Frequently Asked Questions

Our office is open Monday through Friday, with additional hours on evenings and Saturdays. As our daily schedule is subject to change, please call to confirm office hours.

Yes, we welcome new patients.

Yes, we call these prenatal visits and suggest that you schedule a visit two to three months in advance of your due date. You will have the opportunity to see our office, meet our staff, and meet with one of our doctors, who will be happy to answer your questions. There is no charge for a prenatal visit.

Advocare participates with most major insurance plans. As participation varies by region, specialty, and physician, we recommend that you contact either our office or your insurance company representative to verify that your insurance plan is accepted.

Our medical providers are available 24 hours a day. Please be aware that after-hours calls are intended for urgent medical issues that cannot wait until the next business day. If you need immediate attention, call our office at (856) 428-3746. Our professional answering service will receive your call and will contact one of our on-call physicians or specially trained triage nurses regarding your urgent need. Please call back if you have not received a timely response within one hour.

There are several appropriate steps in advancing your child's diet based on age and development. In general, we do not recommend starting spoon feeding until 4 to 6 months. We will begin to discuss these issues with you at the 4 month checkup.

IN THE EVENT OF A LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY, CALL 911.

Every effort is made to arrange your child's well care and follow up visits with the doctor of your choice. When your child is ill, any of our doctors may see your child, depending on that day's schedule. Please understand that this policy helps ease office flow and reduce waiting time.

Our routine health maintenance visit schedule closely follows the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics. A checkup, or well care visit, is an opportunity for you to ask questions and for the physician to perform a physical exam. In the first two years, these frequent visits are arranged around the immunization schedule. We usually will schedule your infant at one and four weeks; two, four, and six months; nine, 12, 15, and 18 months; and then every year thereafter.

To help protect your child from many serious infectious diseases, we closely follow the immunization schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Please discuss your immunization questions and concerns with any of our pediatricians.

For non-urgent referrals : when one of our doctors refers you to a specialist, please schedule your appointment with the specialist, then call our office within five business days of your appointment. Your referral will be available within 72 hours. Most referrals are completed electronically and submitted directly to the specialist's office. Please check with our office staff to determine if your insurance plan processes referrals electronically.

For urgent referrals : when one of our doctors determines that you need an urgent referral, your referral will be initiated immediately. Please remain in our office while your referral is processed, then proceed to your specialist.

You will receive a call quickly with any lab results that require urgent attention. Other lab results will be addressed promptly by the provider that ordered the labs or tests. Normal values also will be reported to you. If you have not been contacted regarding lab results within seven days, please call our office.

Please call our office to speak with a member of our staff regarding your refill.

Yes, we promote breastfeeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends solely breastfeeding babies for the first six months. We recommend continued breastfeeding for the entire first year. Breastfeeding helps defend children against infections, prevents allergies, and protects against later obesity and a number of chronic conditions. While experts believe that breast milk is the best nutritional choice for infants, breastfeeding may not be possible for all women. Some women have specific medical considerations that impede breastfeeding; others choose to feed by formula because of discomfort, work schedule, or lifestyle choices. In these cases, an iron-fortified infant formula is a good alternative. We will gladly discuss your diet and feeding concerns at your child's well care visit, or please call during office hours to speak with our experienced nursing staff.

We recommend that your newborn be seen in our office within the first week after discharge from the hospital. The physician or hospital staff will inform you as to when you should schedule your baby's first office visit. Our staff understands the importance of this first visit and will make every effort to schedule this visit promptly.