Vaccinations
Vaccinations protect your children and our community from preventable life-threatening diseases. Small Town Pediatrics supports and follows the guidelines for vaccines from the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics. We care for children with complex medical conditions, children who are too young to be vaccinated, and there are often women who may be pregnant in our office. It is very important to protect these people from preventable diseases.
Our staff is vaccinated against preventable diseases, including flu and Covid. We receive boosters according to the recommended schedules. Children who will receive care in our office should be vaccinated against preventable diseases which could harm others.
Our Approach
We know there are many sources of incorrect and inflammatory claims about vaccines. We are eager to provide and help families find accurate information about vaccines. We use only evidence-based, reliable, and rigorously studied vaccines and vaccine schedules in our practice. “Alternative” schedules are not supported by evidence and can leave children and families vulnerable to preventable diseases.
Let’s Talk
Disease prevention by the use of vaccines is the safest medical intervention known, and responsible for significant advances in human health and longevity. Dr. Mark is happy to discuss with parents any concerns and questions about timely childhood vaccination and prevention of childhood disease. We can also connect you to useful and accurate information sources.
Timeliness of Appointments
We always do our best to stay on time during the day. Sometimes we get delayed when a patient has more complexity than we expected and an appointment runs long. Sometimes we get delayed if a patient arrives late. Every patient after that in the schedule can be affected. We value and respect your time, and are as distressed as you (if not more so) when our schedule does not run smoothly.
Arriving at Your Appointment
Please help us to stay on time by arriving 5-10 minutes before your appointment time if possible. This allows staff to check your insurance information, copy your insurance card and process any copayment due. We will continue precautions to prevent the spread of Covid and other contagious diseases. Your early arrival helps us manage the traffic in our office to minimize contact with other families.
When you arrive at the office, please text our main phone number. A staff member will tell you when you can enter the lobby, and proceed to an exam room.
Late Arrivals & Rescheduling
Late arrivals, checking in after the scheduled appointment time, may need to be rescheduled to another time/day. If for any reason you are unable to keep your appointment, please give us 24 hours notice, so we can use that time to meet another patient’s needs.
No Show Appointments
Appointments not canceled within 24 hours of appointment time will be billed a ‘no show’ fee. This fee is not likely to be covered by insurance and may become a family’s personal responsibility. We charge this fee to recover some of the costs we incur associated with patients failing to attend appointments.
Repeated no-show appointments may result in termination from the practice, or limitation on scheduling flexibility.
Health Insurance
All families with insurance should bring their current insurance card(s) to any visit. We will always do our best to assure that your coverage is current and the services you receive are covered.
However, it is your responsibility to understand how your insurance works, including deductibles, co-insurance, co-pays, and any exclusions of services. You may be responsible for the costs of medical services, screening, or lab tests your insurance plan denies.
Applicable copays, co-insurance, and/or deductibles required by your insurance company are due at the time of service. Your insurance company, not Small Town Pediatrics, determines these amounts.
These can be paid at our office by:
- credit card
- debit card
- check
- cash
After billing your insurance any fees not covered will be billed to you. These can be conveniently paid by credit card through our patient portal or by check through the mail.
Ages We Serve
Generall we provide care for newborns thorugh 18 years and/or graduation from high school. We don not accept new patients above the age of 15. By this time, most kids are ready to seek care somewhere else anyway. Some patients, particularly those with special health needs, may benefit from the continuation of their care with us beyond age 18.
Your physician can work with your family in those situations to assure the appropriate continuation of care and successful transfer of care at a later age. We recommend patients graduating from Small Town Pediatrics sign a medical record release to their new adult care physician as soon as possible.
