Thank you for being my patient.  The reason I have the privilege of practicing medicine is because you trust me to share what is ailing you, and that is not always easy.  I appreciate that, and you.

So, let's form a partnership. 

I will do my absolute best to help you when you need it and keep you from getting sick in the future.  I will not keep things secret or share your medical or personal information with anyone outside your care team unless you tell me that's okay.  I'm available by email and will typically respond within 48 hours to all messages.

As my patient, there are ways to make our partnership strong  as well.

# Please come to your appointment 15 minutes before your scheduled time. It typically takes about that time to check in, get your vitals measured (blood pressure, heart rate, etc) and get situated.  I'll do my best to be on time also.

# Ask for refills on medications at least 3 days ahead of time. I don't want you to run out!

# During your visit, I may focus on ways to keep you healthy. For example, if you make an appointment about a wart on your finger, don't be surprised if I bring up your blood pressure! Every time I see you is an opportunity to help keep you healthy and feeling great

# I'm very careful about pain medication, such as Norco, and anxiety medication such as Ativan.  These types of medications can be tricky to use because of the dangerous side effects and addictive nature.  If we agree on the amount of these pills to use daily, I cannot refill them early or replace lost pills.

# I love questions. Ask about anything you are concerned about!  Sometimes we will not be able to get to all the things you want to discuss in one visit because of time constraints. But we can always make a second appointment or even a phone appointment to discuss what we didn't get to during that visit.

We all have embarrassing and uncomfortable things happen to us. Sometimes we have trouble going to the bathroom, problems with our  private parts, things stuck in places, problems in our relationships, issues with alcohol and drugs and concerns about our mental health.

Rest assured. My office is a safe place.  I've seen and discussed just about every embarrassing thing you can think of and my only concern is helping you feel better.