We encourage you to see each of the physicians and the nurse practitioners at least once for your child's well check up. After doing so, if you prefer to see a particular practitioner, we will do our best to accommodate your wishes. We feel we can best serve your needs if you are acquainted with all the members of our health care team.
The
Physicians:
Our physicians are accomplished pediatricians with years of experience
in pediatric medicine. While our personalities and backgrounds differ,
we share a commitment to serve the families of our practice with respect
and concern. This means that all your questions will be regarded seriously
and answered fully. We recognize that parents know their children well
and that the provision of medical care is a joint undertaking of parent
and physician.
A Pediatric Nurse Practitioner is a Registered Nurse who has completed a Master's Degree in pediatric health care. Our nurse practitioners are certified by the National Board of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. As members of our health care team they manage acute and chronic illnesses, consult with physicians, prescribe medications, perform Well Child Exams, and provide health education and counseling. We encourage you to call and talk to them or make an appointment for one of them to see your child.
Sharon Keller, our Practice Administrator, is a Registered Nurse experienced in Pediatrics. She graduated with a BSN from the University of Virginia and is a member of the National Association of Physician Nurses. Sharon has been with CMA since 1991. Prior to becoming Practice Administrator, Sharon served in a clinical capacity, as well as Head Nurse. Sharon is married and has a college-aged son. We depend on her to coordinate the medical and business aspects of our practice at both our locations. Please feel free to call Sharon if you have any special concerns. Positive feedback and constructive criticism will always be welcome. It is our goal to offer quality care with a compassionate ear.
Lee-Ann Strain, R.N., also a registered nurse, is our business manager and has been with us since 1984. She manages the business end of the practice with a primary focus on insurance. With her knowledge of bookkeeping and her medical background , Lee-Ann is a qualified resource for any questions you may have regarding your bill or insurance. Please feel free to contact her any weekday at (703) 914-8989.
We consider our experienced nursing staff an integral part of our health care team. They have extensive experience in pediatric nursing, and they have our complete trust. We are certain that you will find them to be as warm, patient, and understanding as they are capable. Please do not hesitate to approach them with any problem, large or small. They are deeply committed to you and your children. They will appreciate your concerns and we think you will find their advice of tremendous value. We encourage you to call any time between 9:30AM and 5:00 PM (9:30AM to 1:00PM Saturday) to talk with our nurses concerning any problems. If there is something they cannot answer, they will refer your call to the physician.
The Child Development Specialist:
As a part of our commitment to the healthy development of your child, our Child Development Specialists offer additional services with a developmental perspective. The Newborn Assessment, based on the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Scale, examines your baby's individual characteristics. Alertness, cuddliness, consolability, motor behavior, and reflexes are assessed. This is an opportunity for you to learn about your baby's unique patterns of behavior. You may schedule an appointment for the Newborn Assessment at any time after discharge from the hospital until your baby is four weeks old. A developmental checkup may be scheduled between nine and fifteen months as part of your regular well baby care. The developmental check up assesses your child's problem solving ability, language development, and motor milestones. This appointment is also an opportunity to discuss behavior, sleep, or feeding concerns. Our Child Developmental Specialists can perform assessments on preschool aged children if there are concerns about language development or preschool behavior. Kindergarten readiness assessments are also performed. If you have any behavioral or developmental concerns, discuss the possibility of such an evaluation with one of us. The developmental appointment will require payment at the time of service, regardless of the insurance involved. We will provide an itemized statement for your records. Upon request, we will be happy to refer you to a developmental specialist within your insurance plan.
The Medical Laboratory Technician:
We have full functioning laboratories with certified medical laboratory technicians experienced in working with pediatric patients. With state of the art equipment, our medical laboratory technicians are able to perform all routine and many specialized tests within the office for same day results. Our laboratory is fully accredited by CLIA/COLA and is in full operation Monday through Friday. There is a $3 phlebotomy surcharge for blood work drawn in the lab.
By appointment only - phone lines are open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday.
"After hour" appointments are scheduled as necessary for sick children who cannot be examined during regular office hours. We will make every effort to see sick children on the same day you call to make the appointment.
Information About Telephone Lines:
Our Alexandria office number: 703-914-8989.
Our Fairfax office phone number: 703-691-4700.
Feel free to call either office from 9:15AM to 5:00PM to speak with our nurses.
Our main numbers are 703-914-8989 and 703-691-4700. You are able to reach our offices or on-call physician 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When the offices are closed, if you need to reach the "On-Call Doctor" you will be directed to contact our answering service. Either a nurse or doctor will return your call within 60 minutes. For life threatening emergencies call 911 and have the child transported to the nearest emergency room.
From 8:30AM to 9:15AM every morning Monday through Saturday we have Doctors and Pediatric Nurse Practitioners available to address questions you may have regarding your child. Most questions relate to a child's symptoms and the need for a "sick visit" but we often address issues related to routine child care, behavior problems, immunizations, and virtually any pediatric problem. Do not hesitate to ask any question. If a question requires an in-depth discussion, or an issue is better addressed by examining your child, you will be directed to make an appointment.
To make a “sick appointment”, call 703-914-8989 or 703-691-4700 starting at 8:00 AM.
"Follow Up Appointments" are scheduled for children who need to be seen more than once for the same illness. We recommend that you schedule these appointments with the practitioner who originally treated the child.
“Routine Physical Exams”, or “Well Check Ups”, are best scheduled well in advance. This is especially true for camp and school physicals, as the summer appointment slots for these exams fill up very early. It is easiest and most convenient to schedule your child's check up at the time of his or her birthday. The purpose of the “Routine Physical Examination” is to evaluate and discuss basic health issues such as nutrition, development, behavior, and safety. Because these important issues require sufficient time for discussion, a “Well Check Up” cannot be done when a child is sick. When you come to the office for a previously scheduled “Well Check Up” and your child is ill, please notify the nurse so that the appointment can be changed to a sick visit.
"Newborn follow-up exams" are essentially "well check ups" for babies discharged from the nursery. For full term healthy infants, these exams are usually done at three to four days of age. For newborns with prolonged hospital stays for prematurity or other problems, these exams are usually done several days to a week after discharge, at the advice of your discharging doctor.
"Conferences" are 30-minute appointments reserved for counseling, discussion and evaluation of complex medical problems, behavioral issues, school failure, etc...
We make every effort to see our patients on time. In order to minimize your wait, please help us by arriving a few minutes early for your appointment time. Try not to ask the doctor to see children for whom appointments have not been previously scheduled. However, just as children are unpredictable, so are their illnesses. On occasion, emergencies arise or a child requires more extensive care and we may run behind schedule. At such times our staff will attempt to keep you informed. Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated.
If you are unable to keep your appointment, please notify the office as soon as possible. Regrettably, we may find it necessary to charge for appointments missed without sufficient prior notice.
Payment at time of service is expected unless you have insurance with one of the plans with which we participate, and verified coverage for service rendered. A list of the insurance plans with which we participate is presented below. Services covered by other insurance carriers should be paid for at the time of service as reimbursement will be made directly to you by the carrier. Although health insurance is designed to help you meet the cost of your medical care, the basic responsibility for payment is yours.
Regardless of our participation with your insurance carrier, we must verify all Well Care benefits and immunization coverage. This will be done by us prior to your appointment when possible. New patients, and those with new insurance coverage, will have eligibility and benefits verified when they check out. We apologize for the delay this may cause, but we have found it to be necessary due to the variations in well and sick care benefits. We must ask for payment in full at time of service where insurance benefits are not available for services rendered or when verification of benefits is not possible, i.e., evenings, weekends, holidays.
Our billing of charges to your insurance company does not represent all or guaranteed payment of your bill, nor should it be considered a release of responsibility on your part for services rendered. We provide a monthly statement to keep you informed about any outstanding charges or residual balances owed on services processed by insurance. We will be happy to answer your questions or assist you whenever possible; however, it is your responsibility to follow up on charges we have submitted to your insurance carrier.
You are required to pay any insurance co-payments at the time of service as stipulated by your insurance carrier for office visits. Your cooperation with this policy will eliminate the necessity of costly billing statements each month to collect these small fees from you.
Changes of Insurance Carrier, Home Address, Or Phone Numbers:
Please note that it is your responsibility to inform us of any insurance changes. Failure to do so may result in reduced benefits. Please be sure that you inform our office staff of any new address changes or new phone numbers before you are seen for your appointment. This will allow for time needed to fill out a new Registration Form or to have our new numbers noted in your records. This is very important should we need to contact you regarding your child's test results.
For questions concerning billing and insurance, please call us any weekday between the hours of 10:00AM and 1:00PM, and between 2:00PM and 5:00PM.AETNA PPO/MC/EPO/HMO
Anthem (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of VA) - Not Health keeper
ALLIANCE
Blue Cross and Blue Shield PPO. Not Capital Care
CAPP Care
CCN
CIGNA PPO/HMO/POS
Choice Care
First Health
Georgetown Health plan
Health Payors Organization
MAMSI
MDIPA
Multiplan ( Medical not hospital)
NCPPO
One Health/ Great WestOneNet
OPTIMUM CHOICE
PHCS PPO only Not POS
United Health Care
Return to Beginning of This Page.
