FAQs

Monday - Friday   8am-5pm

Saturday - Sunday   8am-12pm (Black Canyon Offic Only on the Weekend)

Please note: A Triage Nurse and Physician are always available – even when the office is closed.

• DURING OFFICE HOURS
• The Doctors, PA’s and NP do their own triage calls between seeing patients or at the end of their shift.
• If you feel your child needs more immediate attention, please call to schedule an appointment:  602-866-0550 x1
• AFTER OFFICE HOURS:  A Triage Nurse is Available, and a Pediatrix Physician is On-Call.  602-866-0550

• The Pediatrix Patient Payment Portal URL is patientportal.intelichart.com

• Pediatrix is contracted with most AHCCCS plans:  Mercy Care, United Health, Health Choice, AZ Complete Health, Banner U, and Molina.  Call your plan to make sure one of the Pediatrix doctors is listed as your child’s PCP.

• Dr’s Serbin, Nemivant and Funcke speak Spanish.
• The Pediatrix staff has many employees who speak Spanish as well.

• As required by law, Pediatrix only allows ‘Service Dogs.’
• Definition:  A service animal is any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.

• Pediatrix accepts payments in most forms:  Visa, American Express, MasterCard, Discover, and Cash

• The best way to find out if your child has ADD or ADHD is to schedule a Consult with your pediatrician.  You can also follow this link for some general information and kids care advice on the topic.

• Other than safe driving, Car and Booster Seats are the best way to protect your child in a car.  Unfortunately, the standards for car and booster seats are ever changing.
• For the best car seat advice, click this link to see what your state requires.

• In order to protect patient privacy, Pediatrix establishes HIPAA #’s to identify each patient.  Parents pick the number(s).  They are usually the last four digits of either/or both mom and dad’s Social Security numbers.
• To protect yourself, we request you NEVER give your entire Social Security number.

• Pediatrix is very sensitive about protecting the Medical Records of each patient.
• If you need a copy of your Medical Records you can go to this link.
• Please know, this process takes 2-3 weeks.
• If you need your child’s records in less than 2-3 weeks you will need to go to the office in person.  Since we must pull someone from their normal work to process this request there is a $50 fee.

• Immunization Records are always FREE.  Go to this link and request a copy.

• Well Checks are extremely important, because they allow your doctor to do an in-depth evaluation of your child’s growth and development and are the best time for your child to be updated on immunizations.
• Click this link to see the recommended Well Check list.

• YES.  Pediatrix offers same day appointments.
• If you need a same day Well Check, it is very likely we can get you in as well.
• Call 602-866-0550 x1.

• All appointments need to be scheduled.  If you arrive at one of the offices without an appointment and your child is not in acute distress, you will be offered the next available appointment – which may have a significant wait.

• Yes. In order to provide care for as many children as possible in a timely manner, it is important to know the Pediatrix No Show/Late Policies

• All New Patients MUST be accompanied by their parent or guardian.
• Unless your child is 18-years of age or  has been emancipated by the courts, they need to be accompanied by an adult – a parent is best.
• If a parent cannot come to an appointment with their child, they need to fill out a Permission to Treat Form.  This form can be printed from this link.

• Pediatrix generally sees patients through their 18th year.
• Pediatrix does not take New Patients over 18-years of age

• If you have a Sick Child, please call the office at 602-866-0550 x1.
• You cannot schedule your child’s appointment on-line, but you can request a routine appointment and Pediatrix will call you to schedule your appointment.  Click this link to request an appointment.

• All the doctors at Pediatrix (except Dr. Funcke) do circumcisions in the office.
• Circumcisions should be done by 2 weeks of age.
• Most private insurances pay for circumcisions, but if not, the charge is $285 prior to the service.
• AHCCCS plans do not pay for circumcisions.

• Immunizations are very age specific and the best way to keep your child up to date is to make sure your child receives every Well Check.  Click here to see the recommended Well Check list.
• For Birth through Preschool/Daycare Immunizations, follow this link.
• For Kindergarten through High School ages, follow this link.

• Each doctor is different, but if your child’s temperature is less than 101.0, they can generally receive their shots.
• Either way it is best to come in for your Well Check. If the child is sick and can’t get their shots at least they will have been seen by the doctor and can come in when they are better for a Shot Only appointment.

• Pediatrix highly recommends all patients 6 months and older receive a Flu Shot yearly.
• Flu Shots are generally available in the Fall (depending on availability from the makers of the vaccines).

• The vaccines Pediatrix routinely supplies do not contain Thimerosol or Mercury, but from time to time due to nationwide supply shortages we must buy what is available.

• If you are are set up on the Patient Portal, you can get them on your own at this link or you can request them at this link.
• You can also go to either Pediatrix office location and request one.

• Most Pediatrix doctors only call with abnormal results.
• If you want to check on results, you can always leave a message with the Lab Department by calling 602-866-0550 or emailing mlescas@pediatrixmd.com.

• Most lab results take between 3-5 days.
• If you want to check on results, you can always leave a message with the Lab Department by calling 602-866-0550 or emailing mlescas@pediatrixmd.com.

• Banner Sonora Quest runs our Lab at the Black Canyon Office.
• If you have lab orders you can come in Monday-Thursday 8:30-11:30 & 1:00-4:30, Friday 8:30-11:30…Not available on Saturday-Sunday.

• It is best to check with your doctor, since there are different requirements.
• If you are not sure, you can email mlescas@pediatrixmd.com.

• Banner Sonora Quest runs our Lab at the Black Canyon Office.
• If you have lab orders you can come in Monday-Thursday 8:30-11:30 & 1:00-4:30, Friday 8:30-11:30…Not available on Saturday-Sunday.

• The staff in the Pediatrix Lab does its best to accommodate all patients, but there are some children we are unable to safely draw.  If this is the case, we will prepare lab orders for you to be drawn at a lab facility better able to restrain your child.

• Pediatrix can only accept urine samples collected in a sterile container.
• If you have a sterile container, please refrigerate the sample and bring it to the office within 12 hours.
• Please make sure you have labeled the container with your child’s name and date of birth.

• Every insurance plan is different.  It is best if you check with your insurance on your personal Lab benefits.

Yes, we always welcome new patients to our practice! Please see the list of insurances that we accept under the "Office Info-Insurances" Menu Tab. If your child is new to the practice and needs a well visit, please note that we need all prior records sent to our office before making your appointment. This gives our doctors adequate time to prepare prior to your appointment and that means less wait time. It also allows for us to give an appropriate amount of time for the appointment in case there are additional issues to discuss and make sure that the last well visit has been at least one year prior for insurance purposes. If the entire chart is unavailable in time, we ask that you please have your prior doctors office fax the vaccine records and last well summary to our office in the meantime. Thank you and welcome aboard!

Please note--which medication you give your child is based on subjective opinion and symptoms. Call to speak to our nurses to guide you in the right direction for any OTC (over the counter) medications.

Our office is open Monday through Friday and Saturday is for sick appointments only. As our daily schedule is subject to change, please call to confirm office hours.

To make an appointment please call our office. To ensure the best use of time, for both our physicians and patients, all of our office visits are by appointment only. We ask that you arrive at our office 10 - 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time. This will allow you to complete any necessary paperwork and to update any demographic and insurance changes. If you must cancel an appointment, please notify us as soon as possible so we can offer that time to someone else.

Emergencies arise. We will advise you if there is going to be a delay in seeing you. If your schedule won't allow you to wait, we will be happy to reschedule your appointment. We do appreciate your patience and cooperation during our busy times and we will make every effort to keep your wait time to a minimum.

Please refer to our insurance page to review a list of accepted insurance providers.

We have a physician on call 24 hours a day, please call our office. This is for emergency purposes only. Refill of medications and referrals will not get handled after hours.

IN THE EVENT OF A LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY, CALL 911.

A pediatrician is a medical doctor who specializes in the care of children. Pediatricians have undergone special training in the health and illnesses of infants, teens and young adults, and the majority of pediatricians are certified by the American Board of Pediatrics after passing a comprehensive exam.

Pediatricians provide preventive health care for children in good health and medical care for children who are acutely or chronically ill. They also provide parents with support and advice with issues such as growth and development, safety and prevention, nutrition, and emotional wellness to foster a lifetime of good health.

Every effort is made to arrange your child's well care and follow up visits with the physician of your choice. When your child is ill, he or she may see any one of our physicians.

Our routine health maintenance visit schedule follows the American Academy of Pediatrics vaccine guideline for children.

Immunizations are a series of shots given to children at different ages to help ward off serious, and potentially fatal, childhood diseases. Making sure your child receives immunizations when scheduled is the best way to help protect your child from potentially fatal diseases. According to The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), vaccinations have reduced the number of infections from vaccine-preventable diseases by more than 90%. 

If you're apprehensive about vaccinations, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

To help protect your child from many serious infectious diseases, we follow the immunization schedule recommended by The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Please discuss your immunization questions and concerns with any of our pediatricians.

For non-urgent referrals: when one of our doctors refers you to a specialist, please schedule your appointment with the specialist, then call our office within five business days of your appointment. Your referral will be available within 72 hours. Most referrals are completed electronically and submitted directly to the specialist's office. Please check with our office staff to determine if your insurance plan processes referrals electronically.

For urgent referrals: when one of our doctors determines that you need an urgent referral, your referral will be initiated immediately. Please remain in our office while your referral is processed, then proceed to your specialist.

You will receive a call quickly with any lab results that require urgent attention. Other abnormal lab results will be addressed promptly by the provider that ordered the labs or tests. Normal values are reviewed and addressed by the physician that ordered them.

Please call our office and follow the prompts for our prescription refill line. Allow one business day for all routine prescription refills. For prescriptions that require prior authorization from your insurance company, please plan ahead to allow at least three to five days for refill approval. Prescription refills for controlled substances such as pain medications are refilled Monday through Friday only.

Yes, we promote breastfeeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding babies for the first six to twelve months. Breastfeeding helps defend children against infections, prevents allergies, and protects against a number of chronic conditions. While experts believe that breast milk is the best nutritional choice for infants, breastfeeding may not be possible for all women.

Some women have specific medical considerations that impede breastfeeding; others choose to feed by formula because of discomfort, work schedule, or lifestyle choices. In these cases, an iron-fortified, milk-based infant formula is a good alternative. We will gladly discuss your diet and feeding concerns at your child's well care visit, or please call during office hours to speak with our experienced nursing staff.

Yes, in fact we strongly encourage parents-to-be to visit our office for a prenatal appointment. This is a great way to get acquainted with our office and our doctors. During this visit, we will answer any questions that you have about our practice or your new child. Visit our expectant parent's page for more information.

We recommend that your newborn be seen in our office 1-2 days after discharge from the hospital. Our staff understands the importance of this first visit and will make every effort to schedule this visit promptly.

As all children are different, we advise following several appropriate steps to advance your child's diet based on age and development. Please discuss these steps with our providers at your well care visit.