Are We a Good Fit?

Our Vaccine Policy follows the schedule outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics(AAP). 

It is our policy that all patients receive the standard vaccines required by the state of Florida for school entry.

We work hard to not overuse antibiotics. We educate families on the appropriate use of antibiotics and we strive to follow evidence-based guidelines. It is not our philosophy to automatically prescribe antibiotics where they are not indicated.  

We do not prescribe antibiotics over the phone as we do not believe that is good medicine. We will prescribe an antibiotic when we believe it is an appropriate treatment after your child has been seen.

It is our goal to provide comprehensive medical care and to serve as your medical home. We ask that you contact our office FIRST before seeking specialty care or heading to the Emergency Department or Urgent Care. We want to be involved in either providing care in our office, where appropriate, or referring you to a to help to coordinate your care.

Whenever you do see a specialist, we ask that you request a report be sent directly to our office so we may stay informed and have the most up-to-date information in your medical record.

Please sign up for our patient portal. It has numerous tools that can make your visits to the office more seamless. We also encourage you to consult our website or contact our office when you have questions. You can expect to receive automated reminders for appointments and for routine care and immunizations that are due.

You may also utilize our 2-way texting service between you and our office by texting our office number. 

We make every effort to meet the needs of our patients. We offer routine well visits, sick visit appointments, same day sick appointments (when available), and telemedicine options.

Walk-in appointments may be accomodated when possible. However, it is important to note that patients who walk-in are not guaranteed to be seen on the same day. Walk-In appointments are worked in and will not be called back before a scheduled visit. To ensure we provide you with the most efficient care, we highly recommend you call ahead to schedule an appointment.

Please familiarize yourself with our office hours to see if they work for your family.

Dr. Ellis takes overnight call from home. When our office is closed and you have an urgent issue that cannot wait until morning, we've got you covered. You may call our office number to be connected to our overnight call center. If an issue cannot wait until morning, it may be escalated to Dr. Ellis.

Please save all non-urgent calls or requests for when the office opens. If you are having a medical emergency, please dial 911.

You may wish to check the "Is Your Child Sick?" section of our website for helpful information before using this after hours service. Read more about After Hours care.

Please assure that we participate with your insurance plan. Click here for more information concerning insurance and billing. We also offer self-pay options.

We are working to add new insurances daily so if yours is not listed here, please call the office and we will work to become in network with your insurance provider.

It is your responsibility to know the limits and coverages of your health insurance policy. Be prepared to pay any copays at the time of service. We advise that you verify no changes have occurred with your policy prior to each visit. 

Our billing staff will do their best to assist you with insurance questions. However, if you have questions about your coverage, it is best check with your specific insurance company.

Please read our financial policy for more information regarding insurance.

Insurance copays are expected to be paid at the time of service.

If you are unable to pay, you must speak with our office prior to the visit to set up a payment plan.

Appointments can be scheduled by calling or texting our office number or by booking online via the portal or other booking link.

For acute care, you may call the office to speak with a medical assistant who will listen to your concerns and schedule an appointment for you. Sometimes an appointment may not be needed. In these instances, our staff will advise you regarding your issue and/or check with the physician and call you back.

If the member of our staff is on with another caller, you will be asked to leave a message and you will receive a return call.

Same day appointments will be offered when available or necessary.

Well visits may be scheduled up to 12 months in advance. You will receive an automated reminder prior to your visit and when your child is due for their next well visit.

We understand that sometimes things happen beyond your control that may cause you to be late to an appointment. However, we reserve the right to ask you to reschedule if you are 15 (or more) minutes late for your appointment. When possible, please call to notify the office if you will be late to see if we can still accommodate your visit. 

Broken appointments represent a cost to us, to you, and to other patients who could have been seen in the time set aside for you. We reserve the right to charge a fee for cancelled or missed appointments.  We request 24 hour notice for cancellation of appointments.

A fee may be charged for a second missed appointment. The third consecutive missed appointment may result in discharge from the practice.