Policies

The Pediatric Group Vaccine Policy

• We firmly believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives.

• We firmly believe in the safety of our vaccines.

• We firmly believe that all children and young adults should receive all of the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

• We firmly believe, based on all available literature, evidence, and current studies, that vaccines do not cause autism or other developmental disabilities.

• We firmly believe that thimerosal, a preservative that has been in vaccines for decades and remains in some vaccines, does not cause autism or other developmental disabilities.

• We firmly believe that vaccinating children and young adults may be the single most important health promoting intervention we perform as health care providers, and that you can support as parents/caregivers.

The recommended vaccines and the schedule of administration are the results of years and years of scientific study and data-gathering on millions of children by thousands of our brightest scientists and physicians.

The vaccine campaign is truly a victim of its own success. It is precisely because vaccines are so effective at preventing illness that we are even discussing whether or not they should be given. Because of vaccines, many of you have never seen a child with polio, tetanus, whooping cough, bacterial meningitis, or even chickenpox, or known a friend or family member whose child died of one of these diseases. Such success can make us complacent or even lazy about vaccinating. But such an attitude, if it becomes widespread, can only lead to tragic results.

Over the past several years, many people in Europe have chosen not to vaccinate their children with the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine after publication of an unfounded suspicion (later retracted) that the vaccine caused autism. As a result of under-immunization, there have been small outbreaks of measles and several deaths from complications of measles in Europe over the past several years. The United States experienced a record number of measles cases during 2019, with 1282 cases from 31 states reported to CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). This is the greatest number of cases since measles elimination was documented in the U.S. in 2000.

As medical professionals, we feel very strongly that vaccinating children on schedule with currently available vaccines is absolutely the right thing to do for all children and young adults. We are making you aware of these facts not to scare you or coerce you, but to emphasize the importance of vaccinating your child. We are more than willing to discuss any questions you may have about vaccines, but do require all new patients to our practice to adhere to the vaccination schedule endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

For new patients, please fax or email a copy of your child’s immunization record prior to your first appointment.

• View our TPG Financial Policy

Did you know that regular well-child visits are one of the most important things you can do to keep your child healthy? Preventative care promotes healthy growth and development. Well child visits also provide you with the opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about your child’s health or development.

Both parents are invited and encouraged to be a part of every well baby visit!

In addition to providing routine physical exams and vaccinations, we also screen every child for developmental milestones and screen our adolescent/teen patients for depression.

To help provide timely service to our patients, we prefer to schedule all visits. If you are late for your appointment, we will try to work you back into the schedule, or perhaps offer an appointment to you with another provider. Out of courtesy to our other patients, we may be forced to ask you to reschedule your appointment.

The Pediatric Group is committed to patient privacy.

If you have additional privacy needs please contact our office manager for more information about arranging your visit.

Divorced/Separated Parents Policy

At The Pediatric Group, our goal is to partner with parents for healthy kids. We appreciate that child(ren) with divorced or separated parents may present with unique challenges, and we require parents to work with us through those challenges. This policy was developed to avoid any misunderstandings going forward.

1. The doctors, medical assistants, nurses, office, and billing staff will not be put in the middle of domestic issues or disagreements over the phone or in the office.
2. Please make decisions regarding appointments, vaccinations, and/or any office procedures prior to visiting our practice.
3. Only in situations where there is a documented court order will one parent be denied access to the minor’s health record or visits at the office. The Pediatric Group must have a copy of the court order on file in the minor’s electronic medical record.
4. It is both parents’ responsibility to communicate with each other about the patient’s care, office visit dates, and any other pertinent information relevant to the patient. It is not the responsibility of The Pediatric Group to communicate visit information to each custodial parent separately.
5. Our physicians will not call the other parent prior to an appointment to gain consent regarding appointments scheduled, nor will they take a call from the other parent following an appointment. We will not restrict either parent’s involvement in the patient’s care unless authorized by law; however, we also will not duplicate information delivery unless directed by law.
6. We will send reminders of upcoming appointments by text and/or phone call. We can send this reminder to only the primary phone number listed on the patient’s account. The parent or guardian that completes and signs our new patient packet will be the chart guarantor and therefore receive these reminders.
7. All copays, deductibles, coinsurances, and any other fees are due at the time of the visit and are the responsibility of the parent accompanying the patient to the appointment.  If there is an arrangement between the parents about split payment, it is the responsibility of the parent attending the appointment to collect from the other parent.

Should the issues that come between parents become disruptive to our practice or there is non-compliance with this policy, we reserve the right to discharge the family from our practice.