What’s an “Internist”?
Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. At least three of their seven or more years of medical school and postgraduate training are dedicated to learning how to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases that affect adults. Internists are sometimes referred to as the “doctor’s doctor,” because they are often called upon to act as consultants to other physicians to help solve puzzling diagnostic problems.
Simply put, internists are Doctors of Internal Medicine. You may see them referred to by several terms, including “internists,” “general internists” and “doctors of internal medicine.” But don’t mistake them with “interns,” who are doctors in their first year of residency training. Although internists may act as primary care physicians, they are not “family physicians,” “family practitioners,” or “general practitioners,” whose training is not solely concentrated on adults and may include surgery, obstetrics and pediatrics.
When will Dr. Frankel return my phone call?
Dr. Frankel tries to return patient’s phone calls within a timely manner. If he can, he will return phone calls between seeing patients. Typically however, Dr. Frankel likes to return phone calls after he has finished seeing patients and has time to answer your questions thoughtfully. Please alert the staff if you’re telephone call is urgent.
When will Dr. Frankel return my email?
You can expect a reply to an email within 24-48 hours.
How quickly can I make an appointment to see Dr. Frankel?
Our office sees urgent patients in 1-2 days. Routine wellness exams will be scheduled within 3 weeks. If your problem is emergent and requires same day evaluation you need to speak with Dr. Frankel. Walk-in’s will be charged a “walk-in” fee. A walk-in fee of $25 will be added to any co-payment for patient’s who do not have scheduled appointments. A walk-in fee of $100 will be charged to a new/walk-in patient.
What is the waiting room time?
Our office strives to keep waiting room time to less than 30 minutes.
Can I obtain a referral on the phone?
You can call our office to obtain an electronic referral. These are the necessary data our office needs to complete an electronic referral:
- Your name as noted on your insurance ID card.
- Your date of birth.
- Your insurance ID number (usually without the letters).
- The name of the specialist you need to see.
- The NPI (National Practitioner Identifier) number of the specialist/hospital/therapist/group. Every healthcare professional whether it is a doctor, podiatrist, hospital or clinic has an NPI.
- The reason you are seeing the specialist.
How much time do I need to obtain a referral?
We would prefer to submit electronic referral without pressure. We urge you to give our office 2-3 days to submit your referral. Don’t wait until you arrive at the specialist’s office to remember to get a referral. Best times to call for referrals are Tuesday – Fridays. Thank you!
Do you have a no-show/cancellation policy?
Our office requests that if you need to cancel an appointment that you do so within 24 hours of your appointment time. Our office will bill you a “no show” for those appointments not canceled 24 hours prior to appointment time.
What is Dr. Frankel’s appointment early & late policy?
If you are going to be more than 20 minutes late for your scheduled appointment, you must reschedule your appointment. Please do not arrive more than 15 minutes prior to your schedule appointment.
What is Dr. Frankel’s policy on doctor notes?
No doctor notes will be issued without a face-to-face interaction, or other contact, directly with Dr. Frankel.
Is there a charge for paperwork?
Yes. Please contact our offices (215.564.6500) for our fee schedules.
How do I (or an authorized agent) request a copy of my medical records?
