Office Policies - Patti's Place: Vital Pediatrics for Complex Kids, LLC | Dr. Patricia Shearer
Patti's Place: Vital Pediatrics for Complex Kids, LLC | Dr. Patricia Shearer logo for print

Phone: 404-986-8756 | Fax: 404-986-0803

Office Policies

Appointment Policy

Appointment Required

Patti's Place: Vital Pediatrics for Complex Kids, LLC wants to assure every child and family the time for an adequate and thoughtful encounter. Therefore, we work by appointment only.

Cancellation Policy

Appointments can be made Monday 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. through Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. as long as time is available. There is $20 no-show fee for appointments that are not kept within a 24 hour notice period. After 3 cancellations or "no-shows" within 30 days patients may be asked to seek care from another provider.

Primary Care Provider Required

Dr. Patti is a consultant. She requires every patient to have a general pediatrician or other provider for primary care. The name and contact information of the primary care provider will be noted before an appointment can be scheduled. Your child must have had at least one appointment with the primary care provider before  scheduling with our office. Your child must also continue to receive care from this provider throughout the entire period of time he or she receives care in our practice. Parents are required to notify us of any changes in the primary care provider. The primary care provider will be responsible for ordering lab tests, imaging studies, and authorizations for services.

Our practice does not offer well child visits, sports physicals, immunizations, or sick visits. We believe that your child's pediatrician or primary provider is the best resource for ongoing pediatric care.

Immunizations

Parents must agree for their child to receive immunizations (vaccines) in accordance with the schedule for age recommended for the Centers for Disease Control. This will require verbal attestation at the time of scheduling. Avoidance of immunizations, absent a legally recognized exemption, will disqualify your child from participating in our practice.

Scheduling and Registration

When you contact us to schedule an appointment for your child, we will call you to register. This process will include collecting the following:

  • your name
  • your address
  • your phone number
  • insurance information
  • emergency contacts
  • consent to reach out to you
  • name and contact information of the primary care provider

With your permission, we will then text you with questions to complete on your cell phone about your child's history to streamline your visit. You will also be asked to provide an image of your driver's license and insurance card. We encourage you to complete the questions ahead of the visit to give you ample time during the encounter.

As required by law, we will provide you a copy of the HIPAA notice of privacy to review. You do not need to sign the form here. You will be given the opportunity to sign the form on your cell phone. We will also provide you a release of information form to print, complete, and scan back to us to obtain medical records.