Office Visits & Policies
Office Visits & Policies
Learn about the policies that help us provide you with the very best of care.
Office
VisitsOffice
FormsAppointment
PoliciesAfter-Hours
CareVaccination
PolicyCOVID-19
SafetyRecords, Refills
& Referrals
VisitsOffice
FormsAppointment
PoliciesAfter-Hours
CareVaccination
PolicyCOVID-19
SafetyRecords, Refills
& Referrals
Well Visits & Sick Child Care
Well Child Visits
Well child exams are a valuable time for parents and providers to focus on preventive care to help keep your child healthy. Each visit includes a complete physical examination to assess your child’s growth and development, and to help identify potential problems early. Hearing and vision screenings, vaccinations, and other tests will be a part of some visits.
Well child visits are key times for communication. Expect to be given information about normal development, nutrition, sleep, safety, and other important topics for parents. It is an ideal time for you to ask questions about your child. Make the most of these visits by writing down your most important questions and concerns to bring with you.
During your child’s first three years we will schedule 12 well child visits, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Children over the age of three are generally seen once a year for their annual check up–the easiest way to remember this is to schedule the visit around their birthday.
Same-Day Sick Visits
We try to see sick children on the same day, if possible. However, if a patient/parent calls for an appointment late in the day or if a patient walks in without a scheduled appointment, they will be booked in the next available appointment time. This may be the following morning, if it is not a medical emergency.
When contacting us about a sick child, please have the following information available:
- Your child’s name and date of birth
- Your primary concern
- The duration of the concern, and whether it worsened, improved or stayed the same?
- What steps have you taken so far to treat your child’s illness?
- Your child’s temperature
- Your child’s overall demeanor
- Your child’s intake of fluids
- Your contact phone number for a callback
Seeing Your Preferred Provider
We try our best to schedule your child with the provider that you request. For well child visits scheduled in advance, this should not be a problem. For sick visits, your child may be scheduled with the first available provider in order to address the issue in a timely manner.
Appointment Length
The length of appointments can vary depending on the type of visit. Most sick visits are scheduled for 15 minutes while well child visits typically range between 15 and 30 minutes. Some appointments may be scheduled for even longer time periods because of the medical complexity of the patient or because of the type of problem (behavior consults, for example, require more time).
If you feel that you may need a longer appointment than routinely scheduled, please let the office staff know so they can help schedule the appropriate appointment time.
Wait Time
We know your time is valuable and we strive to be on-time and efficient. Unfortunately, emergencies and unforeseen needs are a part of our daily practice. If it is a particularly busy day with many sick visits or emergencies, you may be asked to wait–we apologize in advance.
Please alert our medical assistants if you ever feel you have been waiting excessively or need to leave unexpectedly. We will do all we can to accommodate your needs.
Office Forms
New Patient & Pre-Visit Forms
Rocky Hill Pediatrics partners with Yosi Health, a secure platform that allows you to complete many of our forms electronically prior to your appointment. This reduces the time our families spend at the front desk filling out paperwork, decreases call volume and wait times, and improves the overall patient-provider experience.
After booking a new appointment, you will receive a message by text or email with a secure link to your pre-visit questionnaire. We ask that you complete this in full prior to coming in for your visit.
Printable Forms
- If you have been asked to complete one of the forms below, please download and print the PDF, complete the form, and bring it with you to your next visit.
- Preventative Visit Form
- HIPAA Release for Patients 18+
- HIPAA Patient Communication Form
Appointment Policies
Scheduling an Appointment
We require an appointment for your child to be seen. Please call our office to schedule well child visits and same-day sick appointments.
- Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your appointment. This enables our front office staff to review your current information and check your child in on time.
- Please call in advance if you think another child may need to be seen. We will add the second child to the schedule if room is available. Otherwise, we may need to reschedule your appointment for a time when we can give both children the attention they deserve.
- We use YOSI, an online platform that allows you to provide necessary information in advance of your appointment. This speeds the check-in process and improves accuracy. Please fill out on-line information 48 hours prior to routine visits using the link sent to by YOSI.
- You can schedule well visits up to one year in advance.
- For children who only need a shot or vaccine, call the office to schedule an appointment with a nurse.
- Patients who arrive without an appointment will be scheduled for the next available time if the visit is not a medical emergency.
Cancellations
We request that you give us 24 hours notice for cancellations. We understand that emergencies or schedule conflicts arise, so please give us a call. If you do not come to your appointment or cancel with less than 24 hours notice, there is a $50 charge.
Running Late?
We are committed to doing our best to run on-time for each appointment but find that very difficult to do when patients arrive late. Your on-time arrival will help us keep wait times manageable.
Please call us to let us know if you are running late for your appointment. We may be able to accomodate you after consulting with the provider. However, if you are more than 10 minutes late, it is likely that we will need to reschedule your appointment.
After-Hours & Emergency Care
If you are dealing with a life-threatening emergency, please call 911 or go directly to the nearest emergency room. This includes anaphylactic reactions, severe dehydration, serious injury and difficulty breathing.
After-Hours Calls
If you have an urgent matter that truly cannot wait until regular office hours, please call our office and the answering service will connect you to a triage nurse or emergency on call provider.
We aim to keep you out of the emergency department or a walk-in clinic. Most urgent issues can be expertly managed by our triage nurse or physician on call. We do ask that you be respectful of our time when the office is closed and only call us if it is a truly urgent concern. For routine matters, such as scheduling an appointment or a medication refill, kindly call during regular business hours.
When contacting us about a sick child, please have the following information available:
- Your child’s name and date of birth
- Your primary concern
- The duration of the concern, and whether it worsened, improved or stayed the same?
- What steps have you taken so far to treat your child’s illness?
- Your child’s temperature
- Your child’s overall demeanor
- Your child’s intake of fluids
- Your contact phone number for a callback
Emergency & Hospital Care
We recommend Connecticut Children’s Medical Center when possible for emergency care.
Our providers have refer and follow privileges at Connecticut Children’s. If your child is admitted there, we stay in close phone contact with the doctors regarding your child’s care. We also try to call you and check in to see how things are going. A post-hospital visit with us will be scheduled after your child is discharged.
We Are a Vaccinating Practice
We firmly believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives, and have complete confidence in the safety of vaccines. We believe that all children and young adults should receive the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
We feel certain that vaccinating children and young adults may be the single most important health-promoting intervention we perform as health care providers, and that you can perform as parents/caregivers. The childhood immunization schedule is the result of years of scientific study and data on millions of children by thousands of the brightest scientists and physicians.
We recognize that there has been and may always be controversy surrounding vaccination. In many ways, the vaccine campaign is a victim of its own success. It is precisely because vaccines are so effective at preventing illness that some question whether they should be given. Because of vaccines, many have never seen a child with polio, tetanus, whooping cough, bacterial meningitis, or even chickenpox, or known a friend or family member whose child died of one of these diseases. Such success can make us complacent or even lazy about vaccinating. But such an attitude, if it becomes widespread, can only lead to tragic results. Over the past several years, many people in Europe have chosen not to vaccinate their children with the MMR vaccine after publication of an unfounded suspicion (later retracted) that the vaccine caused autism. As a result of underimmunization, there have been outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illnesses such as measles and pertussis in the United States.
We are making you aware of these facts not to scare you or coerce you, but to emphasize the importance of vaccinating your child. We recognize that the choice may be a very emotional one for some parents. We will do everything we can to inform you of the benefits of vaccinating your child. Should you have doubts, please discuss these with your health care provider in advance of your visit. Please be advised, however, that delaying or “breaking up the vaccines” to give one or two at a time over two or more visits goes against expert recommendations, and can put your child at risk for serious illness (or even death) from preventable illnesses.
Finally, if you decide that you do not want to vaccinate your child according to our recommendations, we will ask you to find another health care provider who shares your views. As medical professionals, we could not feel more strongly that vaccinating children on schedule with currently available vaccines is in the best interest for all children and young adults. Thank you for your time in reading this policy, and please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about vaccines with one of our providers.
COVID-19 Safety Policies
Infection Control Practices
While we no longer require masks in our office, we are dedicated to preventing the spread of infection. A separate entrance is used for sick visits and all rooms are sanitized after every visit.
If you or your child are feeling sick, we will ask you to wait in your car. When you arrive for a “sick appointment,” please park in one of the numbered parking spaces on the south side of the building. Please text the number on the sign to indicate the patient has arrived and inform us of your parking spot number. A medical assistant will wave to you or text you when an exam room is ready and bring you directly into that room.
Testing
We offer rapid COVID (antigen) testing, rapid flu testing, RSV testing and rapid strep testing. Test results are typically available within 15 minutes. We also offer COVID testing by PCR (the most accurate form of testing) through Quest Lab. We collect this test in the office, send it to Quest and then notify you of results through our patient portal, typically within 2-3 days. We are able to complete priority testing through Quest for urgent travel or surgery needs.
In general, if you or your child test positive at home for COVID, the test is considered diagnostic and no additional testing is needed in our office to confirm this result.
Telehealth
Telehealth appointments continue to be available for many visit types and may be recommended if you or your child have COVID or are in quarantine due to exposure. Please note, we do not conduct annual physical exams via Telehealth.
COVID Vaccination
Vaccine is still your child’s best protection against severe illness, hospitalization or death from COVID-19. If your child is 6 months of age or older, we recommend that he or she is vaccinated as soon as possible. The vaccine may be the difference between a mild infection or a trip to the hospital.
We offer Pfizer vaccines for children from 6 months through 18 years of age. Please call to schedule an appointment for your child to be vaccinated.
COVID Resources
Our Resource Guide includes a section for COVID-19 resources, including guidance for parents helping their children cope with the stress created by the pandemic.
Records, Refills & Referrals
Medical Record Requests
To transfer your child’s medical record to Rocky Hill Pediatrics, please contact the doctor’s office from where you are transferring . You will likely need to submit this request in writing.
To request a copy of your child’s medical record, please call our office and request a medical record authorization form. Once this form is completed, you may send it to us by mail or fax.
For a $25 fee we will provide you or your new doctor with one copy of your records. Any subsequent requests, legal requests, or requests from the State of Connecticut Disability Program will be charged at a rate of 65 cents a page. By law (Connecticut State Statute 20-7 c), we have up to 30 days to process this request.
Health Assessment Records
If your child needs a health assessment record for their school, athletic program, daycare, or camp, please contact our office with your request and allow us at least seven business days to complete your forms.
Prescription Refills
For routine refills, please call your pharmacy directly and they will forward your request to us electronically.
To renew controlled medications (i.e. medications for ADHD), please call our office between 9:00 am and 4:30 pm and speak with our staff. They will need the following information:
- Your child’s name and date of birth
- The name of the medication you would like refilled and the strength/dosage
- The name and location of your pharmacy
The information will be reviewed by one of our providers for approval. We request that you schedule a follow up visit for your child if it has been more than 6 months since the last medication check or well visit.
Please allow up to 48 hours to process refill requests. Please note that prescriptions will not be refilled by the covering/on-call doctor after hours or on weekends.
Referral to a Specialist
In general, referrals to a specialist are made after consultation with a provider at Rocky Hill Pediatrics. We do not typically make referrals without seeing the patient in our office first. When referrals are ordered, they are typically completed by our administrative staff within one week. The actual appointment date and time are at the discretion of the specialist.