Practice Policies and FAQs

Practice Policies/FAQ

Focused on each child's wellness and the peace of mind of every parent.

Arapahoe Park Pediatrics Policies and FAQs

The following guide provides answers to many frequently asked questions about Arapahoe Park Pediatrics (APP) office policies and reminders for parents. If you have a general question about parenting and child health, please visit APP’s Child Health FAQ. Please feel free to contact APP if you need further information.
COVID INFORMATION
For the current protocol for COVID symptoms or what to do if you test positive visit the following webpages.  If you still have questions after viewing this information please contact our office.
AFTER HOURS CARE
Our office works in cooperation with Children’s Hospital to provide after hours care. The after hours care gives you and your family immediate access to urgent health care. One such clinic is located on the Littleton Hospital Campus. If you need assistance for your child after regular office hours, call our regular number, 303-795-2345. The answering service will take your name, phone #, and message and will notify the after hours care staff. A pediatric nurse will return your call. If you have not heard from the nurse within 30-45 minutes, or you have urgent concerns, please call back. Unfortunately, Children’s Hospital recently decided to charge our practice for this service. We will regrettably pass this charge on to you. We hope that you feel this is reasonable, especially if the call saves an expensive co-pay for an Emergency Department visit. If your child needs to visit a doctor after hours, you will need to know your insurance carrier and which facility you can go to for urgent care. To keep the telephone lines open for urgent problems, only calls regarding illnesses or injuries will be handled by the after hours staff. Routine prescription refills, appointment scheduling, child rearing advice, and other non-urgent calls will be handled by our office during regular office hours.

The Children’s Hospital After Hours Telephone Care Program (Available to Arapahoe Park Pediatrics Patients)
(These rates effective February 1, 2010.)

Weeknight evenings Monday – Friday 5:00 pm – 11:59 pm $7.50 per call
After midnight Monday – Sunday 12:00 am – 7:00 am $11.40 per call
Weekends Saturday – Sunday 7:00 am – 11:59 pm $8.70 per call
Holidays 24 hours $11.40 per call
Calls referred back to HCP $2.50 per call

APPOINTMENTS
All APP visits require an appointment. We do not see patients on a walk-in basis. Please call and speak with a triage nurse if you are unsure if a visit rather than care advice over the phone is more appropriate. If you feel your sick child will need to be seen, it is best to call early in the day. Please be specific about your child’s needs when scheduling an appointment so we may provide the appropriate time. Well-baby and physical exams require more preparation and time. Please arrive a few minutes early so we may gather preliminary information. If your child needs forms signed for camp, sports, etc., please schedule your appointment 1-2 months in advance.

We try not to over schedule, but occasionally emergencies and unforeseen situations delay us. We hope you will be patient and remember that you will always receive the same careful and professional attention.

 EMERGENCIES
Please dial 911 for all life-threatening medical emergencies.
For more minor emergencies, you may call APP day or night at 303-795-2345, and speak to a triage nurse. The triage nurse will help you decide if your child needs emergent care, an appointment with your APP pediatrician or physician assistant, or if your child can be cared for at home with care advice.

MEDICAL RECORDS FROM PREVIOUS DOCTOR
Please do not drop off these medical records unless your child is being seen on the same day. Please mail your child’s medical records from another doctor’s office to APP’s main office at the following address:
Arapahoe Park Pediatrics
7780 South Broadway, Suite #220
Littleton, CO 80120

OFFICE HOURS
Both APP locations are equipped to treat most minor emergencies. In the event of a minor emergency, please call APP before going to the Emergency Room. You may save valuable time and expense. Saturdays are reserved for sick visits and emergencies. Therefore, we prefer to schedule well-baby and physical exams on weekdays.

Littleton Office:
Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday 8:00 am – 11:00 am

Highlands Ranch Office:
Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

NEW PATIENT PROCESS
APP is ready to welcome first-time parents, parents new to the area, and parents
transitioning from other area pediatricians. We try to make the new patient
process as easy as possible.

Office Visit for Prospective Patients 
 Parents and expectant parents are invited to visit either of our locations anytime during regular office hours. For a tour of one of our offices, or to schedule a meeting with one of our pediatricians, please contact Tina at 303-795-2345 to learn more.

New Birth Hospital Visit by APP Doctor
Your APP pediatrician would welcome the opportunity to meet their newest patient and congratulate the proud parents. He/she will visit you and your baby at the hospital within 24 hours of the birth. (These visits are normally restricted to Littleton Hospital and Sky Ridge Medical Center.) Simply tell the hospital who your APP doctor is during your check-in, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Download and Complete Forms Prior to First Office Visit
For your convenience, APP has made most of its new patient forms available on this website. This enables parents to complete the forms at home, and then save time during that first APP office visit. Click here to visit the Download Patient Forms page.

PAYMENTS, BILLING, & INSURANCE
APP’s fee schedule is available upon request. The Office Manager will be happy to discuss any of your questions.

APP is required by your health insurance company to collect any co-payment due at the time of your child’s appointment. Please give us your insurance information when you check in. If your insurance plan requires co-payments, one co-payment is due for each child. If you are unable
to pay the co-payment at the time of your office visit, APP will bill you for the total of all co-payments due, plus a $5.00 per co-payment billing fee.

We will provide you with a copy of the charge sheet for each visit. This is accepted as an insurance claim form. You can attach this sheet to your insurance form and submit it to your company when appropriate.

APP is not able to accept cash in denominations exceeding $20. Each office has only a small amount of petty cash making it difficult to make change for $50 and $100 bills. As always, APP accepts personal checks and credit cards.

PHONE CALLS
We may be reached day or night by calling 303-795-2345. There are pediatric triage nurses available to speak with you by phone. They will help you decide if your child needs emergent care, an appointment with your APP pediatrician or physician assistant, or if your child can be cared for at home with care advice. We would appreciate it if consultation calls about minor problems, medication refills, and well children are made during office hours after 10:30 am. If your problem is urgent, please state this at the beginning of the call. Have a paper, pencil, and your pharmacy’s phone number handy.

Our office works in cooperation with Children’s Hospital to provide after hours care. The after hours care gives you and your family immediate access to urgent health care. One such clinic is located on the Littleton Hospital Campus. If you need assistance for your child after regular office hours, call our regular number, 303-795-2345. The answering service will take your name, phone #, and message and will notify the after hours care staff. A pediatric nurse will return your call. If you have not heard from the nurse within 30-45 minutes, or you have urgent concerns, please call back. Unfortunately, Children’s Hospital recently decided to charge our practice for this service. We will regrettably pass this charge on to you. We hope that you feel this is reasonable, especially if the call saves an expensive co-pay for an Emergency Department visit. If your child needs to visit a doctor after hours, you will need to know your insurance carrier and which facility you can go to for urgent care. To keep the telephone lines open for urgent problems, only calls regarding illnesses or injuries will be handled by the after hours staff. Routine prescription refills, appointment scheduling, child rearing advice, and other non-urgent calls will be handled by our office during regular office hours.

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT
A Physician Assistant, or PA, is a mid-level health care provider who is licensed by the state to provide health care services under the supervision of a physician. These services include performing routine physical exams, counseling patients and their families, treating minor trauma, and diagnosing and treating illnesses, including writing prescriptions. The supervising physician always reviews chart notes written by the PA and is available for consultation when necessary. PA-C indicates that the PA is Board-certified. Certified PAs are required to complete
continuing medical education hours every year and must pass a re-certification exam every six years.

A Child Health Associate is a PA who has received three years of Physician Assistant training with an emphasis in pediatrics. Most Child Health Associates have a bachelor’s degree before beginning their medical education; all have at least three years of college credit. Denver is the home of the only Child Health Associate Program, which is affiliated with the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.
 
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