Patient Services

Office Hours

Our regular office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. We offer after-hour appointments each morning at 7:45 am and every evening at 4:15 pm. During our lunch, and when the office is closed for holidays, the phone will be turned over to the answering service, which will contact the triage nurse or physician on call for emergencies.

Appointments

Except for emergencies, patients will be seen by appointment only. Please call 752-PEDS (7337) to schedule an appointment. We reserve time in our doctors' schedules daily to accommodate same day appointments for children with acute illnesses. To help us best accommodate you, please call as early as possible. Inform the nurse if you have multiple concerns or if you think you may require extra time with the physician. Please call ahead if you need to "add on" another child to be seen at the same time of another child's previously scheduled appointment. Walk-in patients will be offered and/or seen at the next available work-in appointment that day.

In general, well child check-up appointments should be scheduled 3-4 weeks in advance. If your child plays a sport through school, state law requires a yearly physical exam/well visit. Please plan ahead when scheduling a physical in the summer, as this is our busiest time of year for this type of appointment. Please arrive on time for your child's appointment. Our doctors make every effort to remain on time; arriving late not only affects the doctor's schedule, but also affects the patients who have appointments following yours. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late for your appointment, you may be asked to reschedule.

If you will be unable to keep a scheduled appointment, please call to reschedule or cancel. This courtesy will allow us to make the appointment time available to another patient who may need it. You will be charged a $30.00 fee for appointments not cancelled 24 hours prior to your appointment. Excessive no-show or missed appointments will result in dismissal from the practice. It is our policy that children must be directly supervised by a parent or other responsible adult while on the premises of West Alabama Pediatrics.

New Patients/NEWBORNS

Congratulations! We are so excited for you and honored that you have chosen West Alabama Pediatrics to be your pediatric practice! Please call or text our office to receive a New Patient Application. Applications are reviewed daily and parents are typically notified within 24 hours.

MOMMY & ME LACTATION SERVICES

Mommy & Me Lactation Services is located in West Alabama Pediatrics and provides Prenatal & Lactation Consultations by International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) and Certified Lactation Counselors (CLC).

Prenatal Consultations provide a private one-on-one environment to discuss the importance of breastmilk for the growth of your baby. Research has shown that being educated on breastfeeding before delivery improves your chances of successfully meeting your breastfeeding goals. Hands-on demonstrations of latching techniques and positioning are valuable for visual learning. The physicians of West Alabama Pediatrics are available for a meet and greet at this visit.

The first prenatal appointment is typically between 20-24 weeks gestation and the second prenatal between 34-37 weeks gestation. In these appointments we will review the benefits of breastfeeding, proper latching, newborn care, along with how to purchase and use your breast pump. We find these appointments beneficial for both mom and dad to attend.

POSTPARTUM CONSULTATIONS are offered after discharge from the hospital to ensure adequate growth of your newborn and address any breastfeeding problems with our Lactation Consultants. We will follow your baby's progress closely until you are comfortable and confident in your breastfeeding ability.

Your newborn will see his or her pediatrician and have a lactation visit within 2-3 days after discharge from the hospital. Additional lactation visits and visits with your pediatrician are available to assist you with any breastfeeding needs.

Emergencies

In case of a life-threatening emergency or very serious accident, call 911 for immediate help. We discourage the use of an afterhours clinic or emergency room for routine pediatric problems. We feel the quality and continuity of the pediatric care we provide outweighs any element of convenience. Should you be referred to the emergency room by our phone nurse or need to seek an emergency department, please go to Children's Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham or DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa. Please notify our office during regular business hours if your child has been to an outside clinic. We would like to receive medical records so we will be aware of your child's complete medical history and do follow up as needed.

Phone Calls

Our skilled nursing staff is available from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday. If you have a sick child, please be prepared to give the nurse the following information: your child's first and last name, date of birth, symptoms, temperature, length of illness, primary care physician, any known drug allergies and your pharmacy. We make every effort to return phone calls within an hour.

After Hour Phone Calls

When possible, please allow our staff to help you during regular business hours. Seeking assistance from our daytime staff, allows us to have access to your child's medical history and records. After Hours phone calls that are received by the on-call nurse or physician will incur a $10.00 fee. You will reach our answering service and be forwarded to a registered nurse or physician on call. Poison Control can be reached at 1-800-222-1222.

Prescription Refills

Prescription Refills are available during office hours only.

Insurance and Office Policies