Clinic Services and Policies
Medical Services |
Well-child visits. Visits for the evaluation and preservation of physical and mental wellness, which include evaluation of growth and development, discussion of preventive guidelines, nutrition (including breastfeeding issues) and exercise, clearance for participation in sports, and adolescent screenings. Well-child visits will be offered under the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Bright Futures guidelines:
Treatment of immediate problems. Visits for minor acute illnesses such as cough, belly pain, and minor infections. Chronic-care management. Visits for longer-standing medical conditions that require more frequent monitoring, such as asthma, autism, and ADHD. Care coordination. Work with other members of your child's healthcare team to optimize your child’s care and quality of life. Prenatal visit. Finding a primary care provider for your new baby can be stressful. I am happy to meet with expectant parents to get to know each other and help you determine if I will be a good fit to care for your family. |
Non-medical Services |
24/7 Access. Access to me via phone, text, and email. Video visits are also available for some conditions.
Minimal Wait Appointments. No waiting to see the doctor. If something happens and I am running behind, I will let you know, so we can decide whether it will be best for you to come to the office later or to reschedule. Telehealth. See me from the comfort of you home. Telehealth visits are available through our SpruceHealth app. You can even pay your co-pay through the app. Call the office to schedule. Coordination with Specialists. If your child needs to see a specialist, I will coordinate with that specialist for ongoing care. Web Portal. Online access to your child's personal medical records, lab results, immunization records, and other diagnostic reports. Reminders. Text, e-mail, and/or voicemail reminders for appointments and follow-ups. Multidisciplinary care. If needed, care is available through the clinic from pediatric dietitian and diabetes educator Lori Brizee and behavioral health provider Eileen Grover. |
In-Office Testing |
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Procedures |
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Labs, Imaging, Vaccines |
Laboratory testing that is not performed in the office will be bill to your insurance. Newborn metabolic screens and bilirubin checks can be obtained in the office and sent to the lab. Imaging services are available through the local hospitals or imaging centers and are billed to your insurance directly. Vaccines are available in clinic and can be billed to your insurance or paid for at the time of service (with a time of service discount). For patients who are uninsured or who have insurance through the Oregon Health Plan, state-supplied vaccines are available.
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Adolescent Health Care |
Teens and young adults have different healthcare needs than younger kids. Their bodies are changing. Their minds are growing. They are trying to figure out their place in the world. They are growing more independent from their families but still need their parents, and studies have shown that parents are the biggest influence on their teens' behavior. My job as a pediatrician is to work with the whole family. Starting at age 14 (or younger, if appropriate), I will spend part of the well visit talking to teens without their parent in the room. This gives them a chance to ask questions privately and to start taking responsibility for their own health care. The state of Oregon has a great guide to minors' rights in healthcare. There is a standard set of screening questions that are asked of all teens to assess risk of harm, and I would be happy to review those questions with parents before the visit. Teens have doctor-patient confidentiality for these conversations unless I am concerned about their safety, however I strongly encourage my patients to talk to their parents about what is going on in their lives. I also start offering a depression screening form to kids at the 11 year old well visit. Parents are often concerned that asking about depression will give kids ideas about depression or suicide. Multiple studies have shown that asking questions does not put ideas into people's head. Even in kids who are not depressed, these questionnaires sometimes bring out other concerns such as school stress, anxiety, or bullying that kids have not brought up to their parents. If you as a parent ever have concerns about a screening procedure for your child or teen, I am happy to talk about it.
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Forms |
Forms for school, sports clearance, and activity participation often need to be completed throughout the year. If you know that your child will be participating in sports and will need a sports clearance, please bring any paperwork with you (with your part of the paperwork completed) when you come to your child's annual well-child visit. I will complete additional forms between well-child visits only if your child has had a well-child check within the prior 11 months. Staying current with your well-child checks eliminates a lot of the panic with these forms. I do not sign philosophical vaccine waivers.
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Late or Missed Appointments and Cancellations |
Your appointment is the dedicated time set aside for me to spend with you and your child(ren). I will make every effort to start appointments on time. If you are late, we risk rushing our appointment or, worse, overlapping into another patient's dedicated appointment time. As a parent, I understand that things happen that make parents run late. If you are running late, please give me a call, so we can work out a plan to optimize your appointment while minimizing the disruption to other patients. This may mean seeing your child in a shorter appointment time, seeing your child at a different time that day, or rescheduling for a different day. If you miss an appointment or cancel with less than 24 hours notice, your appointment time will most likely go unfilled. There will be a fee for missed appointments or late cancellations.
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Nondiscrimination Policy |
Erika Beard-Irvine MD, LLC, does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of vendors, and provision of services. I am committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all patients and potential patients, family members, employees, subcontractors, and vendors. This applies to acceptance as a patient, treatment, discharge, or other participation in any of the practice’s programs, services, or activities.
Erika Beard-Irvine MD, LLC, will not knowingly refer patients to those entities which are in violation of any applicable federal, state, and local nondiscrimination laws. Concerns about this policy may be directed to Dr. Beard-Irvine. |
CC, mother of two boys:
Dr. Beard's open eyes, listening ears, and previous knowledge gently diagnosed our 2 children with Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy at an early age. She guided and supported us all the way and due to her expertise we were able to be proactive in the care of our children.