We at IDAHO DIABETES AND ENDOCRINE ASSOCIATES, P.A., are health care providers who specialize in endocrinology, or disorders of hormones and metabolism. This is a subspecialty of internal medicine. Typical conditions that are evaluated and treated by this office include diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid problems, cholesterol disorders, obesity, menopause, and growth disorders. For a more comprehensive listing of the disorders treated in this office please visit HERE.

Endocrine disorders may present with a variety of symptoms. If your medical problems, as far as you know, do not fall into these categories, your visit to us may nonetheless still be helpful. To determine what the cause of your symptoms might be, we usually order a variety of blood and urine tests. This process is akin to solving a complex jigsaw puzzle so the evaluation may seem a bit slow and during the course of your workup we may not be able to offer much information.

Once the tests have been completed though, the information we provide to you and/or your primary care physician is generally detailed and complicated. It is always acceptable to bring one family member and/or friend with you to help you assimilate the diagnoses and course of treatment that we recommend to you. If you desire your primary care physician will also be notified about our workup and treatment recommendations. Copies of X-ray results and/or lab tests will be given to you to take to your primary care physician.

We are dedicated to the sub-specialty care of our patients. This means that in most cases we are not the primary care provider for our patients. We will respect the patient-physician relationships that our patients may have with their primary physicians and with the other health professionals who serve our patients.

Please review our office communication policy which can be found HERE on this website.

Generally your fist appointment will take about one to two hours of the day in which it is scheduled. We require you to fill out and sign the PATIENT INTAKE FORM as well as read and sign the ARBITRATION AGREEMENT and the PATIENT PRIVACY NOTICE (read and sign only). If either Medicare or Medicaid insurance covers the cost of your medical care you will need to fill out and sign THIS PATIENT INTAKE FORM. We require that you sign the arbitration agreement. If you do not wish to sign this form we will respect your desire, however, you will not be seen in this office and the names of other endocrinologists in the Boise area are available HERE should you wish to make an appointment with one of them.

We ask that if you do not download and sign the forms that you arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment to complete the forms. Bring your insurance card with you so that we may make a copy of it. Also bring copies of other medical records that you or your doctors want us to evaluate. Often, other medical offices assure our prospective patients that they will fax or mail these records but we are often times disappointed in their failure to do so. Lack of these records will delay your diagnosis and/or treatment and may result in a second visit after these records have been received in this office. Please download a copy of a RECORD RELEASE and present it to your other doctor’s office at least two weeks before your scheduled visit with us and then pick them up from them one week before your visit. This will vastly simplify your visit.

If you bring a family member with you to this appointment they will be asked to wait in the waiting room until the final discussion with the doctor. We understand that some of you have young children but please understand that if you bring them with you that the office staff does not provide babysitting while you are being seen. A family member must be present for the examination of children and adolescents. After the examination and other testing are done you and a single family member will be brought into the examination room for discussion about your case. The discussion will include initial impressions about your situation and any plans for testing and treatment that you may require. If you anticipate questions please write them out. Many times patients will completely forget the questions they want answered and then have to call the office for answers to questions that could have been quickly disposed of by the doctor at the time of the visit.

After the first appointment is completed you will be given laboratory testing and/or X-ray tests. The samples for most blood and urine testing is obtained in the office and sent to Treasure Valley Lab for evaluation. Please complete any tests and X-rays at least two (2) weeks before your next appointment unless we direct otherwise so that we will have the information in hand when you return. Occasionally a patient will delay these test and is reassured by the X-ray department that the results will be available. This information is usually incorrect since your X-rays need to be interpreted by the radiologist, a summary dictated, and the report mailed to this office. We always hate to see one of our patients take time away from their valuable schedules to come for a visit to this office, only to discover that their tests are not ready. We are often unable to serve your further without those test results.

Our office is generally pretty good about meeting our appointment schedule. The average time between check in and the initiation of services are generally 15 to 30 minutes. We are determined to stick to our schedule, since all of us also dislike waiting for long periods in doctor’s offices. Nevertheless, delays can occur. Patients who are sicker or more complicated than we expected are often a reason. So it is a good idea to leave one and a half to two hours between your appointment and your next scheduled obligation, in case a glitch occurs.

Diabetic patients are encouraged to bring their blood glucose meters to all office visits. Patients will be expected to bring a record of the medications that they take and will be required to fill out a single page INTERIM HISTORY FORM that includes a list of your current medications. It can be downloaded HERE if you wish to complete it before your visit.

Except for other medical personnel who are involved with your evaluation and treatment, we will NOT discuss your case with anyone else without your written consent. This includes family members who call and want to chat about you. If you want us to talk to anyone else about your case either bring him or her with you to your visit or sign a RELEASE FORM so that we can discuss your case with them.

The completion of administrative forms about your case and duplication of your medical records is not part of your routine medicals services from us. We are generally happy to assist you in any way that we can, but we reserve the right to charge an appropriate fee for these extra services that is a function of the time and effort involved in completing the forms or duplicating records. Most forms will require at least five working days to complete.

Your medical records are the properties of this office and by law have to be maintained by us for a statutory period after your last visit. As such if you desire copies we will charge you for making a copy of the record. Records are only copied on the Friday after the receipt of a completed records release and the payment of the charge to be assessed for the copies. The staff will inquire of you the purpose for the copying of your records. Often a complete duplication of the record is not needed and if only one or two pages will serve the purpose they can be copied without charge to you.

Prescription refills usually need to be made after the last refill has been filled on the old prescription. Your prescriptions are usually written for the quantity of medication that, if taken correctly, will span the time interval between your visits. Unless you have a one-year time interval between visits you will not be give a one-year prescription for medications and/or supplies. In keeping with our Buy Idaho philosophy, refills that can be handled by a local pharmacy are preferred. If you need a refill from your pharmacy contact them and they will contact this office for a refill. Allow at least a week for the refill to be made available.

If your medication needs until your next visit will not be met by your current prescription it is your responsibility to notify this office in a timely fashion. Requests for refills of routine medications will not be honored after normal business hours, on weekends or state or national holidays. Our staff will NOT call a national "800" pharmacy about prescriptions under any circumstances. The average wait time for such a call is generally over 30 minutes.

The vast majority of endocrine and metabolic disorders require on-going treatment so a return visit is almost always scheduled at the time of your current appointment. It is important that you keep these appointments. If you have a valid reason for not making an appointment then call the office in advance if possible.

We have a backlog of patients and potential patients who need to be seen in this office. Failure to notify the office in advance of a cancelled appointment takes up an appointment slot that someone else could use and your failure to call and let us know of a missed appointment may result in a charge to you that will not be covered by your insurance company.

We try to keep our costs of medical care to you as low as possible, but consistent with the highest quality of care. One way that you can help is to be responsible for making any co-payments and deductibles at the time of each visit. This reduces office paperwork and costs to you. Our office staff is instructed to collect your contractual payment obligations at the time of your visits.

If your insurance is not one with which this office is contracted, then we will expect you to pay for your visit in full at the time of your visit. We will generate an insurance billing and send it to your insurance company at no charge to you and any reimbursement will be directed to you personally.

Occasionally we will recommend tests or drug treatments that may not be covered by your insurance contract. We are always interested in knowing if such a situation occurs for you. We will do what is practicable, within the limits of quality medical care, to meet the terms of your insurance contract, however, if a situation does arise in which the best medical advice may suggest a test or treatment, it will be your decision as to whether to proceed with such suggested test or treatment.

No physician can satisfy every patient who he or she sees. At times a patient may wish to transfer their care. If you wish to do so, please cancel any scheduled visit, pay any outstanding obligation for services that have been incurred, and notify the staff as to where you would like your records transferred. As to records transfer, please see above.

Our office staff is always available to help you with other concerns or issues. We always hope to have a healthier and satisfied patient.

Sincerely,
T. Steven Roosevelt, M.D., Ph.D.
Idaho Diabetes & Endocrine Associates, PA