Office changes

Given extenuating circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic, East Greenwich Pediatrics is taking precautions in our office to keep our patients, their families, and our staff safe.  When you arrive at our office for an appointment, please call us from your car to check in. Be prepared that the providers and medical assistants will be wearing personal protective equipment (face shield, mask, gloves, and gowns) to optimize safety.  To limit risk of exposure, we ask that NO siblings and only ONE parent arrive with each patient.  Everyone over the age of 2 is required to wear a mask or cloth facing covering while in the office. 

Appointments

Please be aware that we are catching up from the months under lockdown, so call to book your child’s annual visit far in advance of the date you need. We generally have appointments available to book a few months ahead of the date, so that we can offer same day sick visit appointments (both virtual and in-office). If you are unable to make your appointment, please cancel with as much notice as possible, so we can give your time slot to another patient on our waitlist. Help us stay on schedule by arriving on time for your appointments!

Let us know if you or anyone in your household have been instructed to quarantine by the health department, have been tested for COVID-19, exposed to someone with COVID-19, or have travelled in the past 14 days so that we can best determine the safest way for you to be seen. We will always see you and care for you no matter the circumstance, but we want to be sure that we provide that care in the safest way possible.

Telehealth

In order to ensure access and continuity of healthcare services during the COVID-19 crisis, Governor Raimondo has declared a state of emergency that allows for phone calls and virtual visits to be covered by insurers in order to maximize social distancing. During this time, increased costs of care secondary to the COVID-19 pandemic will be charged only to the insurers, not our patients. Unlike phone calls, virtual visits will be billed through your insurer in the same way as an in-office visit, so any fees and co-pays that you have with an in-office visit will apply. Also, please know that if you are concerned that your child may need antibiotics or steroids, schedule a virtual or in-office visit with us so that we can better assess your child’s needs. We do not prescribe these medications over the phone. 

Insurance

Please inform us of any insurance changes as soon as they occur, and always bring your insurance card with you to your visit. Of note, many insurers have waived co-pays and cost sharing for telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to support social distancing. Call your insurance provider if you have any questions about what your carrier is doing to help support you during this crisis.

School Physical Forms

We will mail home your child’s physical at the end of the day of your child’s annual visit. If you need a physical form for school, camp, or sports, please contact us and you can come and pick it up at our office or we will mail it home to you. 

After Hours Calls

We have seen an increase in calls after hours due to the pandemic, and are doing our best to get back to everyone in a timely manner.  Please call for urgent issues, and please save calls about refill requests or lab results for our regular hours (Monday-Friday 8-4:30 and Saturday and Sunday 8-11). 

COVID-19 testing

East Greenwich Pediatrics is equipped to collect and send COVID testing on our symptomatic patients as part of sick visits.  If your child is ill and needs to be seen, please call our office 401-884-8900 to schedule and appointment. 

If your child is in school (preK-12) and needs to be tested and has mild symptoms or is asymptomatic and needs testing due to an exposure, please call the RIDOH school testing hotline 844-857-1814 to schedule an appointment. The hotline is open seven days/week from 7:30A-9:30P.  This service line is only for Pre-K to 12 staff and students who have symptoms or who have been identified as a close contact of a positive case.  For more information about the school testing plan: https://health.ri.gov/covid/testing/k-12/

If your child does not have symptoms but needs testing (due to travel or before going to college) please use the following link: https://health.ri.gov/covid/testing/children/