Pediatric Practice Policies and Information

Sick Visits

We understand that a sick child can be very worrisome for a parent. We believe same day appointments are very important in a pediatric practice and it has always been our goal to be available to you. Please call our office as soon as possible in the morning if your child needs to be seen to ensure appointment availability. Occasionally sick visits are "worked-in." We do our best to remain on time, but please be patient as some delays may be beyond our control.

Well child care

Please schedule 3-6 weeks ahead of time. Well child appointments are recommended at the following ages:

• 2-3 days after discharge

• 2-4 weeks of age

• 2 months *

• 4 months *

• 6 months *

• 9 months

• 12 months *

• 15 months *

• 18 months *

• 24 months

• 3 years

• Every year thereafter

  * Regular immunizations are given at these visits.

We encourage parents to schedule well visits 3-6 weeks ahead of schedule. Summer is the busiest time due to back to school and sports physicals.
Please see our parent information section for specific visit details.

After hours calls

Our after hours number is 859-585-8066.

Your call will be answered immediately or you will be asked to leave a message and your call will be returned within an hour. Please include your name, your child's name, and date of birth, problem, and a number where you can be reached. Remove any call blocks on your phone (otherwise your call can't be returned) and leave the phone line free. Calls are answered by Dr. Fouch or Mrs. Kessler, or occasionally by the nurse triage line at Kosair Children's Hospital. This is a unique service that our practice offers.

Please limit night and weekend calls to problems that are truly urgent so that this service can continue to be offered. Common problems such as feeding questions, constipation, etc. can usually wait until normal business hours. Please also see our "Parent Resources" page or the information under "My Sick Child".

When your call is returned, please have a pen and paper available, as well as a list of the child's medications, a recent approximate weight, the child's temperature, and the number to your pharmacy.

Vaccine policy

At Mt. Sterling Pediatrics, your child's health is our top priority. Because of this, we do not accept patients who are not vaccinated. Vaccines save lives. Unvaccinated children can be dangerous to others, especially small infants and pregnant mothers. Please see our parent information section for resources to reassure parents about vaccine safety. Please contact our office with any questions.

Cancellations

Please notify our office as soon as you are aware that you need to cancel your appointment. Giving 24 hours is preferred. Our schedule fills up quickly and early cancellations allow for others to be seen.

Late Arrivals and no-shows

We understand that from time to time, circumstances may prevent a patient from being on time for an appointment. However, frequent late arrivals without notification and "no show" visits are unacceptable. We have a 15-minute grace period for our appointments. Those arriving later may be asked to reschedule. Repeated "no show" visits may result in a dismissal from the practice and/or a $25 fee. Insurances will not cover this fee.

Walk-ins

Our office does not accept walk-ins. Please call for an appointment.

Prescription refills

Mt. Sterling Pediatrics utilizes an entirely electronic health system. Prescriptions are "e-prescribed" to pharmacies. Patients can call their pharmacy for refill requests. The pharmacy can electronically send the request to our office. This decreases medical errors and allows for quicker response to the request. Of course, parents can also call our office for refills. Please allow at least 48 hours for refill requests.

School excuses

School excuses can be obtained at the front desk at the time of checkout. School excuses will only be given if your child was seen in the office. Please do not ask our front office to back-date excuses.

Completing forms

Please bring any physical forms with you to your child's well checkup. They will be completed free of charge at that time. Forms for School, Sports or Camps must have the medical history information completed by the parent PRIOR to us receiving it. Other forms, such as FMLA, disability forms, and physical forms not brought at the time of the well checkup may take up to a week to complete and will require additional payment of $10. Please see the "Patient Forms" section for some of the forms that the schools require.

Antibiotic policy

We do not call in antibiotics without seeing the child first. This is important because antibiotics are not effective on viruses, and overuse of antibiotics can cause bacteria to become more resistant and lead to unnecessary side effects for your child.

Medical Records

Medical Records Release (372 KB)

HIPPA Policy

HIPPA (86 KB)

Financial Policy

Financial Policy (1201 KB)

Payment options are Cash, Check, and major credit cards.

 

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