Are We a Good Fit For You?

 Immunization Policy

At Highland Pediatrics, we believe that vaccinating your child in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Immunization Schedule is absolutely the right thing to do for all infants, children, and young adults.

• We firmly believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and save lives.

• We firmly believe in the safety of all recommended vaccines and every one of their components.

• We firmly believe, based on all available literature, evidence and current studies, that vaccines do not cause autism or other developmental disabilities.

• We firmly believe that delaying or separating childhood immunizations provides no demonstrated health benefits and leaves children vulnerable to dangerous infections.

• We firmly believe that vaccinating children and young adults is one of the most important health-promoting interventions we perform as health care providers, and that you can choose as parents and caregivers. 

All of our own children have received every vaccine in accordance with the AAP Immunization Schedule, and we strongly encourage you to do the same for your children. This reflects not only our professional judgment, but our personal trust in the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. 

We understand that this decision can feel emotional for some families, and we are always willing to have thoughtful, respectful discussions about vaccines.

We recognize that there remains some controversy surrounding vaccines. Much of this stems from their very success -- vaccines have been so effective at preventing serious illness that many of us have never witnessed the devastating effects of diseases such as polio, tetanus, whooping cough, or bacterial meningitis. As a result, a false sense of security and increased skepticism have developed amongst a vocal few. And, unfortunately, declining vaccination rates in certain areas of the United States have already resulted in outbreaks, serious illness, and even deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Our highest priority at Highland Pediatrics is the health and safety of every child in our care. As such, we are strongly committed to promoting complete immunization per AAP guidelines. We will also accommodate families working towards complete immunization, and will remind you of any missed or delayed vaccines at each visit. However, if you choose not to vaccinate your child, Highland Pediatrics is not a good fit for your medical beliefs.

We appreciate you taking the time to review our policy. Please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns with us at your child’s visit.

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.

Highland Pediatrics is a NCQA Certified Medical Home. This is a national certification for quality assurance of patient-centered, coordinated care management progresses. We work hard to provide comprehensive medical care and serve as your medical home. To that end, we expect that you contact our office FIRST before seeking specialty care, or heading to another provider or hospital for urgent care. We want to be involved in either providing care in our office where appropriate, or referring you to the most appropriate specialist and helping to coordinate your care.

Whenever you do see a specialist, we ask that you request a report be sent directly to our office so we may stay informed and have the most up-to-date information in your medical record.

Our practice prides itself on efficiency through use of technology. You will be encouraged to consult our website, register for and use our patient portal, follow us on FaceBook and effectively use automated reminders for appointments and for routine care/immunizations that are due.

We make every effort to meet the needs of our patients, offering both routine well visits, same day sick visit appointments and chronic problem visits.

Please familiarize yourself with our office hours to see if they work for your family.

We have a physician on call 24/7/365. When our office is closed, urgent phone call will be answered by our own pediatricians and nurses or by a professional pediatric phone-triage service. 

You will call 508-679-6833 and our answering service will forward your call accordingly.

Please save routine questions for regular business hours.

Please confirm we participate with your insurance plan prior to transferring to our practice.

It is your responsibility to know the limits and coverage of your particular health insurance policy, to show your cards to us at each visit, and be prepared to pay any copays/deductibles at the time of service.

Our billing staff will do their best to assist you with insurance questions; however, If you have questions about your coverage, it is best check with your specific insurance company.

Our office does not want you to be surprised by a bill, but must always bill your health plan based on federal guidelines and the actual services provided.

Please read our financial policy for more information regarding insurance.

Insurance copays and applicable deductibles are expected to be paid at the time of service. If you are unable to comply, you must speak with the billing department prior to the visit to set up a payment plan.

For acute care, please call the office to speak with our nursing triage staff, who will listen to your concerns and schedule an appointment for you. Sometimes an appointment may not be needed, and staff will advise you regarding your issue, or check with the provider and call you back.

For well visits, please call our routine appointment line.  Well visits may be scheduled up to 12 months in advance. You will receive an automated reminder two days prior to your scheduled appointment.

Our practice makes every effort to run on time with appointments, as we believe everyone’s time is equally valuable.

As a courtesy, we will remind you of your upcoming appointments via phone/text message/email.

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.

Missed Appointments: Missed 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.  You may leave a message to cancel an appointment with our answering service after hours.

A fee will be charged for a second missed appointment. The third missed appointment may result in discharge from the practice.

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