Infectious Disease Consultants
About Our Practice
Based in Traverse City, our team of specialists provide consultation and care for patients throughout northern Michigan affected by an infectious disease. Our physicians and advanced practice professionals specialize in the diagnosis, treatment and management of a wide range of infectious diseases, including infections of the skin, heart, brain, lungs, urinary tract, bowel, bones and pelvic organs. Our providers have extensive experience treating infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites and have additional training in immunology, epidemiology, and infection control.
Our office and the International Travel Clinic are located inside the Munson Professional Building at the corner of Sixth Street and Brook Street on the Munson Medical Center campus. Patient and visitor parking is available in Lot C, located on the south side of the Munson Professional Building, and is accessible via Brook Street.
If you are experiencing an emergency, dial 911 or head to the nearest emergency room. After hours, our specialists may be paged through the Munson Medical Center switchboard at 231-935-5000.
International Travel Clinic
If you are preparing to travel abroad for business, humanitarian reasons, or simply for pleasure/adventure, our International Travel Clinic can help you prepare with expert advice, preventive care, immunizations and medications to ensure you stay healthy while you're exploring the globe.
PrEVENT Clinic
Northern Michigan’s first HIV prevention clinic is located within the Thomas Judd Care Center, a Munson Healthcare facility that opened in 1994 with a vision to meet care needs for patients with HIV and AIDS. The PrEVENT Clinic provides medication to protect people most at risk of developing the disease. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an HIV prevention tool, an antiretroviral medication administered to reduce the risk of contracting HIV.
Conditions We Treat
Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi and can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another or obtained from the surrounding environment. Our specialists diagnose, treat and manage a wide range of short and long-term infections.
Endocarditis: Endocarditis is an infection of the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves.
Clostridium Difficile: Clostridium difficile (C. diff) bacteria affects the intestinal tract and can cause symptoms ranging from mild diarrhea to severe inflammation of the large intestine (colon). C. diff infection can be very harmful and is most common during the days and weeks after treatment with antibiotics. Anyone can become infected, but the risk is increased for people in hospitals and those living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities.
Diseases from Wild Animal Contact: Wild animals and insects can be carriers for some serious diseases. These include rabies, tetanus, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, hantavirus, and the plague. Animal bites and scratches, even when they are minor, may become infected and spread bacteria to other parts of the body.
Hepatitis C: Hepatitis C is a liver disease that is caused by the hepatitis C virus and can be either short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic). Many people with hepatitis C don’t know they have it and, in most cases, people who are infected with hepatitis C may not show any symptoms for several years.
HIV/AIDS: AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This kills or impairs cells of the immune system and progressively destroys the body's ability to fight infections and certain cancers. In conjunction with the Thomas Judd Care Center, we provide comprehensive multi-disciplinary care to those living with HIV/AIDS. Our physicians manage the disease, its complex therapies and medical complications. Case management and social service support are provided by the team at Thomas Judd Care Center, guiding patients through the medical, emotional, and financial aspects of living with HIV/AIDS. Nutritional support is provided by a professional dietitian and substance abuse counseling is available for patients struggling with addiction.
MRSA: Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus is a common type of staph bacteria that is resistant to common antibiotic therapies.
Tuberculosis: Tuberculosis, or TB, can be a chronic bacterial infection that usually infects the lungs.
Urinary Tract Infections: Urinary tract infections (UTI) are caused by bacteria along the urinary tract and can be either short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic).
Wound Infections: Wounds to your skin, even minor ones, can become infected by harmful germs (bacteria). This infection can prevent healing, cause pain and increase your risk of scars. In some cases, the infection may spread to other parts of your body.
Other Services
Infection Control: As specialists in infectious disease, our physicians also provide medical leadership of the Infection Control Programs for Munson Healthcare system hospitals. Prevention of health care associated infection is of the utmost importance for patients as the rate of multi-drug resistant micro-organisms has grown.
Preparing for International Travel: In this era of globalization, the volume of international travel is growing at an exponential rate. Whether for business, humanitarian reasons, or simply for pleasure/adventure, travelers are reaching all corners of the globe. Our team provides advice and preventive care before you travel to help you have a memorable trip for all the right reasons. Up-to-date infectious diseases travel related resources are used to provide itinerary specific recommendations and vaccinations.
Patient Resources
Appointments
New patients, other than those using our International Travel Clinic, need a referral to make an appointment. Those visiting our travel clinic may call our office at 231-935-5090 to schedule an appointment. Established patients may call our office or use our Patient Portal to request an appointment.
If you are experiencing an emergency, dial 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. After hours, our specialists may be paged through the Munson Medical Center switchboard at 231-935-5000.
Please bring the following with you to your first appointment.
- Insurance card
- Driver's license or state issued ID
- Completed new patient information
If your appointment is with the International Travel Clinic, please bring these additional items.
- Completed health history form
- Detailed travel itinerary, including all areas of travel and all layover/stop-overs
- Immunization records
Our team spends time preparing for your visit. If you need to cancel your appointment, please contact us at least 24 hours in advance.
Billing & Payment
Payment/co-payments are due at the time of your visit. We accept cash, check and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover) for payment of applicable co-pays and any balance due. Patients can make payments three convenient ways:
- Payments can be made over the phone by calling our Central Billing Office at 231-935-6080 or toll free at 888-243-9640.
- Mail your payment to the address noted on your bill.
- Payments may be dropped off at our office during regular business hours.
Insurance Information
Our office accepts Medicare, Medicaid and most major insurance plans. Please bring your current insurance card with you to your appointment. If we are a participating provider with your insurance, you will be responsible for your co-pay, deductible or percentage at the time of your visit. If we are not a participating provider, or you do not have insurance, payment is expected in full at the time of service.
Please call our office at 231-935-5090 if you have any questions or concerns about your insurance coverage.
Protecting Your Privacy
Infectious Disease Consultants is committed to protecting your personal health information.
The Health Information Privacy and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law which prohibits us from discussing your medical care with anyone but you. If you would like us to be able to speak to family members or friends about your condition or care, you will need to fill out a form, giving us your written permission to do so. You may indicate on the form that you want us to discuss only certain parts of your care with your family members or friends. This form is included in your new patient packet and is also available upon request.
Our Notice of Privacy Practices describes how your medical information may be used and disclosed and your rights.
Prescription Refills
Patients can renew prescriptions using our Patient Portal or by calling 231-935-5090 during normal office hours. In some instances, we may require that the patient be seen in our office prior to medication renewal.
Patient Forms
Useful Links
Resources for Infectious Diseases
Resources for International Travel
Consultation Services for Referring Providers
Inpatient Consultation: Inpatient consultation is available at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City 24 hours a day throughout the year. Continued outpatient care is provided to those patients needing post-hospital follow-up. Where appropriate, home intravenous antibiotic therapy is provided under ongoing physician supervision.
Outpatient Consultation: Patients are seen in our office either on a referral basis or patients can self-refer for medical problems of an infectious disease nature. To make an appointment call 231-935-5090. All insurance plans are accepted.
Outpatient IV Therapy: The home infusion of intravenous antibiotics has become a standard method of treating serious bacterial infections. This allows patients to be in their home environments and affords considerable cost savings to health systems as compared to hospitalization. Infectious Disease Consultants provide medical supervision of this program.
Antibiotic Stewardship: Our Infectious Disease physicians provide antibiotic formulary advice to Munson Medical Center's Pharmacy department through regular participation in the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. In addition, the Antibiotic Stewardship Team is a collaborative effort between Pharmacy and Infectious Disease to monitor the use of broad spectrum antimicrobials. This includes daily Antibiotic Stewardship rounds during which the electronic chart of every admitted patient on select antimicrobials is reviewed and, when appropriate, recommendations are made in an effort to minimize broad spectrum coverage and duration of therapy.
Antibiotic Susceptibility: Annually or bi-annually antibiotic susceptibility data for northern Michigan are collated and published. Such data are crucial for providers to make informed choices for antibiotic prescription. Data is collected from hospitals across the northern half of the lower peninsula of Michigan.
Antibiotic Prescribing Guidelines: Infectious Disease Consultants in collaboration with infectious disease physicians in Petoskey, publish empiric antibiotic guidelines for common infectious disease syndromes. These guidelines are prepared annually and are available by calling our office.
Provider Resources
General
Infection Control
International Travel
Publications