Listed below are the most frequently asked questions fielded by our Office Staff. If you do not see answers to questions you have, please contact our Office at (513) 821-0275.  

Do I need to choose a Primary Care Physician?

We recommend that you choose a primary care physician to insure the most effective and efficient delivery of care.  Your physician will play a key role in coordinating your care with any needed specialty physicians and other members of your care team.  If your selected doctor is not available when you need to be seen, our technology will allow any other doctor you see to have your medical chart.  This will help prevent duplicated and unnecessary tests and treatment. Some insurance plans require that you designate a primary care physician.  Please contact your insurance carrier to do this prior to your first appointment.

How can I choose a Primary Care Physician?

All of our patient providers are trained to provide complete health care for all family members from infants to the elderly.  Additionally, some have special interests or training, which would provide for your specific needs.  If you are pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant, several of our physicians provide prenatal care and hospital delivery. 
 
Please click here to see detailed information about each of our doctors’ training and special interests.

Where did my doctor get his or her training?

All of our family physicians are board certified by the American Academy of Family Physicians.  After completing medical school, they received at least 3 years of training in Family Practice.  They are all faculty members at the U.C. College of Medicine, where they teach medical students and Family Practice Residents.  Our resident physicians are completing their specialty training and are supervised by a faculty member.  To find out specific information about each of our doctors and their training please click here.

Do you have any specialists available at the office?

For your convenience, we have many specialists available at our office.  Your family doctor will advise you if you need to be seen by a specialist.  Call our office (513) 821-0275 to find out what days a given specialist is available.  Click here to see a list of these specialists.

Will I be seeing only my own physician for each office visit?

While each individual provider is not necessarily available five days a week, if you have a problem for which you need urgent care and your doctor is not available, you may schedule an appointment to see another physician in the office that day.

What do I do if my primary care physician is not in when I need an appointment?

A partner in your physician’s practice will take care of any urgent healthcare needs if your primary doctor is out of the office that day.  The other physicians will have access to your records to ensure continuity of care for you and your family.  We will make every effort to provide you with the same quality of care your primary physician offers to you.  If you have any questions, just call our office (513-821-0275) and speak to your primary physician’s nurse or medical assistant, who will help you with an appointment, a question or other needs you might have.

Do you have OB/GYN specialist on staff?

Several of our Family Practice Physicians specialize in both Family medicine and Maternity Care.  These physicians can deliver your baby at the Birthing Center of the Christ Hospital. 
 
NOTE: All of our physicians are trained to do gynecological exams, Pap smears, and address other gynecological issues.

I know you have resident physicians in the practice. What is a resident?

A resident is a Medical Doctor (M.D.) with a State Medical License.  After completing four years of medical school, each Resident physician spends an additional 3-5 years in the UC Department of Family Medicine’s Residency Training program obtaining specialty training in the field of Family Practice.
 
Click here to view the Residency Program’s web site.  If you are seen by one of our resident physicians, your patient care will be supervised by one of our faculty physicians.

Do I need an appointment to see a physician?

All appointments are scheduled in advance.  Our schedulers will be happy to assist you.  They will provide you with the next available appointment time that is convenient to you.  If your physician is not available, they will offer you an appointment with one of your doctor’s partners at the practice.  
 
If you are unable to keep your appointment, we ask that you phone us at least 12 hours in advance. Failure to keep appointments may compromise your medical care, as well as prevent other patients from being seen.  In addition, there may be a charge for appointments not cancelled at least 12 hours in advance.

What do I do in case of an emergency?

In a life-threatening emergency, call 911 and the paramedics will assist you by taking you to the nearest hospital emergency room.
 
For urgent medical needs that are not life-threatening,  call our office and we will try to give you a same day appointment, either with your own physician or another physician who has an available appointment time that day.

What is the difference between urgent care and emergency care?

Urgent Care:  Urgent care is the treatment of a condition that requires prompt attention, but does not pose an immediate serious health threat.  Examples would be flu, fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, burning when you urinate, blood in your urine, or a sprained ankle.
 
Emergency Care:  A life-threatening emergency is the sudden onset of a condition that requires immediate medical attention to prevent death or permanent injury.  Some examples that require emergency care are heart attack, stroke, unstoppable bleeding or convulsions. 
 
Stroke:  The symptoms of stroke are distinct because they happen quickly: 

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg (especially on one side of the body)
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Heart Attack:  Symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Chest discomfort that may feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain
• Discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach
• Shortness of breath
• Other symptoms, including breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or light-headedness

How do I find out about insurance, co-payments and benefits?

University Family Physicians serves patients with many types of insurance, including HMO’s, PPO’s, and Medicare.  Click here to see a listing of the insurance plans our office accepts.  You may also call our Central Billing Office at (513) 585-9009 or check with your insurance company.
 
Any co-payment, coinsurance and/or deductible amount is due at the time of service.  Please refer to your health plan contract or benefits summary information for the co-payments that apply to your coverage.
 
Patients are asked to bring their insurance card to each visit so that insurance coverage can be confirmed.  Patients who are not covered by insurance will be asked to pay at the time of service.

I have a question about a bill I received. Who do I call?

If you have a question regarding a bill you have received from University Family Physicians, contact our account representatives at 513-585-9009.

How do I get a referral to a specialist?

If you should need to see a specialist, your doctor will refer you to one. Referral procedures vary greatly by insurance plan, so please check with your insurance company regarding its specific specialty referral requirements.  Once you have made an appointment with the specialist, please advise your family doctor’s nurse or medical assistant of your appointment information to complete your referral.

What is your policy regarding confidentiality of my medical information?

We follow all federal HIPAA guidelines for confidentiality of your health information. All patients are given a copy of these policies.  If you need another copy, please ask our office staff.

How do I get my prescription refilled?

Please contact your pharmacy when you need a prescription refilled.  They will then request any necessary orders directly from our office, saving you time and energy. Please allow 24 hours for refills to be completed. Mail order prescriptions, of course, will take longer. Your physician may decline to refill a prescription if it is time for you to visit the office again for a checkup.
 
Please try to contact your pharmacy before your medication runs out, because we can not always process refills the same day that they are received.  Note that Federal Law prohibits some prescriptions for certain controlled substances from being mailed or faxed to a pharmacy.  You must personally pick up and deliver the written prescription to the pharmacy or we can mail the prescription to you.  Your pharmacist will let you know if your prescription is for a controlled substance.
 
Please bring all the medications you are taking with you to each office visit, which will allow you to receive any needed written refills for prescriptions at the time of your office visit.

How do I transfer medical records to you from another physician's office? Can you retrieve them for me?

If you have not already made arrangements to have your medical records forwarded to our practice, we will request that your records be sent to us once you have completed and signed a HIPAA compliant Medical Records Release form.

How do I transfer my medical records from you to another office?