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Becoming a patient

If you are expecting a newborn and are delivering at a local hospital, you can just inform the hospital personnel, and they will contact our practice to see your baby.  If you deliver out of the area, just call the office to set up an appointment within a few days of discharge. 

Older children should have their medical records transferred to us including  immunization records, medical assessments and specialist reports prior to scheduling a first well appointment.

If your insurance company requires you to list a primary care physician, please do so after you register with us.

PE/Well Child Visits

Each well visit includes a complete examination, an assessment of your child’s growth and development, and anticipatory guidance regarding safety and common childhood issues.  Your child will receive recommended vaccines at the appropriate visit.  Visits are every 2-3 months for the first two years and then annually thereafter.  We generally will perform the end of high school/ college physical and then start transitioning your young adult over to an internist or family practitioner.
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Illness related visits

Sick visits are generally scheduled to be seen that day or the following morning.  The office leaves an adequate number of appointment slots to deal with urgent care.  More complicated problems of a chronic nature should be scheduled ahead of time.  Try to call early in the day so we can accommodate your scheduling requests.
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Hours of operation / How to reach us

We are available to assist you 7 days a week.  We offer wellness and sick visits Monday through Saturday and see sick children every day, including Sunday mornings by appointment.  A physician or staff nurse is available after hours for emergencies or urgent questions that can wait until the next day.
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Walk-in Hour

We offer a walk-in hour on weekdays from 7:30-8:30 AM for patients who have an established relationship with Andover Pediatrics.   Since this can be a very busy time, we request that complicated, chronic problems be seen by appointment during regular hours so sufficient time can be scheduled to properly deal with the concern.
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Cancellations

If you need to cancel an appointment, please contact the office at least 24 hours before you are to be seen.  This will allow us to enable someone else to schedule an appointment during that time. 

We understand that there may be times when unexpected events cause us to be late.  We make every effort to stay on time for the benefit of all of our patients.  Please call our office if you are going to be late and we will try to work you into the schedule.
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Forms and notifications

School/camp forms - Andover Pediatrics has standard forms that are completed at the time your child’s PE/well child visit.  Please make copies of the forms to use in between visits.   Should your child experience illness or require a medication that should be recorded on the form (i.e. sports), please ask for an updated report to be sent to you.  Should an additional form be needed, school or camp forms will be completed within 5 business days.
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Notice of Privacy Practices

We are committed to protecting health information about you and are required by federal and state law to take steps to protect this information.   A copy of the Notice of Privacy Practices is available in our office.
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Fees and payment policy

All of us are participating providers in almost all of the HMO’s and PPO’s available in the State of Massachusetts.  In particular, we participate in Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans, Harvard Pilgrim Health Plan, Tufts Health Plan.

If your plan requires a co-payment for office visits, we ask that you pay it at the time of each visit.  If you have an indemnity plan, we will submit claims directly to your insurance company as a courtesy to you.
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Insurance Referrals

If your plan requires referrals for visits to specialists, it is your responsibility to obtain the referral from our office staff in advance of the visit.  Do not assume that we have taken care of the referral if your doctor recommends that you see a specialist.   We can only process a referral once you have made an appointment and have provided us with the following information:

1. Child’s name
2. Child’s date of birth
3. Your name and contact telephone number
4. Insurance name and identification number
5. Full name, address and telephone number of specialists
6. Reason for the visit
7. Date of the appointment
8. Which provider is referring you to the specialist

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Prescriptions

Please call 48 hours before the prescription is needed for any refill that you may need.  Please give us the name of the medicine, dosage, quantity, as well as the name and telephone number of the pharmacy.  Please allow extra time if the medication is for a controlled substance prescription like Ritalin or Concerta.
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Adolescent Policy/confidentiality

As patients become adolescents, they take more responsibility for themselves and for their own health care.  We want both  patients and their parents to understand this increased independent role of the adolescent, and that our primary concern and responsibility is for them and for their needs.  We encourage our adolescent and young adult patients to speak with us directly, and to feel free to discuss with us any concerns that they may have about their health.

On some occasions, there will be issues, such as sexuality and substance abuse issues,  that our patients discuss with us that will be kept confidential.  We encourage this type of honest discussion, and  it is our policy to keep this type of information confidential,  with the exception of issues that might be life-threatening.
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