mindful medicine, inspired health
Practice Policies
The nature of a one-person office limits some and expands other aspects of access. Please understand the following policies have each been created to address the needs of patients as well as the practice and its sustainability. Please review each of the points below and feel free to email me any questions that come up. I know it’s long, but bear with me!
Timeliness
This office is different from others in that there is no designated waiting area because there is usually no waiting. However, if you arrive earlier than your scheduled office visit, I may be finishing up with another appointment. Please wait outside if the weather is agreeable, or have a beverage at Javarama, just south of my building.
Scheduling Appointments
Please visit the SCHEDULING TAB for more detailed information on scheduling your appointment electronically. You simply need to create an account and establish contact with Dr. Ott, wait for your new account to be accepted, and schedule away! We are anxious to hear your feedback about this system so we can optimize it for convenience and functionality.
Cancellation Policy
Your appointment time is reserved especially for you. If a patient forgets or fails to show up for their appointment, there will be a $75.00 fee. The same applies to appointments canceled with less than 24 hour’s notice. Please call if you are running especially late so that we will not worry; your appointment time will not be extended due to a late arrival. If not keeping appointments becomes a trend (twice or more), you may be at risk for termination. (See below.)
Prescription Refill Policy
Another difference in a one-doctor office, is that no one is standing by to fax refills to pharmacies. This task can be surprisingly daunting, so all refills will need to be requested and handled during an office visit. This will require a bit of mindfulness on the part of patients who are on long term medication such as those for blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid, et cetera. If you are aware of how many refills you have, you will be more able to plan appointments as needed. Sorry for the potential inconvenience, but this policy is an important one for the sustainability of the practice!
Services Offered
Dr. Ott provides basic primary care services for patients of all ages. Annual physicals including pelvic exams are available (though if a chaperone is desired, please arrange your own). Minor procedures such as wart removal, EKGs, and skin biopsies will be offered as well. Vaccinations are available (it is helpful if you confirm availability prior to appointment) as will a few simple lab tests such as urine pregnancy test, urine analysis, strep test, etc. Though hospital medicine is not the major focus of the practice, Dr. Ott does have privileges and can admit at Legacy Emanuel, Legacy Good Samaritan, and Providence Portland Medical Center.
In the outpatient setting, Dr. Ott enjoys addressing health-affirming lifestyle changes, therapeutic nutrition, and she works closely with many practitioners in naturopathic medicine, chiropractic, acupuncture, body work, and more.
Narcotics Policy
Chronic use of habit-forming drugs such as narcotics and benzodiazepines is seldom in the best interest of patients or prescribers. For this reason, Dr. Ott will NOT prescribe chronic narcotics or benzodiazepines with very rare exception. A prescribing agreement with strict parameters will be signed in the unlikely event that long term narcotics are required. Having stipulated the above, a patient's pain will be addressed and treated appropriately.
Dr. Ott’s Availability By Phone and Email
Due to the intention to create close relationships with a community of mindful patients, Dr. Ott goes out of her way to remain available and accessible. Having said that, her personal time is also of great value. Please email or leave a message on the office’s main line for non-urgent matters, and call twice for urgent matters. The office phone is usually forwarded to a cell phone to promote accessibility. I typically check my email multiple times per day but in an effort to leave work at work, I may answer weekend emails on Monday or evening emails the following day. Urgent concerns can often be seen in the office outside regular working hours if needed. Most importantly, never delay emergency treatment when indicated.
Time Off and Vacations
Should you need urgent matters addressed by phone or hospital care when Dr. Ott is out of town or unavailable, there will be an on-call physician responsible for these admissions and their number will be left on the office voicemail. If you need hospitalization at a hospital where she does not have privileges, the hospitalist service at that institution will admit you and should alert Dr. Ott to your admission. There will generally be a phone recording that indicates when she is unavailable for returning phone calls and who is the physician to call. Never delay calling 9-1-1 if you feel you have a medical emergency.
Pharmaceutical Samples Policy
Dr. Ott believes her time should be spent with patients, not sales reps for pharmaceutical companies. Prescription samples are marketing tools. These marketing tools generally will not be available in this office. Instead, she will prescribe the best medication that costs the least amount of money for the job when a prescription is required. For more information on the disturbing practices of the pharmaceutical industry in relation to datamining, prescription privacy, and more, please visit the National Physicians Alliance on-line at www.npalliance.org.
Grounds For Termination of Patient-Physician Relationship
A physician may terminate a relationship with a patient at any time by giving 30 days notice during which the physician is responsible only for responding to urgent medical matters. Dr. Ott will reserve this action for patients who demonstrate a lack of respect for themselves and the practice by missing appointments repeatedly, disregarding the practice’s stated policies, or acting in a way that is deceptive, disrespectful, or dishonest. By definition this will be a small practice, so it is important that those who are seen here are invested in the relationship with their physician and act in a manner that demonstrates the same.
Insurance Plans and Payment Policies
Nanopractice PDX is contracted with the list of insurance plans below. Please be sure to bring your insurance card with you and to alert the practice of any changes in your insurance status. Dr. Ott will bill your insurance company as a courtesy, but co-pays and deductibles should be paid at the time of service and are accepted in cash, check, and now credit card!
- Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield OR (and other BCBS plans)
- Providence Health Plans
- ODS
- Great West Healthcare
- Healthcare Direct
- United Healthcare/ Pacificare
- Lifewise
- Pacific Source
- Aetna (via Providence network)
- CIGNA (via Providence network)
Outstanding balances are the responsibility of the insured patient or guarantor. In the unlikely event that collection agency services are required, please be aware that you will be billed for said cost and any late fees. In addition, a fee of $25.00 will be charged for any returned check. If a balance remains outstanding with no payment arrangement for >2 months, a $25.00 late fee will be charged each month.
Thanks for understanding.
Alternative Financial Arrangements
Some un-insured or under-insured patients elect to pay twenty or thirty dollars a month into their patient account as pre-payment for medical services. If this arrangement interests you, please ask Dr. Ott for details. This does not entitle the patient to any number of visits, but the discount for payment at time of services will be offered to these patients. Extended payment arrangements may be made on rare occasions.