Appointment Information
Appointments can be made by calling the San Francisco Shoulder, Elbow & Hand Clinic between the hours of 9am and 5pm Monday through Friday at 415 392-3225. After hours, a message can be left with the answering service and your call will be returned during the next business day. You may also contact us through our website and we will respond with a call or email within 48 hours.
Your Initial Visit
To improve our ability to help you, it is essential we review any information pertaining to previous diagnosis or treatment of your injury. All previous medical records must be sent to San Francisco Shoulder, Elbow & Hand Clinic prior to an initial visit or hand-carried to the appointment. If these medical records are not available at the time of the initial visit, the appointment may need to be rescheduled. We will let you know whether to hand-carry your records or whether we will need to review them prior to scheduling your appointment.
It is the patient’s responsibility to bring the following to an initial visit at San Francisco Shoulder, Elbow & Hand Clinic:
- Completed new patient forms, medical insurance cards, and a referral if required by your insurance
- Previous x-rays, CT scans, or MRI scans. Please note: actual films and reports must be provided; a report alone is not sufficient
- Results of previous testing or treatment (EMG’s, physical therapy, etc.)
- A list of current medications with doses
- Any brace or support prescribed for use
Please wear loose clothing to your visit in order to allow good movement and exposure of the part being examined. Gowns will be provided for you at the time of appointment if necessary. Most likely X-Rays will be taken, so please do not wear jewelry, wired bras, or metal accents or snaps on blouses, shirts, or tops.
Upon arrival personal and insurance information (address, phone number, etc.) will be verified. Once registration is complete, patients will be called back to the first available examination room. In order to expedite your check-in and minimize waiting times, we ask that new patients arrive at least 10 minutes prior to their appointment. Please allow time for parking and locating our office.
Please complete the new patient forms and bring them with you on the day of your appointment.
A member of the physician’s team will review medical history and records and may begin the initial phase of the exam. Team members may include a medical assistant, an orthopedic fellow, and/or a physician’s assistant. Once your information is gathered it will be presented to the physician. The physician may also discuss your medical history with you, as well as review records, and perform a physical examination.
After the examination and records review are complete, you will receive an explanation of diagnosis and recommendations for ongoing care, which may include non-operative and/or operative treatments. Additional diagnostic testing (MRI, CT, etc.) may need to be ordered before final recommendations can be made.
At the end of the visit, the patient will be provided with instructions on follow-up procedures and appointments, or be directed to the surgery coordinator. All patients must check out with one of our patient coordinators for further instruction on new tests or orders given by the physician, and if necessary, to schedule a follow-up appointment.
We strive to minimize any wait on the part of our patients. Occasionally emergencies do arise, and you will be informed promptly of any delay in your appointment. We ask that our patients contribute to efficient patient flow by being on time for their appointments and by bringing all requested material with them. Please feel free to call ahead and ask our patient coordinator if the doctor is running on time. We offer an array of teas, bottled water, and magazines, and free Wi-fi is available in our reception area.