Office Policies & Procedures

To help provide timely service to our patients, we prefer to schedule all visits.

If you are late for your appointment, we will try to work you back into the schedule. Out of courtesy to our other patients, we may be forced to ask you to reschedule your appointment.

To keep your children healthy, it is important to bring them in for regular checkups. We recommend that you call our office 2 week(s) in advance so you may choose the date that best fits your needs. The list below is our recommended schedule for Well Child Visits.

Same day sick visit appointments are available for patients. Make sure to plan ahead and call so we can fit you in at a time that is convenient for you. We try to separate the well visits from the sick patients as much as we can.

We also offer telehealth for sick visits. Dr. Rao also sometimes does “curb-side” consultations and will walk up to your car for a quick screen if your child is sick.

All visits require an appointment except in the case of an emergency.

Unfortunately, we are unable to see your child if you walk in without an appointment. We will ask you to return later in the day when the schedule allows.

If an emergency should arise, please call 911.

Emergencies are considered to be those conditions that are life-threatening: loss of consciousness, severe bleeding, seizure, etc.

In the case of minor emergencies (lacerations, cuts, mild fractures, sprains), please call our office first for instructions.

Dr. Rao takes emergency calls from her home after hours. Call the main office number, and our answering service will take a message.

Please save routine questions (mild illness, appointments, prescription refills) for the morning.

We encourage you to refer to our website first, when practical, before calling the office.

• We firmly believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives.
• We firmly believe in the safety of our vaccines.
• We firmly believe that all children and young adults should receive all of the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
• We firmly believe, based on all available literature, evidence, and current studies, that vaccines do not cause autism or other developmental disabilities.
• We firmly believe that thimerosal, a preservative that has been in vaccines for decades and remains in some vaccines, does not cause autism or other developmental disabilities.
• We firmly believe that vaccinating children and young adults may be the single most important health promoting intervention we perform as health care providers, and that you can support as parents/caregivers.

The recommended vaccines and the schedule of administration are the results of years and years of scientific study and data-gathering on millions of children by thousands of our brightest scientists and physicians.

The vaccine campaign is truly a victim of its own success. It is precisely because vaccines are so effective at preventing illness that we are even discussing whether or not they should be given. Because of vaccines, many of you have never seen a child with polio, tetanus, whooping cough, bacterial meningitis, or even chickenpox, or known a friend or family member whose child died of one of these diseases. Such success can make us complacent or even lazy about vaccinating. But such an attitude, if it becomes widespread, can only lead to tragic results.

Over the past several years, many people in Europe have chosen not to vaccinate their children with the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine after publication of an unfounded suspicion (later retracted) that the vaccine caused autism. As a result of under-immunization, there have been small outbreaks of measles and several deaths from complications of measles in Europe over the past several years. The United States experienced a record number of measles cases during 2019, with 1282 cases from 31 states reported to CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). This is the greatest number of cases since measles elimination was documented in the U.S. in 2000.

Furthermore, we firmly believe that by not vaccinating your child, you are taking advantage of thousands of others who do vaccinate their children, which decreases the likelihood that a child will contract one of these diseases. We feel such an attitude to be self-centered and unacceptable. Even delaying or “breaking up the vaccines” to give one or two at a time over additional visits goes against expert recommendations, is not supported by any scientific data, can lead to unnecessary delays and errors, and can put your child, other children, and adults at risk for serious illness (or even death). It is therefore against our medical advice as professionals at Monarch Pediatrics.

As medical professionals, we feel very strongly that vaccinating children on schedule with currently available vaccines is absolutely the right thing to do for all children and young adults. We are making you aware of these facts not to scare you or coerce you, but to emphasize the importance of vaccinating your child. We are more than willing to discuss any questions you may have about vaccines, but do require all new patients to our practice to adhere to the vaccination schedule endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

We do not accept patients that are not vaccinated as per the CDC requirements unless medically indicated.

Please understand, going against expert recommendations can put your child at risk for serious illness or even death. As medical professionals we know that vaccinating children on schedule with currently available vaccines is the right thing to do. If you have questions about vaccinations, we completely understand. There is a lot of misinformation circulating the internet and it can get confusing. Please schedule a vaccine discussion appointment with Dr. Rao and she will be happy to answer your questions.

For all visits, please call our office at 248-609-1800 so that we can find the best way to address your child's needs. We request that ONE healthy parent or legal guardian accompany patient's to all in-person visits. We ask that you avoid bringing additional children to in-person appointments at this time. This is just to ensure the safety of your family and our staff.

Make sure we participate with your insurance plan. Click here for a list of our participating insurances.

It is your responsibility to know the limits and coverage of your particular health insurance policy, to show your cards to us at each visit, and be prepared to pay any copays at the time of service.

Our billing staff will do their best to assist you with insurance questions; however, If you have questions about your coverage, it is best check with your specific insurance company.

Our office does not want you to be surprised by a bill, but must always bill your health plan based on federal guidelines and the actual services provided.