to SHARECARE customer service at 858-244-1811.

Prescription Refills

• All controlled prescriptions will be refilled by the primary care physician only.  Please familiarize yourself with his/her schedule and make sure to call for a refill on a day when they are in the office.
• All prescriptions are sent electronically.  It’s important that we have your most current pharmacy information on file.
• Although the prescription request is sent to the pharmacy immediately, it’s not always received right away.  Pharmacies have different protocols in place for retrieving requests.  Make sure you call in advance to see if your prescription is ready for pick up.

Referrals

• The physician may refer your child to a specialist during the course of their exam, however, this does not generate a referral for your insurance company.
• You are responsible to know your insurance coverage and benefits.  Once you have determined that the specialist is contracted with your insurance company, call their office to make an appointment.
• Once you have the date of the first visit, please request via your patient portal and or call our office at 978-988-6122 and leave the following information:  your child’s name and date of birth, date of appointment, full name and office number of the specialist and the reason for the referral.  We require a 5 day notice to process all referrals.
• Your referral will be processed under the insurance information we have on file.  Please verify that we have the most current information.

For our patients who are 18 years old

Patients who are 18 years old are entitled to privacy concerning their health information.  This means that we are mandated by law to speak to them directly regarding their medical care and information.

Patients who are 18 and wish someone other than themselves to receive their medical information will need to consent to this in writing.

Once a patient has reached the age of 19, we will no longer be able to treat them.  We discuss this policy with all our 18-year-old patients and give them a year to make the transition.

For information on internists affiliated with Winchester Hospital, you can call their referral number at: 866-946-4677.

Winchester Hospital strictly prohibits the carrying of guns and/or weapons within this building.  There is a lock box located in the Urgent Care department on the first floor.  All guns/weapons need to be deposited there upon entry into the building.

The relationship that develops between families and their pediatrician’s office is a unique one.  In order for this relationship to be positive and rewarding, it must be built on mutual respect and trust. Wilmington Pediatrics is unwavering in its commitment to fostering a safe and secure workplace for every team member, patient and family under our care. To that end, we have a zero-tolerance policy for workplace violence, including physical assault, inappropriate contact, abusive language, bullying and threats, as well as, for harassment and discrimination towards any person based on race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender, orientation, age or physical/mental disability. Our goal is to create a positive experience for patients, families and team members. We are committed to adhering to policies in support of diversity, inclusion and belonging, and establishing an environment of equality and respect.

Thank you so much for your support.

If you have an issue with a staff member, please speak to our practice administrator, Lia Benoit at 978-988-6209.