Pediatric of Northeastern PA - Specializing in the heath care of children from birth to 18.

FAQ's...

Pediatrics of Northeastern Pennsylvania is very pleased that you have chosen us to assist you with your child’s health care. Our goal is to provide optimum health care for your child by working together with you to prevent disease and accidents, and to treat acute and chronic illnesses. Communication is the key to achieving this goal, and we ask your assistance in helping us meet your child’s health care needs. To help you access our services and promote your child’s health, here are answers to questions parents frequently ask about how to best use our services.

1. HOW DO I CONTACT YOU FOR EMERGENCIES? During office hours (8:00 A.M. to 7 P.M., Monday through Thursday, 8:00 A.M. to 5 P.M. Fridays and 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday) please call the office at 346-1464 and inform the receptionist that there is an emergency. After office hours please call us at 346-1464 and a physician will return your call. We have 24-hour coverage by one of our board-certified pediatricians. In case of a life-threatening emergency, please call 911 immediately. In case of a poisoning, please contact the regional Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.

2. WHAT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS OF A NON-LIFE-THREATENING NATURE? If you have questions for us of a non-life-threatening nature, you may call the office with your concern(s) at 346-1464 during the day. Please give your name, your child’s name and age and a number where you can be reached, along with a brief reason for your call. In most cases the phone nurse will take down the information. If no one from our medical staff is available, we will return your call. There may be a delay in returning your call, because we prioritize our callbacks so that the most seriously ill child is taken care of first. Many of the calls to our office will be returned by one of our pediatric nurses. If the nurse is unable to answer your questions, your doctor will return your call between patients or at the end of the day. It’s helpful to have paper, pen, and your pharmacy phone number available when asking us for advice about an illness.

3. HOW DO I SCHEDULE A ROUTINE APPOINTMENT? To schedule a routine appointment, call the office at 346-1464. Our regular office hours are 8:00 A.M. until 7:00 P.M. Monday through Thursday, 8:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. Fridays. Patients are seen by appointment only. If you are unable to keep an appointment, please notify the office as soon as possible.

4. HOW DO I GET A PRESCRIPTION FILLED? Routine prescriptions and refills are issued during regular office hours only. If you’re calling for a refill, please give us the patient’s name, medication, and pharmacy phone number. Please do not call for refills on weekends. These hours are for emergency sick calls only. We generally don’t prescribe antibiotics over the telephone, and refills for controlled substances, such as Ritalin, must be picked up at the office. If you need such prescriptions, call the office, and the nurse will let you know whether an appointment is necessary. If you would like a prescription mailed, please supply us with self-addressed stamped envelopes.

5. HOW ARE REFERRALS TO SPECIALISTS HANDLED BY YOUR PRACTICE? Given the many insurance options available, we ask you to become familiar with the coverage and regulations of your family’s insurance plan. If your insurance carrier requires a referral from your pediatrician in order to see a specialist, we ask you to contact the office at least seven to 10 days in advance of your desired specialist appointment date to assure adequate time to process your referral.

6. WHAT ABOUT PREVENTIVE CARE? Some insurance plans offer coverage for preventive health care services. If your family doesn’t have preventive care coverage, vaccines are available for a minimal charge through the local health department. Please feel free to discuss this with our office staff if you have any questions. It’s our privilege to assist you with your child’s health care. If at any time you have concerns or suggestions about how we can better serve you, please contact us personally.