FAQs

What is a Pediatrician?

A pediatrician is a medical doctor who specializes in the care of children. Pediatricians have undergone special training in the health and illnesses of infants, teens and young adults, and the majority of pediatricians are certified by the American Board of Pediatrics after passing a comprehensive exam.

Pediatricians provide preventive health care for children in good health and medical care for children who are acutely or chronically ill. They also provide parents with support and advice with issues such as growth and development, safety and prevention, nutrition, and emotional wellness to foster a lifetime of good health. 

Can I meet my pediatrician before my baby is born?

Yes, in fact we strongly encourage parents-to-be to visit our office for a prenatal appointment. This is a great way to get acquainted with our office and our doctors. During this visit, we will give you a tour of our office and answer any questions that you have about our practice or your new child. Call our office to see about scheduling a prenatal appointment.

How often should my child see the pediatrician?

Your child should not only see the pediatrician for an illness. It is also important to schedule well-child-care exams regularly, beginning in infancy. Also called well-care visits or checkups, these routine examinations provide the best opportunity for the doctor to observe the progress of your child's physical and mental growth and development; to counsel and teach parents; to detect problems through screening tests; to provide immunizations, and to get to know one another. Well-care visits are strongly recommended as part of preventive pediatric care.

Well-child visits are also a good time for parents to raise questions and concerns about a child's development, behavior, nutrition, safety and overall well-being.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends this schedule for routine well-care visits:

• 1 month
• 2 months
• 4 months
• 6 months
• 9 months
• 12 months
• 15 months
• 18 months
• 24 months
• 30 months (2.5 years)
• 3 years and once every year thereafter for an annual health supervision visit that includes a physical exam as well as a developmental, behavioral, and learning assessment.

What is the best way to schedule an appointment with your office?

You can schedule an appointment by calling our office during regular business hours, or by requesting an appointment online through MyChart 

Is your office accepting new patients?

Yes, we always welcome new patients. Contact our office for additional information or request an appointment.

Why does my child need to receive vaccinations?

Immunizations are a series of shots given to children at different ages to help ward off serious, and potentially fatal, childhood diseases. Making sure your child receives immunizations when scheduled is the best way to help protect your child from potentially fatal diseases. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, vaccinations have reduced the number of infections from vaccine-preventable diseases by more than 90%. If you're apprehensive about vaccinations, please do not hesitate to contact our office, we'd love to discuss your concerns.

How can we transfer into your practice?

You will need to fill out an authorization to release and exchange information form. This authorizes us to request a copy of your past medical records from your previous pediatrician so we can have good continuity of care. 

Where can I get the form to authorize the release of my children's medical record?

This can be done either at our office or your present pediatrician's office. You can stop by or call and we will be happy to provide forms for you.

What if I call and you are closed?

We are always available to take your calls. If we are away from the office, we have a 24 hour nurse answering service. They will contact the on-call doctor for any emergencies.  You are always welcome to leave us a detailed message. We will return you call as soon as we are able.

What hospitals are you affiliated with?

We round on newborns born at Forsyth Medical Center (the only hospital where infants are born in town) and we work closely with all the pediatric specialists at Wake Forest Baptist Health, Brenner Children's Hospital.

What occurs during a checkup?

 When you bring your child in for their next well child checkup, these are the things our nurses, doctors and nurse practitioners will do.  These are all billed to your insurance company with a "Well Checkup" code:

-  Track growth (weight, height, head circumference for younger children and BMI for older children).

-  Obtain heart rate, temperature, and blood pressure (for kids 3 years and older)

-  Complete a full physical exam (checking eyes, ears, nose, and throat, heart and lungs, abdomen and lymph glands, skin, genitals and determine pubertal status, and checking muscle strength, tone, and neurological system).

-  Evaluate language, gross and fine motor, and social/emotional development and screen for delays

-  Perform a basic oral/dental evaluation and apply topical fluoride dental varnish (9 months to 3 years)

- Check hearing (4 years and up) and vision (18 months and up)

-  Evaluate diet and nutrition

-  Evaluate school performance (for school age children)

-  Evaluate for stressors that may affect the well-being of the child/screen for mental health disorders

-  Complete school, camp, or sports clearance forms

-  Refill medications

Other concerns such as headaches, abdominal pain, behavior or psychological issues, etc. are not part of a routine checkup.  Due to the comprehensive approach to care taken by Twin City Pediatrics, whenever possible, we try to address problem-oriented issues at the same office visit out of courtesy to our patients' families and to ensure nothing is missed for the sake of the child's well-being.  As a result, services are sometimes performed at the time of a checkup that are both preventive and problem-oriented in nature.  In compliance with insurance company billing policies, this then prompts codes for both categories.  In some cases, your insurance coverage may dictate that you are responsible for a copay or part of the cost of the problem oriented portion of the bill (whereas checkups do not otherwise require a copay). 

We urge parents to call their insurance company to understand what is covered with your policy as every plan differs.  If your insurance company has decided that they will not pay for a particular screening, procedure, or vaccination, or that problem oriented services require a copay, then the payment will be your responsibility. It is not possible for us to know the terms of each policy (there are hundreds and terms change frequently) and what we recommend for your child is based on standards of pediatric care, not the terms of insurance coverage.

How do I request medication refills for my child?

You may call our office or send a MyChart message to request a medication refill.  Our goal is to provide refills within 3 business days of request so please call a week or so before you've run out!  Also please remember that MyChart messages are not reviewed after hours and over weekends and that the expected response time is 2-3 business days for all MyChart messages.  Additionally, depending on the medication and the clinical situation, an office visit may be necessary before subsequent refills are ordered.