Access to Care

Sharp Community Medical Group office procedures.

Sharp Community Medical Group members are assured full access to all appropriate and medically necessary health care services. It is the policy of Sharp Community Medical Group (SCMG) that all providers will have SCMG-approved office procedures, which include, but are not limited to the following:

After-Hours
After-hours coverage may be accessed through the physician's answering service.

Emergency Access
Patients who believe they have a life- or limb-threatening injury or illness should call 911. SCMG defines a true emergency as the presence of severe pain or an unforeseen medical condition, which, if not immediately diagnosed and treated, would lead to disability or death.

Hours of Operation
SCMG physicians maintain reasonable hours of operation and the provision of after-hours services.

Mental Health Services
Outpatient mental health services are provided by Psychiatric Centers of San Diego at 1-877-257-7273.

Missed Appointments and Patient Recall
All offices have a designated staff member who is responsible for contacting patients who miss appointments for any medical condition that requires urgent follow-up.

Normal Working Hours
Except in an emergency, physicians and patients are encouraged to make and keep appointments. Each physician office has a policy to see patients within 30 minutes of their scheduled appointments.

Primary care appointments should be made within the following time frames:

  • Emergency immediate
  • Health assessment within 30 days
  • Routine or subacute care within 1 week
  • Urgent situations within 24 hours

Specialty appointments should be made within the following time frames:

  • Referral turnaround within 5 days
  • Specialty visit within 14 days of primary-care physician visit

Pregnancy-related appointments should be made within the following time frames:

  • First prenatal visit within the first trimester
  • First trimester within 2 weeks
  • Second trimester within 1 week
  • Third trimester within 3 working days
  • Urgent situations within 24 hours

Office Emergency Services
All offices must be equipped and prepared to handle emergencies that may occur in provider's waiting room or examination rooms. Each facility must maintain an emergency kit/crash cart.

Each office must maintain a handy reference list of addresses and telephone numbers of emergency facilities in the service area.

Physically Handicapped
Sharp Community Medical Group provides service locations that are accessible to and usable by physically handicapped persons in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Telephone Triage
Each office must train all staff who answer telephones in triage instructions for specific presenting signs and symptoms.

Triage
Each physician's office will triage and provide same-day care when necessary to patients with more serious, acute or urgent problems.