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	CLICK ON PREFERRED TOPIC FOR INFORMATION: Referrals Making Appointments Canceling Appointments First Appointment Other Appointments Surgery Telephone Calls Confidentiality Consultations Fees Billing Insurance Glasses, Contact Lenses Doctor / Patient Relations Educational Needs Referrals If you have been sent to us by another doctor, please tell us so we may report to him or her promptly. He/She can offer us valuable insight to your care. You may need to ask your optometrist or family doctor to specifically see one of our Eye Care Center doctors. Making Appointments Ophthalmologic and Optometric appointments can be made for either the Eye Care Center office located in Tullahoma, Shelbyville, or Winchester, TN. We see patients by appointment Monday through Friday and many Saturday mornings. If your call is long distance please use our convenient toll free number: 1-800-870-5473. Canceling Appointments If you are unable to keep your appointment or are going to be late, please call our office as soon as possible. This courtesy allows us to be of service to other patients until you arrive or reschedule your appointment. First Appointment On your first visit, we will begin your permanent record. To assist in promptly and accurately recording essential information, we request that you bring the following: Insurance cards - Medicare, Blue Cross, Medicaid, etc. Present glasses - even if broken or not regularly worn Contact lenses - your contact lens prescription or bottles if you have them A list of your current medications or your medicine bottles Other Appointments The first visit, a complete eye examination, will focus on your main visual or eye complaint; you will also be thoroughly screened for other eye problems. This examination will take approximately one hour and will include the use of eye drops which may blur your vision and make your eyes sensitive to light for several hours. Plan your visit accordingly and arrange for someone to drive you home. Bring sun glasses if you have them. Follow-up visits, if necessary, will be scheduled after the first visit. We try our very best to stay on schedule, although emergencies sometimes arise. If we are seriously delayed, we will try to notify you beforehand. Occasionally we may call patients in the waiting room out of turn if their needs are urgent or it is a post operative exam. We ask your patience if you have to wait; we know your time is valuable. We hate to keep you waiting. Surgery Most eye surgery is now performed as out-patient surgery in the Same Day Surgery Department of hospitals or the Eye Care Center office. Nursing and anesthesia services are excellent. Harton Regional Medical Center, Bedford County Medical Center, Southern Tennessee Hospital, Lincoln Regional Hospital, Tullahoma Surgery Center, and the Eye Care Center office have equipped their surgical rooms with the latest hi-tech surgical eye-care equipment. This allows Dr. Norris, and Dr. Collier to perform state-of-the-art eye surgeries. Telephone Calls To save you the time and expense of follow-up visits, once treatment has begun, we may ask you to call our office to report on your eye condition. Our technicians will take this information and give you further instructions if needed. Please call our office if you have any questions regarding your condition, medication, or treatment. Our technicians are specially trained to answer your questions, arrange prescription refills, etc. If your need to speak to the physician personally, he will return your call when conditions permit. We do not charge for telephone consultations. Many diseases have similar symptoms, so if you have developed a complication or a new problem, please understand the need for a re-examination in the office. Confidentiality Your medical record is strictly private. We will not give out information regarding your condition to your employer, friends, relatives, or insurance companies without your permission. The only exception to this is when required by law, as in industrial injuries and assault. Consultations Occasionally, in unusual or complicated situations, we can give you better care by seeking the opinion of another physician. If ever you desire another opinion, please tell us. We will be happy to suggest several specialists and send them details of your condition without charge. Fees Charges for office visits and surgery are determined by the time spent and vary with the severity or complexity of the problem. They are based on Relative Value Studies and are competitive with other area eye specialists. Please do not hesitate to discuss our fees if you have any questions. We are concerned with the cost of medical care and we appreciate your suggestions. Billing We prefer not to send bills because the cost of paperwork and postage affect our fees. We would appreciate your payment at the end of your appointment. If we file your insurance, we will file your forms promptly and request you pay your portion when services are rendered. You may use cash, check, MasterCard, Discover, American Express or Visa. If you need to arrange a payment plan, we will assist you. Insurance We participate with TennCare (Bluecare and Tenn Care Select), Medicare, VSP and many PPO plans. At check in, please present your insurance card to the receptionist to assure our participation in your plan. We are happy to help you complete and submit your forms, but you should direct any questions or complaints regarding your coverage to your insurance carrier. There is no charge for completion of the first form for any visit. Co-pays must be paid at time of visit. Glasses, Contact Lenses We always perform a refraction (glasses test) as part of our complete medical examination of your eyes. If glasses or new lenses are necessary, we will give you a prescription to take to our optical shop. Fitting contact lenses requires additional measurements and a trial lens fitting. Please arrange this visit with the receptionist. Doctor / Patient Relations These are best when based on a mutual understanding. We make a special effort to explain everything to you regarding your condition, medicine, treatment, glasses, etc. If ever you have questions, or if something is not clear to you, please do not hesitate to ask. We have chosen our personnel, office procedures, and medical equipment with much thought and care to provide quality medical services in a pleasant, efficient, and friendly atmosphere. If you have any suggestions or complaints regarding our services or fees, please tell us so that we may better serve you. Educational Materials We feel it is important for patients and their families to understand as much as possible about their eyes, eye problems, and eye care. We have films and videotape for you to view in our office and free pamphlets to take home. ECC OVERVIEW ABOUT YOUR EYES WHO WE ARE WHAT WE DO EEC Overview About Your Eyes ECC Doctors ECC Services ECC Links Diagram of Eye -- ECC Surgeries Guestbook | Sign It! Eye Test Children's Information Page ECC FAQ Eye Diseases ECC Testimonials Emergencies 1100 North Jackson St. - Tullahoma, TN 37388 PH: (931) 393-2020; PH: (931) 393-2255 (EYE-BALL); (800) 870-5473 ecc@cafes.net