Penn Elm Medical Group
488 E. Valley Parkway
Suite 411
Escondido, CA 92025
(760) 745-2000

• Where can I find before and after instructions for medical procedures performed by my Penn Elm doctor?
• What should I do if I have a medical emergency?
• Where do I go for after-hours care?
• What types of services do you offer?
• What insurances does Penn Elm accept?
• When can I be seen by my doctor?
• How do I make an appointment?
• What do I do if I am a new patient?
• What if I need to see a specialist?
• What do I do if I need a prescription refilled?
• How will I be billed for an office visit?

Where can I find before and after instructions for medical procedures performed by my Penn Elm doctor? Please CLICK HERE to view and print these instructions.

What should I do if I have a medical emergency?
If your emergency is life threatening CALL 911, or go at once to the nearest emergency room and ask someone there to contact us. Please be prepared for an emergency by reviewing your insurance policy's criteria for emergency care. Some insurance carriers require notification when you are seen by someone other than your designated primary care provider.

Where do I go for after-hours care?
Our office is open Saturday morning for urgent appointments. After office hours, our answering service will take your information and relay it to one of our physicians who will then contact you. The physician on call may refer you to the urgent care facility in Rancho Bernardo.

In the case of an urgent medical problem (such as a laceration or a sprained ankle) or emergent problem (such as chest pain), it is best to call our office first so we can communicate with the urgent care clinic.

Scripps Clinic, Rancho Bernardo URGENT CARE (see map)
15025 Innovation Dr.
San Diego, CA 92128
(858) 592-1307
Hours of Operation: 7 days a week from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

What types of services do you offer?
We can treat your everyday healthcare needs including, but not limited to:

• Acute and preventive care of diabetes, obesity, hypertension, allergies, asthma, infectious disease, and other common medical conditions
• Physical exams (annual, school, employment, adoption, pre-op, DMV, etc.)
• Newborn, pediatric, and adolescent healthcare
• Women’s healthcare: obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) care, pap smears, family planning, menopause
• Geriatrics: care of seniors
• Dermatology, including minor cosmetic surgery and skin cancer
• Nutrition, fitness counseling, and sports-related medicine
• Immunizations
• Hospital and out-patient surgery including skin procedures; treatment of warts, skin cancers, lacerations; no-scalpel vasectomy; flexible sigmoidoscopy-colon cancer screening; joint injections
• Pulmonary function testing
• X-ray services, including mammography and Dexascans (for osteoporosis screening)
• Workers' Comp: evaluation and treatment of work-related injuries
• Translation of Spanish and Taiwanese

What insurances does Penn Elm accept?
Penn Elm is contracted through the Scripps System with the HMO products from Aetna, Blue Shield, Blue Shield POS, Cigna POS, Health Net, Health Net POS, PacifiCare, PacifiCare POS, Great West (formally One Health), SecureHorizons, Health Net Seniority, and SCAN.

We also contract with most PPO plans. Call (760) 745-2000 and our receptionist or the New Patient Registration Coordinator can tell you if your plan is one of them. If we are not contracted with your insurance plan, please let us know and we will look into the possibility of doing so.

When can I be seen by my doctor?
Doctors may be seen Monday through Friday at various times, depending on their schedule, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday (urgent only) from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Our switchboard opens at 7:30 a.m. M-F to schedule appointments. Our receptionists do their best to make Penn Elm patients feel welcome and comfortable.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are unable to keep your appointment, it must be canceled 24 hours in advance. We are closed on New Years Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and Christmas.

How do I make an appointment?
Penn Elm is very proud of our receptionists and the job they do making sure that our patients are able to see their physician promptly. We have worked hard to ensure that our receptionists are familiar with your doctor’s scheduling, and we plan to always have a compassionate and knowledgeable person available to help. Just call us at (760) 745-2000 and follow the voice prompts.

What do I do if I am a new patient?
If you have not been in the Penn Elm offices before, or are returning after an absence of two years or more, there are several pieces of information we must obtain to update your records. When you make an appointment, ask to be connected with our New Patient Registration Coordinator who will take your information and help you get set up to see the physician of your choice. Also, please go to our patient forms page to print the forms you will need to fill out and bring to your appointment.

What if I need to see a specialist?
If you have PPO Insurance, your doctor will be able to refer you to a specialist or for a specific test at the time of your visit.

If you have HMO Insurance, routine referrals may take up to 5 to 10 working days to be approved. Once approved, you will be mailed instructions for setting up an appointment for your referral. If you have waited more than 2 to 3 weeks, or have questions regarding your referral, please leave a message for your physician’s nurse to contact you. If the specialist believes you need further evaluation by another doctor or further testing, the specialist may process the referral for you. To streamline your approval process you will not need to go back through your Penn Elm primary care physician.

What do I do if I need a prescription refilled?
Refills of a medication you are currently taking can be obtained most quickly and easily by contacting your pharmacy. They will then fax us a request, which we will approve and return to them. Please allow at least 2 to 3 work days for refills. Because medications may be out of stock or need to be special ordered, we encourage you to call your pharmacy a week before a refill is needed.

How will I be billed for an office visit?
If we are contracted with your insurance carrier (see insurance page), we will collect co-payments and deductibles prior to service, then bill your insurance for the balance. However, since benefits vary from plan to plan, you may also be responsible for services not covered by your policy, so please review your insurance coverage.

Uninsured patients and those covered by insurance plans with which we are not contracted are asked to pay at the time of service. A 5% discount might apply for these cash patients. If your charges are more than you can afford, you can make payment arrangements by contacting our Patient Accounts Manager prior to your appointment. If you are seen for an emergent medical need not covered by insurance, a payment plan can be set up for you. If payment is not made as promised within 60 days, your account may be placed for collection.

home • about us • what is family practice? • scope of services • our physicians • office locations
emergency & after hours • referrals to specialists • insurance • newsletter/articles
patient forms • links • f a q • patient instructions • radiology • contact us • privacy policy
SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTER

© 2007, Penn Elm Medical Group (760) 745-2000
design by Intelligraphics