Quick answers on visits, forms and fees.
What parents ask the front desk most, answered in a line or two. Each answer links to the page with the full detail.
Appointments and new patients
Are you taking new patients?
Yes, from birth through 21. Most new families are seen within two weeks of calling. How joining works.
How do I book a visit?
Call (541) 555-0148 on weekdays from 8:00 am, or send a request and the front desk will call you back within one business day. Same-day sick visits are booked by phone.
Can we meet you before our baby is born?
Yes. Come in during the third trimester, meet a provider and see the office. Fifteen minutes, no charge, no obligation. Families moving to Bend with older children are welcome to do the same. Book a meet-the-practice visit.
How long does a visit take?
A checkup runs about 30 minutes. A first visit runs 45, because we take the full history. For a first visit, arrive ten minutes early.
What if we miss or are late for an appointment?
Call us as soon as you know, even if it is only a few minutes before: (541) 555-0148. If you need to cancel, please tell us at least 24 hours ahead when you can, so another family can have the time. We never charge a fee for a missed, late or cancelled visit.
If you arrive more than 15 minutes late, we may ask you to wait for the next opening or to choose a new time, so the families after you are not kept waiting. A sick child is still seen the same day.
If several visits in a row are missed, we will call you to talk about what would make getting here easier.
Will we see the same provider every time?
For the most part. You are assigned a primary provider at the first visit, and checkups are booked with them. Same-day sick visits go to whoever has a morning slot, and they send your provider a note the same day. Meet the team.
Do you offer telehealth visits?
Yes, on weekday afternoons, for rashes, pink eye, medication follow-ups and mental health check-ins. Ask for one when you call.
Can a grandparent or sitter bring my child in?
Yes, once we have your signed authorization naming them. Ask the front desk for the form, or fill it in at your next visit. Without it we can only treat in an emergency.
Does anyone speak my language?
Spanish with Dr. Ruiz Carver and two of the front desk staff, Tamil and Hindi with Dr. Raghunathan. For any other language we book a phone interpreter at no cost to you. Say so when you call and we will hold the extra time.
Sick visits and after hours
My child is sick. Can we be seen today?
Almost always. Weekday mornings are held open for sick visits, so call (541) 555-0148 before 10:00 am. On Saturday mornings we see sick visits only, by appointment.
What happens if I call after hours?
Evenings, weekends and holidays, the same number reaches one of our own pediatric providers, not a call center. They will tell you whether it can wait for the morning, needs a visit, or needs the emergency department.
When should we go to the ER instead?
Call 911 or go to the emergency department if your child has trouble breathing, is unresponsive, has a seizure or has a serious injury. The nearest one is St. Charles Bend, 2500 NE Neff Road. A baby under 3 months with a fever of 100.4°F or higher needs a call to us straight away, day or night. When to call us, and when to go to the ER.
Will you prescribe antibiotics over the phone?
No. We need to examine your child first. Most childhood infections are caused by viruses, which antibiotics do not treat, and a quick look tells us which kind it is.
Can I email a question about symptoms?
Please call instead. Email and the website form are not private enough for health details, and on the phone we can ask the right questions. Call (541) 555-0148.
Forms, records and prescriptions
How do I get a school, sports or camp form filled in?
Drop it at the front desk or fax it to (541) 555-0149. It takes two business days, and no appointment is needed if we have seen your child within the past year.
How do I get my child's immunization record?
Call the front desk and we print it or send it on. Sending it to another practice needs a signed release. We record every vaccine in ALERT, Oregon’s immunization registry, so this is usually a phone call rather than a visit.
Oregon’s School Exclusion Day is the fourth Wednesday in February: February 24 in 2027. If your child’s school or child care says the record is incomplete, call the front desk before then and we will print it from ALERT IIS.
How do I ask for a prescription refill?
Ask your pharmacy to send us the request. Allow two business days.
How do we move records from our last practice?
Sign one release and we request the chart and the immunization history for you. Another practice can fax records to (541) 555-0149.
Insurance and costs
Do you take my insurance?
We are in network with most Oregon plans, including the Oregon Health Plan. Networks vary plan by plan, so call with your member ID and we will check while you are on the phone. Plans we take.
Why did a checkup come with a bill?
If we also looked into a problem during the checkup, such as ear pain or an asthma flare, insurance counts it as a second service, and your copay or deductible can apply. We tell you before we go further. What a visit usually costs.
What if we do not have insurance?
You are entitled to a Good Faith Estimate in writing before the visit. Your child may also qualify for the Oregon Health Plan, whatever your immigration status. Paying yourself.
When is the copay due?
At check-in. We take cards, HSA and FSA cards, and checks.
Who do I ask about a bill?
Colleen Byrd, our billing manager, on weekdays at billing@sagebrookpeds.com or by phone. If a payment is more than you can manage at once, ask her about a payment plan.
Vaccines
Do you follow the vaccine schedule?
Yes, the AAP schedule, and we expect the families in our care to vaccinate. We are not the right practice for a family who has decided against the schedule outright. Our vaccine policy.
My child is behind on vaccines. Can you help?
Yes. Whatever the reason, we build a catch-up plan and work through it with you, without a lecture. How immunizations work here.
Do vaccines cost anything?
With most plans, nothing: vaccines on the recommended schedule count as preventive care. Uninsured children get the vaccines themselves at no charge through the federal Vaccines for Children program, which we take part in.
Teens and young adults
Why do you ask to see my teenager alone?
From about 12, we offer part of each visit with the parent out of the room. Teenagers tell a doctor things they will not say in front of a parent, and that is often how a problem gets caught early. No one is made to do it. Why we ask for time alone with your teen.
What can a teenager consent to on their own?
In Oregon, from 15 a teen can consent to most medical care, and some services earlier. The provider explains at the start what stays private and what does not. What Oregon law allows.
Until what age do you see patients?
Through 21. Before then, we help your young adult choose an adult doctor and send the records across. Adolescent care.
Still have a question?
Call the front desk from 8:00 am on weekdays. After hours, the same number reaches one of our own pediatric providers.