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Who should I see for my doctor after you retire? |
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I have recommended the physicians at Northwest women's clinic (NWWC), and no one doctor in particular. You can also consider seeing your primary care physician, or finding a doctor at another practice. Ask your friends, family, coworkers. Use the physician referral line. |
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You can look for a physician through a couple of websites: the first is the North American Menopause Society at www.menopause.org. Their website has a section "find a provider". Just use your ZIP Code and you can get a list of members of the menopause Society, which are physicians with a special interest in menopause. The next website is the American College of OB/GYN at www.ACOG.net. They also have a section to help you find a provider, and they list physicians in your area with their special interests so you might find a match that way. |
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I am not recommending any one special physician at Northwest Womens Clinic because there are too many variables: location, type of insurance, your age and your particular needs. A 25-year-old woman looking for a birth-control pill refill will be different from someone who is 50 having irregular menses and menopausal symptoms, and different from a patient who is in her 60s healthy on no meds and just needs a checkup. Let the schedulers at Northwest women's clinic connect you with the physician they think might suit your needs best. |
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How can I get my medications refilled after you retire? |
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Good news. All prescriptions will continue to be active until the prescription expires. Most medications are good for 12 months. |
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If you are not sure what the expiration date is, ask your pharmacist or online prescription service. |
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Your PCP might tide you over. Northwest Women's Clinic will be receiving my faxes, and they might try to get you a 30 day supply, followed by a quick visit with one of their Doctors or Midwives to get you started. Fortunately, none of the meds I prescribe are 'essential' so the worst would be having to stop until you get your new Doctor. |
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Do I need to get my records, or get them sent to another physician? |
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I encourage you to wait until you have chosen your next Physician before you get your records transferred. It is not necessary for you to obtain copies at this point. Wait until you are satisfied your physician and let them request whatever records they want. Your records will be stored for many years at Northwest women's clinic. They are holding them for your future use, if needed. If you choose a Physician in NWWC, there will be no need for the records release form, they'll have your chart. |
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| Some of you have asked if you or your physician can have your original record. I'm sorry, but you can't. You are welcome to copies, but the original must be kept intact and safe, which I have arranged for you at NWWC. |
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Why are you retiring? |
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Just to dispel any rumors, I'm healthy and everything is going well. It is just a personal decision to retire. |
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