Policies
Office hours
Monday through Friday – 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
When you call for an appointment, we will make every effort to see you as quickly as possible. Each of our physicians has specific hours for office visits, and the receptionist is happy to discuss those times with you.
Appointments
We make every effort to adhere to your scheduled appointment time. However, occasionally emergencies do arise that must take precedence causing a minor delay. If a delay occurs that may cause you inconvenience, we will be happy to reschedule your appointment.
While we prefer that patients schedule an appointment in advance, we can often offer same-day appointments and will try to accommodate walk-ins when possible.
To schedule an appointment, contact our office at (865) 531-8848.
Emergencies
We always have one of our physicians on call to respond to emergency situations. If an emergency occurs during regular office hours, please call our office and let the receptionist know you have a medical emergency.
After office hours and on weekends, the telephone is answered by our voice mail which will promptly relay your message to the doctor on call.
If you feel your situation calls for immediate evaluation and treatment, proceed to the nearest emergency room.
Telephone calls
To schedule an appointment, please call during our regular business hours.
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. – (865) 531-8848
If you have a matter you need to discuss with your doctor, please leave a message and he/she will return your call as time permits and the situation demands.
Prescriptions
If you have a prescription that needs to be refilled, please call our prescription refill line:
The prescription line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Refills will be called into the pharmacy Monday through Friday within 24 hours or one business day of your call. Before proceeding to your pharmacy to pick up a prescription however, we suggest you check with them to make sure they have received the prescription.
We use electronic prescriptions, which improves speed, accuracy and safety of prescribing. This also allows us to more easily detect drug interactions and helps us to retrieve formulary information so that patients receive the most affordable medications possible.
Medical records
The contents of your medical records remain confidential and will only be released upon your written consent. Please call in advance to have records copied.
Smoking
In the interest of your health and the health of those around you, we ask that you not smoke while in our building or office.
Referrals
It is the patient’s responsibility to notify our office when a referral or pre-certification is needed. Five working days are needed for referrals to be processed.
Prevention
Preventive care is the hallmark of internal medicine, and often results in long-term cost savings on health care. In order to help our patients avoid preventable and costly illness, we offer routine exams, screenings and immunizations including annual flu shots.
Diagnostics
As primary care physicians, we are expertly equipped to diagnose and treat a host of medical conditions from the simple to the complex. Our state-of-the-art facility is equipped with on-site diagnostic equipment such as EKG (electrocardiogram heart monitor), X-ray, pulmonary function testing, and audiometry (for hearing testing).
Coordinated care
One of the jobs of a primary care physician is to coordinate patient care. We use Electronic Medical Records (EMR) to keep comprehensive charts for each patient, including records received from other physicians, clinics and hospitals. It makes complete patient information accessible right in the examination room, enabling our physicians to make informed diagnosis and treatment decisions. Additionally, we use e-prescribing to speed up the prescription process and reduce medication errors.