Behind The Scenes

Before You Arrive our medical secretaries  review our schedules several days in advance, then work to verify insurance and note any changes from previous visits. (If they identify these things ahead of time, it saves you time at Check-In!) We have courtesy reminders that are sent out via text message to remind you of your appointment time.

Your appointment day is here! 

Upon your arrival at our office, our medical secretary will gather any updated information and verify your contact details at every visit to ensure we can reach you when needed. You might be surprised how often phone numbers and email addresses change. We will also ask to see your insurance card, as insurances can change frequently, especially over the past couple of years. To allow the visit to run more smoothly, we collect co-pays and balances at check-in. We may also schedule future appointments at this time.

The medical secretary may provide you with an iPad, which facilitates age-appropriate screenings for development and behavior. If you are new to the office, they will supply you with a Welcome Packet to complete and ask if you would like access to our Patient Portal. We strongly suggest you gain access to the Patient Portal, and they will assist you in completing this process.

While you're waiting in our reception area, our medical team is busy seeing other patients and preparing the exam room for your visit. Because we have multiple providers seeing patients at the same time, you may not be called back into an exam room in the order that you arrived or were checked in. We understand that this can be frustrating, but if someone goes back before you, they are seeing a different provider who is running on a different schedule.

We strive to be as fast and efficient as possible, but we can't always predict when other concerns, problems, or even emergencies will arise. We always want to give each of our patients as much time as needed to make the best possible assessment, provide the best possible care, and address all questions and concerns.

We do our best to keep you informed if a provider is running behind. However, please feel free to ask for an update if it seems like you've been waiting for a long time.

In the exam room, a nurse measures your child's vital signs, tailored to their age and visit purpose, while also gathering medical history. They watch for warning signs or "red flags" during this process. For instance, if a child presents with cold symptoms but exhibits wheezing the nurse promptly alerts the provider.

At check-ups, an iPad facilitates age-appropriate screenings for development and behavior. We encourage joint completion with younger children, but please allow your teen to complete this independently.

Depending on the visit's purpose, your child may need to change into a gown. The nurse provides vaccine information, then notifies the provider when you're ready

Now it’s your turn!

After reviewing the nurse's information, your provider may ask clarifying questions and address any additional concerns. They conduct a focused exam for sick visits and a comprehensive one for check-ups. The doctor or nurse practitioner then provides an assessment and makes treatment recommendations, creating a plan through shared decision-making. Vaccinations are discussed, and after obtaining your informed consent, they are administered. An after-visit summary detailing medications or vaccines administered is provided, and at wellness visits, a school form is created.

Once you have finished with the provider, please be sure to stop by the reception area to be sure all future appointments needed are scheduled before leaving the office. 

Once you walk out the door, your visit isn't quite complete; a few important things are still happening inside our offices.

First, your provider completes an Office Encounter by entering all the notes and documentation into your chart. Once the visit notes are complete, you can see them in your Patient Portal account, which may take a few days.

After the office encounters are completed, our in-house billing team reviews them. They attach charges to bills and ensure they’re correct before submitting them to your insurance company.

Once the bill has been submitted to your insurance company, our billing team monitors the charges and updates your account after payment is received. We may not know immediately whether certain charges or parts of your bill are covered by your individual insurance plan. If there’s a balance due, we will automatically charge your account, prepare, and send a bill.

Another crucial group you may not meet in person but often speak with on the phone is our exceptional Triage staff. These trained Registered Nurses collaborate to handle medical inquiries. With extensive experience and refined triage protocols, they can address many questions themselves. For more complex situations, they consult with our providers to ensure you receive optimal care advice.

That’s a look behind the scenes of what happens before, during, and after your visit to Pediatric Associates at Northwoods (PAN). We hope this gives you some insight into all the processes and the dedicated people working together to ensure your visit goes smoothly and to keep your precious children as healthy and happy as possible.

If you want to know more or if you have any questions, feel free to ask us in the office anytime!