Appointments
To avoid a long waiting time in our office, we prefer to schedule all visits. If you are later than 30 minutes for your appointment, we will try to work you back into the schedule, or perhaps offer an appointment to you with another provider. Out of courtesy to our other scheduled patients, we may be forced to ask you to reschedule your appointment.
Appointment Cancellations
If you are unable to keep your appointment, please call and reschedule. If you are running late, please notify our office so they may switch the appointment to the appropriate time; however if it is a well visit or a follow - up visit and we do not have that time slot available we must reschedule your appointment for the next available day.
Office Hours
Monday - Friday: 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday 9:30 AM - 2:00 PM
Sunday: Closed
Holidays
Gabriel Pediatrics is closed on the following holidays each year:
New Year's Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
After Hours/ Emergencies
Our physicians take emergency calls after hours on weekdays, weekends and holidays. If your child becomes acutely ill after office hours and you cannot wait until the next morning, call either office at 718.833.2300 or 718.982.6800 and the answering service will take your call and one of the physicians will get back to you as soon as possible.
The physician will determine whether we can handle the situation by phone and see you in the office the next morning or whether it will, in fact, be necessary to have your child seen more urgently in the emergency room.
Please save non-urgent questions such as appointments, prescription refills, school forms, referral requests, for during office hours.
Telephone Advice and Messages
All patients are encouraged to call with any questions. The office staff is trained to answer most non-clinical questions. For medical related questions or problems, the staff is not able to give any advice over the phone.
Please keep in mind when leaving messages during office hours, our physicians are handling patients that are in the office. Your call will be returned once our physician finishes seeing patients in the office. If you feel your child is sick, schedule an appointment to be seen. If a doctor tells you to come in, please advise our front desk so they may give you the best time available.
Prescriptions & Prescription Refill requests
For the safety of your child, it is the policy in the office that no new medication is prescribed without being seen in the office. Furthermore, it is the Doctors' general policy not to phone in antibiotic prescriptions.
If your child is sick enough to require an antibiotic, we highly encourage for he or she to first be examined.
We request prescription refills be handled only during routine office hours.
Medical Records
Medical Records must be requested in writing and signed by a parent or guardian. We do not charge for records sent to another physician. Immunization records can be faxed or mailed at parents request at no charge. There is a fee for records copied for parent's personal use or for use for insurance purposes.
Paperwork
All paperwork to be completed by the office staff and physicians including School forms, Day Care Forms, Camp Forms, WIC forms, Sports forms, Medication Authorizations forms, Referrals, Letter requests, etc. must be left over night and require 24 hour notice. There is a $5 administration fee for forms per year per patient.
Appointment Types:
Well Child Visits
To keep your children healthy, it is important to bring them in for regular checkups, along with their immunization cards. We recommend that you call 2-4 weeks in advance so you may choose the date that best fits your needs.
Sick Child Visits
We make every effort to schedule appointments for sick children on the day you call us. Please call our office ahead of time so that we can minimize the time that you will spend waiting. If you have a medical emergency during office hours, we will do our best to see your child immediately.
Walk-Ins
We have designated 8:30-9:30AM everyday as our Walk-In hour for sick patients (existing patients only). During this hour patients will be seen on a first come basis. Patients who Walk-In after this designated hour with a non-emergency condition will be fit into the existing schedule as best as possible.
Follow Up Visits
Follow-up visits are important. This visit is to make sure that your child is doing better. The physician will inform you of when to come back, but make sure you schedule your follow - up visit before you leave our office. This insures the date and time you need.
Vaccine Only Visits
The physician will inform you of when to come back for a vaccines only visit, but make sure you schedule your appointment before you leave our office. This will assure you get the date and time that works best for you.
Saturday Appointments
Saturday appointments are by appointment only. If your child is sick please call to schedule your appointment that morning. Well visits are limited on Saturdays so please schedule this way in advance because it books up quickly.
Nutritionist and Optometrist Visits
Nutritionist's and Optometrist visits are by appointment only and book up fast. Please make sure to keep your appointment with the nutritionists and optometrist. If you need to cancel, please call 48 hours in advance otherwise there were be a charge of $50 which also applies for not showing up to your appointment.