Policies

Vaccines are safe, effective, and essential for preventing serious diseases.

TAPAC follows AAP guidelines strictly, discouraging delays and refusals.

Only vaccinated patients are accepted, with exceptions only for medical reasons.

Unvaccinated patients will not be accepted or will be dismissed from the practice.

Parents are encouraged to discuss concerns, but the clinic firmly supports immunization.

Click the link below to view our full vaccine policy. 

We work hard to not overuse antibiotics.

We educate families on appropriate use of antibiotics, but follow evidence-based guidelines and don’t automatically treat ear pain or a green snotty nose with antibiotics.

We do not routinely prescribe antibiotics over the phone as we do not believe that is good medicine. We will prescribe an antibiotic when we believe it is an appropriate treatment.

Everyone's Time is Equally Valuable.

We ask that you arrive 5 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. We understand sometimes things happen beyond your control that may cause you to be late. However, we reserve the right to ask you to reschedule if you arrive late for your appointment.

Our practice makes every effort to run on time with appointments, as we believe everyone’s time is equally valuable.

Upcoming Appointments Via Phone/Text Message/Email

Missed Appointments: Broken appointments represent a cost to us, to you, and to other patients who could have been seen in the time set aside for you. We reserve the right to charge a fee for canceled or missed appointments. We request 24 hours notice for cancellation of appointments.

A fee may be charged for a second missed appointment. The third consecutive missed appointment will result in discharge from the practice.

For new patients, a fee may be charged if the FIRST appointment is missed.

To serve our patients in the most efficient and economical manner possible, we must keep our accounts current. For this reason, we ask that all patients pay office copays at the time of service. We accept cash, personal checks, debit cards, health savings account cards, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express, and money orders. A payment plan can be arranged if necessary. We will bill participating insurance companies and Medicaid for you. If we do not participate with your insurer we expect you to pay us directly. As a courtesy we will submit a claim for you when possible, or we will provide you with the necessary forms for reimbursement. We cannot, however, follow-up with them to ensure they have reimbursed you.

If you have any additional questions about our financial policy or specific fees please call our billing specialist between 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday at (231) 421-8099 extension 211.

Efficiency through the use of technology

You will be encouraged to consult our website, register for and use our patient portal, and effectively use automated reminders for appointments and for routine care/immunizations that are due.

Our mission at TAPAC is to provide the highest quality compassionate care possible to the children and adolescents of Northern Michigan. In support of this mission, therefore, we are opposed to discrimination in the care of any patient on the basis of race, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, religion, gender, marital status, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, age, immigration status, or disability of the patient or their family and caretakers. 

At Traverse Area Pediatric & Adolescent Clinic, we are committed to protecting your child’s privacy and the confidentiality of their health information (PHI). We follow strict state and federal regulations to ensure PHI is used only for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations (TPO). Patients have the right to access their records, and we do not use PHI for marketing or non-TPO purposes without consent. Our staff strictly adheres to these policies, and violations may result in disciplinary action.

For full details, please review our Privacy Policy 

We are a Pediatric AND Adolescent Clinic, meaning we are well versed in and comfortable with caring for patients into early adulthood. That being said, we recognize that our goal as pediatricians is to have our patients outgrow us eventually.

While we are happy to follow high school graduates through that transitory time of life, once a young adult 1) graduates from college or 2) begins living a more independent/adult lifestyle (typically characterized by entering the work force full time or living independent from parent/guardian), it is time to begin the transition to an adult physician.

There are also situations in which teenagers feel that they would like to transfer care to an adult physician before graduating high school.

- If the child is 15 years of age or younger, this would be considered a TRANSFER of care, and the expectation would be to transfer all siblings in a family at that time as well.

- If the child is 16 years or older, that is considered a TRANSITION of care which can be done independent of their siblings (meaning their younger siblings can continue receiving care at TAPAC).

This policy is in place to provide the best continuity of care possible, decrease confusion and to promote clarity for every patient’s Medical Home.

We encourage families to carefully consider their decision before transferring, as it will be considered permanent if remaining in the local area.

Our practice is committed to providing consistent, high-quality care for our patients. 

Families who move out of the area and later return are welcome to re-establish care with us. 

However, patients who transfer to another local practice are not eligible to return.

This policy supports continuity of care, ensures safe and appropriate medical management, and allows us to maintain strong, stable provider–patient relationships. 

We encourage families to carefully consider their decision before transferring, as it will be considered permanent if remaining in the local area.