When You Visit Our Office
You will be greeted by Dr. Kelly’s staff when you arrive at the office. Please introduce yourself and tell them the reason for your visit. If it is your FIRST APPOINTMENT with us, you will be asked to complete medical history and patient information forms. At SUBSEQUENT VISITS, we will often ask you to complete a Visit Questionnaire. Please tell us of any telephone, address, or insurance changes.
Office Hours
You may need medical advice after hours. Call the office
(817) 334-0003, our telephone message will give you Dr. Kelly’s contact numbers. Dr. Kelly's office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 9a.m. to Noon on Friday. Generally, we will see patients who are sick on the day they call for help. Routine appointments should be scheduled in advance.
After Hours
On weekends, Dr. Kelly or an associate physician will be available to help you if needed. In the event that you are unable to reach Dr. Kelly, his office staff, or the physician on call, you should go to the Emergency Room at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Hospital or Texas Health Resources (Harris Methodist Hospital) in Fort Worth for immediate care.
If at all possible, discuss routine medical issues with us during regular office hours. However, as a patient of this office, YOU MAY CALL THE DOCTOR 24 HOURS A DAY for a telephone consultation. PMH Subscribers have a special hotline to connect with Dr. Kelly at all times. Learn more at www.premiummedicalhome.com.
Hospital and Nursing Home Affiliation
Should hospitalization be necessary, Dr. Kelly has staff privileges with Texas Health Resources (Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital) and Baylor All Saints Hospital. Dr. Kelly cares for his patients at Stonegate Nursing Center, The Stayton, and other nearby nursing homes or rehabilitation facilities.
Recommended Medical Evaluation
Patients with chronic disease or those who are on prescription medication should generally see the doctor every 6-12 months. Patients with acute illness should see the doctor as needed and advise the office if the illness does not resolve as expected. Patients seeing consultants (or other physicians) should follow that doctor's advice and request that reports be sent to Dr. Kelly's office. Finally, Dr. Kelly encourages all adults to schedule an annual appointment for individualized preventive care.
“Thank you for your wonderful care – even when I’m in the hospital. I can’t begin to tell you how relieved I was to see you in Harris Emergency Room shortly after I arrived last July. I am very appreciative of all you do” … (a patient’s letter to Dr. Kelly)
PREVENTIVE CARE: Why Is It Important?
Although you may see us for a specific reason, Dr. Kelly also wants to take time to address other symptoms or concerns and to address preventive health issues, when appropriate.
Dr. Kelly recommends a PREVENTIVE CARE EXAM in order to:
- Detect conditions that could cause future medical problems.
- Schedule/review age-appropriate testing for prevention, screenings, and vaccinations.
- Review family and social history that could guide preventive health measures.
Dr. Kelly uses the guidelines of the United States Preventive Services Task Force and/or the American Cancer Society in planning your annual check-up.
Preventive health services and procedures are usually covered by your insurance. Charges for preventive health services and procedures vary based on the service provided. As a Premium Medical Home subscriber, we will file medical charges with your insurance carrier.
Understanding Your Healthcare Recommendations
Your medical issues will be reviewed and summarized during your office visit or telephone consultation. However, there is much more you can and should do. Special interest groups such as the American Diabetes Association, www.diabetes.org, can be a great help. Websites contain much pertinent information, www.mayoclinic.com or www.medscape.com. Newspapers will also publish important information relative to your health and well-being. New information or questions you have are an important part of your doctor's office visits. Dr. Kelly encourages learning about your health and treatment in concert with doctor-patient communication. It's always OK to bring concerned family members to your appointments, as well as any articles that may have generated questions that you wish to ask the doctor.
Also, online resources bring medical information directly to your phone. The MyQuest app From Quest Diagnostics will make lab test results immediately available. X-ray results and images are available through the MyImages app from Envision Imaging.
DR. KELLY PROVIDES HIS PATIENTS WITH PERSONAL, ATTENTIVE, AND EFFECTIVE CARE, PROMOTING THE DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP AND HEALTHY LIVING.
“ Where do I begin? I didn’t know just how much God had blessed me by getting the opportunity to work with you until I got to see you in action. I cannot begin to explain to you just how incredible of a physician you are. You are kind, honest, current, knowledgeable, hardworking, funny, prudent, and so much more. I have no family in the healthcare professional world, which means I have not had much prior exposure to the business side of medicine. But after this experience, I am not only knowledgeable in the above, but also challenged to stay up-to-date with literature and strive to give care to my future patients…(a thank-you note from a medical student)
Payment Procedure
For your convenience, we will file HEALTH INSURANCE CLAIM forms for you. Remember that health insurance is your benefit, and we may need your cooperation in making sure that claims are properly filed. You will receive statements showing charges and payments on your account. You will be responsible for unpaid balances once your insurance company has responded and any adjustments have been made. We request that all balances be paid within 30 days of statement, unless prior arrangements are made. Payments can be made by mail, over the phone, or with electronic banking applications..
You may be asked to sign a waiver for services that may not be covered by insurance.
Services known to be non-covered will not be billed to your insurance plan, but will be billed directly to the patient.
A Note About Insurance
You will be responsible for portions of your health care not covered by insurance. For example, certain vaccinations, some laboratory services, special forms, reports, or summaries and medical record hard copies.
Some services are not always covered by insurance. Charges for these services vary by type and scope. Your Premium Medical Home subscription may cover some of these charges.
Your Appointment
When you come in for your appointment, you may be asked to complete a Visit Questionnaire. Please include the issues you want to discuss with Dr. Kelly or the nurse. Be as specific as you can, and feel free to bring notes with you to help you remember. It is also important that you know the names and dosages of all medications, vitamins, and other supplements you may be taking. Sometimes it is best just to bring the bottles with you. This information is helpful in addressing the nature of your visit. Please bring a written list of their prescription medications. You are always welcome to bring a friend or family member to your appointments.
At the end of your visit, Dr. Kelly or the staff will review recommendations, medications, and expected course of treatment. If you are uncertain or confused about any of your instructions, please ask for clarification.
It is your responsibility to follow directions, schedule both routine and follow-up visits, and see consulting physicians, if recommended. Also, please keep us informed of any changes of address, phone number, or insurance coverage. Notes made ahead of time listing medical problems and concerns are desirable.
It is our responsibility to inform you of TEST RESULTS. You will be informed (with your permission) either by mail, text, email or by telephone within one week of the test (two weeks for biopsy results). If you do not hear from us within these time-frames, please call the office to inquire about test results. You can access most test results directly through apps including MyQuest and MyImages.
Please notify us of any SYMPTOMS WHICH PERSIST or do not follow the course described by your doctor. Failure to bring such symptoms to our attention or to keep follow-up appointments could have unforeseen adverse effects. Always let the doctor know of any new or unexpected symptoms or problems.
Telemedicine Appointments
If you feel the need to discuss your symptoms with the doctor outside of our office setting, we offer telemedicine visits as an alternative. When you contact the office for an appointment, we will determine if telemedicine is a viable solution for your medical support. Telemedicine visits will be billed to your insurance, just as office visits are billed to your health insurance.
TELEMEDICINE is available for family consults and patient coordination. The decision for the use of telemedicine or routine office visits will is made when the appointment is scheduled.
…I’m (patient’s) younger sister. I’m so glad you are looking after my sister the way SHE wants! I am quietly in another state watching you being useful. Although I’m not on the site nor have anything practical to offer, I want you to know I’m grateful for your work, starting with the text and phone calls to me… (a family member’s letter to Dr. Kelly)
Stay Informed
Just as it is important for us to be fully informed, it is important that you understand the issues related to your healthcare. Any questions and uncertainties about your medical problem should be explained to your satisfaction, even if this requires additional telephone consultation or appointment time. Dr. Kelly asks that you keep a list with names and dosages of all your prescription medicine.
Learn as much as you can about your medical problems and prescriptions. Your pharmacist has many resources. The Internet is also very useful, especially websites such as www.medscape.com,
www.ama-assn.org or www.mayoclinic.com. If you learn something from your own reading or news reports or conversations which concerns your illness or treatment, call or come in to assess how it may apply to you. We want you and your family to have the information that will help all of us. We can also arrange additional consultations if needed and helpful, to answer all of your questions.
Prescriptions
PLEASE PLAN AHEAD, so you do not run out of your medication. Learn the names and dosages of your medications and their uses. We will address your refill requests and new prescription requests during office or hospital visits. Your Premium Medical Home is available for convenience refills on nights and weekends and if you are out of town. Call the office, and we will take care of your requests. Finally, always bring your medicine bottles or a list of your medications to each appointment.
Fees (Time and the Use of the Office)
Services not covered by health insurance will be billed directly to patients. Your PMH subscription covers the convenience of medication refills, emails, text messages, as well as enhanced cell phone communication and our quarterly PMH@HOME newsletter.
HOSPICE CARE Should a patient move to hospice care, Dr. Kelly will continue to care for the patient and work with the family. Dr. Kelly will also work with the hospice nurse and physician to help the patients and their families.
…Upon reflection on your seeing me today, I want to express my appreciation and thanks. Particularly, I appreciate the caring, efficient, effective, and thorough way that you practice medicine. Moreover, your patience with my ignorance of things medical has helped me deal with previous doubts and misinformation… (a patient’s letter to Dr. Kelly)