Frequently Asked Questions

The office is open Sunday - Friday. 

Yes, We are excited that you have chosen us for your child's medical care. Your comfort and convenience are our priority, and we strive to make every visit to our office a positive experience. To help you get acquainted with our office and first visit procedures, we have included helpful information on this page.

What to Expect

A pleasant, comfortable first visit builds trust and helps put the child at ease during future visits. We look forward to meeting you and your child and providing the quality, comprehensive medical care you expect and deserve.

To make an appointment please call our office. To ensure the best use of time, for both our physicians and patients, all of our office visits are by appointment only. We ask that you arrive at our office 10 - 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time. This will allow you to complete any necessary paperwork and to update any demographic and insurance changes. If you must cancel an appointment, please notify us as soon as possible so we can offer that time to someone else.

Emergencies arise. We will advise you if there is going to be a delay in seeing you. If your schedule won't allow you to wait, we will be happy to reschedule your appointment. We do appreciate your patience and cooperation during our busy times and we will make every effort to keep your wait time to a minimum.

Please refer to our Insurance page to review Advocare's list of accepted insurance providers.

We have a physician on call 24 hours a day, please call our office. This is for emergency purposes only. Refill of medications and referrals will not get handled after hours.
IN THE EVENT OF A LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY, CALL 911.

Our routine health maintenance visit schedule follows the American Academy of Pediatrics vaccine guideline for children. Recommended Well Visit schedule.

Immunizations are a series of shots given to children at different ages to help ward off serious, and potentially fatal, childhood diseases. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, vaccinations have reduced the number of infections from vaccine-preventable diseases by more than 90%. 

For non-urgent referrals: When one of our doctors refers you to a specialist, please schedule your appointment with the specialist, then call our office within five business days of your appointment. Your referral will be available within 72 hours. Most referrals are completed electronically and submitted directly to the specialist's office. Please check with our office staff to determine if your insurance plan processes referrals electronically.

For urgent referrals: When one of our doctors determines that you need an urgent referral, your referral will be initiated immediately. Please remain in our office while your referral is processed, then proceed to your specialist.

You will receive a call quickly with any lab results that require urgent attention. Other abnormal lab results will be addressed promptly by the provider that ordered the labs or tests. Normal values are reviewed and addressed by the physician that ordered them.

Please email ibenzel@advocaredoctors.com for routine prescription refills.  For prescriptions that require prior authorization from your insurance company, please plan ahead to allow at least three to five days for refill approval. 

Yes, we promote breastfeeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding babies for the first six to twelve months. Breastfeeding helps defend children against infections, prevents allergies, and protects against a number of chronic conditions. While experts believe that breast milk is the best nutritional choice for infants, breastfeeding may not be possible for all women. Some women have specific medical considerations that impede breastfeeding; others choose to feed by formula because of discomfort, work schedule, or lifestyle choices. In these cases, an iron-fortified, milk-based infant formula is a good alternative. We will gladly discuss your diet and feeding concerns at your child's well care visit, or please call during office hours to speak with our experienced nursing staff.

Yes, in fact we strongly encourage parents-to-be to visit our office for a prenatal appointment. This is a great way to get acquainted with our office and our doctors. During this visit, we will answer any questions that you have about our practice or your new child. Visit our expectant parent's page for more information.

We recommend that your newborn be seen in our office 2-3 days after discharge from the hospital.