WHAT IS A PEDIATRICIAN ?

A pediatrician is a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy who has completed extensive training in the care and development of newborns, infants, children, and young adults. Southern Tier Pediatrics is a group of pediatricians who have joined together in practice to offer quality pediatric care to your children, and at the same time to benefit both your children and ourselves through the exchange of knowledge and professional skills. Besides providing routine pediatric healthcare, Southern Tier Pediatrics also provides specialty services:

Dr. Ken Sobel,

*A physician on staff, who has completed additional training in pediatric endocrine disorders like diabetes.
 

APPOINTMENTS: We try to see all patients on an appointment basis, and we request that you call in advance so that we can reserve time for you. The office telephone numbers are:

Elmira Office: (607)-734-2264

Horseheads Office: (607)-796-2686

Corning Office: (607)-937-5317

We make every effort to honor all time commitments and request that you extend the same courtesy to us. On occasion, emergencies can cause problems, and whenever possible, you will be fully informed if there will be any delays because of this.

TELEPHONE CALLS: You are encouraged to call with any questions you have on medical problems. Many minor problems can be handled by telephone. When your child is sick and you think that he or she should be seen, telephone early in the day and ask to speak to a nurse. She can help to evaluate your needs and arrange for the appropriate care for your child.

After Hours Telephone Calls ----- If you find it necessary to contact the doctor after normal office hours, the answering service will forward all your messages to the physician on call. Your call will be returned at the earliest opportunity. Please reserve this service for emergency use only; Thank You.

EMERGENCIES: Should an emergency occur during office hours, we will ordinarily see the child at the office. After office hours, we may choose to see him/her at our office or at the emergency room of the Arnot-Ogden Medical Center or St. Joseph's Hospital. You should call the office number for instructions prior to leaving home so that we may advise you where to go and what to do in the meantime. At least one doctor is always on call after office hours.

CHECK-UP: Every child should be seen periodically for a complete health evaluation. This should include a physical examination, appropriate immunizations, laboratory tests, and discussion of current problems. This type of exam is not easily or adequately accomplished at the time of a sick child visit, and we much prefer reserving special visits for them. The frequency of check-up appointments may vary somewhat according to the individual child, but in general, child visits are scheduled at 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 months of age, at 2 years of age and then every one or two years.

NURSE PRACTITIONERS: Nurse Practitioners work with us examining newborn infants in the hospital nursery and instructing the mothers in the care of the newborn infants. In the office, the nurse practitioners examine children for check-ups, provide counseling/patient education for both children and parents, and see children with minor illnesses. We will try to schedule your child for their well child check-ups on an altering basis with their primary physician so that your child will benefit by having both a primary physician, and a primary nurse practitioner.

PAYMENT POLICY: Payment is expected the day the child is seen. We realize that unexpected visits to our office may be necessary and/or financial difficulties may occur unexpectedly. We are prepared to accept partial payment or reasonable delay in payment if you explain the situation to our business office. All accounts which remain outstanding for four months without explanation may be referred to our collection agency.

INSURANCE & INSURANCE FORMS: We try to simplify the preparation of insurance claims, thereby holding down costs that are unrelated to the delivery of good medical care. We participate with several insurance plans. Please check with the receptionist for a current list of these. These insurances are billed directly for you. We will be happy to file claims to any other insurance carrier for you, provided they accept the universal claim form. Otherwise, your copy of the billing slip contains all the information your insurance company needs. Please remember that insurance is considered a method of reimbursing the patient for fees paid to the doctor and is not a substitute for payment. The agreement of the insurance company to pay for medical care is a contract between you and the company. Some companies pay fixed allowances for certain procedures and others pay a percentage of the charge. For insurance's we participate with, it is your responsibility to pay any deductible amount, co-pay, co-insurance, or any other balance not paid for by your insurance company at the time service is rendered. For insurance companies we do not participate with, payment in full will be requested at the time of service. Medicaid recipients are required by the State to bring their card with them for every visit. If the card is not present, you may be responsible for payment the day of service. If the service is for routine care, you may be rescheduled for a later date.

Our billing staff will be happy to answer your questions or lend assistance to your financial needs. The billing office is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm. The special billing office telephone number is (607)-734-3252