Practice Updates
At Pediatric Associates we are always trying to make the experience in our office better for you and your child. To that end we have had many changes at our office this year. We thought we should make our patients are aware of these changes.
One of the most significant changes has been that we have changed our billing company. We chose our new billing company because they are more customer service oriented than our prior company. Please make a note of the name and number of our new billing company: A-Stat Medical Billing 401-723-5533. Please call them if there are any questions with your billing statements. In addition you will find our new office billing policy and HIPPA privacy policy attached to this email.
Near the end of the summer we launched our patient portal through our electronic medical record. If you have not had your child’s account activated you can call and request activation or activate it when you come into the office. Through the portal you can view your child’s next appointment day and time. You can request refills, referrals and routine physical appointments on the portal. Soon you will be able to view lab results and immunization records. You can also send non-emergent questions to the office through the portal. Please call the office for sick visit appointments.
In the past month we have also started performing pre-visit screening and developmental screening online through a program called CHADIS. Once again we are asking families to make an account and register each child. Then before their next well visit log in and fill out the questions assigned based on your child’s age. Teens should also fill out a self-report questionnaire so if your child is thirteen or older he or she can log on and fill out his or her own questionnaire as well. The information on creating an account is attached to this email or a link can be found on our website.
The State of Rhode Island Department of Health has introduced a new requirement for 7th grade immunization. For September of 2015 students will be required to have the first dose of Human Papilloma Vaccine before 7th grade school entry. The requirement is being implemented incrementally so that in 2016 2 doses will be required for 8th grade and in 2017 3 doses will be required for 9th grade. As the most recently introduced vaccine we know that many parents have questions about this vaccine and the reasoning behind requiring it. Please find attached a question and answer sheet that covers the most common concerns about the HPV vaccine. If you child will be in 7th grade next year you will be offered the vaccine at their next well visit. If your child will not be in the office for a physical before September 2015 please call the office to schedule an appointment to start the vaccine series. Likewise if your child has already started the vaccine you can call for an appointment to complete the three dose series.
We will continue to keep you informed as we make changes in the future.