Office Policies

Office Hours

For information or to schedule an appointment, please call our office at 903-729-8328.

The clinic is closed for New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the following Friday, and Christmas Day. The clinic may be closed when all providers are attending continuing education programs.

Office procedures such as stress tests, echocardiograms and other ultrasounds are scheduled on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

Minor surgical procedures are performed in our office by Dr. Salter.

Patients are seen by appointment only, but same-day appointments are available for emergencies.

Making Appointments

When you call for an appointment, please tell the receptionist the nature of your visit to allow us to schedule the appropriate amount of time required.

I ask that you arrive on time, and I will always do my best to see you promptly. Please realize that emergencies do occur, and occasionally other patients take longer than scheduled. My office will try to call you ahead of time, if there has been a serious delay in seeing patients. If you are a new patient, please arrive 20-30 minutes early to complete necessary administrative details.

If you must cancel an appointment, please let us know as soon as possible, so that the allotted time may be given to someone else. Twenty-four-hour notice is requested for all cancellations or there will be a no-show charge applied to your account.

When you are planning a visit to the office, you may want to write down questions that you would like to have answered about your condition or treatment. Also, please bring your medications with you to each visit and check to ensure you have enough refills until your next visit.

Prescriptions and Refills

Prescriptions and refills are not generally provided via telephone. In case you do not have enough refills to last until your next visit, a maximum one-month refill will be authorized to provide enough medication until your next appointment. Further refills, new prescriptions and pre-authorizations require an in-office evaluation.

Telephone Calls

My staff is trained to handle many routine questions and implement our carefully drafted policies. However, in a busy practice communication must be managed to provide maximum benefit and minimal abuse.

I ask that night and weekend calls be reserved for urgent situations. On some occasions, your call may be returned by one of my associates with whom I share night and weekend coverage. Please handle routine questions during regular office hours and try to anticipate medical issues in advance.

In an Emergency

In the event of an emergency, please go directly to the nearest emergency room. I see and treat patients at Palestine Regional Medical Center.

The emergency room staff will notify me or my call coverage of your arrival.

Billing and Fees

Fees may be determined by the amount of time spent with you or the complexity of the problem, as well as the resources utilized (lab, x-ray, special testing procedures, etc.). My fees are reasonable and customary for the services provided and I welcome you to discuss them with my office.

We will be happy to discuss fees with you and provide an advance estimate of proposed fees for any of our procedures or services. If you have commercial insurance coverage, please present your health insurance card at the time of service. As a courtesy to our patients, we will prepare and submit the insurance claim form to your insurance company. We will expect your assistance in dealing with your insurance company. We file claims twice before asking you for payment or substantial assistance in getting reimbursement from your insurance company. You should know and understand the provisions of your insurance policy such as office visit copay and deductible; you are responsible for services not covered. Ultimately, all financial responsibility lies with the patient. All returned checks will have a $25 service charge.

Cash Paying Patients

Payment on the day of service when no insurance is filed will be eligible for a substantial discount for prompt payment. Please inquire if you are interested in this.

Confidentiality

Your medical record is strictly private. We will not give out information regarding your condition to anyone without your written permission. The only exception to this is when required by law. You will be asked to read and sign a privacy agreement as required by federal law at your first appointment. If you have not signed such an agreement, please let us know.