Appointments

Appointment Scheduling

We have five neurology offices, that also offer neurodiagnostic testing and rehabilitation services, conveniently located throughout the Minneapolis metropolitan area to serve you, as well as outreach offices in greater Minnesota. Click here to access a complete listing of our offices, along with contact information.

If you are a new patient, or have not been referred to a specific member of our professional staff, please call the office location you would like to visit. Please tell us the reason for the appointment or the nature of your concerns. This will help us to schedule adequate time with the appropriate medical professional. If you are currently seeing one of our staff, please call directly to that office to make an appointment. Please call us as far in advance as possible to schedule a time that is convenient for you. If you are ill, or in urgent need of care, an appointment will be scheduled for you as soon as possible. In emergencies, you may be seen immediately at one of our offices, or at an agreed upon hospital location. Our receptionists will assist you with transferring necessary medical records, x-rays, test results, etc., from your primary and/or referring physician.

Q: Do I need a referral to see a neurologist?

A: Yes. A referral from a medical professional is necessary to ensure that you are seen by a specialist who is experienced in dealing with your specific condition and that you are seen in a timeframe appropriate for your medical condition. Please note that a referral from your medical professional is different than an authorization from your insurance company.

Q: Do I need to arrive earlier than my appointment time?

A: If this is your first visit to our Clinic, please arrive 10 – 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time to register. Registration includes collection of demographic (address, telephone number, etc.) and insurance information, as well as making a co-payment, if required by your insurance company. Even if you have pre-registered by telephone, we ask that you arrive early to sign appropriate forms and/or complete our medical history forms. For follow-up visits, please allow enough time to verify information and make any necessary changes, such as address, insurance, etc., as well as to make your co-payment, if applicable.

Appointment Cancellation Policy

If you need to cancel your appointment, please notify our office 24 hours before your appointment (please contact us on Fridays for Monday appointments). Receiving cancellation information in advance allows us to schedule and serve other patients. We reserve the right to bill you $50 for a missed appointment without a 24-hour advanced notice. This fee is not covered by insurance carriers or Medicare and will be your responsibility to pay before your next visit.

Your Medical Care

Your participation and cooperation are very important to us as we strive to bring you quality neurological care. Please be prompt for appointment. Your appointment time is reserved especially for you. Arriving promptly for your appointment helps minimize waiting time for you and other patients. Please notify us as soon as possible if you must cancel your appointment, or be unavoidably late. If you miss an appointment without cancellation or advance notice, you may be charged for the time.

To enable us to process your bill accurately, we will ask you for your insurance card and check your picture identification each time you visit. We are obligated by your insurance company to collect co-payments at each visit. We accept cash, checks, debit cards and all major credit cards. Please be aware that your co-payment could increase without a new card being issued to you. Your insurance company can tell you your current co-payment amount. If you do not pay your co-pay at the time of your visit, a $20.00 service charge will be applied to your account to cover the costs of billing and processing.

We welcome and encourage your comments and suggestions. It is very important that problems be resolved quickly and satisfactorily. If you have any questions or concerns about your care or about the Minneapolis Clinic of Neurology, please discuss them with a staff member or call our Administrative Offices at (763) 302-4100.

Q: What information is needed for my appointment with the Neurologist?

A: Our neurologists will need information specific to the medical condition for which you are seeking care. This includes:

• A referral letter or visit notes from your referring doctor indicating what your medical problem is and what, if any, treatments have been tried to date.
• Diagnostic test results/reports of testing related to your medical problem, including MRI or CT scans or x-ray films.
• Your medical history, including the names and dosages of current medications. Please send the above information to our offices at least one week prior to your visit, if at all possible.

Q: How can I prepare for my appointment with the Neurologist?

A:  Below are eight strategies to get the most out of your doctor appointment (summarized from a Wall Street Journal article 1/1/17).

1. Write down a list of questions before your appointment, in the order of the most important to least important and ask them during your visit. Even if you can’t get to all of them in one visit, it will give you a good start. Also, be sure to ask questions about what the doctor says so that you understand it thoroughly before the end of the visit.
2. Try to use your time with the doctor in the most productive way. Cover the most important things first, and get to the less important things if there is still time.
3. Bring all of your medicines including herbal and over-the-counter medications, or at least, a complete list of all of your medications.
4. Take brief notes during the visit so that you can remember the most important take-home of the visit. Repeat back to the doctor the most important aspects of the visit that you heard, to be sure that you and the doctor have communicated accurately. (Studies have shown that patients only remember 40- 60 % of what the doctor communicated, and only 50% is remembered exactly correctly).
5. Tell the doctor all of the details even if it involves uncomfortable topics such as sexual issues, incontinence, poor eating habits, or not taking her medications regularly. Your doctor has “heard it all” and in order to care for you in the best way, the doctor needs to know all of the, details even the more difficult ones to reveal.
6. Bring a friend or family member to the appointment. Four ears are better than two, and each of you may remember different things.
7. Work with your doctor to set realistic goals for yourself. For example you have too much low back pain to be able to exercise regularly, then let the doctor know that such an exercise program is not realistic.
8. Bring up all of the healthcare concerns you have at the beginning of the visit, and then you and the doctor can prioritize which are the most severe, to deal with them first.

Medication Policy

If you need a prescription refilled, please contact your pharmacy. Please do not wait until you are completely out of your medication before requesting a refill. Your pharmacist may need to call your neurologist, or in the case of a controlled substance, a written prescription may need to be obtained by the pharmacy. Your neurologist may wish to see you prior to authorizing refills. We will not be able to prescribe medications for you unless you have been seen by one of our neurologists. Please notify us immediately of any unexpected changes in your condition that you feel may be caused by your medication.

Confidentiality

As neurologists and allied health professionals, we are particularly sensitive to your needs for confidentiality and privacy. For further information, please refer to our privacy policies.

Hospital Inpatient Care

Please ask your physician which hospital you should use in case of emergencies. If you need to be hospitalized for scheduled care, you and your neurologist can discuss the most appropriate and convenient facility and location. The Minneapolis Clinic of Neurology provides inpatient neurology care at a number of the major metropolitan hospitals, as well as community hospitals in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Please click here to access a complete listing of affiliated hospitals, along with their contact information.

Emergencies

• Life-threatening:  Call 911 and proceed with emergency medical care.  Call your neurologist as soon as possible thereafter.
• Urgent care: During business hours, please call your neurologist for immediate advice and directions.
• After hours care:  Please call (763) 588-0661. We maintain 24-hour “on call” medical care. Our answering service will contact a physician who will return your call promptly.