Note to New General Internal Medicine Patients:
Please print the following and bring the completed forms to your first appointment:

• Confidential Health Questionnaire
• Patient's Request for Release of Information

Appointments
The General Internal Medicine locations are open 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Consultation with physicians and nurses is by appointment only.

New Patients:
Primary care physicians typically refer new patients to UT Southwestern Medical Center. If an individual does not need a referral, they may make an appointment through the following options:

• Complete an online Request an Appointment Form.
• Call 214-645-6455 or 866-645-6455 (toll free).

Physicians referring a patient may use the above options or the following:

• Complete an online Physician Referral Form.
• Call 866-645-5455 (toll free).

Existing Patients:
Existing patients may schedule appointments via MyChart. MyChart is a personalized, online health resource offered by UT Southwestern allowing patients to securely access portions of their medical record.

Canceling Appointments
Please notify the clinical practice at least 24 hours in advance if it is necessary to cancel an appointment.

Immunizations and Injections
Injections or immunizations do not require a regular appointment with the physician. However, please call us at least one day in advance, so we can make sure we have adequate supplies and staff.

First UT Southwestern Appointment
New patients should bring all pertinent medical records to their first appointment or verify that our staff has received them from the patient’s referring physician. These records can include reports, X-ray films and test results. Please also bring a list of current medications and dosages, including all over-the-counter medications, herbs and vitamins.

New patients should also remember to bring the name of their insurance provider and policy/group number and the name and telephone number of the referring physician.

Please remember to allow time for parking and registration. 

Insurance
UT Southwestern accepts Medicare, private insurance and most major managed-care health plans.

HMOs and PPOs consist of networks of physicians and ancillary providers who have contracted with the insurance company to provide services at a reduced cost. We participate in a number of HMOs and PPOs. The plans we participate in and the providers in any given plan may change over time. Managed-care organizations are not obligated to let us know when these provider lists change. Consequently, it is difficult for us to know whether a given provider is contracted with an insurance company. When receiving a referral to another physician or ancillary provider, it is the patient’s responsibility to confirm with the insurance company that they are in the managed-care organization’s provider network. Failure to do so may result in the insurance company refusing to pay for the visit.

Copayments and deductibles are due on the day of the visit. For questions about the account, please call the billing office customer service representative at 214-645-0600.

Patients needing a referral to another physician should notify our office at least 48 hours in advance. Referrals are made at the discretion of the primary care physician and cannot be issued without prior consultation with the primary care provider. Keep in mind that most referrals, no matter how many visits are specified, are valid for only 60 days.

In order to contain costs, most large insurance companies and HMOs have established preferred prescription formularies. The drugs placed on these lists are chosen because of known efficacy and cost-effectiveness. Occasionally, we receive requests from insurance providers' prescription plans to substitute a less expensive drug for one that has already been prescribed. In the vast majority of cases, this is acceptable. We ask the pharmacy to notify the patient of any changes prior to mailing the prescription. If there is any concern or question about a change, please call us so that we can confirm that the substitution is appropriate and effective.

Prescription Refills
Refills should be requested during regular office visits. Please note that refills for narcotics and sedatives must be approved by the physician and cannot be filled by the on-call physicians. If a refill request needs to be made outside a regular office visit, the patients has several options: 

• Use MyChart, which has a refill request option.
• Call the pharmacy and ask that a refill request be faxed to the clinical practice.
• Contact the mail-order pharmacy and ask that a refill request be faxed to the clinical practice.
• Call the clinical practice. Please be prepared to provide the medication's name, dosage and frequency.

Telephone Calls
Telephone messages are given to the appropriate personnel as soon as possible and every attempt is made to return telephone calls during regular working hours. There are times, however, when we cannot answer all calls in the same day they are received. Please tell the receptionist if the call is urgent, or must be returned the same day or by a particular time. Patients should confirm their contact telephone numbers with the clinic.

Test Results
Please make sure the clinic has a daytime and evening contact number, so we can communicate test results as soon as possible. Results for simple blood tests are often available in one day. Special tests are sent to outside labs and may take up to two weeks to complete. Ask the doctor at the time the test is ordered how and when he or she will provide notification of the results.

Hospital Admissions
Patients requiring hospitalization are admitted to our hospital or one of the affiliated hospitals located on the UT Southwestern Medical Center campus. Non-emergency admissions may require prior approval of the insurance carrier.

After-Hours Care
Current UT Southwestern patients who need care outside of normal business hours should call the clinical practice. The answering service will contact the doctor-on-call and give her or him the patient’s telephone number. The physician will call back and help with the medical problem.

Emergency Care
If an individual is experiencing a life-threatening problem, they should call 911 immediately or go to the nearest emergency room. UT Southwestern’s emergency room is located at UT Southwestern University Hospital, 5909 Harry Hines Blvd. (corner of Harry Hines Boulevard and Inwood Road).

If a UT Southwestern patient is taken to another hospital’s emergency room, family members should inform the staff that they are a UT Southwestern patient. The patient can be transferred to UT Southwestern after their condition has stabilized. In such cases, the emergency room physician will notify UT Southwestern’s on-call doctor, who will determine the best approach for transfer.