Frequently Asked Questions

All patients are seen by appointment. Our office is open Monday through Friday for well and sick child visits. We will also see patients by appointment on Saturdays for urgent care of acute illnesses.

Because late afternoon and evening appointments tend to fill up first, we suggest scheduling appointments for ongoing or chronic problems, preventive care (well visits), and school or sports physicals as far in advance as possible. 

Please inform our appointment staff of any special concerns or chronic problems that need to be addressed during your visit so that we may allow adequate time. If you have a special scheduling problem, discuss it with one of our staff members or providers so that we can best accommodate your needs. 

Please note that we require 24 hours notice to cancel an appointment, and that you may incur a charge if you miss an appointment without notifying us. You can minimize your waiting time in our office by arriving on time for your appointments. Remember to inform our staff of any changes in your home address, insurance, or telephone numbers. We make every effort to confirm appointments ahead of time, but it is your responsibility to keep scheduled appointments. For your convenience, we offer a "call hour" on weekday mornings from 8:00 to 9:00 am. During this time, our physicians and nurse practitioners may answer your questions and schedule sick visits. We encourage you to call us at this time with any medical, behavioral, developmental, or nutritional questions or problems.

Yes, we welcome new patients! Please call our office to set up your first appointment.

Advocare participates with most major insurance plans. As participation varies by region, specialty, and physician, we recommend that you contact either our office or your insurance company representative to verify that your insurance plan is accepted. When choosing an insurance plan, we recommend that you consider your child’s primary care, specialist care and prescription medication needs.

Our medical providers are available 24 hours a day. When you call our office after hours, follow the instructions on our answering machine to contact the health care professional taking calls at that time. On weekday evenings and weekends your call will be answered by our nurse triage service, staffed by nurses who are professionally trained and additionally trained by us specifically for telephone triage. They should respond to your questions and problems knowledgeably, courteously and promptly. If they have questions, or if they are unable to provide a satisfactory answer or solution, they can page the covering physician. When the triage service is not available, the message on the answering machine will provide instructions to reach the on-call physician directly. Please be aware that after-hours calls are intended for urgent medical issues that cannot wait until the next business day. Referral and appointment requests will not be addressed by the triage service or via pager. Pages to the on-call physician are typically returned within 15 minutes. Please call back if you have not received a timely response.

In the event of a life threatening emergency, dial 911.

We make every effort to arrange your child's well and follow up visits with the physician or nurse practitioner of your choice. For urgent care visits, your child may need to see any one of our available physicians or nurse practitioners if your preferred provider is not immediately available.

Our routine health maintenance visit schedule follows the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for the care of children and adolescents.

For non-urgent referrals:

When one of our doctors refers you to a specialist, please schedule your appointment with the specialist, then call our office within five business days of your appointment.

Your referral will be available in 72 hours. Most referrals are completed electronically and submitted directly to the specialist's office. Please check with our office staff to determine if your insurance plan processes referrals electronically. 

For urgent referrals:

When one of our doctors determines that you need an urgent referral, your referral will be initiated immediately. Please remain in our office while your referral is processed, then proceed to your specialist.

To help protect your child from serious infectious diseases, we follow the immunization schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Please discuss your immunization questions and concerns with any of our providers.

You will receive a call right away with any lab results that require urgent attention. For all other non-critical yet significant abnormal results, the provider who ordered the labs or tests will call to discuss them with you. We may call you to report normal values, but if you do not receive a call, we ask you to call our office to ensure we have received a report and to request a verbal report or a copy of your results if you wish.

You may call our main office number or your pharmacy to request a prescription refill. When your child has been seen as directed regarding the relevant condition for which the medication is needed, and your provider determines that your child needs to continue medication, we will gladly honor your request for a prescription refill. Please allow one business day for all routine prescription refills. If your prescriptions require prior authorization from your insurance company, please allow three to five days to obtain approvals and plan your refills accordingly. Prescription refills for controlled substances such as ADHD medications are refilled Monday through Friday. Prescriptions for controlled substances should be filled promptly at the pharmacy.

If you would like additional information, you may visit https://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/

We recommend that your newborn be seen in our office the first week after discharge from the hospital. Our staff understands the importance of this first visit and will make every effort to schedule this visit promptly.

Fold the diaper below the cord stump, and do not immerse the baby in a bathtub until the cord falls off. While your baby's umbilical cord is still attached, sponge-bathe your baby with warm water and a mild soap like Dove™. As the cord begins to separate (at two to four weeks of age), it may begin to smell and look wet. Use a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol no more than twice a day to wipe the base of the umbilical stump. After the cord separates and the umbilicus dries up, you may begin giving your baby a full bath.

The newly circumcised penis looks quite red and irritated. As it begins to heal, it normally develops a yellow film over the head of the penis. It takes approximately five to seven days for the penis to heal. During that time, with each diaper change, apply a nickel size amount of Vaseline™ to the head of the penis to prevent it from adhering to the diaper.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants should sleep on their backs in order to minimize the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Keep the room temperature comfortable; it is not healthy to overheat the room during winter, as too much heat will dry out the baby's nasal mucosa and cause irritation. Do not over bundle your baby with clothing and blankets. Use cotton blankets washed with a mild detergent. Bowel movements may vary considerably in color, consistency, and frequency; the frequency may decrease after a month or two, especially for breast-fed infants, for whom one stool every few days could be normal. Please discuss your questions or concerns with us. Never leave your infant unattended on a high surface such as a changing table, bed or sofa. Even a very young infant can unexpectedly roll over. Do not drink hot items or cook hot items while holding your baby Be careful about giving your infant teething biscuits, whole grapes, nuts, or other items that may cause choking. Walkers are not to be used; they are accidents waiting to happen and may hamper the child's gross motor development. Use back burners when you are cooking and turn all pot handles to the side. Learn CPR if you can. Make certain that your house has working smoke detectors and a fire extinguisher. Turn your hot water heater down to 120°F. Use appropriate car restraints and make sure they are installed correctly. Should your infant ever ingest a toxic substance, you should first contact the Poison Control Center. The Poison Control number for New Jersey is 1-800-222-1222. Post this number in an obvious spot.

There are certain steps you can take to ensure the safety of your home for your toddler and younger child.

• Make sure that outlets are covered and that you have latches for your doors.

• Remember that children are likely to put anything in their mouth, including coins and chemicals. They also put objects in ears, noses, etc.

• While a younger child requires supervision, try to resist the urge to "over-protect." Allow the child space to explore, a crucial activity that fosters confidence and independence.

• Keep matches away and hide sharp objects out of reach. If you have firearms, keep them locked away in a secure area, separate from the ammunition.

• Use gates for steps going up as well as going down.

• Supervise your toddler and child closely around water: bathtubs, pools, lakes, and even toilet bowls are very dangerous for toddlers who may fall in.

• Bicycle helmets are recommended when riding a bicycle at any age and are required by law for children under age 17.

• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children traveling by car must be secured in a car seat or a booster seat until they are 57” tall (4ft 9in). The back seat is always safer, especially since front air bags pose additional dangers to children.

As your child gets older, television and electronic devices will likely become a major source of entertainment. Be certain to limit the time spent in front of the TV and to monitor the types of shows children watch. Do not use the smartphones, TV, videos, or video games as a "babysitter" or as rewards. Studies have shown a decrease in short-term memory and attention span in children who spend considerable time with electronic games and television. The Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents avoid installing TV sets in children's bedrooms and has discouraged any TV viewing for children under eighteen months of age. Instead, provide stimulating toys and games, building blocks, strategy games, and puzzles (with large pieces that cannot fit in the mouth, nose, or ears) for the child's entertainment. Playing with friends and inventing imaginative games is of utmost importance in allowing the child to develop thought processes and social skills that are necessary in life. Outdoor activities and sports are essential in providing the physical activity that will keep the body healthy at all ages. The most important thing you can do to prepare young children for school and to help them develop a good vocabulary is to read to them every day. Be sure to take an interest in your child's schoolwork. Preschool and elementary school teachers should let you know how your child is progressing academically and socially. Do not do children's homework for them, but show your interest in what they are doing and provide advice when needed. Be certain to communicate with the school if you have any concerns about your child's progress.

If you would like further guidance on the use of electronic media please see this link.

Yes! Because our practice cares for teenagers through the college years, we are well versed in many of the social issues that confront today's teens. Adolescents may often want to discuss certain issues without a parent present. Please do not feel excluded. Rest assured that we encourage healthy behaviors on the part of your child, our patient; we will likely be giving them the same advice that you are delivering at home. Confidentiality is very important to a teenager and we must respect their wishes; nonetheless, our first and foremost consideration is the safety, health, and well being of your son or daughter. We do encourage parents to stay closely involved in their teen's life.
 

We also encourage teens to allow their parents into their confidence as much as possible. Once our patients reach 18 years of age, the law requires that they direct their own medical care. We offer them a legal form in which they can specify who may be allowed to access their medical information.

We always love to hear from our families and patients. Please give us your feedback in person and review us on the web (you may click on the links we provide if you would like). Your reviews not only help us, but they also help other current and potential patients.

         
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