Dr. Armstrong’s Visit to Capitol Hill

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On March 7th, a delegation of North Carolina neurologists went to Capitol Hill to meet with North Carolina’s members of the House of Representatives and Senate. Their day on the Hill was in conjunction with the American Academy of Neurology’s 2023 Neurology on the Hill event.

Dr. Robert Armstrong with Asheville Neurology Specialists was one of the participants who discussed Medicare Payment System Reform, Prior Authorizations and Medical Research.  This is the second year that Dr. Armstrong has traveled to Washington to meet with North Carolina representatives.

Click here for more details on the issues discussed.

Dr. Armstrong meets with Rep. David Rouzer

Dr. Armstrong meets with Rep. Greg Murphy

Photo Gallery of the 2020 Remodel of our Infusion Center at Asheville Neurology

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Celebrating the Achievements of Our Staff at Asheville Neurology

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Today, we are excited to share the achievement of one of our staff members, who successfully got into the Physician Assistant Masters program at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina!
Kelly began working at Asheville Neurology Specialists as a Healthcare Operations intern in early 2019. After graduating from UNC Asheville, she became a full time employee with us as our Patient Intake Coordinator.
We are very excited for her to take the next step in her career and attend Physician Assistant school in early August!
Congratulations Kelly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are also pleased to announce that three of our Financial Operations team members are now Certified Professional Billers (CPB) through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).  From left to right, Tasha, Financial Coordinator, Ashley, Financial Operations Manager and Katie, Clinical Services Coordinator.

The CPB exam thoroughly covers various types of insurances, billing regulations, HIPAA & Compliance, Reimbursement & Collections, Billing, Coding and Case Analysis.   Our financial team utilizes these skills throughout their daily duties to ensure accuracy.

At ANS, we strive to be the best and are committed to quality patient care.  We are proud of the dedication shown by our Financial team.  Congratulations Ashley, Tasha and Katie!

 

No Show Policy Updates

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Please note that beginning October 1st 2020, we will be re-instating our late cancellation/no show policy. We do understand that emergencies arise and will address these situations on a case by case basis.
We would also like to remind everyone that we are still offering telehealth (video and phone appointments) to patients with participating insurances as a convenient alternative to coming into the office. Some appointments, like New Patient Appointments or appointments that involve labs/injections/testing are not eligible to be converted to telehealth.

No Show/Late Cancellation Policy:

Each time a patient misses an appointment without providing proper notice, another patient is prevented from receiving care. Therefore, beginning 4/1/2019, Asheville Neurology Specialists, PA reserves the right to charge a fee of $50.00 for all missed appointments (“no shows”) and appointments which are not cancelled with a 24-hour advance notice.
“No Show” fees will be billed to the patient. This fee is not covered by insurance, and must be paid prior to your next appointment. Three “no shows “will result in termination from our practice.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we strive to best serve the needs of all of our patients.

Interpreter Services at Asheville Neurology Specialists

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Compassionate Care in your Language

 

Are you a non-native English speaker and have an upcoming appointment with Asheville Neurology Specialists? Call us at 828-210-9300 to let us know you would like to have an interpreter be present with you at your appointment. WCMS’ mission is to be the voice of the physician, advocating for the patient and the community through strengthening the physician-patient relationship. A language barrier should not come between you and your healthcare needs.

Please call us as soon as you know you will need an interpreter to your appointment so we can make sure you will have one available for you.

WCMS Interpreters are:

  • Tested for language proficiency
  • Trained in Medical Terminology
  • Culturally Competent
  • HIPAA Compliant
  • Adhere to the Standards Practice and National Interpreter Code of Ethics for Interpreters

Quality interpretation and translation services in more than 10 languages, including:

  • American Sign Language (ASL)
  • Chinese
  • French
  • Gujarati/Hindi
  • Hungarian/Moldovan
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Spanish
  • Ukrainian

 

Post by Alexandra Vang, Administrative Services Coordinator

EEG Testing to Resume 5/5/2020

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Due to COVID-19 social distancing recommendations and guidance from the CDC, we had postponed our EEG testing until the month of May.

Starting next week on 5/5/2020, we will continue our EEG testing with increased cleaning protocols. All patients and our technician will be required to wear a face mask during the test.

Our clinic hours will also expand slightly from 8am to 3pm to 8am to 3:30pm Mon-Thurs.

Please help us to continue to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by wearing a face mask– if you have one– to appointments in our office, or opt for a virtual appointment if possible.

A Letter from Our Practice Administrator

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4/2/2020

To our Valued Patients,

Here are some of the steps we’ve taken in response to the continually evolving Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and stay at home declarations:

We have a screening protocol in place to ask screening questions prior to your scheduled appointment. If you or anyone in your immediate family answers “yes” to any of the following questions, we are asking that you do not come to our office. We will reschedule your appointment or can possibly change it to a telehealth visit:

  • Do you or anyone in your immediate family have a fever of 100.4 or greater?
  • Do you or anyone in your immediate family have a respiratory infection, cough, or shortness of breath?
  • Have you or anyone in your immediate family had contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19?
  • Have you or anyone in your immediate family traveled to a high impact area in the last 2 weeks?

We have adjusted our office hours to Monday – Thursday 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. to limit the number of patients scheduled in the office each day with staff answering calls until 5 p.m. (Monday – Thursday). We have rearranged our waiting room seating to avoid close contact and have enacted more frequent cleaning and disinfecting standards throughout our office.

We are now offering a Telehealth visits via computer or mobile device from the comfort of your home while reducing your risk of infection and keeping our staff safe. You can contact your Neurologist’s care team to see if this is an option for your continued care by calling our office at   828-210-9300, then press option 4.

Please do not call our office afterhours for non-emergent needs, such as prescription refills and appointment changes. Please wait and call our office during regular business hours. We also encourage our patients to utilize your patient portal (FOLLOW MY HEALTH) to request refills, change appointments and medical questions for your neurologist both during regular business hours and after hours.

Some of our staff are working from home, and the staff reporting to the office are committed to your safety and ours by following the CDC guidelines. For current information, you can visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/ and https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/home/index.html

Be safe and we “all” wish you and your families well!

Carolyn Chamberlain

Practice Administrator

 

Telemedicine at Asheville Neurology Specialists

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In light of the COVID-19 situation, we have started doing virtual visits for our appointments that can be completed without coming into the office.  Doxy.me is our chosen way to communicate for video chat, and it is one of the ways that is reccomended by the Department of Health and Human Services. If you are interested in learning more about telehealth at Asheville Neurology, please call (828) 210-9300 and press 0, or send us a message via your patient portal.

Current Patients with Scheduled Appointments

If you have an appointment currently scheduled with us, you will likely be contacted to switch that appointment over to a virtual format. Theses measures will help to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and assist in protecting our most vulnerable patients and staff members.

 

FAQ

1) Is Doxy.me Secure?

Doxy.me complies with the security and privacy requirements of the healthcare industry. Here are the following ways they maintain security:

  • Patient health information (PHI) is not stored, as a result this data cannot be stolen from Doxy.me servers
  • Point-to-point NIST-approved AES 128 bit encryption is used for all video & audio communication
  • Full volume encryption and 256-bit AES encrypted keys used on data stored at rest
  • HIPAA and HITECH compliant servers
  • OSSEC intrusion detection, file integrity monitoring, log monitoring, root check, and process monitoring
  • Annual HIPAA risk assessments conducted
  • Auditing, logging, backup and disaster recovery policies and procedures in place

2) How does doxy.me work?

This video provides a helpful introduction to Doxy.me.

3) How will I be billed for telehealth?

Because of the COVID-19 situation, many health insurance have waived copays for telemedicine visits. The best way to know if you will have a copayment is to call the number on the back of your insurance card. You can also contact our billing department at (828) 210-9300 option 3.

4) What if I have no way to do a video call?

We will make every effort to accommodate you without bringing you into our office, including via phone call or via the patient portal . However if an office visit is deemed essential, we will work to bring you in during our clinic hours. We will also screen you for potential COVID-19 symptoms and possible exposure prior to your arrival.

Asheville Neurology’s Response to COVID-19

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UPDATED 3-25-2020

If you have a fever and/or respiratory symptoms (cough/shortness of breath/sneezing) or have been in contact with a person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in the last 14 days, DO NOT COME TO YOUR APPOINTMENT.Please call our office at (828) 210-9300 for further instructions.

Our patient population consists mainly of individuals who fall under the “at risk” category for being vulnerable to COVID-19. Therefore we are taking precautions with all people entering our building.

We are limiting people entering Asheville Neurology to only essential caregivers, patients and staff without fevers or contact with people exposed to COVID-19.

We are also working on alternative appointments via telehealth/email and phone visits.

Please work with us as we try to limit the spread of COVID-19 as a community.

We will keep you updated on our progress with telehealth visits.

3-13-2020– Asheville Neurology’s Response to COVID-19:

At Asheville Neurology Specialists, we are taking the necessary steps to prevent the spread of the Corona Virus, which causes COVID-19

Our Safety Committee is monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely and will adapt our prevention steps and response to the virus as the situation progresses.

To reduce risk, we have:

•Increased the use of disinfectants to wipe down step stool handrails, doorknobs, restrooms and commonly touched surfaces.
•Installed signage onsite reminding customers of hygiene recommendations.
•Educated our staff to use discretion with our No Show Policy as it relates to reducing the potential spread of the Corona Virus.
•Asked that all patients contact us prior to their appointment with us if:

They are experiencing fever and/or have respiratory symptoms such as coughing/sneezing/shortness of breath.

AND/OR

They may have been exposed to a person with COVID-19 or have been exposed.

AND/OR

They have traveled to China, Iran, Italy, Japan, or South Korea, or have been on a cruise in the last 14 days.

This way we can take the appropriate steps to prepare for the arrival of these patients or recommend rescheduling as appropriate.

****As recommended by the CDC, we will also screen all patients with these questions at their appointment.******

ANS Welcomes a New Physician Assistant!

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International Women’s Day was this past Sunday. In light of such an inspirational holiday, we think it’s the perfect time to introduce to you our newest Physician Assistant: Allyssa Dennard!

Allyssa completed her Master of Clinical Medical Science at Barry University in Miami, Florida in 2019. She also obtained her Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences, with a Minor in Public Health. from the University of Florida.

Last year, she worked with Dr. Patton during a clinical rotation and got a feel for our doctors and patients. Now, almost a year later, we are absolutely thrilled to be able to introduce her as a full time provider.

We look forward to everything she will bring to Asheville Neurology Specialists!