Physician Assistants(PAs)are licensed health professionals who practice medicine with physician supervision. PAs deliver a broad range of medical and surgical services. Their focus is patient care.
PAs are highly skilled professionals educated to use the same medical procedures as their physician counterparts. A hallmark of physician assistant practice is that PAs practice as part of a team. They are educated to recognize when patients need the attention of a supervising physician or a specialist.
Physician assistant education is modeled on that of physicians, although it is shorter. All PA programs must meet the same stringent requirements for national accreditation. Students undergo a rigorous education to become a PA. Graduates of accredited PA programs must pass a single national certification exam jointly developed by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. To maintain certification, PAs must earn 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years and sit for a recertification exam every six years.
Their training as team players enables them to work with other providers to ensure appropriate patient care in all settings. PAs, working with the supervision of physicians, deliver the highest quality of medical care.
A Nurse Practitioner(NP)is a registered nurse who has an advanced degree in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients. NP's have national certification in their area of expertise.
NP's can conduct physical examinations, diagnose and treat illnesses, perform procedures, write prescriptions and order and interpret laboratory and diagnostic studies. NP's can prescribe treatment and medications according to the state's Nurse Practice Act. In Texas, NPs have prescriptive authority through written agreements with collaborating physicians.
Nurse Practitioners take the time to listen to your worries and concerns; explain the details of health problems; provide individualized care; work in collaboration with physicians and other healthcare professionals to ensure that everyone receives the best possible healthcare.
PRACTICE INFO
Appointments
It is our goal to schedule a same day appointment if you are ill; and in the same week for other appointment types. When scheduling an appointment, please give the receptionist as much information as possible to ensure you are scheduled in an appropriate appoinment time. If you arrive 15 minutes after your scheduled appointment time you may be asked to reschedule. When scheduling an appointment, please give the receptionist as much information as possible to insure you are scheduled in an appropriate appointment time.
Phone Calls
Our phone is answered 24/7, after hour calls are forwarded to our answering service. Phone calls answered by the office are returned after morning and afternoon patients in the office have been seen. Calls received after 5:00 will be returned the next business day.
Medication Refills
When you need a refill please contact your local or mail order pharmacy. They will fax our office a refill request. (Most pharmacies already have our contact information.) If we have to write out your prescription for refills we do not fax the prescription. Those prescriptions must be mailed with the form they provide to your mail order pharmacy. Please allow 24 hours to process refill requests.
Payment Policy
We are contracted with many insurers and health plans. We will bill those plans with which we have an agreement and will collect any required co-payment or deductible amount at the time of service. The co-payment will be collected when you arrive for your appointment. In the event your health plan determines a service to be "not covered"; you will be responsible for the complete charge. We will send a statement and payment is due upon receipt.
Cancellation Policy
A two (2) hour notice must be provided when canceling your scheduled appointment. If a two-hour notice is not received, you may be charged a $25.00 fee. This charge will be your responsibility; your insurance carrier will not be billed.
PHYSICAL PROCEDURE
What To Expect: Your physical exam will take two visits. The first appointment is scheduled with the nursing staff. This first visit includes having blood drawn, an EKG and a urinalysis. If you are a smoker, you will also have a pulmonary function test and chest x-ray.
The second visit will be scheduled about a week later and will be with the provider you choose. At this appointment your previous test results will be reviewed and the physical exam preformed. This is the time to ask any questions you have regarding your health or medications.
Preprocedure: Prior to your first appointment with the nurse, you will need to be fasting. Nothing to eat or drink twelve hours prior to appointment time, except water. Drink plenty of water which keeps you hydrated and makes the blood draw easier. You can also take any daily medications you may have.
