Patient Information

Take the following three steps before your first visit to the Spine Center:

• Complete your pre-registration online or by phone at 617-243-6122. You can pre-register online starting at least seven days in advance and up to 24 hours before your appointment. Please pre-register by phone if you are pre-registering less than 24 hours or one business day in advance.
• Fill out the New Patient Packet (PDF) and bring this with you when you come.
• Bring results of any imaging studies, especially MRIs or other records that you feel may be important for your doctor.

Yes. We try to see all patients on an appointment basis, and we ask that you call us in advance at 617-243-5777 so we can reserve time for you.

You can call us for an appointment during our regular scheduling hours, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. We’ll see you as soon as possible.

If you’re a new patient, we ask that you arrive 15 to 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to allow enough time to complete our registration and any additional paperwork.

On occasion, emergency situations can disrupt our regularly scheduled appointments. If that happens, we will keep you informed of your appointment status. If you need to cancel your appointment, we ask that you try to give us 24 hours’ notice. If that’s not possible, please let us know as soon as possible.

Call 911 right away if you have a life-threatening emergency. If you have an emergency in which you are not at risk for immediate harm, please call our office at 617-243-5777.

Emergencies During Office Hours

If your emergency call is during our regular office hours (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.), we will notify your doctor about your situation and advise you accordingly.

Emergencies After Office Hours

If you have an emergency outside of normal office hours or during the weekend, calling our office will bring you to our answering service. Follow the automated prompts as they apply to your situation.

Your doctor may prescribe medications to control pain and inflammation related to your spinal condition. If you have any questions about your medication, or if you need a medication refilled, please call our office at 617-243-5777 during our normal business hours (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

Our team is on duty to help you Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please call us at 617-243-5777 to ask routine questions during these hours. Our staff members can answer many of your questions.

If you have a question our staff members can’t answer, they’ll refer your question to one of our doctors or physician assistants. The doctor or physician assistant will respond as soon as possible based on his or her schedule and your situation.

We know efficient billing processing requires you to prepare in advance, and that preparation can be time-consuming. We’re happy to help clarify what’s required of you for each visit, but we ask that you contact your insurance company directly for help with specific questions.

If your insurance requires a referral for you to see a specialist, you are responsible for getting that referral before your appointment with us. Please check with your insurance company to confirm whether you need a referral. You also are responsible to pay any balance not covered by your insurance, such as:

• Co-insurance
• Deductible
• Other uncovered balances

We are happy to treat you if you’ve been injured at your workplace. You must provide our billing department with all necessary forms from your insurance company. If we don’t receive this information, you will be responsible for payment at the time of your visit.

We are happy to care for you if you’ve been injured in a motor vehicle accident. You must supply our billing department with all motor vehicle insurance information and health insurance information in advance of your appointment. This allows our billing team to confirm that your motor vehicle insurance company or health insurance will cover your medical expenses that result from the accident.

For personal injury or slip-and-fall accidents, your payment is due on the day of your visit. Payment isn’t contingent on the status or outcome of the personal injury case.

You likely will receive two bills in the mail, as is standard for outpatient visits. For each of your appointments with us, there will be a charge for the doctor’s fees from his or her billing service, and there will be a charge from Newton-Wellesley Hospital. These bills likely will arrive separately.

Your insurance carrier will be billed for both fees, and it’s possible that you won’t see any bills, depending on your carrier. If there is no other coverage to apply, you will be responsible for payment.