Policy:

Your health and welfare is our top priority at The Living Bridge Center. Currently over 180 patients count on our services to maintain a positive health status. In order to ensure that we can see all the patients for their scheduled medical care visits, the Living Bridge Center uses a system of scheduled appointments. This helps to make sure every patient can see their medical professional in an orderly manner. Showing up late for your scheduled appointment serves to disrupt the clinic’s ability to ensure that everyone scheduled for that day is able to be seen by the medical personnel in an orderly manner. This policy serves to define the policy related to patients showing up late for their scheduled appointments.

Procedure:

1. All patients to be seen at the Living Bridge Center (or one of the satellite clinics) will be provided with notification in person of their next scheduled appointment. The patient will also receive an appointment card, or a written notice of the next scheduled appointment. Courtesy calls will be attempted the day before your appointment to remind you of your appointment. These are not guaranteed and do not constitute an excuse for missing a scheduled appointment.
2. Any patient who fails to show for or arrives more than 5 minutes late for their scheduled appointment will not be able to be seen immediately. The patient will have two choices:
   1. Wait patiently in the lobby in hopes that an opening occurs, or additional time is available to use to see patients near the end of the scheduled clinic time (the clinic generally runs until 11:30am). There is no guarantee that you will be able to be seen on the day of your late arrival.
   2. Coordinate with the clinic clerk to schedule a visit for the next available appointment.
   3. Failure to show for two or more scheduled appointments will require a case conference with the patient, case manager and clinic administration, before any additional services will be provided/scheduled.
3. Any patient who fails to show or who has arrived late more than 5 minutes for their scheduled Satellite Clinic (in Canton or Blue Ridge) appointments will be required to receive medical appointments in the Dalton clinic for the next six months, and will not have the option of waiting to see if they can be seen that day.