What To Expect

What We Will Do

• Work with you to improve your health.
• Provide you with your written care plan.
• Remind you when tests are due so you can receive the best quality care.
• Ask you to have blood tests done before your visit so we can go over test results at your visit.
• Have a physician on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Explore ways to care for you better, including ways to help you care for yourself.
• Connect you with community service agencies as needed to supplement your care.
• Treat short illnesses, provide long-term care, and give advice to help you stay healthy.
• Use technology to help improve your care, such as our electronic health record.
• Strive to make continuous improvements in all we do.

What We Trust You to Do

• Tell us everything you know about your health and illnesses.
• Tell us about your needs and concerns.
• Take part in planning your care. 
• Follow the care plan we agree upon, or let us know why you cannot so we can help or change the plan.
• Tell us what medications you are taking and ask for refills at your office appointments.
• Let us know when you see other physicians and what medications they started or changed.
• Ask other physicians to send us a report about your care when you see them.
• Ask our advice before you see other physicians. We may be able to care for you, and we know about the strengths of various specialists.
• Learn about wellness and how to prevent disease.
• Learn about your insurance so you know what it covers.
• Respect us as individuals and partners in your care.
• Keep your appointments, or call if you cannot come as scheduled.
• Pay your share of the visit fee at the time of service.
• Give us feedback so we can improve our services.

Appointments

We are open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm. We keep 30 percent of our appointment times open for same day scheduling as needed. To make an appointment, call 231-258-7777. 

Main Fax: 231-258-7786

Nurse Station Fax: 231-258-7611

Appointment Policies

• Arrive early (10 minutes for a returning patient; 20 minutes for a new patient).
• If you must cancel or change your appointment, please notify us as soon as possible.
• If you are going to be late or miss your appointment, please call. If you are going to be more than 10 minutes late, you may be asked to take a later appointment if one is available, or reschedule for another date and time.
• Bring a list of all medications, dosages, and directions to each appointment.
• Make a separate appointment for each family member.

After Hours: If you need to speak with a physician when the office is not open, call Kalkaska Memorial Health Center at 231-258-7500 and ask to be connected to the Kalkaska Medical Associate physician on call. One of our physicians is always available by phone.

Emergencies: Call 911

If you have a medical emergency, such as a stroke, heart attack, or difficulty breathing, call 911. EMS teams can begin life-saving treatment immediately as they transport you to the hospital.

Confidentiality

Kalkaska Medical Associates follows federal HIPAA regulations pertaining to your protected health information.

Services and Procedures

Acute Care 

• Acute and chronic disease management, including diabetes
• Acute injury evaluation and referrals
• Cancer screenings
• Dermatology
• Employment physicals
• Inpatient, observation, and respite hospitalization services with Kalkaska Memorial Health Center 
• Osteopathic manipulation
• Preventive medicine and flu shots
• Sports medicine and physicals
• Vaccinations
• Worker’s compensation evaluations

Family Care

• Annual exams and physicals
• Prenatal, newborn and pediatric care, including immunizations
• Women’s health care

Geriatric Care

• Assisted living and long-term care settings

Procedures

• Colposcopy
• Fractures and casts
• Minor surgical procedures
• Vasectomy

Referral Services

If necessary, your health care provider can refer you to a specialist who will work closely with our professionals to diagnose and treat your health care needs. Specialty clinics available at Kalkaska Memorial Health Center include:   

• ADHD
• Cardiology
• Gastroenterology
• General Surgery
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopedics
• Otolaryngology
• Pediatrics
• Podiatry
• Pulmonology/Sleep Disorders
• Women’s Health/Midwifery

Patient Portal

As part of the transition to a new electronic health record provided by Cerner Health, our office recently introduced a new patient portal called MyHealthInfo.

MyHealthInfo makes it fast and easy to view your personal medical history including test results, clinical information, immunization records, and medication history. You also can securely message your doctor to discuss a concern, as well as request/reschedule or cancel an appointment, request a prescription refill, or update the personal information you have on file. Messages are sent securely and returned securely via the new portal.

Your MyHealthInfo patient portal will give you access to your medical records from our office, other offices on the same platform, as well as records from the hospital, all in one convenient location.

Log In to Your Patient Portal

Not Enrolled? There are 3 easy ways to sign up.

1. Enroll online. 
2. Call us at 231-935-2026 to enroll over the phone. A representative is available Monday-Thursday from 8 am - 5 pm. You'll be asked to provide three patient identifiers to confirm your identity. 
3. Enroll in person during your next visit. Just ask us when you check in.

Patient Resources

Prescription Refill
Prescription refills are handled at routine visits. Prescriptions will cover the amount of medication you will need until you are seen again. If you run short of medication, call the office for refills during office hours. Requests take 48 hours to process, so please call before you are out of medicine and provide the following information:

• Patient name
• Date of birth
• Your telephone number
• Medication name, strength, and directions for use
• Pharmacy name

Methods of Payment
Payment is expected at the time of visit, including co-pays. Cash, checks, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover are accepted. If you are unable to pay at the time of service, please tell the front office staff prior to your appointment and we will help you work out a payment plan.

Insurances
We participate with most insurance companies, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Care Network, Priority Health, Preferred Choices, Medicare, Michigan Medicaid, and PPOM. Please check with your insurer before your office visit to determine your coverage. Remember – even if we bill your insurance company, deductibles, co-pays, or benefits not covered are your responsibility.

Financial Assistance