Merchant Ped – Faq

We understand that long wait times can be frustrating, and we apologize for any inconvenience. Sometimes our schedule runs behind because we never want to rush a patient who needs extra care or because an emergency fit-in has occurred. However, it’s true that some patients have experienced waits of an hour or more​, and that’s not the experience we want for you. In the past, overbooking appointments contributed to delays​, but we are actively changing that.

We’ve been working on improving our scheduling and staffing to reduce your wait. By spacing out appointments more realistically and hiring additional clinical staff, we aim to see everyone on time without sacrificing quality of care. Your time is valuable to us, and we’re committed to making visits more efficient moving forward. Tip: If you have a tight schedule, let us know when booking – we can often arrange appointments at quieter times or even offer a telemedicine visit to help you avoid long waits.

Good communication is very important to us. We’re sorry if you’ve had difficulty reaching our front desk or felt a lack of updates. Our office has a dedicated call center during business hours to answer your calls, and an after-hours service so you can always get in touch with a provider for urgent concerns. We have heard feedback about instances where messages weren’t relayed or the front office seemed unhelpful​. In response, we’ve retrained our staff on communication and empathy, and we’ve added more team members to handle the phones during peak times.

We also offer alternatives if phones are busy: for non-urgent questions or appointment requests, you can use our online patient portal or send us an email. Our goal is to return voicemails and portal messages promptly, typically by the end of the day. You should expect courteous, attentive service when you contact us. If you ever feel your concerns aren’t being addressed, please ask to speak to a office manager – we want to know so we can make it right. Tip: If you can’t get through by phone immediately, try using the patient portal for routine requests. We monitor it closely and will get back to you as soon as possible. We’re continually improving our phone system and staffing to better serve you.

You should never feel rushed at our practice. Every patient deserves the doctor’s full attention. We’re sorry if anyone left feeling their visit was too short – that is not our intention​. Our providers genuinely care about answering all your questions and addressing all concerns. In the past, our schedule may have been tight, which led to some visits feeling hurried. We’ve since adjusted our scheduling to allow a bit more time for each appointment, especially for complex issues, so that no one feels like just a number on a clipboard.

During your visit, our doctors will listen and take time to explain things. We encourage you to ask any question on your mind – even if the visit is nearing its end, it’s okay to say you need more clarification. We’ve also started implementing a quick end-of-visit check where the provider asks if there’s anything else you’d like to discuss before concluding, to make sure nothing gets overlooked. Your health (and your child’s health) is our priority, and that includes making sure you feel comfortable and heard. Tip: It can help to jot down your questions beforehand and bring the list to the appointment. That way, we can make sure all your concerns are addressed. We’re also continuously reminding our team to pause and ensure every patient is satisfied with their care before wrapping up.

Absolutely. We pride ourselves on having a team that’s both highly professional and genuinely caring. Many families have praised our staff’s friendliness and the quality of care they receive. For example, one parent described Dr. Merchant as “humble, professional and very respectful”​ in their review. Another long-time patient shared that they’ve been bringing their kids here for nearly 10 years and will continue until they’re adults, because our doctors are “amazing” and “very caring”​. These kind of comments motivate us to keep up that standard of care.

From the front desk to the nurses and physicians, we aim to treat every patient like family. You can expect to be greeted with a smile and treated with respect on each visit. Professionalism is something we emphasize in staff training and our daily huddles – that means maintaining patient confidentiality, listening attentively, and addressing your needs in a courteous manner. If you ever feel we fall short, we welcome your feedback and will address it immediately. Our goal is for you to feel comfortable and well cared for every time. Tip: We regularly hold customer service trainings and team meetings to ensure our staff maintains a high level of professionalism and compassion. We’re always open to feedback – hearing from you helps us recognize our team’s great work or correct any issues so we can serve you better.

Yes, we do offer telemedicine visits for your convenience. In fact, during the height of COVID-19 we introduced virtual visits to keep our patients safe at home while still receiving care​, and we have continued to provide this option. If you can’t make it to the office or would prefer not to come in for a mild illness or a follow-up, you can schedule a secure video appointment with our providers. Through these virtual visits, our doctors and nurse practitioners can evaluate many common issues (like rashes, minor coughs/colds, follow-up consultations, medication checks, etc.) without you having to travel to the clinic.

Telemedicine is easy to use. Our staff will set up an appointment time and send you a link or instructions to join the video call. During the call, you’ll get face-to-face interaction and plenty of time to discuss your concerns, just as you would in person. If the provider feels an in-person exam or tests are needed, they will let you know and arrange that, but many concerns can be managed entirely online. We’ve found that patients appreciate the convenience of being able to talk to their doctor from home or work.
Tip: When you call to make an appointment, just ask if a virtual visit is an option for your situation. We’ll be happy to guide you through the process. Make sure you have a good internet connection for the video, and we’ll take care of the rest. Telemedicine is one more way we’re working to accommodate our patients’ needs.

We care for both children and adults. Merchant Pediatrics & Family is a bit unique – we started as a pediatric practice, but we also have family medicine providers on our team now, so we can treat patients of all ages​. This means your whole family can receive care under one roof. We have pediatricians who specialize in infants, children, and teenagers, and we have family medicine doctors who see adults (including parents, young adults, and grandparents). So whether you’re bringing in your newborn for their first check-up, your teenager for a sports physical, or you (or another adult family member) need a routine exam or sick visit, we’ve got you covered.

Having pediatric and adult care in the same practice can make life easier for busy families. We already have many families who come to us for both their children’s care and the parents’ care. Our providers can collaborate and share information easily, which is helpful for family medical history awareness and coordinating care. You’ll also find it convenient to schedule appointments back-to-back for your child and yourself, for example. We love being able to build long-term relationships with families – watching our young patients grow up and continuing to care for them in adulthood is something special for us.
Tip: Feel free to schedule your own check-up with our family medicine provider when you bring your child in. We can often arrange appointments so that, say, a parent and child are seen one after the other. This one-stop approach is part of our commitment to comprehensive family care.

If your child (or you, as an adult patient) needs to see a specialist or requires follow-up care, we will help coordinate everything. Our providers will “honor requests for referrals” and set you up with an appropriate specialist when needed​. We have relationships with many specialty physicians in the area, so we can refer you to a trusted pediatric specialist (or adult specialist) for things like cardiology, ENT, dermatology, etc. Once the doctor determines a referral is necessary, our staff will prepare any required referral authorizations and send your medical information to the specialist to streamline your next visit.

We also place a high priority on follow-up care and communication. After referring you out or sending you for tests, we don’t consider our job done until we know you’ve received the care you need. We track referrals to make sure appointments are scheduled, and we ask that specialists send us their consult notes or findings. For example, if your child sees an allergist or orthopedist, we will receive a report and our pediatrician will review it. Then we’ll reach out to you to discuss the results or have you come in for a follow-up visit to go over the next steps together. Similarly, if we send your child for lab work or X-rays, we will call you with the results as soon as they come in (usually within 1–2 days, depending on the test) so you’re not left waiting and wondering.

Our goal is to make the referral and follow-up process as smooth as possible for you. Nonetheless, if you ever feel like you haven’t heard back about a referral or results in a timely manner, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We want to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Tip: When being referred to a specialist, feel free to ask us any questions about what to expect. And if you haven’t heard from the specialist’s office within a few days, give our office a call – we’ll gladly check on the status of your referral. Your family’s continuity of care matters to us, and we’re here to help at every step of the journey.