PRACTICE POLICIES

1. Appointments

- I provide psychiatric consultation only to individuals I have seen in face-to-face meetings, and with whom I have agreed to have a doctor-patient relationship. This website is for education and information only, as described on the legal disclaimer page.

- Anyone seeking consultation can make an appointment by calling me at 214-661-8020.

- I generally see individuals, couples, and families in my office on weekdays between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

- I can make house calls or arrange for other meetings upon request. For these situations I charge for my time, including travel time.

- I can make appointments on weekends or holidays if necessary.

2. Medications and Prescriptions

- Medications are prescribed based on assessment and discussion with the individual involved, and only after in-person evaluation and exploration of the conditions involved.

- I can refill routine prescription renewals by calling your pharmacy. I do not charge for calling in refills. 

- If your pharmacy benefits manager or your insurance company requires "prior authorization," I will make these phone calls and complete the paperwork during your appointment time. If you wish, I can do this on my time and bill you accordingly at my usual hourly rate. 

- Prescriptions for controlled substances have different rules. A controlled substance (stimulants like Ritalin, Concerta, and Adderall, for example) are closely monitored and regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). These medications require a special written prescription and cannot be called in by phone to pharmacies. This means that patients have to pick up the prescription. Patients taking these medications must be seen regularly and come for office visits for refills. 

- Medications that are habit-forming or associated with abuse ( like Xanax, Valium, sleeping pills, stimulants, and pain pills) require close monitoring and cannot be casually prescribed or renewed. These are valuable medications that help many people, but I am strict in my approach to prescribing them.

- I expect all patients to keep track of what they are taking, how they are supposed to be taking medications, and what the correct doses are for the medications. If you call me about your medication, have this information on hand, including phone numbers for your pharmacy. 

3. Payment at Time of Service

- I charge for my time, just as attorneys, accountants, and other professionals do. If you authorize services that require work beyond an office visit, I will keep an accurate record of my time and bill you for the time. Examples of this include conferences with your other doctors, calls or discussions with lawyers, or consultation involving your care. 

- Payment by cash credit card, or check is required at the time of our appointment. I accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. I can send you a bill if we agree to do that, but I prefer that you pay me when you see me.

- I do not accept insurance or third-party reimbursement. I do not call insurance companies or fill out forms. I am not on any insurance company networks or plans. You can, however, submit my bill to your insurance company for reimbursement according to the therms of your policy.

- I provide a statement of services rendered (invoice or receipt) that you can submit to your insurance plan. Some insurance plans will reimburse you for part of the charges for out of network providers. 

4. Confidentiality and Privacy

Confidentiality and privacy are very important. I am the only person who has direct access to your office record. I am the only person who answering my phone, picking up messages, and reading my email. I will treat what you tell me with care, sensitivity, and sound common sense. My professional ethics and the laws of The State of Texas prevent me in general from telling anyone else what you tell me unless you give me permission. These rules and laws are the ways our society recognizes and supports the privacy of what we talk about. 

There are a few exceptions. The law may require me to tell things to others under certain circumstances. I want you to understand clearly what I can and cannot keep confidential. You need to know about these rules now, so that you don’t tell me something as a secret that I cannot keep secret. Please read carefully. We can discuss any questions you might have at any time. 

Here is what the law says about confidentiality:

When you or other persons are in physical danger, the law requires me to tell others about it. Specifically:

a. If I come to believe that you are threatening serious and real harm to another person, I will try to protect that person. I may have to tell the person and the police, or perhaps try to have you put in a hospital.

b. If you seriously threaten or act in a way that is very likely to harm yourself, I may recommend hospitalization. I may call on your family members or others who can help protect you. If such a situation does come up, I will try to discuss the situation with you before I do anything, unless there is a very strong reason not to. By entering into a professional relationship with me, you are trusting me to use my best clinical judgment in making decisions about your care. 

c. In an emergency where your life or health is in danger, and I cannot get your consent, I may give another professional some information to protect your life. I will try to get your permission first, and I will discuss this with you if possible. By entering into a professional relationship with me, you are agreeing that I will use my best professional judgment in making these decisions, and you understand that in some situations you and I may disagree about those judgments if questions of safety are involved.

d. If I believe or suspect that you are abusing a child, an elderly person, or a disabled person I must file a report with a state agency. To abuse means to neglect, hurt, or sexually molest another person. I do not have any legal power to investigate the situation to find out all the facts. The state agency will investigate. If this might be your situation, we should discuss the legal aspects in detail before you tell me anything about these topics. You may also want to talk to your lawyer.

5. Limits of Responsibility

It is perfectly appropriate for you to contact me when you need to ask a question or discuss something you don’t understand. I encourage patients to stay in close touch with me. 

Although this has never happened in my practice, I have seen situations in which patients filed lawsuits alleging that a psychiatrist failed in his duty or was negligent because of not being available in an emergency. This has never happened in my practice, and I do my best to respond to someone who needs my help. In order to avoid any misunderstanding, I want to state clearly my position on these matters. 

I am not responsible for you or your behavior. Although you will have my phone numbers, including cell phone numbers, you are responsible and accountable for what you do, the choices you make, and how you behave in your own life. No psychiatrist can control or take responsibility for the behavior of other people. 

In any emergency situation, a person in crisis should go to a hospital emergency room first and then call me from there. This situation is extremely rare, but I want to make myself clear so that there is no misunderstanding about my availability or how I practice. 

6. Complaints and Disagreements

Never hesitate to let me know if you are not satisfied with some aspect of my practice. If you are dissatisfied with our work together, our agreement is that we will discuss your complaint and try to work out a solution. Because I have been in practice for many years, I can readily recommend other clinicians who can perhaps work more effectively with you. These situations do not arise very often; but when they do, I pledge to resolve them in collaboration with the dissatisfied party. This policy has worked successfully for me for many years, and I trust that it will for you as well.