To our wonderful Premier Pediatrics families:
There has been an exponential increase in the volume and complexity of the calls received by our office. This is not unexpected, as the healthcare needs and concerns of the nation have shifted and changed accordingly over the past 2 years. With these changes though, we will have to reassess how our office’s processes and policies can continue to meet these needs and provide the highest quality of care. We are continually adapting and trying to hire staff to fit our growing needs.
We will be implementing a significant change this week in how our phone calls are handled, with the hopes that this will decrease the feelings of frustration, “getting lost in the pool,” and feelings of needing to call back wondering why you’ve not yet been contacted.
We also hope that we can direct your attention to the resources we provide on our website for your review while you await that call back! We have well child handouts with information that often answers general questions for each age associated with a wellness visit. We also have the “Symptom and Diagnosis” Tool which provides guidance regarding when you should seek care for certain illnesses or injuries and things you can do at home to treat them. There are also referrals lists for many specialties that contain contact information for specialists that our providers personally recommend.
We want you to know how important and valued each and every patient interaction is for us. It is with this in mind that our goal is to standardize the expectations of return call time frames to allow adequate time for every individual call to be thorough, effective, and meaningful.
Thank you for your understanding as we transition to better meet your needs and look forward to you continuing to grow with us!
Expected Call Back Time Changes:
Concerns regarding your child’s new or worsening physical symptoms will be addressed within 4 hours of receiving your call.
Concerns regarding your child’s mental health will be returned by the end of the business day.
Concerns regarding your child’s ADHD, not including medication refills, will be addressed within 24 hours.
Any follow up calls will be returned within 24 hours. Please feel free to send a portal message with an update for the doctor on how your child is doing.
Any Medication Refills, Prior Authorization concerns/needs, and general questions will be processed within 72 hours.
Routine Referrals will have a 3-day turn-around time. Please note that if you request a referral, it may take up to 3 days to receive a call back regarding a routine referral.
Please note that our cut off for calls that will be considered returnable the same day is 3pm. If your call is after 3pm it may not be returned until the following day.
We appreciate your understanding and patience this Holiday Season. We hope your family’s holidays are both happy and healthy!