patient handbook

A Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is a team-based approach to health care that puts you at the center of your care. Your providers work together to coordinate your medical, behavioral, and preventive health services, helping you get the right care at the right time. This means better communication, easier access to care, and a stronger partnership focused on your overall health and well-being.

Who is on your “Team”?

• Primary Care Provider
• Medical Assistant
• Medical Case Manager

Depending on your needs, your “Team” may also include a:

• Behavioral Health Provider
• Registered Dietitian
• Specialized Case Manager
• Registered Nurse
• Insurance Eligibility Enroller

Your care team is here to support you every step of the way. We will:

• Help you understand your health conditions and treatment options.
• Partner with you to coordinate your care and support your health goals.
• Use proven, evidence-based practices and self-management tools to help you stay healthy and manage your care with confidence.

Our health center may have an unscheduled closure or late opening during a serious storm or other emergencies affecting mass transit.

If that happens, we will:

• Post a notice on our website
• Send an email to all patients
• Send SMS notifications to all scheduled patients

To schedule an appointment, call the location you want to schedule your appointment at.

Manhattan: 212-334-6029
Queens: 718-567-5200

You may also schedule your own appointment on our website: Book an Appointment | Apicha Community Health Center

If you cannot keep your appointment, we ask that you cancel your appointment as soon as possible to ensure that appointment slot can be used by other patients.

To cancel your appointment, you may call us or send us a message via the patient portal. You may also cancel your appointment when you receive the SMS reminder sent to you 3 days before your appointment.

What to bring to EACH appointment:

• Picture ID
• Insurance Cards (medical, pharmacy and dental)
• Copayment (if applicable)
• Proof of income if applying for Sliding Scale

No one will be denied access to Apicha CHC’s services due to inability to pay. If you are uninsured or underinsured, you may qualify for our Sliding Fee Discount Program based on your household income. Please speak with our Patient Associates or your Case Manager.

Family size is defined by:

• Patient applying
• Spouse/Partner
• Any children being supported in your household
• Anyone who is included on patient’s federal income taxes

Proof of Income includes:

• Pay stub (from the past 60 days)
• W-2 form
• Unemployment statement
• Disability/Social Security/Public Assistance Papers
• Letter from employer
• Letter of support from head of household
• Self-Declaration

Apicha CHC’s Health Insurance Enrollers can help with applying for health insurance through the New York State of Health Marketplace and by submitting renewal applications. Book an Appointment | Apicha Community Health Center

If you need to see a specialist or need imaging studies done, your primary care provider will refer you.

You may schedule your own appointment; if you need assistance, Referral Specialists assigned to your care team will help you with this process.

Please note, many insurance plans, especially marketplace plans, require that referrals are created by us through their websites. If you choose to schedule your own appointment, please let us know immediately so that we can process the online referral. We will need at least 72 hours advance notice. Please provide us with the name of the specialist, their NPI number and their telephone number.

We offer a limited number of “in-house” tests, such as but not limited to: HIV, urinalysis, urine pregnancy, glucose, Mpox, COVID-19, Flu, Strep & RSV.

Your provider may find it necessary to order more detailed testing that requires your specimen(s) to be sent to a larger commercial laboratory.

Depending on your insurance and your income status, you may receive bills from the commercial laboratory for these services.

Please ask for prescription refills at the time of your appointment. Between visits, please monitor your refills.

You should first call your pharmacy directly when you need a refill. The pharmacy will have your most up- to-date record and will send us an electronic request for refills.

If you use Apicha Pharmacy, request refills here or by calling 844-370-6202.

If you cannot reach your pharmacy, you can send us a refill request through the Patient Portal or by calling us.

Please remember it will take 3 business days to refill a prescription, and up to an additional 7 business days if a prior authorization is required by your insurance.

To ensure that you do not run out of your medication, we recommend that you send us your request at least 10 days before you run out of medicine.

If you need urgent clinical advice when we are closed, you can reach one of our clinicians by calling our usual number. Your call will be transferred to our answering service who will ask you a few questions before they escalate the call to the clinician on call. The on-call clinician will help guide you on the next steps.

If you have been admitted to the hospital or have sought care from the emergency department (ED), it is important that you notify your PCP. Your care team will coordinate with the hospital to ensure that you receive the best care while at the hospital and have the appropriate follow-up care after you leave the hospital.

Our bilingual staff and phone interpreters are available to assist patients whose primary language is not English. American Sign Language assistance is available through videoconference.

Our online patient portal allows you to communicate with us easily and in a secure and confidential way.

The Patient Portal Allows You To:

• View your appointments
• Request refills of your medications
• View your test results after provider’s review
• View personal health information
• Update demographic information
• Communicate with your care team by sending and receiving secure messages

Patient Portal Etiquette:

• Your messages become part of your permanent medical record. Consider this when you are writing your message.
• Do not use the portal for urgent messages.
• Messages received through the portal are checked during business hours and will be answered within 1 business day.
• Messages received during the weekend will be answered during regular business hours
• Utilize the “Reason” section. This will help ensure your message will reach the right person
• If you need a referral for a new problem, you first need to schedule an appointment with your Medical Provider.
• If you have a new medical problem or symptoms you will need to be examined. Please call us and make an appointment to see your Medical Provider.
• Your portal account may be deactivated by Apicha CHC for the following reasons:
  • You request a deactivation
  • You no longer receive care at Apicha
  • You violate the portal terms by using abusive language in your message

All active patients can view their medical records via the Patient Portal (Healow). You may also request to have your full medical record or specific portions released to you. Your request must be in writing.

To request a copy of your records to be sent to a third party, you need to fax us a completed Authorization to Release Health Information Pursuant to HIPAA. Medical Fax # 646-390-4453.