Post - COVID OFFICE POLICY, PROCEDURES & HOURS
Office Policy
Our practice sees patients both in-person and virtual. Telemedicine has grown in popularity and for the majority of our patients has been very successful. We have decided to continue with this appointment model when clinically appropriate for the benefit and ease of our patients.
Office Procedures
Our office in Princeton, NJ is currently our only location. Our reception staff is available in the office Mondays thru Fridays. Our clinical coordinator nurse, Adria Trapani-Barnacz, is in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Our medical director, Dr. Fernandez, is in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our nurse practitioner, Uche O’Keem, is in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our other nurse practitioner, Raquel Rahim, is in the office on Wednesdays and Fridays.
We use the Telemedicine platform, Doxy.me to conduct secure, HIPAA compliant virtual appointments with patients. Patients are emailed instructions and a link to each clinicians’ secure URL waiting room (“Queue”) where they check in a few minutes before the scheduled appointment. This process will be very similar to coming to our office. They will be greeted by the reception staff, who will confirm that the audio and video is working on both ends. Patients will be placed back in the Queue until the clinician brings them in. After the session, the patient will be placed back in the Queue until the reception staff checks them out. Check out procedure will include scheduling a follow up appointment, confirming where medication orders will be sent and confirm credit card payment information. Medications will be electronically prescribed to the patient’s pharmacy, fee slips, and credit card receipts will be emailed to the patients for their records.
Our clinicians use metrics (clinical scales) to measure symptom improvement. For those patients directed to complete clinical scales, they will be emailed directly to the patient. We have created fillable pdf versions of these scales, as well as using a secure file retrieval and delivery service.
As we institute in-person appointments we will assess if an in-person appointment is appropriate. The administrative staff will interview the patient to ensure they are not at risk for contracting or spreading disease when scheduling and within 24 hours of appointment. Patients will be directed to arrive 10 to 15 minutes prior to the appointment and call from parking lot for direction to enter office. Masks are currently required to be worn while in our office.
Patients will walk up to the infrared thermometer in the waiting room where their temperature will be read. Hand sanitizer will be available for patient use and a disposable mask if patients do not have one. Patient will be directed to go into the assigned clinical room where they will be seated opposite from the clinician separated by a sneeze guard shield.
When complete, the patient will check out at the reception counter, where they will schedule their next appointment, confirm pharmacy information and make a payment. The administrative staff will disinfect all contact areas periodically during the day.
Medication Refills
We have found that automated pharmacy refill requests frequently are for medications that have been changed or the patient does not need them. We ask that patients call our office directly (609) 419-0123,
to request any refill orders.
We generally try to process refill requests within 1 to 2 days, but there are certain medications (controlled substances) that are required to be sent by the licensed clinician directly. Each clinician has a preset day each week devoted to sending in these refills. For these medications, we ask that requests be made 3 to 5 days ahead of your last day of medications.
Our practice sees patients both in-person and virtual. Telemedicine has grown in popularity and for the majority of our patients has been very successful. We have decided to continue with this appointment model when clinically appropriate for the benefit and ease of our patients.
Office Procedures
Our office in Princeton, NJ is currently our only location. Our reception staff is available in the office Mondays thru Fridays. Our clinical coordinator nurse, Adria Trapani-Barnacz, is in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Our medical director, Dr. Fernandez, is in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our nurse practitioner, Uche O’Keem, is in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our other nurse practitioner, Raquel Rahim, is in the office on Wednesdays and Fridays.
We use the Telemedicine platform, Doxy.me to conduct secure, HIPAA compliant virtual appointments with patients. Patients are emailed instructions and a link to each clinicians’ secure URL waiting room (“Queue”) where they check in a few minutes before the scheduled appointment. This process will be very similar to coming to our office. They will be greeted by the reception staff, who will confirm that the audio and video is working on both ends. Patients will be placed back in the Queue until the clinician brings them in. After the session, the patient will be placed back in the Queue until the reception staff checks them out. Check out procedure will include scheduling a follow up appointment, confirming where medication orders will be sent and confirm credit card payment information. Medications will be electronically prescribed to the patient’s pharmacy, fee slips, and credit card receipts will be emailed to the patients for their records.
Our clinicians use metrics (clinical scales) to measure symptom improvement. For those patients directed to complete clinical scales, they will be emailed directly to the patient. We have created fillable pdf versions of these scales, as well as using a secure file retrieval and delivery service.
As we institute in-person appointments we will assess if an in-person appointment is appropriate. The administrative staff will interview the patient to ensure they are not at risk for contracting or spreading disease when scheduling and within 24 hours of appointment. Patients will be directed to arrive 10 to 15 minutes prior to the appointment and call from parking lot for direction to enter office. Masks are currently required to be worn while in our office.
Patients will walk up to the infrared thermometer in the waiting room where their temperature will be read. Hand sanitizer will be available for patient use and a disposable mask if patients do not have one. Patient will be directed to go into the assigned clinical room where they will be seated opposite from the clinician separated by a sneeze guard shield.
When complete, the patient will check out at the reception counter, where they will schedule their next appointment, confirm pharmacy information and make a payment. The administrative staff will disinfect all contact areas periodically during the day.
Medication Refills
We have found that automated pharmacy refill requests frequently are for medications that have been changed or the patient does not need them. We ask that patients call our office directly (609) 419-0123,
to request any refill orders.
We generally try to process refill requests within 1 to 2 days, but there are certain medications (controlled substances) that are required to be sent by the licensed clinician directly. Each clinician has a preset day each week devoted to sending in these refills. For these medications, we ask that requests be made 3 to 5 days ahead of your last day of medications.
We wish our patients wellness.
