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Knowledge Base

Knowledge Base > FAQ > Office

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Most Common

Where is your office located?

Our office is located on the SE corner of Virginia Parkway and Ridge Road. It is accross the street from the YMCA and just north of Dowell Middle School. If you would like to see a map, click HERE.


How long has Dr. Alvis been in practice?

Dr. Alvis finished his residency in 2001. He has been in practice in McKinney ever since.


What does it mean to be board certified?

In order for a pediatrician to become board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, they have to complete an accredited residency program in pediatrics and pass the board-certification examination. Board-certified pediatricians have been through this rigorous process to ensure that they have a minimum fund of knowledge and skills to be a fully-functioning pediatrician. As a parent, it helps to give you confidence that your pediatrician has the necessary knowledge and skills to take good care of your child.


What is a nurse practitioner?

A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse (RN) who has completed additional courses and specialized training. Nurse practitioners can work with or without the supervision of a physician. Our nurse practitioner is board certified, can see both well and sick patients, and can write prescriptions.


How long is the wait in your waiting room?

Dr. Alvis generally stays on time. If you are a few minutes early for your appointment (which would be ideal), then your wait time will usually be minimal. Of course sometimes there are emergencies which could cause us to get behind. When this happens, we will do our best to communicate this with you.


Does Dr. Alvis do AD(H)D evaluations?

Yes. He does many behavioral evaluations. In addition to general pediatrics, Dr. Alvis has special interests in development and behavior.


What procedures do you perform in your office?

We are able to perform advanced vision & hearing screening, blood draws, urine catheterization, wart cryotherapy, circumcision, molluscum contagiosum treatment and minor laceration repair.


What laboratory services do you perform in your office?

We are able to perform complete blood counts, urinalysis, glucose, hemoglobin, rapid strep, rapid influenza, transcutaneous bilirubin, and pregnancy tests.

Does Dr. Alvis speak Spanish?

Sí, Dr. Alvis habla español muy bien. Si usted debe ayudar en español, llama por favor nuestra oficina en 214-544-2555.

Online Services

What is Medem?

Medem is a service that doctors utilize to provide a pathway for secure online communication between physician and patient.


What services are provided by Medem?

They allow services such as appointment requests, medication refill requests, billing questions, and Online Consultation™ with a physician.


Are the communications through Medem secure?

Yes they are secure. Messages are left on the server until they are retreived by the physician or patent. They are never sent directly from one person to the other helping to reduce message interception.


What is an Online Consultation™?

Online consultation™ is a service that Dr. Alvis provides that is an alternative to an appointment. If your child is sick and you are unable to bring them to the office for an appointment you can request an Online Consultation™ as a possible alternative to bringing your child in to the office.


How much does an Online Consultation™ cost?

The fee for an Online Consultation™ is currently $25. This fee is non-refundable.


I had an Online Consultation™ and the doctor requested that I come to the office for an examination. Do I still have to pay for the Online Consultation™?

Dr. Alvis will try to help you through the consultation so that you do not have to come in to the office. This includes calling in medication(s) if necessary. However, due to the nature of medicine, it is impossible to predict who will be asked to come into the office. If you are asked to come in so that your child can be examined, you will still be required to pay the online physician consultation fee of $25. However, if you are asked to come to the office for an appointment and you do so within the time frame that you requested to come, your co-pay for this visit will be waived. If you do not come in within the specified time frame then you will have to pay your co-pay as you normally would. If your co-pay is less than the online pysician consultation fee and you are requested to come in, the difference between these two fees will NOT be refunded to you.


I had an Online Consultation™ and the doctor told me to go the the ER. Do I still have to pay for the Online Consultation™?

Yes you are still responsible for the Online Consultation™ fee.


Why do I have to pay for an Online Consultation™ when I can call the doctor for free?

As stated previously, the Online Consultation™ is considered an alternative to an in-office appointment.


Is there a charge for medication refill requests, appointment requests, and billing questions?

Of course there is no charge for medication refill requests, appointment requests, and billing questions.


How do I request an Online Consultation™?

Requests can be made by parents who have registered and have been approved by Dr. Alvis through Medem's secure site. You may also call the office during normal business hours and request an Online consultation™. Click HERE for more information on how to request an Online consultation™.


During what hours can I request an Online Consultation™?

Online Consultation™ can be requested during normal business hours. On a case by case basis, Dr. Alvis may be available for these consultations after-hours. However, if your child is sick and you are worried you should go through the answering service to have the on-call nurse/doctor paged or take your child to the ER.

Insurance

What insurance plans to you accept?

We accept most major insurance plans including

  • Aetna
  • Affordable
  • Beechstreet
  • Blue Cross
  • CCN
  • Choicecare
  • Cigna
  • First Health
  • Healthsmart
  • Humana (POS/PPO)
  • McKinney ISD
  • NTHN
  • Pacificare
  • PHCS
  • United Healthcare
  • Unicare

If your plan is not listed that does NOT mean we do not accept your insurance. Please call the office at 214-544-2555 if your plan is not listed or you need more information.


Does your office accept Medicaid or CHIPS?

Unfortunately we do not accept medicaid or CHIPS.

Hospital

Where does Dr. Alvis have hospital priveleges?

Currently, Dr. Alvis has priveleges at Medical Center of McKinney, Presbyterian Hospital of Allen, and Children's Medical Center of Dallas.


If my child is sick and needs to be admitted, will you be able to take care of them?

If you take your child to a hospital that Dr. Alvis has priveleges then he will be able to take care of your child provided they do not have a medical illness that requires more specialty or urgent attention that requires a children's hospital.

Newborn/New Patient

Do you offer prenatal/meet the doctor consultations?

Yes Dr. Alvis loves to meet with new parents before they have their first child. He will also meet with families who already have children but just want to meet the doctor to see if they like him. If you are interested in meeting Dr. Alvis, please call the office and request a consultation. Currently we do not charge for prenatal consultations/meet the doctor visits.


I have chosen Dr. Alvis as my pediatrician. What do I do now?

We are honored that you have chosen us to be a part of your children's healthcare. If you are a new parent having your first baby then all you have to do is tell the hospital where you plan to have your baby when you pre-register that Dr. Alvis is your baby's pediatrician. Then go to the new patient registration portion of this site and follow the instructions.


I have chosen Dr. Alvis as my pediatrician but my child is being born at a hospital he is not on staff at. What do I tell the hospital?

Tell the hospital that Dr. Alvis is your child's pediatrician but is not on staff there. They will assign the on-call pediatrician to take care of your child while you are in the hospital. Dr. Alvis prefers to see your child within 2 or 3 days from when you go home for the first visit.


Does Dr. Alvis perform circumcisions?

Yes he does. Dr. Alvis performs them using the Gomco technique and he does use local anesthesia which he feels is very important. For more information about circumcisions, click HERE.

After Hours

What are your normal business hours?

Normal business hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. We also have available morning office hours on Saturdays from November through March, 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM.


Is Dr. Alvis a part of a call group?

Yes. Dr. Alvis shares call with six other local pediatricians. There is a doctor on call for our practice 365 days per year.


My child is sick and I need to speak to someone but your office is closed. What do I do?

Call the main office number and ask to speak to the after-hours nurse. They will take your information and offer advice. If your child is sick after-hours or on weekends and you feel they need to be seen, a nice alternative to the ER is A-Cute Kids. They have offices in Frisco and Plano.


I have spoken to the after-hours nurse triage service but I would still like to speak with a doctor. How do I contact him/her?

Of course you can always speak with a doctor. Just ask the after hours nurse to page the doctor on-call.


I need to take my child to the ER. Which one should I go to?

Usually the closest ER is the best choice. If your child is sick and you are worried then it is not wise to spend too much time driving to an ER that is far away. If your child is sick and requires hospitalization for an illness which requires a children's hospital then they will be transported from the local ER by ambulance. The most important thing is to get to a facility that can provide emergency care quickly and safely. And of course don't forget that you can always dial "911" if you are very concerned. If your child is sick after-hours or on weekends and you feel they need to be seen but the problem is non-emergent, a nice alternative to the ER is A-Cute Kids. They have offices in Frisco and Plano.


Do you charge for after-hours urgent phone calls?

Not at the present time. After-hours calls are intended for urgent medical questions that cannot wait until the following business day. Billing questions, appointment requests, refill requests, referral requests, or other calls of a non-urgent nature should wait until the following business day. If the after-hours service is used for non-urgent reasons you will be charge a service fee.

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