Patient Information
At ARC, we are dedicated service providers and we want to provide you with necessary health care information. We have organized this patient guide section so our staff can help you address your health care information needs most efficiently.
Appointment Policies and Scheduling
The best time to call your doctor's office for scheduling a routine visit is between 10:00 a.m. and noon and 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. (We prefer to reserve the early mornings and Mondays for calls requiring immediate attention.)
When you call, be prepared to describe your needs so the staff can direct your call most efficiently. Different needs are handled differently by our staff. Your call will most likely (but not necessarily) fall into one of the following categories:
- True emergency (chest pains, severe injury, etc.)
- Same-day illness (sore throat, flu, etc.)
- Routine recheck appointment (blood pressure, post-surgery, etc.)
- Routine physical exam
- Medicine refills
- Test results
- Nurse and/or physician advice
- Billing questions
By categorizing your needs, you will help the staff route your call quickly and appropriately. When you call for an appointment, our scheduling staff will ask you some questions in an attempt to determine the best appointment for you. If you have additional concerns you wish to discuss with the physician or provider at the time of the visit, you may be asked to schedule another visit. If you call for an urgent or same day appointment, we will always try to accommodate your request even if we must work you in to an already full schedule. Please remember that this type of appointment is meant to be brief and only the urgent concern will be addressed. Again, any additional concerns may require a subsequent appointment.
No Show/Late Cancellation
Your appointment represents time that is set aside for you. If you must cancel or reschedule your appointment or you will be late, please notify us as far in advance as possible. We prefer 24 hours notice. Our goal is to see our patients when they want and need to be seen. You can help us accomplish this by taking your appointment time seriously and making a commitment to remember and keep it. You may also notify us via e-mail of appointment cancellations.