Office Protocol

Office Protocol

Forest Lane Pediatrics would like to welcome you to our pediatric office. The office protocol information below outlines how our practice operates. If you have any questions about these policies, please do not hesitate to ask.

We have provided sick and well waiting areas for your convenience. If you come to the office with more than one child and one of your children is sick then you must report to the sick waiting room. Children who are here for a well exam, recheck or follow-up exam from a previous illness may present to the well waiting room. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.

Immunization Policy

Our physicians believe that all children should be fully immunized unless there are medical contraindications. Therefore, you will need to bring a copy of your child’s immunization records to the first visit in order to be seen. We are unable to accept new patients/families unless they are willing to fully comply with the recommended timetable for vaccine administration per the American Academy of Pediatrics. We believe this policy advocates for children and their best interest.

Automated Phone System

Our office uses an automated phone system to help direct telephone traffic. Please note the prompts as you listen to the system. Phones will be turned on at 7:00 A.M. and turned over to the answering service at 4:30 P.M on weekdays. On Saturdays, the phones will be on from 7:30 A.M. – 10:00 A.M. A few notes about the phone system:

  1. Phone messages are prioritized according to urgency.
  2. Appointments requiring an exam that day will be answered as soon as possible.
  3. Non-urgent calls will be answered within 2-3 hours.
  4. Lengthy calls, such as: Feeding, sleeping, or behavioral questions will be answered by the end of the day.
  5. The referral line will be checked daily – you are responsible to know if you need a referral to see a specialist. Please call the referral line 72 hours in advance of the needed referral.
  6. Medical record requests left on the phone system will be answered daily. Please allow 3 business days to produce the records. The records can be shared via mail, fax, or in-person pickup. We will not send out any records without a signed records release form.
  7. If your regular doctor is busy or out of the office and your child is sick and needs an urgent appointment, he or she may need to see a different doctor. All well exams will be scheduled with your regular physician.

Medication Refill Requests

Please be aware it may take up to 3 business days for your doctor to complete a medication refill request. ADHD medications are commonly out of stock or back ordered. To ease the process of getting an ADHD medication refilled in a timely manner, we recommend the following:

  • Contact your pharmacy a week before your child will be out of medication to see if they have the medication in stock, or if they are able to order it if it is not currently in stock.
  • If they do not have the medication and cannot order it, call other pharmacies near you to locate one that has the medication.
  • Contact our office to request the medication refill and provide the pharmacy information for where the refill should be sent.
  • If you are unable to locate a pharmacy that has the medication in stock, then the doctor may need to recommend a different medication. Please ask your preferred pharmacy what medications and strengths they do have in stock so the doctor will have options to review that are available.

Email Policy

E-mail questions submitted via the Patient Portal will be answered by the following business day. We ask that only the Patient Portal be used for electronic communication with our office in regards to medical information about your child. Communication through the Patient Portal is encrypted, and therefore protected against hacking. E-mail communication directly through the website is not encrypted and should only be used for communication that does not contain any personal or medical information. We will ask you to fill out an e-mail policy form that states what will be addressed via e-mail response in order to comply with HIPPA regulations.

After Hour Calls

After hours calls are addressed by a pediatric nurse. The nurse will be happy to answer any questions and give advice regarding the care of your child, but the nurse will not have access to your child’s chart and can’t prescribe any medications or authorize any refills. A doctor from Forest Lane Pediatrics is always on call and available to the after hours nurse if the nurse needs assistance in caring for your child.

Late Policy

If you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment, you may be asked to reschedule for a later date. If your child is sick, you may wait in the office and be worked in between patients. Please note there will be an extended wait time if you are late for your appointment.

Same Day Appointments

We will attempt to accommodate all same day sick visits requested before 3 pm, however, we can’t guarantee availability.

Forms

Various forms and letters are often lengthy and may take extra time to be filled out. Forms will be returned as quickly as possible. There will be a $15.00 charge for letters or forms needing more than a signature. Please allow up to 3 business days for forms or letters to be completed by our office.

Medical Records

There will be a $6.50 charge for copying of your child’s chart or transferring your child’s chart to another physician.

Appointment No Show Policy

Failure to cancel your appointment within 24 hours notice will result in a $25.00 charge. This charge must be paid prior to scheduling your child’s next appointment.

Divorced/Separated Parents Policy

See policy for the full details.

Please be aware that failure to comply with any of our office protocols may result in dismissal from the practice. Office protocols will be updated as needed to better serve our patients and their families. Thank You,

Forest Lane Pediatrics of Dallas, Frisco, and Mesquite

Office Specific Protocols

All Offices

Dallas Office

Mesquite Office

Frisco Office