Paragould Pediatrics, PLLC | 4000 Linwood Dr, Paragould, AR 72450, USA | Phone 870-236-7337 | Fax 870-236-7332

Continuity of Care Policy

A child’s “medical home” refers to a pediatric practice that serves as a central resource for all of your child’s care needs. In a medical home, your child’s clinician wants to be plugged in to all your child’s medical issues.  We want you to be able to participate in all aspects of your child’s care, so we want to give you the tools you need to make informed decisions.  We know that the health care system can be difficult to navigate, so our team has been specially trained to help you access the information and resources you need – at our office, on the internet, and in our community.

Studies show that children who develop a long-term relationship with a single pediatrician are healthier and  hospitalized less than children who switch off between several doctors’ offices, the ER, the walk-in clinic, and the health department.  When a child is seen in a variety of locations, no single provider has a complete set of records for the child.  Treatment of chronic problems is incorrect or delayed, because each doctor has to start from scratch each time, not knowing
what tests were done or what medications were used before.  Nothing is documented; everything is
guesswork.  This is frustrating for both medical personnel and the family.

For these reasons, we want all children to get continuous care at one location. When you choose us to be your child’s medical home, we want that location to be our office.  Sometimes your child really will have a true emergency and must go to the hospital ER. But for other problems that worry you, please come to our office or call us, day or night. We are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, for telephone consultation.

If your child needs to see a specialist, or you would like a second opinion, please let us know
before seeking care at the specialist’s office. This allows us to authorize the visit for your insurance company, to send records from our office to the specialist and to ask the specialist to
communicate his or her findings back to us.

Our Continuity of Care Policy