The Children’s Clinic P.A. Office Appointment Policies
We accept patients by appointment and walk ins. Whenever possible, we suggest setting an appointment to ensure a slot at the time you desire.
Office Hours
Our office in Lancaster is open to patients Monday-Friday, 8:00am – 6:00pm, except for holidays. Our satellite office in Indian Land is open Monday-Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm.
Waiting Room
Please check in with the receptionist when you arrive for your appointment. We request that you supervise young children. Children cannot be left unattended in the waiting room. Due to limited waiting space we do request that no more than 2 additional persons attend with the patient. Smoking is not permitted in our office or anywhere in the building.
Missed Appointment & Cancellation Policy
A missed appointment leaves an empty slot that could have been used by a patient in need of medical care. Not canceling an appointment in a timely fashion is unfair to other patients and to our providers. We therefore request that patients who are unable to keep their scheduled appointments notify us at least 4 hours in advance so the time might be made available to someone else. One of the ways that we strive to meet your healthcare needs is to provide appointments with our physicians in a timely manner, many times within the same day. In order to provide these same day appointments, we have the following “no show” policy:
After the first missed appointment, the parent or guardian will be notified by letter of our office policy. The appointment may be rescheduled once upon request.
If a second scheduled appointment is missed within a 12 month period, a second letter is sent, reiterating our policy and a $25 charge will be added to your account. This charge is not covered by insurance and must be paid before the appointment can be rescheduled.
If a third scheduled appointment is missed within a 12 month period, it may be necessary to terminate our professional relationship with the patient and family. A termination letter is sent.
Telephone Policy
We encourage you to call with any questions you have concerning your child’s medical care. Please understand that when you call, the doctor or nurse is usually with a patient. It would be unfair to the other patient under examination if we were to interrupt the examination to answer every telephone call. We do have a nurse triage line open during normal business hours. If you are unable to speak directly with the nurse, please leave a detailed message including the patient’s name and date of birth. Your call will be answered at our earliest opportunity. Please note that most calls are answered in the late morning and late afternoon. Appointment cancellations should not be left on the nurse line or after hours answering service. The evening answering service is intended solely for urgent matters that cannot wait until the next normal business day.