Have you ever gone to your doctor’s office and been overwhelmed by the number of people with whom you interact? You may have been unsure as to each person’s name, title, and role in your treatment plan. Try not to feel frazzled! It happens to all of us, and every doctor’s office is set up differently in terms of who staffs what. Allow me to walk you through the number of people you may encounter during your experience at Orthopaedic Associates of Wisconsin.
When you call our office to schedule an appointment with one of our board-certified physicians, you will initially speak with one of our general Schedulers. These lovely ladies field the phone calls, collect insurance information, update demographic information, and help set up our patients with the appropriate care provider. If you have questions about billing or insurance, they can transfer you over to someone in our Business Office who can provide cost estimates or assist in answering insurance coverage questions.
Once you arrive at our office, whether in Pewaukee or Mukwonago, you will be checked in by one of our Patient Service Representatives. These folks can confirm the reason for your appointment, assist with completing any necessary forms, and collect insurance information and co-payments if necessary. They can also schedule your follow-up appointment as you leave.
Once check-in is complete, a Medical Assistant (MA) will activate your buzzer to alert you that it is your turn. Our MAs are certified as Athletic Trainers, Orthopaedic Technologists, or CNAs. They will bring you into an exam room, measure height and weight, provide you with the appropriate attire, and get the visit started by gathering basic information and placing x-ray orders if needed-in which case you would also get to meet one of our Radiologic Technologists. When you are interacting with your MA, they are assisting with other patients, applying casts and splints, drawing injections, removing stitches and staples, and caring for wounds.
Depending on which care provider you are seeing, you may first meet your doctor’s Physician Assistant (PA) or Nurse Practitioner (NP). Many of our physicians work with mid-level providers who assist them in evaluating and treating patients, operating in the OR, and placing orders, reading x-rays, and answering messages. Our mid-level providers are able to diagnose, treat, prescribe, and inject.
Our physicians are some of the best and brightest. If you are scheduled to see them, they will come into the room and confirm the findings of the PA or NP and ultimately determine the course of treatment. If surgery is included in that course of treatment, they would be the person to perform it. They may not see you every time you come into the office if you are scheduled to see a PA or NP, but rest assured they will be overseeing the treatment plan from start to finish.
If you are in need of any help with clerical items during your treatment at OAW, you will likely be put in touch with your physician’s Administrative Assistant (AA). Our AAs assist our physicians with completing forms (FMLA, work letters, short-term disability, etc.), scheduling surgeries, and keeping things running smoothly in general. They help you through the logistics of scheduling a procedure, filing paperwork, or coordinating referrals through your physician.
If you experience any kind of questionable symptoms or have a question about a medication or reaction to a treatment, you can call our Triage Department to speak with a nurse or one of our MAs who will listen to your questions and/or symptoms, triage, provide instructions as able, and communicate with your care provider if necessary to determine course of treatment. Our Triage office works with all of the care providers in the building and would be happy to assist with any medical questions that arise on your road to recovery.
If at any point during your OAW experience you are unsure as to who the appropriate person might be for your current need, give us a call, and we will get you set up with the correct person. We strive to work as a well-oiled machine to provide you with the best orthopaedic care possible.