New Patient Welcome Packet
We provide comprehensive primary care for our patients of all ages and with all medical conditions. This includes infants, children, gynecologic care, pregnancy management and delivery, chronic disease management (such as diabetes, hypertension, etc), annual physicals, immunizations, and other health maintenance services. We work with you to promote a healthy lifestyle and assist you in reaching your health goals. Our team of board-certified Family Medicine physicians, Family Medicine resident physicians, Family Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner, Primary-Care Psychologists, Consultative Psychiatrist, and Academic Clinical Pharmacist all work together to help you achieve these goals.
Patient Care Hours
Monday 9 am- 4:30 pm
Tuesday 9 am- 7:30 pm
Wednesday 9 am- 4:30 pm
Thursday 9 am- 4:30 pm
Friday 9 am- 4:30 pm
Clinic Phone Hours
Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Appointments
To schedule, cancel, or reschedule an appointment please call our office at (978) 343-5270 between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Cancellations require at least 24-hour notification.
You will be assigned a Primary Care Provider (PCP) within our office. Whenever possible you will be scheduled with your PCP. If an appointment with your PCP is not available in the desired timeframe you may be offered an appointment with another provider. Some medical issues are best managed by your PCP and are not scheduled with a member of their team. Since we are a training site for Family Medicine physicians (physicians training to become Board- Certified in Family Medicine), your assigned PCP in the medical record may not be the same name as listed on your insurance card. Understand that this is not an issue; your insurance will cover all the primary care you receive in our office, whether it is with the PCP listed on your insurance card or another provider in our office.
Please arrive at least 15 minutes early for all scheduled appointments. You will be asked for your government issued ID, insurance card, and copay during check-in at each appointment.
Same Day Office Hours
We ask that you call our office for your urgent care needs. We have same day urgent appointments where providers can see patients in the clinic and in most cases, we will be able to see you.
If we are not able to provide you with a same day or next day appointment, we may direct you to Leominster Urgent Care. Leominster Urgent Care is associated with UMass Memorial Health and may require an insurance authorization.
Late Policy/ No-Show Appointments
It is very important for your health to keep scheduled appointments. If you are not able to make an appointment, we ask for as much notice as possible so that we may give the appointment to another patient in need.
If you are more than fifteen minutes late, your appointment may need to be rescheduled to another time, or you may be given the option of waiting until there is an opening in your provider’s schedule that same day.
Team Based Care
At Fitchburg Family Practice, we work as a team to help you meet your health goals. Our team consists of providers, both medical and behavioral health, nurses, medical assistants, and administrative team, who work together to ensure your information is up to date and that you receive the care you need when you need it. Our team is a part of the larger integrated organization, UMass Memorial Health.
Prescriptions
Prescription renewal requests should be requested three (3) business days prior to the prescription running out. Please contact your pharmacy directly to refill your prescriptions. Prescription requests that require a call to the clinic should be made during regular business hours of 8:30 am - 4:30 pm.
Some medications may require an appointment or blood work prior to being refilled.
Some medications may require an approval from your insurance company before they will cover the cost of the medication. This approval process is called “Prior Approval, or PA.” Our staff will work with your insurance company to get this approval. This process can take several (1-3) business days, and despite our best efforts, your insurance company may not grant the approval. In this situation, your PCP or covering provider will suggest alternative medications, or you will have the option of paying for the un-covered medication on your own, without insurance coverage.
Forms/Letters
Requests for health forms, disability forms, and letters can take up to two weeks to process. Most forms require an appointment with your PCP to complete, in order that your PCP has all the needed information, so you can be aware of what information is included on the form. If it is comprehensive form, such as a disability form, please schedule a longer appointment with your PCP to have the time to complete it.
Behavioral Health
Our behavioral health team plays an important role in the clinic and are often asked to become part of your healthcare team. They are available to help you with changing behaviors to achieve your health goals. They also provide counseling or connect patients to community programs to treat depression, anxiety, family problems, stress, and childhood behavioral and school problems. Behavioral health providers use the same medical record as your physicians so they can collaborate closely with your medical provider.
Referrals/Testing
Some medical issues require testing or specialty appointments. We are part of the UMass Memorial Health network. As such, we may recommend hospital-level care should be provided at one of the UMass Memorial Health campuses. We can also refer you to providers outside our network if that is in the best interest of your health, or if that is your preference. Our administrative staff will work with you to get specialty appointments and referrals scheduled.
Most testing requires prior authorization from your health insurance. Our staff will work with your insurance company to obtain the authorization. This process can take multiple days to complete. If your insurance denies an authorization, your provider may opt to go with a different plan of care.
MyChart Patient Portal
We are making it easier for you to communicate with your health care team, view your test results, and maintain your own personal health record.
With MyChart you can:
- Request a routine appointment
- Pay your bills
- Request renewal of prescriptions
- Ask us a non-urgent medical question
- Access and manage your family’s medical information
- View test results
- View your providers’ appointment notes
MyChart should not be used for urgent medical questions or requests for urgent appointments. We ask you to contact our office at (978) 343-5270 for urgent matters.
Requests sent through MyChart are not monitored on evenings, weekends, or holidays. It can take up to 48 hours for our staff to see your message.
Test Results
Test results are available through MyChart as soon as we review them. We will add messages to the results, interpreting the results or suggesting that you make an appointment to discuss further. If you do not sign up for myChart, we will make every effort to communicate your results via a letter or a phone call. If you have not received your test results within two weeks, please call us.
Urgent Medical Concerns After Hours
As a courtesy to our patients, our physicians make themselves available for emergency calls when the office is closed. Please do not call the emergency line when the office is closed to try to schedule an appointment or request a prescription refill.
Call the main number at (978) 343-5270 and stay on the line to be transferred to the hospital operator. The Family Medicine resident physician on call will return your call.
We do not prescribe controlled substances through our on-call service.
When To Call The On-Call Physician
- You think you might need to go to the emergency department.
- You or your child are sick or injured and you want advice on what to do.
- You are sick and want to know if it is safe to take an over-the-counter medicine with your prescription medicine.
Please have the phone number of your pharmacy available in case you need to give it to the on-call physician.
When To Use The Emergency Department
If you are sick or injured but are not in immediate danger, please contact our clinic. We will provide advice, schedule you for an office visit, or direct you to the emergency department when that is the most appropriate action.
If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, go to the emergency department. Emergency visits are very expensive and often lengthy. Routine medical issues should not be seen at the emergency department.
When time is crucial, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. However, when it is safe for you to do so, we recommend visiting the emergency department at one of the UMass Memorial Health campuses:
Our emergency department providers have access to your electronic medical record and your test results will go directly into your record for your provider to see.