New Patient Information
Welcome. Here is what to expect when you schedule with the only board certified infectious disease group serving Northwest Arkansas.
How to Schedule Your First Appointment
Most new patients are referred by their primary care physician, a specialist, or a hospital. The referring office sends us a referral form along with relevant records. You can also call our office directly at (479) 444-6522 to begin the scheduling process. New patient appointments are typically scheduled within one to three weeks, with sooner availability for urgent issues. We have offices in both Fayetteville and Rogers, and you can choose the location more convenient for you. The scheduling team will confirm insurance, verify benefits, and explain anything you need to bring or do before your visit.
Paperwork Before Your Visit
We send new patient forms to complete before your first appointment, either by mail, email link, or through our patient portal. Completing the paperwork in advance saves time and lets us focus on you during the visit. The forms cover your medical history, allergies, current medications, prior surgeries, family history, and the reason you are being seen. If you have recent labs, imaging, biopsy reports, or culture results, please send copies to our office before the appointment or bring them with you. Records from your referring provider help us avoid repeating tests you have already had.
What to Bring
Bring a photo ID, your insurance card, and a list of all your current medications including doses and how often you take them. Include over the counter medications, herbal supplements, and vitamins. Bring records of any vaccinations relevant to your visit. If you are seeing us about a specific infection, bring any culture results, imaging reports, hospital discharge summaries, or operative notes. If you have been treated by other infectious disease specialists in the past, bring their notes if available. Plan to arrive about 15 minutes before your scheduled time to complete any final paperwork.
Insurance and Costs
We accept most major commercial insurance plans, Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans, and Arkansas Medicaid. Our scheduling team verifies your benefits before the appointment and can give you an estimate of your out of pocket cost. Some insurance plans require a referral or prior authorization for specialist visits, and we help coordinate that paperwork. Patients without insurance or with high deductibles can ask about self pay rates and payment plans. For patients with financial difficulty, we have established protocols to help connect you with patient assistance programs and community resources.
What the First Visit Looks Like
Your first visit lasts about 60 minutes. You will meet your physician, review your medical history in detail, discuss your symptoms or the reason you were referred, and complete a physical exam. Lab work is often drawn the same day, and additional testing may be ordered. The physician will explain what they are looking for, the likely diagnoses, and the recommended next steps. If treatment can begin immediately, you will receive prescriptions and clear written instructions. Follow up appointments are scheduled before you leave so you know what comes next.
How to Prepare
Write down your questions before the visit. It is easy to forget what you wanted to ask once you are in the room. If a family member or friend can come with you, that is helpful, especially for complex cases or if hearing all the information yourself feels overwhelming. Wear loose clothing if a physical exam might involve a specific area. Eat a normal meal beforehand unless you have been told to fast for labs. If you have anxiety about medical visits, tell our staff and we can take extra time to make you comfortable. There are no foolish questions in our office.
Common Questions from Our Patients
Do I need a referral to be seen?
Many insurance plans require a referral from a primary care physician for specialist visits, and most of our new patients come this way. However, some plans allow direct access to specialists. Our scheduling team checks your specific plan when you call. For services like PrEP, HIV testing, and travel medicine, you can typically self refer regardless of insurance because these are not always treated as standard specialty referrals. When in doubt, call us and we will sort it out before your visit.
What insurance do you accept?
We accept most major commercial insurance plans, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Arkansas Medicaid. Our scheduling team verifies your specific plan and benefits before the appointment so you know what your out of pocket cost will be. If we are out of network with your plan, we will tell you in advance and discuss options. Self pay rates are available for patients without coverage, and we can connect patients with financial difficulty to assistance programs.
How soon can I be seen?
Routine new patient appointments are typically scheduled within one to three weeks. Urgent cases such as recent hospital discharge, active infections requiring immediate management, or suspected serious infections are often seen within a few days, sometimes the same week. When the referring physician marks a request as urgent, our scheduling team prioritizes it. If your symptoms worsen while waiting for an appointment, call us and we can usually find earlier availability or guide you to the right setting.
Can I be seen at either the Fayetteville or Rogers office?
Yes, our physicians see patients at both the Fayetteville and Rogers locations. You can choose the office most convenient for you. Some specialty services such as our infusion center are based at the Fayetteville location, but routine consultations and follow up visits happen at both. If your care over time involves both offices, your records and physicians follow you between locations seamlessly because we share one electronic medical record system.
What should I do if I need to cancel or reschedule?
Please call our office at (479) 444-6522 as soon as you know you need to change an appointment. We ask for at least 24 hours notice when possible so we can offer the time slot to another patient who is waiting. Frequent late cancellations or no shows can affect your ability to schedule future appointments. If a true emergency prevents you from giving advance notice, just call us as soon as you can and we will work with you to reschedule promptly.