What is “Med Peds”? Each of Creekside Medical’s six doctors are pediatricians who have been certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. They are also each internists who have been certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Our doctors have all completed a Med/Peds residency, which is an intensive four year program combining training in Pediatrics AND Internal Medicine. Med/Peds doctors see the same types of patients as family and general practitioners. However, Med/Peds doctors receive more intensive training in pediatrics and internal medicine, enabling them to provide specialized care for the whole family. What’s exciting about Med/Peds doctors is that parents can have a board certified pediatrician for their children and can see the very same doctor as a board certified internist for their own health care needs.

How are phone calls answered? We make every effort to efficiently direct your call to our staff member who is best capable of caring for your needs. We have well trained nurses who provide advice based on published protocols. 100% of your calls are reviewed by your doctor so that we may ensure that you have received accurate advice, as well as giving your physician the opportunity to add anything we think you or your child may need. If there is no protocol available for your question, your concerns will be forwarded to your doctor for review. Our staff will then call you back with your doctor’s response once he or she has reviewed your information.

What is your walk in policy? We make every effort to schedule each patient adequate time with his or her doctor and to minimize your waiting time. Unfortunately our schedules do not accommodate walk-ins. However, we’d be happy to schedule an appointment for your urgent medical needs. Please call for an appointment.

While the doctors at Creekside Medical all have admitting privileges at Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital, we utilize the hospitalist team for both our Internal Medicine as well as our Pediatric patients, apart from newborns.

A hospitalist is a specialist who provides medical treatment to patients while they are in the hospital. They specialize in all aspects of a patient’s care – from admission until discharge. Because hospitalists don’t maintain a private practice, their time is devoted solely to caring for hospitalized patients. Should our patient’s condition change rapidly there is always a hospitalist on site who can assess the patient quickly. We work closely with the hospitalists and make every attempt to ensure that they have access to all information from Creekside that would be helpful in their diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. The hospitalists keep us abreast of our patient’s hospital course so that we may work as a team, ensuring a smooth transition out of the hospital.

While we think PeaceHealth Southwest Washington Medical Center is also an excellent hospital, our proximity to Legacy enables us to round on your newborn at Legacy Salmon Creek. Each of the doctors at Creekside take turns rounding on our newborns, and one of our  physicians will see your baby every day he or she is in the hospital from birth until discharge.

Beginning September 2013 we will be providing Phlebotomy services thru Quest  for those needing lab work during their scheduled doctor appointment.  We will be happy to provide you with a lab order which you may take to the lab of your choice if you prefer not to have labs drawn the same day as your appointment. Please call your insurance company PRIOR to your scheduled appointment to see which lab your insurance plan prefers. If you need labs done outside of a regularly scheduled doctors appointment, you may go to Quest, Legacy or PeaceHealth Southwest.

Again, please check with your insurance company to see where your coverage is best. Most of our patients get their studies done at Vancouver Radiology, Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital, or PeaceHealth Southwest Washington Medical Center.

If you believe that you or your child needs emergency care, please either call 911 or proceed directly to the emergency room—you do not need to call us first. We do our best to provide thorough advice during regular office hours. We respectfully ask that you limit your after-hours calls to issues that are urgent and cannot wait until the next business day. For any urgent need that cannot wait until regular clinic hours, please call the nurse advice line printed on your insurance card. If they direct you to call your doctor, then please call the clinic and the outgoing voice message will direct you to our answering service. They will promptly page the physician on call. Please note that we do not do routine refills after hours, nor will we call in antibiotics or narcotics under any circumstances.

We accept most major insurances. Please check with your insurance company to ensure we are a preferred provider. We do not treat Workers Compensation/Labor and Industries cases.

There is typically a $25 dollar charge on all forms. Depending on how extensive the form is, there may be a greater charge. One exception includes sports physical forms, which we are happy to fill out for your student provided that they have had a complete physical within the prior one year here at Creekside. Another exception is Medication in School forms which can be filled out free of charge, provided we have seen your student within the previous year for their medical condition. Please allow us up to two weeks to complete your forms

Please contact Creekside Medical as soon as you know that you will be unable to make your appointment. We request at least a two business day’s advanced notice for cancellations and reschedulings. We make every effort to make sure appointments are available for you and your family when you need to be seen. When you call at least two business days in advance to cancel or reschedule your appointment, this allows us to offer that appointment time to other sick patients who would like to see their doctor. Missing appointments or not canceling with a minimum of one business day’s notice can result in being billed a $35 no show fee that your insurance will not cover.

We are happy to fill out your child’s sports physical forms during his or her general physical/well child check. Two weeks notice is requested for forms.

We make every effort to schedule you with your primary care provider. However, if he or she is unavailable, you may be offered an appointment with one of his or her partners.

Ideally we prefer to see our patients here in our office. An illness you had last month may seem unrelated to your current health concern, but it is always better for you if your doctor has a thorough understanding and record of your complete health history. We understand that it has been difficult to get urgent appointments with us in the past, and we have been equally frustrated by that. We have been fortunate enough to expand our practice to six doctors which greatly increases the number of urgent same-day appointments in which to care for you. If you need to go to an Urgency Care clinic after hours or on the weekends, you may proceed directly to the after hours clinic that is most convenient for you.

We would like to see you in our office before we refer you to a specialist to decide if there is anything we can offer for your medical issue. Many insurances require a referral from your primary care physician, and may not pay for your referral if you have not been evaluated here first. Creekside Medical’s referral coordinator will handle your referral. While we make every effort to ensure that the doctor to which we are referring is covered by your insurance, it is ultimately the patient’s responsibility to make sure the specialist is covered under his or her plan.

Each of the doctors at Creekside Medical believes in the judicious use of antibiotics. Antibiotics only work for bacterial infections, not for viral infections. Prescribing antibiotics when they are not necessary will not only NOT help you heal faster; it will increase your chance of developing a serious antibiotic-resistant infection and may cause you unnecessary side effects.

The FDA has removed over the counter cough and cold products for children under the age of two. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against the use of these products in children under the age of six, as these products have never been proven to be of benefit in this age group and are potentially harmful in overdose. Nasal saline, bulb syringe, and a cool mist humidifier may be helpful in children of this age group. Back to top

Although, vaccines are an important part of a well child check, we do much more at your child’s physical than administer vaccines. This is an important time to assess growth, development, health, and safety. For this reason and to ensure we have reviewed your child’s immunization record and determined which shots are due, we administer routine vaccines during a well child check. If your child is unable to receive shots the day of their physical, we will arrange a visit for him or her for the necessary shots. As a general rule we do not do immunization-only visits for children who have not had a physical within the previous year.

1. Well woman, pap smears, and routine gynecologic care (with the exception of obstetric care, IUD placement, and diaphragm fittings)
2. Annual physicals for men
3. Well child checks
4. Newborn care
5. Chronic disease diagnosis and management
6. Sick visits
7. Health education
8. Skin procedures such as simple mole removals, biopsies, sutures, and small cyst drainages

Yes! Creekside is committed to vaccinating our entire community, whether or not you are our patient. 

However, please be aware that getting a COVID-19 vaccine at Creekside, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and does not make you a patient of Creekside Medical.  You’ll need to speak to your own physician/primary care provider or seek care at an urgency care if you have any problems or concerns with the vaccine.