CLINIC GUIDELINES
BE ON TIME
This is your health and our time. I have structured the clinic so that there is no wait time for you and I will be waiting to see you. Coming late will cause rushing, resulting in suboptimal care, something we both want to avoid. Time is respected both ways in our relationship.
FEES
Monthly fee:
Monthly fee $105 for individuals age <40, $120 for individuals age 40+
Enrollment fee:
One-time enrollment fee of $200. Couples enrolling simultaneously have a discounted enrollment fee of $300.
Services covered by the monthly fee:
- Direct cell phone/email access to a doctor who knows you and cares about you
- 30-60 minute visits to allow for adequate time to answer all your questions
- Unlimited office visits - physicals, sick visits, chronic health care visits, office procedures (including but not limited to: suturing/wound care, incision&drainage of minor abscesses, cryotherapy for precancerous skin lesions/warts, skin biopsies, joint injections, toenail removal), women's health (paps, perimenopause/menopause hormone health)
- Home visits as appropriate if homebound (travel fee may apply if > 30 minutes driving)
- Courtesy visit at the hospital
- Deeply discounted labs, medications and imaging
- Personalized lifestyle and nutritional counseling
- Direct and timely coordination of care with specialists and/or hospital providers
- Space is limited to allow for exceptional care for current patients
You must pay via recurring automatic bank or credit card withdrawals for monthly payments. (Bank draft is preferred). Payments by check are acceptable for quarterly, biannual or annual payments.
It is most difficult in getting to know the initial health history. Therefore, a $200 enrollment fee is charged at the first visit along with the age-tiered monthly fee. After the first calendar month, the recurring monthly membership fee will be billed on the first day of each month. If you start new membership after the middle of the month, the rate will be prorated accordingly for that month.
Monthly membership patients are required to pay by the 1st of the month. Coverage will be lost if payment is not received by the 5th of the month. Late payments will be charged an additional $20 fee.
Per laws of the State of Oregon, this contract for membership will be reviewed and signed at the start of the relationship. It will automatically renew monthly until membership is terminated. There will not be any change to membership fees without direct communication between myself and the member (or responsible guardian).
TERMINATION
You may cancel membership at any point and will be refunded any advance payments paid, remaining after deducting individual/member charges for services rendered up to the end of the calendar month of termination notice.
Upon termination of the Agreement, Principal/Patient Member will not be eligible for future “one-time” visits. If re-enrollment is requested within one year of termination, there will be a $300 re-enrollment fee. Please note that at the current time there is approximately a 2-4 month wait list.
HEALTH INSURANCE
This clinic is not a substitute for health insurance and I encourage you to have a health insurance policy for referrals, expensive imaging/medications, hospitalizations and/or ER visits which may come up in your life.
CHRONIC NARCOTICS, STIMULANTS AND BENZODIAZEPINES
The health care industry has created a situation where doctors have limited time in evaluating and managing chronic illness, resulting in over-prescribing of highly addictive narcotics, stimulants and benzodiazepines. We have over-prescribed these medications in the past decade such that more people die in Oregon from prescription drugs than from car accidents. Not only are the toxic effects of chronic narcotics and benzodiazepines well known, but also, the majority of chronic pain and anxiety can be more effectively treated through other means which I am more than happy to explore with you. For these reasons, I do not routinely prescribe chronic narcotics and benzodiazepines for chronic pain and mental health issues, with rare exceptions. Please talk to me if this is of concern to you.
CANCELLATIONS
Should you need to cancel your scheduled appointment, you will not be charged a cancellation fee as long as you have provided 24 hours notice before your scheduled appointment time. If you do not show up for or cancel your appointment fewer than 24 hours before your scheduled appointment, you will be billed $20.
PRESERVING OUR RELATIONSHIP
I want to be your doctor. I want to be available to you for your health concerns and provide you with what both you and I measure as outstanding care. This requires that you utilize my services effectively. Remember that though you may feel like you are my only patient, you are not. There are others who may need to be seen for an important health issue in your time slot. Please be considerate and reserve office visits only as advised or for important health issues that have come up.
Though I am available for your medical care, it is important to reserve evening or weekend contact for urgent needs that can not wait until the next workday.
Likewise, don’t delay being seen if a health issue comes up. As I said previously, you can always email, text or call me. I will try my best to return phone calls and emails within 4 hours. If you need to speak with a doctor sooner than I can return your message, please go to the ER. Your health is important and my clinic is not designed for emergencies. But I still want to hear from you once you are on your way and taken care of immediately.
HOSPITALIZATION
I do not provide inpatient hospital care. If you are admitted to the hospital, there will be a hospital physician assigned to take care of you. I want to know as soon as possible if you are admitted, so that I can coordinate care with your hospital doctor and also so that I can see you as soon as you get out of the hospital. If timing permits, I will come to the hospital for a visit.
EMERGENCY CARE
My clinic is not designed to respond to emergencies. Since I am doing this alone without any office staff, phone calls and emails may take up to 4 hours to return. If you have an emergency, do not delay in calling 911. I would like to know eventually so I can coordinate your care with the ER physician. But first, call 911 and make sure help is on the way quickly.
VACATION/SICK DAYS
I am available to you by direct cell phone/email as part of the membership contract. However, there will be times when I am unavailable due to vacation or sick days. I will notify you ahead of time if I have a planned vacation and I will arrange for a back-up “on call” physician to cover in case you need to be seen. If I am unable to arrange back-up, I will also notify you of this and you may need to be seen at urgent care if anything should come up during that time.
Please keep a copy of this document for your records.