Practice & Policies
A woman’s health care needs are unique as she transitions through life. At Whole Woman Health, I realize there is only one you, and that only an individual, tailored treatment plan addressing your specific needs and goals will do. I provide care for women at every stage of their lives. I invite new patients to contact me for a FREE 15-minute initial phone consult to explore how you can benefit from integrating the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your health care.
Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the Whole Woman Health practice and policies. I want your experience to be the best it can be.
Preparing for your first visit
I am honored by the prospect of your visit and look forward to supporting you to feel your best.
Please head to my first-time patient page for a detailed walk-through of your first steps.
Scope of Practice
My practice encompasses women’s health and gynecology, preventive care, nutrition/lifestyle counseling, and functional medicine. I can provide your annual physical, order both routine and specialized diagnostic tests, evaluate and treat most common women’s health concerns, and support you to feel your best.
I am an expert in using nutrition and lifestyle methods to treat many health problems, although I can and do prescribe medications as appropriate.
I encourage you to develop a relationship with a primary care provider for things that require medical treatment. This would include chronic illnesses you take prescription medicine for, rashes/sore throats/flu symptoms, immunizations, and other issues of a general medical nature. Think about Whole Woman Health and your primary care provider as your team of health care practitioners.
Records
If there are records from another provider that you think will be helpful for me to review, please have them faxed to (207) 563-7003. You will find a records release form in the patient portal.
Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your appointment so you can unwind prior to our meeting. If you expect to have a pelvic exam/Pap smear, please don’t put anything in your vagina (intercourse, medications, etc.) for at least 24 hours before your visit. Try to schedule your visit for a day when you don’t expect to be menstruating.
Self-care
As a courtesy to all patients, I work hard to run on time. Please arrive promptly for your appointment. If you know you’re going to be late, call so we can discuss whether you should reschedule or just plan on a shorter visit (sometimes we can make this work, but sometimes we can’t). If you reschedule, you may still be held responsible for the visit fee.
Running Late
Medications and Supplements
If there are any drugs or food supplements (meal replacement powders, vitamins, herbs, etc.) you take regularly, please note them on the medication and supplement form. You can also bring the supplements with you to your appointment so we can make sure they’re of good quality and the right ones for you.
Billing and Payments
Whole Woman Health is credentialed with Community Health Options (CHO) and can bill them directly on your behalf for office visits. If the office visit is for your annual visit, it’s likely to be covered per the Affordable Care Act. For other services, reimbursement will depend on individual policies and deductibles.
For most other plans, Whole Woman Health does not provide direct insurance billing, although many of our services will be covered by your insurance. Payment can be made by cash, check, or credit card. I will provide you with an itemized receipt that you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement if the services you received are covered by your policy.
There may be some procedures and laboratory tests that are not covered due to your individual policy/plan type. While I will do my best to educate you about this beforehand, you may need to contact your insurance company to clarify what is covered and what is not.
Please provide your insurance information on the Patient Portal, or bring your card with you to your appointment if you have one.
If you are a Medicare patient, we will ask you to sign a Medicare Private Contract prior to your first visit. You will get a copy for your files. Unfortunately, Medicare will not reimburse you for our professional service fees. I can, however, order labs and have them reimbursed for people with Medicare.
Phone Consultation
Phone appointments are billed on the basis of time at increments of $60.00 per fifteen minutes. You simply pay by credit card when we are done.
After-Hours and Emergencies
If you are having what you believe is a true medical emergency, please call 911 or go to the Emergency Room of your nearest hospital.
Feel free to leave a message on the clinic voicemail. I check messages regularly. If you do not receive a return phone call within 48 hours, please call again. Occasionally there are technical problems that keep me from getting your message.
If I am out of the office for a prolonged period during business hours, I will check for and return urgent messages. Messages left after 3:00 pm may not get returned until the next business day.
Cancellation and No-Shows
Late cancellations prevent other patients from being seen promptly. Please provide me with 48 hours notice to cancel an appointment. This means that if you cancel your appointment less than 48 hours prior to its scheduled time, or miss a visit, you may be held responsible for the visit fee in full. I realize there can be extenuating circumstances and will take these into consideration.
Please leave a message on the patient portal ASAP if you are unable to make your appointment.