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How do I book a new patient consultation?

Please have your referring provider fax over your demographics, progress notes, labs, and kidney imaging to 978-452-9111 to begin the booking process. Be sure that the reason for consultation is listed on the fax. Missing info can result in delays in getting an appointment.   

 

How will you notify me of my new patient consultation appointment?

• Once we receive all the information from your referring provider, we will book you for the first available appointment and have our provider review your records to determine if the appointment booked is appropriate or if you need to be seen sooner. 

• If the appointment booked is appropriate, we will mail you a new patient letter with the details of your appointment.  If your insurance requires a referral authorization, the name and NPI number for the provider you will be seeing is listed on the letter. Be sure a referral authorization is in place prior to your appointment. 

• When it gets closer to your appointment, we will mail out a new patient packet to be completed and mailed back to us prior to your appointment. 

• If our Nephrologist feels you need to be seen sooner, we will call and let you know that we are work on finding you a sooner appointment and will contact you as soon as an appointment becomes available.

 

What if my referring doctor feels the appointment given is not soon enough or has questions?

If your doctor is requesting an urgent consultation or has questions, please have them call our office directly at 978-453-1811 to discuss it with one of our providers. They can also reach our providers directly through TigerConnect.   

 

What do I need to bring to my first appointment?

For your first visit, we ask that you arrive 30 minutes early and bring your ID, insurance card(s) and the new patient packet we mailed to you before your visit if you haven’t mailed it back to us yet.  Please make sure the new patient packet forms are fully completed. If you do not get a new packet in the mail, you can print and complete the forms  HERE and bring them with you or we can provide you with a copy to fill out at check-in.  Copayments are also due at the time of visit.  We accept cash, checks, credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.  If you are a new patient consult, we will collect a urine sample before you see the provider, so drink some water before your appointment.

 

What is the appointment cancellation policy?

We are always happy to be able to work with you and your health care needs and reserve a time in your providers schedule just for you.  However, in consideration of others we require at least 48 hours’ notice prior to cancellation of an appointment.  We understand that there are circumstances that may prevent you from keeping your appointment, however, in providing us with at least 48 hours’ notice; we may be able to contact another patient who needs to be seen. There is a cancellation or no-show fee of $50 if our office is not notified at least 48 hours prior that you will be unable to make your appointment.If you are running late for your scheduled appointment, please call the office immediately to see if we can accommodate you. If you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment, you may need to be rescheduled to another day and time, in consideration of other patients and their scheduled appointment times. 

 

What to expect at follow up appointments

At check in you will be asked to provide your updated insurance, address, pharmacy, PCP information, and medication list at every visit. Please bring an updated medication list with you to every visit. Medications are verified before you go in to see the provider. Lab work is to be done one week before EVERY visit unless it is specifically stated at your previous visit that labs are not required.

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Why do I need to do labs before each follow up visit and where do I go for labs?

Lab work should be done before each visit to assess your kidney function and monitor disease progression. This allows us to evaluate how the kidneys are functioning at the time of the visit, make informed decisions about treatment plans, and potentially adjust medications or dosages. At the end of every visit, along with your visit summary, we will hand you the lab order(s) to be done before your next visit at any laboratory of your choice, or you may request that we mail the orders to you prior to your next visit. Lab orders are also automatically transmitted to LabCorp but we recommend bringing the order with you to the lab in case it doesn’t appear in their system.

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How will I get appointment reminders?

We send out automated confirmation calls four business days prior to your appointment. You will prompted to confirm, cancel, or reschedule the appointment.  Three days before your appointment, if you are text-enabled, you will received an SMS text as well and you will again have the option to confirm, cancel, or reschedule via text.  If you opt to cancel or reschedule, you will receive a follow up call from our staff to rebook your appointment. 

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How will you notify me of my lab and diagnostic results?
We will contact you with lab/diagnostic results that need follow-up treatment; otherwise, your results will be discussed during your next visit. Please note labs ordered by us do not show up on the MyTufts app, we are a private practice. To view your results, sign in to our PATIENT PORTAL. Call our office at 978-453-1811 if you would like to sign up for the portal. 

                             

What if there's been a change in my insurance or contact information?
Please notify the office immediately when you have a change of name, address, telephone, or insurance information.  You will be responsible for claims denied for incorrect information or late claim filing. 

 

How do I give permission for a family member, friend, or caretaker to discuss my care with my provider?

In order to discuss any matters related to your care with a family member, friend, or caretaker, we must have a signed Patient Authorization Form or a copy of your Health Care Proxy on file. Click HERE to get a copy of the Patient Authorization form. 

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How do I get a prescription refilled?
You may do so by calling our office and providing us with the name of the drug, strength, direction, quantity, number of refills, and the name and location of the pharmacy. You can also contact your pharmacy to send us an electronic prescription refill request or make the request through our patient portal. Please allow two business day notice for all prescription refills. Any requests made after Thursday at 12:00 PM might not be filled until Monday. Also keep in mind we are closed on New Years Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving Day, day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day when requesting refills. Call your pharmacy to be sure the prescription is ready before you go to pick it up.  If you have not been seen in our office within the past year, and require a prescription refill, you must schedule an appointment. 

 

I am a dialysis patient of the practice, if I have questions regarding my care, how do I reach my provider?

If you are a hemodialysis patient and have questions related to your care, you can address them with whichever one of our doctors that are rounding at on your shift, as all our providers rotate coverage at the dialysis unit. If a provider is not at the unit on the day of your treatment, you may leave a message with the nurses at the unit to be given to our providers. If you are a peritoneal dialysis patient, please contact the peritoneal dialysis nurse with any questions you have for your provider. 

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As a dialysis patient, how do I make an appointment to see a provider in the office?

Once you are on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, you no longer get seen in the office. Any pre-existing office appointments you had prior to starting dialysis will be cancelled. Our providers will be treating you through the dialysis units. 

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What is the patient portal?

The patient portal is a secure, convenient, and easy way to access your health information

Here’s what you can do with our portal -

• Communicate with your provider

• Manage your appointments

• Access your test results

• View your medications and request refills

 

How do I sign up for the patient portal?

The patient portal is available for all existing patients. To sign up for the patient portal, call our office  and provide us with your email address to activate your portal account. You will receive an automated email within 5 to 10 minutes of activation with your login credentials and instructions to login. 

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How can I get a copy of my medical records?
The law requires that we have a signed medical release document from you to release any medical records to another provider or medical facility. Please allow 7 to 10 business days for completion of request. Click HERE to get a record release form.

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