When Do I call the office for appointments?
Our Office offers patient care Monday-Friday. Our staff begins taking calls at 8:30 AM. If you or your child is sick, please call as soon as our office opens! To ensure you are scheduled based on your preferred day of the week or time slot, please try to schedule your next regular appointment before leaving the office.
Why do you not see patients before 9 AM?
Starting at 9 AM allows our physician the necessary time to teach and lecture as a professor at Midwestern University, where he instructs third-year medical students during their 8-Week Pediatric rotation.
What Insurance plans do you accept?
Please refer to the insurance section.
What vaccines do you recommend for my newborn baby?
We follow the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics. For vaccination for special circumstances, please consult the physician.
What age groups are accepted?
We take care of ages newborn-100+ years. We are well aware of the special needs of every individual. We believe in total confidentiality during one’s care.
Is Dr. Panzica Board Certified?
Dr. Panzica is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics & the American Board of Internal Medicine. Coming soon, you may also schedule appointments with our nurse practitioner. She is a family nurse practitioner and she sees patients under the supervision of Dr. Panzica.
What do I need to do about my child’s preschool, school or sports physical?
First of all, schedule them early! For many schools, the physical may be completed as early as April so you can avoid the summer rush. Prior to your appointment, please check the planning for your visit section of the website to find the required registration forms. Printing and completing the forms prior to the office visit will save time. The most important thing is keeping your child’s annual wellness visit current; this will allow us to complete forms (i.e. camp forms) that you may need throughout the year.
How do I refill medications?
We are happy to refill your long terms medications. Refill requests should be made at least one week before your medication runs out. This will give our office ample time to review the chart and refill the request as appropriate. We may require a follow up visit prior to authorizing the refill.
Do you write absentee notes (school, work, etc.)?
A note will be written for a patient who has been physically seen at the office, upon request.
What do we think about patient visits to Retail Based Clinics?
We understand the convenience of retail-based clinics and do our best to see you at our office in a timely manner. We encourage you to call our office for well and sick visits so that there is continuity of care for your child. Please schedule well visits in advance and call as early as possible in the morning for sick visits. In spite of this, if you visit any ER or retail-based clinic, please bring records of that visit with you or request the health care provider to fax them to us. (708.478.3036).
Do you prescribe antibiotics for common colds?
We believe in the judicious use of antibiotics at our practice. This is important so that the patient does not get unnecessary medications and we do not want the patient to be resistant to common antibiotics when he or she really needs them.
What is your philosophy about vaccines?
We, at Forefront Adult & Pediatric Care, believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and save lives; we also believe in their safety. Infants, children and adolescents should receive all the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Current medical literature based on solid scientific research shows that vaccines are not associated with nor do they cause autism or any other developmental disability. We recommend that vaccines be given according to the recommended schedule since deviating from this schedule can place your child at risk for disease. If you have questions and concerns, we encourage you to discuss your child’s vaccines with Dr. Panzica.
What information is generally required before scheduling an appointment?
When scheduling appointments, please notify our staff of the following:
(1) patient is new/established to our office
(2) purpose of visit (so appropriate time slot is utilized)
(3) patient name changes, if any (especially newborns)
(4) insurance changes (5)
(5) address/phone (home/cell/emergency) number
changes
Am I able to request a specific physician in your practice?
Dr. Paul Panzica is the only practicing physician in our office at this time.
Does the parent remain in the room during teenage visits? If my teenager does not want the parent in the room, do you then share what he or she told the doctor with the parent?
Parents may be asked to step out while the physician discusses various health, safety or emotional issues with your child. The conversations are necessarily confidential unless your child agrees to a further discussion or is thought to be a risk to themselves or others. If your child is younger than 18, the physical exam will take place in your presence or with another adult in the room.