Policies

We are concerned about every aspect of healthcare, including when patients do not show up for a scheduled appointment at their scheduled time. As a result, we have developed a policy to keep our patients seen at their scheduled time.  

Please read the following carefully: 

Late Patients: As a courtesy to patients who arrive at their scheduled time and so not delay the office, we have the right to reschedule your appointment if you are more than 10 minutes late for your scheduled time of arrival. We understand that traffic is a problem here in the Florida Keys, so please plan accordingly. 

Cancellations: If you find you are not going to make it to your appointment, we ask that you call 1-2 hours before to cancel so that we may fill the spot with someone who may be waiting to get an appointment. Late cancellations will be considered no-shows. 

No-Shows: We understand that unforeseen circumstances may arise, there is no charge on your first no-show. After your second no-show (or late cancellation), there is a $50 fee and a warning. After the third no-show you may be dismissed from the practice. We value your time and ours - please help our practice adhere to everyone's needs by canceling appointments in a timely manner. 

Walk Ins: We do not accept walk ins. We are committed to providing excellent service to our patients at their scheduled appointments. We make every effort to stay on time and your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Thank you. 

We strive to provide your children with the best care possible. 

With this in mind, it is our policy that all patients being seen for mental health issues on a regular or irregular basis must complete a well check exam yearly. This exam includes a complete physical exam, a review of your child’s growth parameters, blood work (if necessary) and vaccines (if necessary). 

In addition, please be advised that appointments for mental health issues are scheduled far in advance under most circumstances and time slots are very limited. If for any reason you cannot make your child’s appointment, we ask you to notify us at least 24 hours in advance. Missing 2 mental health appointments without notifying our office may lead to your child’s dismissal from our practice. 

Thank you for your cooperation!  

We firmIy believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives.  

We firmly believe in the safety of our vaccines. 

We firmly believe that all children and young adults should receive all the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

We firmly believe, based on all available literature, evidence, and current studies, that vaccines do not cause autism or other developmental disabilities. 

We firmly believe that vaccinating children and young adults may be the single most important health­ promoting intervention we perform as healthcare providers, and that you can perform as parents/caregivers. The recommended vaccines and the vaccine schedule are the results of years and years of scientific study and data gathering on millions of children by thousands of our brightest scientists and physicians. 

This said, we recognize that there has always been, and will likely always be, controversy surrounding vaccination. Indeed, Benjamin Franklin, persuaded by his brother, was opposed to smallpox vaccine until scientific data convinced him otherwise. Tragically, he had delayed inoculating his favorite son Franky. The boy contracted smallpox and died at the age of 4, leaving Franklin with a lifetime of guilt and remorse. In his autobiography, Franklin wrote: 

"In 1736, I lost one of my sons, a fine boy of four years old, by the smallpox ... I long regretted bitterly, and still regret that I hod not given it to him by inoculation This I mention for the sake of parents who omit that operation, on the supposition thot they should never forgive themselves if a child died under it, my example showing that the regret may be the same either way, and that, therefore, the safer should be chosen." 

The vaccine campaign is truly a victim of its own success. It is precisely because vaccines are so effective at preventing illness that we are even discussing whether or not they should be given because of vaccines, many of you have never seen a child with polio, tetanus, whooping cough, bacterial meningitis, or even chickenpox, or known a friend or family member whose child died of one of these diseases. Such success can make us complacent or even lazy about vaccinating 

But such an attitude, if it becomes widespread, can only lead to tragic results. After publication of an unfounded accusation (later retracted) that MMR vaccine cased autism in 1998, many Europeans chose not to vaccinate their children. As a result of underimmunization, Europe experienced large outbreaks of measles, with several deaths from disease complications. 

In 2012, there were more than 48,000 cases of pertussis {whooping cough} in the United States, resulting in 22 deaths. Most victims were infants younger than six months of age. Many children who contracted the illness had parents who made a conscious decision not to vaccinate. In 2015, there was a measles outbreak in Disneyland, California (probably started by an infected park visitor who had traveled from the Philippines). The outbreak eventually spread to 147 people and, again, many were too young to have been vaccinated. 

When you don’t vaccinate, you take a significant risk with your child's health and the health of others around them. By not vaccinating, you also take selfish advantage of thousands of others who do vaccinate their children. thereby decreasing the likelihood that your child will contract a vaccine-preventable disease. We feel that refusing to vaccinate is not an acceptable option 

We are making you aware of these facts not to scare you or to coerce you, but to emphasize the importance of vaccinating your child. We recognize that the choice may be a very emotional and difficult one for some parents. We will do everything we can to convince you that vaccinating according to the schedule is the right thing to do. However, should you have doubts, please discuss these with your healthcare provider in advance of your visit. In some cases, we may alter the schedule to accommodate parental concerns or reservations Please be advised, however, that delaying or "breaking up the vaccines" to give one or two at a time over two or more visits goes against expert recommendations, and can put your child at risk for serious illness (or even death) and goes against our medical advice as providers at Florida Keys Pediatric & Adolescent Center, Inc. Such additional visits could require additional co-pays on your part. Please realize that you will also be required to sign a "Refusal to Vaccinate" acknowledgement in the event of any delays. 

Because we are committed to protecting the health of your children through vaccination, we require all of our patients (who do not have a medical contraindication to vaccination) to be vaccinated. Infants will receive all age-appropriate recommended vaccines by 3 months of age, with additional recommended vaccines as well as booster doses by two years of age. Children will receive additional recommended booster doses by the time they are seven years old and will be given recommended 11-12-year preteen vaccinations by the time they are 13 years old. We will complete 16-year teen vaccinations before each child's 18th birthday. And we will also offer your child/teen an annual influenza vaccination. We will be happy to supply you ahead of time with the currently recommended vaccination schedule. 

Finally, if you should absolutely refuse to vaccinate your child despite all our efforts, we will ask you to find another healthcare provider who shares your views. We do not keep a list of such providers, nor would we recommend any such physician. Please recognize that by not vaccinating, you are putting your child at unnecessary risk for life-threatening illness and disability, and even death. 

As medical professionals, we feel very strongly that vaccinating your child on schedule with currently available vaccines is absolutely the right thing to do to protect all children and young adults. Thank you for taking the time to read this policy. Please fee! free to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about vaccines with any one of us.