Appointments are available in each of our four Capital Region locations: Albany, Clifton Park, Schenectady and Troy. Each of our physicians works in more than one location to provide access and choice to new and established patients.
New Patient Visits
New patient appointments typically take 2 – 3 hours, depending on the nature of the patient’s symptoms and testing required to provide a diagnosis and to develop a treatment plan. Please allow this time when planning your visit to our office. At the time of your appointment our staff will provide any necessary pre-visit instructions to you. Your first visit will consist of a comprehensive evaluation which may include:
- Your medical, family, environmental and social history including: the current medical problem that is the reason for your visit, previous medical problems and treatments, a review of your family medical history, a discussion about your home and work environment and your use of tobacco and alcohol.
- A physical examination.
- Pulmonary function testing to assess lung function.
- Allergy skin testing to a panel of inhalant allergens, foods, or drugs as indicated by your history and the physical examination.
- Additional diagnostic tests such as blood tests, x-rays, or a CT scan as indicated by your history and physical examination. These tests are not provided in our office. In the event such testing is necessary you will be referred to a lab or imaging center.
At the conclusion of your visit your physician will review the findings and discuss with you the recommended treatment plan and follow-up visit schedule.
Established Patient Visits
Follow-up visits are normally scheduled at check-out time after an office visit, for patients requiring a follow-up visit in 6 months or less. For patients who need to be re-evaluated more than 6 months after the previous visit, a reminder card will be sent to you to request that you schedule the appointment. This reminder card will be sent to you 6 months in advance of the date your visit is due. Please call our office when you receive the card to ensure that an appointment will be available for you.
Appointment Reminders
We mail appointment reminder cards 2 weeks prior to each visit. If your appointment has been scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance, you will receive this card. Also, we confirm all appointments by telephone 72 hours prior to the scheduled visit.
Emergencies/Urgent Problems
A physician, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner is always available for allergy and asthma emergencies. During office hours, please contact us and we will respond promptly. If it is essential that you be seen in our office for treatment, you may be offered an appointment with our physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner. It may be necessary for you to be seen in another of our Capital Region locations to allow us to treat you on a more timely basis.
After hours and on weekends and holidays, our answering service will relay your message to the on-call physician or nurse practitioner.
Canceling an Appointment
Please let us know if you cannot keep a scheduled appointment so that we may accommodate another patient in need of care. Kindly contact our office at least 48 hours in advance of your visit, if you will be unable to attend your appointment.