Policies

We work hard to not overuse antibiotics.

We educate families on appropriate use of antibiotics, but follow evidence-based guidelines and don’t automatically treat ear pain or a green snotty nose with antibiotics.

We do not routinely prescribe antibiotics over the phone as we do not believe that is good medicine. We will prescribe an antibiotic when we believe it is an appropriate treatment.

Efficiency through the use of technology

You will be encouraged to consult our website, register for and use our patient portal, and effectively use automated reminders for appointments and for routine care/immunizations that are due.

For your convenience, we accept cash, personal checks, and most major debit and credit cards. You will be charged a fee for any returned checks.Copayments are collected at the time of service. We will verify your coverage and co-payments at each visit so, we do ask that you have your insurance cards present.
 

We firmly believe in vaccinations.
 

At Advocare First State Pediatrics:

We firmly believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives. We firmly believe in the safety of our vaccines. We firmly support the expert guidance and recommendations provided by leading health authorities, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

We firmly believe that all children should receive all of the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). We firmly believe, based on all available literature, evidence, and current studies, that vaccines do not cause autism or other developmental disabilities. All of our own children are vaccinated. All of our physicians believe that vaccinating your children may be the single most important health-promoting and life-saving intervention that you can perform as parents.
 

We believe:

• Vaccines save lives. Immunizations have been proven to prevent serious illnesses, reduce the spread of contagious diseases, and protect vulnerable populations.
• Vaccines are safe. Extensive research and rigorous safety standards ensure that vaccines are both effective and secure for children and young adults.
• Vaccines protect communities. By vaccinating according to the recommended schedule, we help prevent outbreaks and protect individuals who cannot be immunized, such as infants too young for certain vaccines or those with certain medical conditions.

Due to this philosophy, our physicians do not provide medical care for families that do not vaccinate their children.

Our official vaccination policy states:

All children must receive all routine vaccines recommended by the AAP and within the CDC guidelines for vaccination timeline. Flu vaccinations are also strongly recommended though not mandated. HPV and Meningitis B vaccinations are also not manditory but are strongly recommended. Parents or caregivers who refuse vaccination for their children will be given a 1 month grace period to find another healthcare facility. If this is the case, please recognize that by not vaccinating you are putting your child at unnecessary risk for life-threatening illness and disability, even death. CDC guidelines provide a window for when a specific vaccine should be given. This allows sufficient flexibility in getting your child properly vaccinated. We prefer to remain your child’s Pediatricians and will not dismiss any family who is actively working to properly vaccinate their children.
 

Everyone's Time is Equally Valuable.

We ask that you arrive 5 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. We understand sometimes things happen beyond your control that may cause you to be late. However, we reserve the right to ask you to reschedule if you arrive late for your appointment.

Our practice makes every effort to run on time with appointments, as we believe everyone’s time is equally valuable.
Upcoming Appointments Via Phone/Text Message/Email.
 

Missed Appointments: Broken appointments represent a cost to us, to you, and to other patients who could have been seen in the time set aside for you. We reserve the right to charge a fee for canceled or missed appointments. We request 24 hours notice for cancellation of appointments.
 

A fee may be charged for a second missed appointment. Three missed appointments in one family will result in discharge from the practice.
 

For new patients, a fee may be charged if the FIRST appointment is missed.