Are We a Good Fit?

Our Vaccine Policy follows the schedule outlined by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). We feel VERY strongly about the importance of vaccines and their role in preventative medicine and community health.  We use evidence based medicine to inform our medical decisions, diagnostics, and treatment care plans.  Therefore, Beacon Pediatrics is a FULLY VACCINATED practice and will only accept patients and families who agree to fully vaccinate their children.  Other helpful links can be found here.

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 appropriate medical care. We will prescribe an antibiotic when we believe it is an appropriate treatment for a condition that was fully evaluated by a member of our team.

Additionally, we do not routinely prescribe antibiotics over the phone, as we strongly believe it is not sound medical practice to do so without a proper assessment. Antibiotics are only prescribed when deemed necessary and appropriate after a thorough evaluation, prioritizing the well-being of our patients while avoiding the risks of antibiotic resistance and unnecessary side effects.

Beacon Pediatrics is proud to serve as a medical home for our patients.  A medical home is a model of primary care that is patient-centered, comprehensive, team-based, coordinated, accessible, and focused on quality and safety. Patient Centered Medical Home has become a widely accepted model in primary care and is a philosophy of health care delivery that enables our patients and families to have stronger relationships with their clinicians and care teams.

In addition to our clinicians and care teams, the medical home program at Beacon Pediatrics includes our Medical Home Care Coordinator. She functions as an advocate for patients and families by removing barriers to care, ensuring smooth transitions of care and decreasing care fragmentation. This program ensures that care is received in the right place, at the right time, and in the manner that best suits a patient’s needs.

We work hard to provide comprehensive medical care and serve as your medical home. To that end, we expect that you contact our office FIRST before seeking specialty care, or heading to another provider for urgent care. We want to be involved in either providing care in our office where appropriate, or referring you to the most appropriate specialist and helping to coordinate your care.

Whenever you do see a specialist, we ask that you request a report be sent directly to our office so we may stay informed and have the most up-to-date information in your medical record.

Our practice prides itself on efficiency through use of technology. You will be encouraged to consult our website, register for and use our MyChart patient portal, and effectively use automated reminders for appointments and for routine care/immunizations that are due

We make every effort to meet the needs of our patients, offering both routine well visits and same day sick visit appointments.

• Monday-Thursday 8:00 am - 7:00 pm
• Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm (summer hours until 3:00 pm)
• Saturday and Sunday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm (closed Sundays in summer)

Please familiarize yourself with our office hours to see if they work for your family.

We have an MD or NP on call 24/7/365. When our office is closed overnight and you have an urgent issue that cannot wait until morning, you can call our main number and the on-call nurse triage group will give you advice regarding your child's problem.

You may wish to check the "Is Your Child Sick?" and the Medicine Doses sections of our website for helpful information before using this service. Read more about After Hours care.

Make sure we participate with your insurance plan.

It is your responsibility to know the limits and coverage of your particular health insurance policy, to show your cards to us at each visit, and be prepared to pay any copays at the time of service.

If you have questions about insurance, please contact our billing team at 781-745-3322 and choose option 6.  Our billing staff will do their best to assist you with insurance questions; however, If you have questions about your coverage, it is best check with your specific insurance company.  

If you need assistance with obtaining insurance, please contact our Medical Home Care Coordinator at 781-745-3322, option 4.

Our office does not want you to be surprised by a bill, but must always bill your health plan based on federal guidelines and the actual services provided.

Please read our Financial Policy for more information regarding insurance.

Insurance copays are expected to be paid at the time of service. If you are unable to comply, you must speak with the billing department prior to the visit to set up a payment plan.

For acute care,  please call the office to speak with our triage staff, who will listen to your concerns and schedule an appointment for you if necessary. Sometimes an appointment may not be needed, and staff will advise you regarding your issue, or check with the physician and call you back.

If our nurse is on with another caller, you will be asked to leave a message and you will receive a return call.

For well visits, please call our main number or be sure to book each future physical as you check-out from the last.

We schedule appointments in such a way that your child can be properly checked-in, examined, and treated in a timely manner.  Although this cannot always be done, we strive to accomplish this and have several policies in place in an effort to accommodate your family’s needs:

1. Appointment Tardiness:  Parents who are 15 minutes late for their appointment will be rescheduled.  See below for more information.
2. Sibling Add Ons:  If you arrive with your child for a visit and request to add on a sibling, we count that as a walk-in.  If the schedule does not allow appropriate time to properly care for your child, we will ask that you schedule the sibling at a later time that day.  All we ask is for a phone call ahead of time to let us know.
3. Walk-Ins:  We do not accept walk-ins.  If a parent walks-in for a non-emergency visit, we will do our best to accomodate you and your child, however, you may be asked to return when there is availability. This allows our providers to spend the appropriate amount of time with you and your child.
4. Saturday/Sunday Appointments:  We have weekend hours available for acute, same day sick.  Please call us when the office opens at 9:00 am to schedule your sick child.
5. MyChart Appointment Booking:  Our MyChart patient portal allows you to book well visits, urgent care/same day sick visits, future sick visits, and office visits online. Please read this article to learn more about this service.

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

As a courtesy, we will remind you of your upcoming appointments via phone/text message/email.

We ask that you arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to complete any paperwork, screening forms, review insurance information and to start the check-in and rooming process so that your appointment can start on-time with your Doctor. 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.

Parents who are 15 minutes late for their appointment will be rescheduled.  We will make every effort to reschedule your appointment as soon as possible, but it is important to keep in mind that most well child visits are scheduled well in advance, therefore, popular time slots can be scheduled months out.  Also, in order to avoid delaying your child’s vaccines, we may need to reschedule your child's appointment as soon as possible. Therefore, it may not be possible to schedule the appointment with the provider or time of your preference.

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 Well Visit, Office Visit, and Behavioral Health appointments.  We request a 2 hours notice for cancellation of a Same Day Sick or MyChart Same day appointment. Please call ahead if you know that you will not be able to make a scheduled appointment.  Missed appointments that do not meet the above cancellation notice timelines will be subject to the following fee schedule:

• The first missed appointment (per family) will be logged as a warning.

• A $50 fee may be charged for a second missed appointment.

• The third missed appointment in a calendar year may result in discharge from the practice.

• For new patients, a fee may be charged if the FIRST appointment is missed.
• Behavioral Health and Psychopharmacology Evaluation appointments cancelled with less than 48 hours' notice will incur a $100 fee.