Frequently Asked Questions

Are you accepting new patients?

Yes, we are accepting new patients at both our Wilbraham and Belchertown offices.

What hospitals do we use?

Our inpatients are covered by the Pediatric Hospitalists. For emergency room visits we recommend Baystate, Mercy, Wing, Marylane and Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Please ask the office or MD on call which one we recommend for a particular medical issue issue (It is your responsibility to be aware of which hospitals your insurance covers).

How do I notify the hospital that I have chosen PAM as my pediatrician?

You will be asked to name your pediatrician at the time you register for delivery. The nurses will inform our office of your baby’s birth.

Phone calls/advice or what if my child is ill after hours?

Telephone advice (ie helping to decide if an appointment is needed versus health management at home) is available during business hours by our skilled nursing staff from 8:00AM to 5:00PM, Monday through Thursday, until 4:30 on Fridays, and again Saturday and Sunday mornings. After these hours a health care provider is available by phoning our answering service at 413-599-1201. We request that after hours calls be reserved for urgent medical issues but not medical emergencies. For medical emergencies please call 911.

Emergencies are conditions such as seizures, loss of consciousness, severe bleeding , severe allergic reactions, severe breathing problems etc.

For minor emergencies, like minor lacerations, minor fractures, acute illness, etc, please call the office first.

FOR NON-URGENT MATTERS, PLEASE CALL DURING OFFICE HOURS.

Prescriptions

When you need refills on your child’s medications, first call your pharmacy. If the pharmacy cannot refill it, then call our office during business hours. Please have your child’s full name, date of birth, medication name, strength, and the pharmacy name, location, and phone number. Please leave a phone number where you can be reached. Please allow 5 business days to process your request.

For controlled substances, eg. Concerta, Adderall (most Attention Deficit Disorder medications), please allow 5 business days as these require written prescriptions by the primary doctor, and must be picked up and signed for by the parent. If a mailed prescription is required please allow 7 business days.

Well child checks, school physicals, sports physicals, etc

We encourage you to call early for your child’s appointment, as we tend to get busy during July and August, and may not be able to accommodate you at short notice. By calling early, it also makes it possible to set up the appointment with your child’s primary care Pediatrician, providing continuity of care.

Forms, permission slips, camp forms, work forms etc

Please allow 10 days for completion of any form. We cannot usually complete them during your child’s well visit due to time constraints.

Sick visits

We will make every effort to see your ill child the same day . We will particularly accommodate any ill infant. Please call early in order to minimize waiting room time.

If you have two ill children to be seen, please make it known when you are calling for an appointment, and schedule two appointments. Without an appointment, your child may not be seen at that time, and you may have to wait as the medical provider sees other scheduled patients who may be waiting.

Walk- ins

We discourage walk-in visits (showing up without an appointment) for obvious reasons. Walk-ins will be treated just like an appointment made over the phone. The next available slot will be offered, and this may involve leaving and returning for the appointment later on.