The best care on the first visit – every visit
Your wellbeing is important to us and we want to be thorough, which means your initial office visit may last up to three hours. We will spend that time reviewing your past medical and environmental history, giving you an examination, possibly conducting allergy skin testing and/or pulmonary function testing, and recommending a treatment plan.
Please verify coverage with your insurance prior to attending your appointment to make sure you know your plan’s coverage, deductibles and co-pays. Some insurances require referrals – if so, we kindly ask you to contact your primary care provider to obtain one. Co-pays are due at the time of the appointment.
Please note: We require 24-hour cancellation notice.
Allergy Skin Testing
We make every attempt to skin test you or your child at your first visit.
Skin tests are done on your back using the “prick” technique. These are relatively painless. Your child will respond more positively if you are able to prepare them for the pricks and subsequent itching.
Please discontinue any medications that contain antihistamines for five days prior to the skin testing. If you have a questions about whether your medications contain antihistamines, please contact our office.
DO NOT stop your antihistamines if you need them, for example if you’re having an outbreak of hives, etc. You may keep your appointment; we would make other arrangements for your skin tests.
Specialized Testing
Some patients require special testing, such as food challenges, penicillin testing, exercise challenges, flu testing, medication testing and venom (bee sting) testing. These tests are generally not done at your initial visit as they usually require two to three hours to complete. We will help you schedule any additional tests as needed.