Our Patients
Our rheumatologists are available to see adult patients (age 18 or older) with inflammatory rheumatic disease on referral from their primary care provider.
General Patient Info
Welcome to Rheumatology Consultants, PLLC.
We consider it a privilege to participate in your medical care. We take the confidence you and your referring physician are placing in us very seriously.
New Patients:
New patients referred to our practice are encouraged to arrive 10-15 minutes prior to their scheduled appointment. Bring all insurance information with you. Medical records from your primary care physician or referring provider should be sent to the office prior to your appointment. Please bring all your medications with you to your appointment.
Office Hours:
Our office hours are 8 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Thursday, and 8 AM to 12 PM on Friday. If you are unable to keep your appointment, please notify us as soon as possible, but at least 24 hours in advance. We are closed on weekends and major holidays. One of our physicians is on call for urgent problems when the office is closed. For emergencies after hours, please do not call the physician on call — instead, dial 911.
Patient Portal
Rheumatology Consultants, PLLC, has an internet patient portal in addition to this website. You may reach the portal by visiting www.myhealthrecord.com.
This portal is a convenient option for those patients wishing to contact their physician with non-urgent questions, refill a prescription, view their medical information, or pay balances on their account.
In order to use the portal, a patient must be registered with a user name and password. New patients are given instructions to register for the portal on their initial visit. Patients needing assistance in registering for the portal should contact the office by phone.
Telephone Policy:
For questions or problems that may arise between appointments we can be reached during regular office hours at (865) 602-7983. Our medical assistants will return your call, gather information about your problem, consult with your physician, and call you back with the physician’s instructions.
We recommend using our Patient Portal for requesting prescription refills or asking your pharmacy to send us a refill request. Otherwise, certain medications may be refilled between appointments by telephone between the hours of 9 AM and 3 PM. Please call at least 24 hours before your medication runs out. There is a voicemail line for prescription refills. When calling for a prescription refill, spell the name of your medication, the dose prescribed, how often you take the medication, and your pharmacy’s name and telephone number. Your prescription will be sent to the pharmacy within 24 hours.
Physicians on call after office hours cannot refill your prescriptions. Please do not page the on-call physician for medication refills.
Many medications require laboratory tests to monitor your safety. If you are on one of these medications, make sure your testing is up to date and that any results from outside laboratories have been sent to our office before you call for refills. These medications cannot be refilled until laboratory tests have been reviewed by your physician.
Fees & Insurance
Payment for office visits is expected at the time of your visit. Our fees reflect the time spent with you, the complexity of your illness, and the specialized nature of your doctor’s training. There may be additional fees for x-rays and blood tests.
Our practice is under contract with several but not all insurance companies. If you are not sure whether we are under contract with your insurance company, please contact our office prior to your visit. If our practice is under contract with your insurance company, you are responsible for making sure the appropriate referral has been made by your referring physician. You will need to provide your insurance card(s) and photo identification. You will also be expected to make your co-payment at each visit. Payment can be made by cash, check, Visa, or MasterCard. If you do not have your insurance card(s) or an appropriate referral, you will be responsible for all charges for that visit.
Requests for completion of various forms for disability or similar matters require extra time from your physician and will be charged accordingly. We are happy to answer questions about these charges.
Once again, welcome! We look forward to meeting you.