Emergencies
A board certified physician is available at all times for emergency medical care. During the daytime, call our office immediately. When someone is not in the office, call forwarding will direct you to one of us by mobile telephone. Give the answering service information so that they can determine how quickly to obtain the doctor to return your call, since they may be with another emergency. It is expected that most after-hour calls will result in hospital admission.
If the situation arises where the need for emergency hospital admission is immediate and obvious, the patient should be taken to Lexington Medical Center Emergency Room by ambulance. The Emergency Room Staff will contact the physician on call. In case of a minor self-limited emergency, it may be convenient to utilize the emergency room. Many insurance companies will not pay for your private physician to come to the hospital if a doctor is available there, unless you are admitted. Always have any medical records from any medical facility sent to me to become part of your medical record.
When calling the doctor at night have as much information as possible available. List all medical problems for which the patient has recently been treated and medications. Outline the events of the illness including activity, diet symptoms. Take the temperature, preferable rectally, count the number of breaths the patient takes in one minute and count their pulse rate for one minute. Stay near your phone and keep others from using it after you call the doctor.
It is important that night and weekend calls be limited to urgent medical care needs. Calls about administrative matters, prescription refills, minor or chronic illnesses should be made during regular office hours when your medical records are available.