Appointments
At Sanders Court Pediatrics, we are available to you when you need us most. Sick children can always be seen by a provider on the same day. Patients are seen by appointment only. We offer same day sick appointments and have convenient morning, evening, and weekend hours for both sick visits and well-child exams. We always try to meet your preference for office location, appointment time, and pediatrician whenever possible.Sanders Court Pediatrics provides two appointment reminders through our patient portal and a confirmation phone call 24-48 hours prior to your appointment. Cancelling your appointment in a timely manner allows other patients the opportunity to be seen, which helps us better accommodate both sick and well children.
We ask that you give our office at least 24 hours’ notice prior to your appointment time if you are unable to keep your appointment. For sick appointments booked same day, we ask that you please cancel within two (2) hours of your scheduled appointment time.
Any missed appointment will result in a $50.00 fee charged to your account. This will be due at the time of your next visit, prior to being seen. This is not submitted to or covered by your insurance company. We understand that emergencies can occur-please let us know if you are unable to keep an appointment due to emergency circumstances.
We make an effort to keep our patients and doctors on time. If a patient is 15 or more minutes past their scheduled appointment time, we may have to reschedule the appointment.
Sanders Court Pediatrics is unable to see patients under the age of 18 without an adult in attendance. Please make sure that there is an adult present at every visit. If an authorization to treat has not previously been signed and the parent/guardian cannot be present at the visit, please send your child with a signed note giving permission to be seen. Minors who present at the office without an accompanying adult over the age of 18 will not be able to be seen, and the appointment will have to be rescheduled.
Vaccinations
As medical professionals, we feel very strongly that vaccinating your child according to the schedule published by the CDC is absolutely necessary to protect all children and young adults. When you do not vaccinate, you take a significant risk with your child’s health and the health of others around them. Much of the protection provided by vaccines comes from herd immunity. Most vaccines produce immunity in 90-95% of children. The remaining 5-10% of children who do not produce immunity are protected by herd immunity, meaning that a highly vaccinated population limits the spread of most infections. As more people choose to not vaccinate, herd immunity is eroded. By not vaccinating, you take selfish advantage of thousands of others who do vaccinate their children.At Sanders Court Pediatrics:
-We firmly believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and save lives.
-We firmly believe in the safety of vaccines.
-We firmly believe that all children and young adults should receive all of the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
-We firmly believe, based on all available literature, evidence, and current studies, that vaccines do not cause autism or other developmental disabilities.
-We firmly believe that vaccinating children and young adults may be the single most important health-promoting intervention that we perform as health care providers, and that you can perform as parents/caregivers. The recommended vaccines and vaccine schedule are the results of years and years of scientific study and data gathered on millions of children by thousands of our brightest scientists and physicians.
-We firmly believe that public health policy excluding un-vaccinated children from school is appropriate for a school setting, and is also appropriate for our office setting. The sickest children are seen in a doctor’s office and can be a source of spread of infectious disease to patients.
Also, please be advised that delaying or spreading out the vaccines goes against expert recommendations, and can put your child at risk for serious illness or even death. If a parent or caregiver elects to only give a certain number of vaccines at a time, they must come into the office at weekly intervals to stay within the recommended time frame for the vaccines per the CDC schedule.
We recognize that vaccinating your child may be a very emotional subject for some parents. We will do everything we can to convince you that vaccinating according to schedule is medically necessary. Newborns entering the practice will complete the first round of recommended vaccines by 16 weeks of age. If, despite our recommendations, you feel that you cannot follow the schedule of the CDC and AAP we will ask you to find another health care provider. We do not keep a list of such providers, nor would we recommend any such physician/health care provider. Please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about vaccines with any of our health care providers.
Financial Arrangements & Insurance Policy
Sanders Court Pediatrics, Ltd. strives to provide the highest quality medical care to all of our patients, and we are dedicated to providing a caring, trusting atmosphere between our patients and physicians.Please bring and be prepared to show your insurance card to each and every visit. If you are unable to provide a current insurance card or do not have health insurance, you will be expected to pay for your visit in full at the time of your appointment.
If you have health insurance, Sanders Court Pediatrics, Ltd. will submit claims directly to your insurance company. Not all services are a covered benefit in all insurance contracts, and it is your responsibility to be aware of your insurance benefits. While filing insurance claims is a courtesy we offer our patients, all charges are ultimately your responsibility. We ask that all patients check with their insurance plan to be certain that we are a preferred provider. Due to the ever changing world of insurance, we do not keep a list of contracted insurance plans.
We realize that there may be temporary financial problems that may affect payment of your account balance. If such problems do arise, we ask you to contact us for assistance in the management of your account. We offer payment plans if necessary.
Policy for Divorced or Separated Parents
The physicians and staff at Sanders Court Pediatrics are dedicated to providing quality medical care for our patients and their families. Our primary focus is on your child’s medical, emotional, psychological, and physiological health and well-being. We are not party to or will we be involved in any legal issues involving separation, divorce, or custody agreements.1. The physicians, nurses, receptionists and billing staff will not be put in the middle of domestic issues or disagreements over the phone or in the office.
2. Please make decisions regarding appointments, vaccinations, and/or any procedures prior to visiting our office.
3. We will only deny one parent’s access to medical records or office visits if there is a confirmed, documented court order. Sanders Court Pediatrics must have a copy of this court order on file in the child’s medical records. It is the responsibility of the parent to provide us with the court order.
4. If there is not a court order on file with our office, either parent or legal guardian can bring the child into the office, or sign the “Consent to Treat” form that authorizes other individuals to bring the child to the office, be present during the visit and consent to any treatment during the visit. We will not be involved in any disputes regarding which individuals attend the visit unless instructed by the court. Either parent or legal guardian can schedule an appointment for their child, be present for the visit and/or obtain a copy of the visit summary.
5. It is both parents’ responsibility to communicate with one another about the patients’ care, office visit dates and any other pertinent information relevant to the patient. It is not the responsibility of the physician to communicate visit information to each custodial parent separately. Our providers will not call the non-attending parent following visits.
6. Sanders Court Pediatrics will not call the other parent for consent regarding appointments scheduled, restrict either parent’s involvement in the patient’s care unless authorized by court orders, or tolerate appointment scheduling/cancelling patterns or behavior between parents.
7. Payments, including copays, deductibles, coinsurance or any additional fees charged by your insurance are due at the time of service regardless of which parent is responsible for medical expenses. We are not a party to your divorce agreement. We will collect payment from the parent who brings the child to their visit. If the divorce decree requires the other parent to pay all or part of the medical costs, it is the authorizing parent’s responsibility to collect from the other parent. Any disputes that end up in the collections process will be due at the next time or service or the patient will not be seen.
8. Separate accounts cannot be created for the patient’s online medical portal. It is the responsibility of both parents to communicate login information, including any password changes, to the other parent or legal guardian.
If we feel that any of the above points are becoming an issue at the office and/or compromising patient care, Sanders Court Pediatrics has the right to discharge the family from our practice.