WHAT TO EXPECT

Welcome to the office of Dr. Michael Yerukhim.

During your first visit we'll help you get acquainted with our services and learn about your particular diagnostic and treatment needs. We know that taking time out of your day for a doctor visit can be inconvenient and even anxiety producing, but rest assured that we are here to work with you, addressing your specific needs and utilizing the most cutting edge technology to provide you with the highest quality of care. Our new, electronic medical record system allows for optimal communication with your other health care providers and our Patient Portal puts your medical information right into the palm of your hands. We know that every patient is different and has specific needs. We will strive to provide you with personal, individualized attention at each and every appointment.

We approach your health as a team effort.

As such, you can make a difference in the quality of care that you or your family member receives by following a few suggestions during your appointment. It is very helpful to us when you keep an accurate medical history. Knowing the names of your doctors and the medications that you take helps us to give you the most complete care. Also, remember, it is OK to ask questions! We want to make sure that you understand how to administer all medications, understand what you or your family member's test results mean, and what to expect if the physician recommends surgical treatment for your or your family member.

• Bring your Health Insurance Card or Information

• Bring a list of all medications you are taking

• Bring a copy of any sleep, studies, X-RAYS or CT scans taken in the last year specific to the condition we are seeing you for (not just the reports—get the actual films on disk if possible)

• Bring a copy of any medical record or test result specific to the condition we are seeing you for

• Bring a family member to take notes/help with questions especially if there is a hearing loss or speech barrier or if the patient is coming from a nursing home

• Bring written parental authorization if someone other than parent/legal guardian accompanies a child 0-18 years of age (see consent form below)

• Bring your insurance referral (if one is required by your insurance plan)

• Bring all new patient paperwork (see below) with you to your appointment to speed up the check-in process

• Understand your insurance benefits and come prepared to pay your insurance co-pay and/or deductible

• Leave yourself plenty of time. Don't create more stress for yourself by scheduling something else right on the heels of your new patient appointment

Please be sure to review our financial policy before coming to your appointment. It is important that you understand our terms for payment, including co-pays, deductibles and missed appointments.

Medical Financial Policy

Deciphering Your Insurance‍ ‍

No-Show/Late Cancellation Policy

Other Financial Options

CareCredit is a healthcare credit card designed for your health, and wellness needs. It's a way to pay for the costs of many treatments and procedures and allows you to make convenient monthly payments. CareCredit is accepted at over 200,000 providers nationwide for LASIK and Vision Care, Cosmetic and Dermatology Procedures, Dentistry, Veterinary, Hearing Care and other specialties. CareCredit is now also accepted at select retail locations.* For complete details of healthcare financing terms, please review the CareCredit account agreement within the application. Click on the button to see if CareCredit is right for you!

Visit Care Credit

To Pay Your Bill OnLine:

CLICK HERE

The website requires users to enter their first and last name, date of birth and cell phone number to verify the patient. Then it will send a code to the cell phone. Once you enter the code, you should be able to make a payment.

Scheduling

Our schedulers will contact you to select a surgery date.

For medical/insurance-based procedures, preauthorization may be required and can take up to 4 weeks. Our staff will handle this process once the surgery date is selected. We will contact you before your procedure if there are any issues.

For cosmetic surgeries, refer to our Cosmetic Financial Policy.

Preparing for Surgery

• History and Physical/Preanesthesia Testing (PAT):

  • A detailed H&P is required 2 weeks prior to surgery. Contact us if you haven’t heard from the

  • PAT clinic by 10 business days prior.

• Laboratory Tests & EKG:

  • Certain tests may be required based on your medical history and surgery type. These tests are essential but non-refundable.

• Lifestyle Adjustments:

  • Stop smoking and alcohol intake 2 weeks before surgery to improve healing and reduce complications.

  • Take multivitamins with iron and zinc daily starting 2 weeks prior.

  • Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen, vitamin E, diet pills, herbal supplements (e.g., St. John’s Wort, fish oil) for 14 days before surgery. Blood thinners (like Coumadin/Warfarin, Palvix/Clopidogrel, Eliquis/apixaban, Xarelto/rivaroxaban, Pradaxa/dabigatran, Brilinta/ticagrelor) will need to be stopped, but require specific instructions from your doctor.

• Prescription Preparation:

  • Fill all prescriptions before surgery day and bring them with you.

  • Arnica Montana: May reduce swelling and inflammation; take tablets 3 times daily for one week, starting two days before surgery. (Can be purchased over the counter at most stores).

  • Bromelain (pineapple extract): Helps minimize bruising and swelling; take 500 mg twice daily for one week before and two weeks after surgery. (Can be purchased over the counter at most stores).

• Female Patients:

  • Antibiotics may reduce birth control effectiveness; use alternative contraception during treatment.

  • Consult your physician regarding temporary discontinuation of birth control pills.

Warnings

Inform Dr. Yerukhim if you:

• Have used Accutane, received radiation therapy to the head/neck, taken steroids or immunosuppressive agents.

• Have autoimmune diseases or are immunosuppressed (e.g., HIV, chemotherapy, diabetes, autoimmune blocking medications).

Day Before Surgery

• Confirm surgery time with the surgery suite. They usually call in the afternoon on the day before your procedure with the time to arrive for your surgery.

• Wash your body thoroughly with soap the night before and morning of surgery; avoid deodorant or perfume.

• No food or drink after midnight except small sips of water for medications.

Morning of Surgery

• Continue fasting (including gum, mints, or candy); small sips of water allowed for daily medications.

• Brush teeth without swallowing water.

• Shower again and wash surgical areas with soap.

• Do not wear make-up, lotions or perfume.

• Do not wear contact lenses.

• Wear loose-fitting clothes that button in the front and flat shoes; avoid jewelry; avoid nail polish on index fingers.

• Arrive 30–60 minutes early with a responsible adult who can drive you home and stay overnight.

In order to streamline your appointment, please take a few minutes to review our patient forms. Our New Patient Form should be filled out and brought with you at your first appointment. If you are arriving for a medical or cosmetic procedure, please review our various consents. We also ask that all cosmetic patients review our Photo Release Consent.

New Patient Form‍ ‍ Radiology Locations ‍ ‍ General Pre-Operative Instructions

Patient Education

We know that you may receive a lot of information from Dr. Yerukhim during your appointment, and that it can be hard to remember everything that you've been told. At Dr. Yerukhim's office we try to take the confusion out of your diagnosis and treatment plan by providing you with patient education materials that can explain diagnosis and treatment information for a variety of issues. Patient education may be provided to the patient during the visit, and can also be accessed via our website or your Patient Portal.

Patient Resources

HealthCare Support Portal facilitates better communication with your physician's office by providing convenient 24 x 7 access from the comfort and privacy of your own. Log in to your online account or create a new online account. Take advantage of the online services offered by our practice with the assurance that all of your information is encrypted and stored securely. In our patient portal you can: 

• Update your address, phone, e-mail address, insurance and other patient information.

• Change your password.

• Add and update your credit card information.

• View a history of your previous online visits.

After you create an online account, you will receive an e-mail from us that includes your user ID and a link to our patient portal. You may log in at any time to activate your account and begin using our online services.

Patient Portal

Mobile App

You also have the power to put your health into the palm of your hands with our new eCW Patient Portal for iPhones and Android. Request refills, review appointment times and communicate with Dr. Yerukhim all from the convenience of your phone or computer. Simply download Healow from the iTunes or Play Store and sign up. Use the sign in code DHDIBD and follow the prompts. It's fast, simple and a convenient way to track all of your healthcare needs. Our office staff is available to help you set up your portal account if needed, by calling the office at 440-363-6368. Dr. Yerukhim is on the cutting edge of healthcare. Are you? Don't hesitate. Enroll today!

Healow