Need information about our office, paperwork or policies? At Pathway Pediatrics, our team makes every effort to provide excellent care for our patients and families. For your convenience, we’ve provided answers below to questions that are frequently asked about our offices.
I am transferring my child’s care from another practice. Are there things I need to do before the first visit at your practice?
Yes! To register with our office as new patients, please call us at our Sylacauga office at 256-208-0060 or our Chelsea office 205-678-1286 and press option 1. Please let the receptionist know that you are wanting to register new patients. If you need to schedule an appointment, the staff member can also do that when you call to register with our office. We will do our best to promptly see new patients for well child physical exams and routine care of chronic issues. We also offer same-day availability for acute care appointments (sick visits).
You will also need to make arrangements for your child’s previous medical records to be sent to us. When transferring your child’s care from another practice, we will ask that you fill out a medical records release at our front desk or you can download the form here. You can drop off the completed form at our office or fax it to us so that we can request prior medical records for you. We will need a minimum of an up-to-date shot record and most recent wellness visit before your child’s first visit. Please note that you must complete a release form for each child and each practice where your children were previously seen. To expedite the process you can request that your child’s immunization records to be faxed to us at Sylacauga office: 256-208-0755 or Chelsea office: 205-618-9696. Please contact us for assistance with this process.
Can I visit the office and meet with the pediatrician before my baby is born?
Our providers are typically seeing patients in clinic during normal business hours. However, our clinic supervisors would love to give you a tour of our office and answer any questions that you may have. Call our main number to make an appointment.
How do I get my baby started at your practice?
After delivery, your baby will be seen by a provider on-staff at the hospital. Prior to discharge, you should contact our office to make an appointment for your newborn’s hospital follow-up visit, 1-2 days after discharge.
How do I contact Pathway Pediatrics when the office is closed?
For life-threatening emergencies we recommend that you dial 911.
For non-life-threatening concerns, we recommend taking a look at our new symptom checker tool. It may help you navigate your Childs symptoms until we reopen. If you have an urgent need that can’t wait until normal business hours, please call our after-hours answering service at 205-930-4363.
Please request that the on-call provider for Pathway Pediatrics be paged. Please note the time you call and if your call is not returned within 30 minutes, please call again.
How do I go about getting my child’s medical records?
If you are transferring to another pediatric office, simply sign an authorization for release of information form at the new provider’s office and have them fax it to us. Once we receive the signed request, we will prepare and fax the records directly to the provider’s office at no cost.
If you need them for a legal matter, we strongly recommend that the law office/DHR/etc. sent the request. A fee statement will be sent to the requesting law office and must be paid before we can release the records. We do not charge DHR for records.
If you would like them for your own personal records (and your child has private insurance), you will need to sign the authorization for release of information form. We request a 7 day turnaround on requested records. Once the records have been printed, they must be reviewed by a provider before pickup. At pickup, you will need to show your photo ID and pay a printing fee that depends on the size of your child’s records. The fee structure is as follows: $5.00 research fee, $1.00 per page for the first 25 pages, then $0.50 per page after the initial 25. The fee must be paid before the records can be released.
If your child has Medicaid insurance, you MUST follow Medicaid’s guidelines for requesting records. A Request for Medical Records can be obtained from the Alabama Medicaid Agency website and must be submitted to the address or fax number listed on the form. Medicaid will then send us the request and you will receive the records from Medicaid, not Pathway.
Can I correspond with my pediatrician via email or social media?
Email and social media (Facebook) are not appropriate or confidential forms of communication. We are not able to appropriately document your concerns in your child’s medical record, which leads to gaps in communication and puts your child’s health at risk. Social media is not a secure form of communication and leaves our staff and providers at risk for violating privacy laws. In addition, our providers all have families and deserve personal time. Work-related social media contact infringes upon our providers home-life.
For your convenience we have a secure messaging system through our patient portal. Messages sent through the patient portal will be answered promptly during normal business hours. Our nurse line is also available during normal business hours by calling our office and pressing #3.
Do you accept walk in appointments?
Pathway Pediatrics now offers a walk-in sick clinic in both locations Monday-Friday at 8:00am! These appointments are for sick patients only and do not include wellness or consultation visits. Appointments are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Patients must be in the office at 8:00am to receive a walk-in appointment slot. You cannot schedule a “walk-in” appointment over the phone or through the patient portal. Once our walk-in slots are filled for the morning, patients can be scheduled in the next available sick appointment. These walk-in appointments do not take the place of our Saturday sick clinic or our regular weekday sick appointments. You may still call and schedule a sick appointment later in the day if needed.
When should I schedule my child’s check up?
Our office follows the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics for the timing of well child visits. Following the initial newborn hospital follow-up and one month checkup, well infant checkups occur at two, four, six, nine, twelve, fifteen, eighteen, twenty-four and thirty months. We recommend that your infant’s well child visits be scheduled at the time of the prior well child visit (4 month visit scheduled at end of 2 month visit.) Following the thirty month visit, children should be seen annually starting at three years of age. Please call in advance of desired appointment time to schedule.
Do you have weekend hours?
We offer a sick-only Saturday clinic at our Chelsea office except during the months of June, July & August. The hours are 9AM-12PM.
Do you recommend and follow the standard vaccine schedule?
Yes, we do follow the CDC’s (Center for Disease Control) recommended vaccine schedule. Because the health of our patients is our highest priority, we believe in the safety and efficacy of vaccines. As healthcare providers for children and young adults we believe in protecting our patients from preventable diseases. Click here to see our well visit timeline which includes the vaccine schedule for each age. Here are a few more helpful links:
Vaccineinformation.org
Immunize.org
Healthychildren.org
cdc.gov
How many providers do you have?
We have four board-certified pediatricians, two certified physician assistants, and two certified pediatric nurse practitioners. Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners are able to diagnose, treat, write prescriptions, and provide education on pediatric care.
Will I see the pediatrician or the Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner?
Our practice currently has 4 physicians and 4 mid-level providers (a mid-level provider is either a nurse practitioner or physician assistant). Each of our providers work closely with one another. The collaboration between providers allows our practice to dedicate more time at each visit with your child and keep your wait time to a minimum.
Your office has two locations; can I be seen at both?
Yes, you may be seen at either location, whichever is most convenient for your family. We use an electronic medical record that facilitates your ability to be seen at either office.
Can I take pictures/videos during my child’s appointment?
You may take photos, videos or other recordings of yourself, your child and your family only. No photographs, videos or other recordings of our staff, other patients/individuals or any medical procedures are allowed without written consent from all parties involved and approval from management. This is to protect your privacy and ours. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding!