Frequently Asked Questions

New Patient Visit

We thank you for choosing us for your healthcare needs and look forward to seeing you at your upcoming appointment.

Before you come see us on your first visit:

-Please verify that the OB/GYN Specialists of Savannah, P.C.  is a member of your insurance plan
-If needed, obtain a referral from your primary care provider
-Confirm which doctor your appointment is with
-Write down any questions or concerns you wish to discuss with us

What to bring on the day of your first appointment:

-Your insurance card
-Your completed Patient Registration form and Medical History form
-If pregnant, your completed OB Prenatal History Questionnaire

{See forms download to get these forms}

You will be responsible for paying your co-payment at the time of your visit. We have made every effort to minimize the paperwork required for our patients, while also getting the information we need to provide you with the highest quality service possible.

Calling the Office

We welcome and encourage you to call the office if you have a problem or question. You may also e-mail your doctors nurse through the ‘ask a nurse’ icon. In order for us to prioritize calls, we ask patients to let the receptionist know the nature of your problem or questions, the receptionists have no medical background and should only be given the topic. The details of your problem should only be discussed with your nurse or doctor. Genuine emergencies are our first priority. Urgent calls are handled as soon as possible, and non-emergent calls are returned as time permits throughout the day and after office hours. Obstetrical calls will be called back the same day and gyn calls within 24 hours. Please give telephone numbers with area code where you can be reached during both business and evening hours. If your phone is equipped with caller ID, please let it accept blocked calls when you are expecting a call from our office.

Prescription Refills

THIS INFORMATION IS FOR ESTABLISHED PATIENTS ONLY

Option 1: Requests for prescription refills should be called into your pharmacy 2 business days or more before your medication is finished. The pharmacy will fax a request to our office for authorization. Refill requests should be made during regular office hours. Please do not request refills for medications after hours. Please plan ahead, if you need a refill for the weekend — call the pharmacy Thursday morning. {Preferred method}

Option 2: Please Fill out a request via the e-mail system. Send the request to your doctor’s nurse under the ‘ask a nurse’ tab. Prescriptions that need to be filled the same day need be requested before 12:00. Although we try to handle all requests on the same day, please allow two business days so that you do not run out of your medication.

Option 3: Please call us at 912-355-7766. Please give all details about dose and your pharmacy name and phone number (and pharmacy fax number and email address if it is available). Prescriptions that need to be filled the same day need be requested before 12:00. Although we try to handle all requests on the same day, please allow two business days so that you do not run out of your medication. After routine business hours, including weekends, absolutely no narcotics will be called in. Routine medication prescriptions will only be called in during routine business hours.
Questions: For non-emergency questions, please call 355-7766 during routine office hours. Calls received after 3:00 will be returned the following day.

Afterhours

Our Physicians share on-call responsibilites. If you need to speak to a doctor after regular office hours, our answering service will contact the physician on-call and your call will be returned within 30 minutes. Sometimes the signals fail, so if you do not get called back, lease call the service again. — To reach the answering service call our office number at (912) 355-7766.
Drs. Schlafstein, Paasch, Barrett and Tucker are in our call group, as well as Drs. Edwards, and Pettigrew.

When contacting the office or on-call physician, it may be important to know the phone number of a pharmacy near your home (if after hours, it may need to be the nearest 24hr pharmacy) and the name of your hospital your insurance has approved. If your phone is equipped with caller ID please set it to accept blocked calls when you are expecting a call from us.

If you need more emergent assistance, please call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Room or Labor and Delivery.

For non-urgent concerns, please call our office during regular business hours when your records are available.

Lab Tests & Test Results

On-site laboratory services are available for your convenience. This lab is solely owned and operated by Candler Lab Services, and all billing issues should be directed to them. You may have your labwork drawn by or sent to the lab of your choosing. Lab and Radiology test results will be given out by the physician, nurse, or medical assistant only. The time for us to receive your results is lab dependent. Your insurance determines which lab your tests are sent to, some give results in a few days and some as long as 3-4 weeks. On average all pap smears are within 2 weeks. Patients will be notified of their test results by telephone or mail. Normal pap smears are not routinely called back. If you have not been informed of your results witin 14 business days and wish to know any results, please call our office during normal business hours and we will be happy to help you.

About Your Insurance

As courtesy to our patients, we will be happy to bill both primary and secondary insurances. Please bring all applicable current insurance cards to your appointment.
{ Dr. Edwards is not currently accepting new patients with Medicaid or Medicare, and Dr. Pettigrew is not currently accepting new patients with Medicaid or Medicare. None of the physicians are on the Tricare Plans.}
If your doctor is a member of your HMO or PPO plan, we will bill your insurance for all service. You will be responsible for paying your co-payment at the time of your visit.
If you have any questions about our fees, please feel free to contact our Patient Accounts at (912) 355-7766 or email the Billing Department.

Billing Department

Please email any questions to:

Kim Bonin-Billing Specialist

Kathy Phan-Billing Specialist