It is with pleasure that we welcome you to Digestive Disorders Consultants! We will strive to exceed your expectations and provide you with the best service possible. If you ever need assistance, you are welcome to contact the practice manager, Dan Elyard, at 301-665-4593. 

Appointments
For urgent, but non-emergency, situations, we’ll make every effort to ensure that you see your physician promptly. In cases of medical emergency, always call 911. Our answering service will handle all calls received after normal business hours. We have a physician on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, for your convenience. Please remember that the answering service should only be used for emergencies or urgent issues.

To schedule or change an appointment, please call 301-665-4585. If you will be late for an appointment or will miss your appointment, we ask that you notify us as early as possible so that we can better serve our patients.

Because cancellations adversely affect our ability to serve our patients appropriately, we charge $20 for any appointments that are cancelled or rescheduled with less than twenty-four hours notice. This fee is not billable to your insurance company. If you miss multiple appointments, it may require us to discharge you from the practice.

If you need care after hours and do not have a medical emergency, consider visiting the Urgent Care Center at Robinwood Medical Center or in the Sylvania Building on Pennsylvania Avenue. If you need help deciding whether to go to the emergency room or to the Urgent Care Center, just call Washington County Hospital’s Advice Line at 1-800-274-0499.

Referrals

If your insurance requires a referral, it is your responsibility to have it at the time of your appointment. If we do not have your referral form at the time of your visit, you will need to reschedule your appointment.

Release of Medical Records

In order to release medical records, we need a signed authorization from you. Please allow five business days for the copying of medical records. There may be a copying charge; please contact our office for questions about the cost of copying your medical record.

Privacy Policy

We are committed to protecting our patients’ privacy and never give out personal information without your permission, except as required by law. We’ll provide you with a detailed explanation of our privacy practices during your first visit.

Forms

If you require any medical forms to be completed for work or insurance companies, we would be delighted to assist you. Because of the amount of time it takes a doctor to complete medical, forms we charge a nominal fee to defray our costs. The fee ranges from $10 to $30 depending on the complexity of the form.

Please have your portion of the form completed and signed before giving it to the receptionist. Generally, we complete forms in two weeks.

Additional Information for New Patients

To help your visit go as smoothly as possible, please assist us by bringing the following with you:

• Completed and signed patient registration and history forms. (If you cannot complete the forms before your appointment, please plan to arrive about fifteen minutes before your scheduled time.)
• Current insurance cards.
• Insurance referral form, if necessary.
• Current medications, including vitamins and supplements, with the original bottle; or a complete list with strengths and dosage information.
• A calendar to help with the scheduling of any testing or procedures the doctor may order.

During your first visit, we do not perform any tests or procedures; these will be scheduled for a later date. At the first visit, our doctors will do a clinical assessment, review instructions for your procedure or necessary tests, and answer any of your questions.

Please note that payment is expected on the day of your appointment before you see the physician, unless alternate arrangements are made in advance. Patients are responsible for deductibles, co-payments, and other charges not covered by insurance. We accept cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. If you are unable to make your payment, your appointment will need to be rescheduled.

If you have any insurance or payment questions, please contact our patient account representative at 301-665-4596.