What to Expect at Your First Appointment
When you Arrive:
Check-in at the front desk. Please let us know if you need language (translation) help.
Our intake forms collect the following information. Anything you tell the clinic staff is private, and will not be shared with anyone outside of the clinic.
Personal Information: Your birth date, telephone number, mail, and email addresses, and emergency contact.
Income Information: If you would like to be considered for the sliding fee scale, we will ask your income before taxes and household size to assess you for any sliding fee discounts for eligible services. Please talk to staff about any concerns you have paying for services.
Insurance Information: We will ask if you are enrolled in health insurance or Medicaid along with determining your sliding fee discounts in order to provide the most affordable visit possible. We will determine if you qualify for any additional programs that could help to cover your healthcare costs.
Once you have completed the paperwork and returned it to the front desk, you will wait in the waiting room until your first name is called by a medical assistant.
Your visit will begin with the medical assistant, who will collect your medical history, vital signs, and briefly discuss the reason for your visit. Your medical assistant will instruct you if you need to undress and wear a clinic gown for your exam and where to sit in the exam room.
Your medical visit will then be provided by a clinician (RN, Nurse Practitioner, or Physician Assistant.) It’s important to tell them if you have problems or concerns, including:
periods that aren’t normal
pain during sex
vaginal discharge or discomfort
body changes – “What’s normal for my age?”
your health – Have you been sick or do you have a serious illness?
Your provider will discuss your concerns with you during your visit. They will ask:
if you need birth control
if you or your partner are currently using birth control
if you are using condoms
After you visit with the provider, you will check out with one of our Patient Coordinators. If you know what your benefits are and what you will owe at your visit, we will collect that payment upfront if you are at a paying fee level. Bridgercare also asks all patients for donations regardless of their fee level. Please visit the Insurance and Discounts page for more information.