Emergency Calls
Our practice is always covered by a physician for emergencies. Emergency calls are directed to the on-call physician immediately. In the case of severe life-threatening emergencies, we ask that you call 911 or proceed directly to the nearest emergency center. When you arrive, please have someone notify us of your location and the problem.
For other non-life threatening emergencies we will be able to provide you with first aid instructions or tell you where to take your child for the best emergency care. We recommend the Children's Emergency Center at the Gwinnett Medical Center (open 24 hours daily) or the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) Urgent Care Center located on Satellite Boulevard near Gwinnett Place Mall (M-F 11 AM to 9 PM, weekends 9 AM to 9 PM).
Calls During Office Hours
If you have any questions or problems that we can assist you with, you may call the office during routine office hours. The office staff will be happy to provide any assistance they can. They have been trained to make decisions on which patients need to be seen and how to treat children who do not need to be seen . However, if you would prefer to have your child seen no matter what the circumstance, please let us know. If a physician's assistance is required, or if you need to speak directly to a doctor, the nurse or receptionists will take your message and forward it to the physician.
After Hours Calls
For non-life threatening after hours calls you may call our answering service. Calls should be made only for emergencies or urgent problems that cannot wait until the morning. Please call 770-995-2946. These calls may be answered by the nurses at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Advice line, or the doctor on call. The Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Advice line is a service of the CHOA Health System where trained nurses are qualified to answer common and specific questions. Since February 2009, due to complex federal regulations, CHOA has begun to bill us a fee for every call they receive from one of our patients who is referred to them by our answering service, or who calls them directly on the 404-250-KIDS number. As a result, our office will be billing you a $15.00 fee for each of these calls. If you find you need after hours advice, we suggest you contact your insurance companies Nurse Advice line, which is part of your insurance company. You can reach them by calling the phone number on your insurance card.
| Aetna | 800-556-1555 |
| BCBS (Emory) | 866-545-3507 |
| BCBS Georgia | 888-724-2583 |
| Cigna | 800-564-8982 |
| Coventry | 866-364-5663 |
| Humana | 800-622-9529 |
| Kaiser | 404-261-2825 option 1 |
| Peach State | 800-704-1484 option 7 |
| United Health Care | 888-842-4224 |
Prescription Refill Calls
We will be happy to refill prescriptions during our weekday office hours. No refills after hours or on weekends. Please try to anticipate any refill needs for chronic medications as your supply begins to run low. However, it is a policy of the practice not to call in new prescriptions, antibiotics, or controlled drugs without first seeing the patient.
