12/22/06

WE WELCOME YOU AS A PATIENT...and appreciate the opportunity to serve your surgical needs.  The information that follows is designed to answer many of the questions you may have.  If there are any other questions, please feel free to call our office at 843-347-7291 during regular office hours.

APPOINTMENTS AND OFFICE HOURS

Appointments are scheduled Monday through Thursday between the hours of 9:00am and 5:00pm and Friday between the hours of 8:30am and 12:30pm.  We see patients on an appointment basis Monday through Thursday.  We make every effort to avoid unnecessary waits however; emergencies occur which are beyond our control that requires working a patient into our regular appointment schedule.  This problem may cause delay and some patients may have to wait.  There may also be waiting time involved because we take the amount of time necessary to treat each patient’s problem which can vary between patients.  If you are kept waiting we greatly appreciate your patience.

EMERGENCY CARE AND TELEPHONE CALLS

We recognize that emergencies do occur after office hours, and we want to do our best to respond to your problem promptly.  One of our physicians is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  You may speak with one of our physicians by calling 843-248-1927 after normal business hours. If it is necessary for you to be seen in the emergency room the Hospital Emergency Room Physicians are well trained and will be able to perform appropriate initial care and will make referral to our office for follow-up as needed.  If your problem is complicated or severe, one of our physicians will be available and will respond to the Emergency Room Physician’s request.

Telephone calls made during regular office hours will be handled by the appropriate personnel.  Questions about your medication, dressing and post operative care are usually handled by our nursing personnel: registered nurses, licensed practical nurses or medical assistants who have been specially trained in surgical care.  If our nursing personnel are unable to handle the problem or question she will confer with the physician or the physician may speak with you himself. 

WEEKEND AND NON-OFFICE HOURS

One of our physicians is on-call after hours and on weekends; he may be reached by calling our answering service at 843-248-1927.  Calls after office hours and on weekends should be reserved only for real emergencies and not for routine questions or medication prescription refills.

PRESCRIPTION REFILLS

If you need a prescription refilled please call the office during regular office hours.  During the evening and weekends our physicians do not have access to your medical records and it would be extremely difficult to make appropriate decisions regarding medication refills therefore, no refill will be granted.  Please anticipate your medication needs.  If you wish your pharmacist may call to request your prescription refill.  Refill request should be left on our office refill line by dialing 843-347-7291 extension

Frequently surgical procedures require pre-certification through your insurance company which we will gladly assist you with.  All patients scheduled for office surgery, outpatient or inpatient procedures will be asked to speak with our insurance department to insure all necessary information is available for seeking pre-certifications and second opinions that may be required by your insurance carrier.  Our patient advocate is available to assist you during regular office hours should additional assistance be required after your procedure.

If you are being seen for a work related injury, we will need written authorization from your insurance carrier.  If you have any questions, please contact our insurance department.