Packard Community Clinic

3174 Packard Road (between Platt and Carpenter), Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Tel. (734) 971-1073

New Brochure (file still under construction)

Spring 1998 Newsletter (file still under construction)

Fall 1997 Newsletter

"Offering you personalized high quality health care, regardless of your ability to pay."

These pages will acquaint you with our services, policies, and procedures. We believe that good communication is essential in a Family Practice. It is our wish that this information guide will be useful in meeting your health care needs.



WELCOME TO PACKARD COMMUNITY CLINIC (PCC), a private, nonprofit, 501(c) (3) health care center established in Ann Arbor, Michigan in September, 1973.

OUR MISSION

PACKARD COMMUNITY CLINIC'S MISSION is TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE HEALTH CARE TO YOU (OR ANY PERSON IN NEED), REGARDLESS OF YOUR RACIAL/CULTURAL BACKGROUND OR YOUR ABILITY TO PAY.

Today's technology can make medical care seem impersonal and uncaring. To lessen this possibility, PCC uses a family practice approach. Our aim is to meet your general needs and those of your family members, no matter how old or young they may be. Our goal is to treat you in a caring and professional way.

We also aspire to go beyond providing acute care by offering programs and services which respond to the multiple needs of Washtenaw County residents (especially persons in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti who have special socioeconomic needs).

WE VALUE AND TREAT EACH OF YOU

EQUALLY AS PARTNERS IN YOUR HEALTH CARE,

OUR FEE-FOR-SERVICE SLIDING SCALE PAYMENT PLAN

Since our goal is to serve you, whatever your income may be, we use a sliding scale to decide what to charge you. This decision is based on the size of your family, your household income before taxes, and any other special circumstances.

If you have little or no income, the donations and grants we receive may make it possible.for us to assist you on a limited or emergency basis.

On the other hand, if you are able to financially help our needy patients, please seriously consider making a donation to PCC. It's tax-deductible, of course, and will be greatly appreciated.

We participate in Blue Cross/Blue Shield and in HMO plans (for example, Care Choices). We also handle Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurances.

If you have Care Choices HMO coverage, please bring in your card every time you come in. This way, we can see which benefits are covered, what amount the HMO will pay, and what you will co-pay We'll then bill your HMO accordingly

If you have Blue Cross, we'll need to see your card to determine your coverage. For example, many Blue Cross plans don't pay for office visits. In that case, you will be charged according to your ability to pay.

If you have Medicare, and you have high-option Blue Cross coverage, your office visit is covered.

Otherwise, you will have to pay your medical bills until your total deductible for the calendar year has been paid. After that, Medicare will pay 80% of the doctor's charges. You're responsible for the remaining 20%.

If you have other types of private insurance, you will need to pay "up front" for the services you receive. Our receptionists can't fill out your claim forms for you as they are busy answering phones, making appointments, checking patients in and out, etc. However, they can help you by giving you diagnoses/service insurance codes and a payment receipt. You can then send these in to your insurance carrier for a reimbursement of fees paid to us.

Our MEDICAL SERVICES include:

Our SUPPORTIVE SERVICES include:

OFFICE HOURS

(Call 971-1073 for an appointment)

Our regular office hours are 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon and 1:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays.

On certain Saturdays, when the doctor is on call, office hours are from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. We occasionally offer early evening appointment to accommodate emergencies.

APPOINTMENTS

Please call (734) 971-1073 to schedule an appointment before you come.

ROUTINE OFFICE VISITS are by appointment and take an average of 5-15 minutes. When you call, please let the receptionist know that you are our patient. You may describe your problem, your reason for wanting an appointment, and how you will pay for your visit. If you are unable to pay, please tell us so that we can determine how we may best help you.

WALK-INS: We will try to see you on an "as able" basis if you are one of our patients and your problem is urgent. Unless it is an emergency, you may have to wait until our patients with appointments have been seen.

CALL-IN: If we are unable to see you, we may refer you to an alternate caregiver. If you have Care Choices insurance and your medical problem is urgent but not an emergency, we will try to see you if possible. But please call us before you come so that we can save you an unnecessary trip (if we are unable to see you on the day you call).

REGISTRATION

When you come for your office visit, please sign in on the clip board at the front desk. This allows us to serve you faster and more efficiently IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU NOTIFY US OF ANY CHANGE OF ADDRESS, TELEPHONE NUMBER, INSURANCE COVERAGE. ETC., AT THIS TIME.

EMERGENCIES

We give priority to EMERGENCIES but it would be helpful if you called us first.

WE ALWAYS STRIVE TO KEEP THE OFFICE RUNNING ON SCHEDULE. However, we ask for your understanding when surgery or an emergency, etc., causes us to get behind schedule. If we expect long or unusual delays in our appointment schedule, we will try hard to let you know so that you can adjust your schedule accordingly.

CANCELLATIONS (and "NO SHOWS")

If you can not keep your appointment, please cancel at least 24 hours ahead, or as soon as possible, so that we can see someone else. Otherwise, you may be charged for the scheduled appointment. If you don't keep your appointment, or if you cancel (less than 24 hours ahead) a second time, you may be charged for an office visit and you will be asked to prepay your next visit.

CALL SCHEDULE

There is always a doctor on call even when our head physician, Dr. Jerry Walden, is not available, For example, Dr. Walden may be gone on vacation or for the weekend. And on Wednsdays, he shares on-call duties with other physicians so that each of them will have some family time. Another doctor may see you when our doctors are on vacation or are unavailable during the weekend.

Our doctors are either a family physician, an internist, or a pediatrician. Since they may not know your health history, please tell them any relevant information. Call 971-1073 for emergency calls.

PRESCRIPTION REFILLS

If you must stay on medication due to a chronic condition, we need to see you regularly (usually every 2-3 months) to check your treatment plan. If you need a refill between check-ups, just call us and we'll contact the pharmacy of your choice. When you call, please have the container of your medicine with you so that you can give Lis: the name of the medicine, the dosage, the prescription number (most likely in the upper right hand corner), what the drug is used for, the telephone number and address of your pharmacy. This information helps us to serve you better and it protects you from a harmful mistake.

If you have a non-chronic condition, the doctor will write a prescription at the time of your office visit.

If you can't be scheduled promptly, the doctor may arrange for you to get the quantity you need until your next office visit.

TELEPHONE CALLS

Our receptionists are trained to help you whenever possible. But they get an average of one phone call per minute. Since our caregivers must attend to patients who are sick and in the office, they cannot be interrupted to come to the phone unless it's for an emergency. This is why we ask you to explain your concerns to our receptionists who will then handle your call appropriately. As with all medical information, we will treat your phone calls confidentially

ASSISTANCE FOR PATIENTS WITH LIMITED OR NO INCOME

AND/OR NO INSURANCE COVERAGE

ALL PERSONS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR OUR SLIDING SCALE. There is a minimum charge for the first office visit. For subsequent visits, persons without health insurance are charged fees on a sliding scale. Depending on the amount of funds we have available for patient assistance, we will be able to help those patients who have limited or no income and no insurance. Please check with your caregiver if you qualify for patient assistance.

DONATIONS TO P.C.C.

IT IS THE GENEROUS AND GRACIOUS SUPPORT OF OUR FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTORS WHICH ENABLES PACKARD COMMUNITY CLINIC TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO PATIENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. IF YOU WANT TO HELP OUR PATIENTS WHO HAVE NO INSURANCE AND WHO HAVE LITTLE OR NO INCOME BUT WHO VITALLY NEED MEDICAL/HEALTH CARE, YOU CAN MAKE A MONETARY GIFT TO P.C.C. ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE. PLEASE MAKE YOUR CHECK PAYABLE TO PACKARD COMMUNITY CLINIC.

THANK YOU

QUALITY MEDICAL CARE SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONE

JERRY WALDEN, M.D., Administrator

PACKARD COMMUNITY CLINIC
3174 Packard Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48108

(734) 971-1073


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