Appointments

APPOINTMENTS

To SCHEDULE an Appointment: Patient Services will be happy to schedule your appointments, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You can reach Patient Services by dialing 619-234-2158.

Minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian for medical or dental services. Supporting legal documentation is required for guardians.

Because of confidentiality laws SDAIHC asks that adults set their own appointments.

Appointment Availability

• Medical - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and Wednesday mornings
• Dental - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: Wednesday mornings and early Wednesday afternoon
• Behavioral Health - Monday-Friday.

Appointment Cancellation Policy

Patients are expected to make and keep appointments for services. 24-hour notice is needed for cancelled appointments. Cancellations should be made during business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) when possible.

Late Arrival Policy

Please arrive for your appointment at least 15 minutes early to ensure all registration is complete and accurate prior to your appointment.

MEDICAL PATIENTS WHO ARRIVE 10 OR MORE MINUTES LATE FOR APPOINTMENTS WILL CHANGE TO WALK-IN STATUS.

DENTAL PATIENTS WHO ARRIVE MORE THAN 10 OR MORE MINUTES LATE FOR APPOINTMENTS MAY BE RESCHEDULED TO THE NEXT AVAILABLE APPOINTMENT, INCURRING A BROKEN APPOINTMENT.

We will make every effort to ensure that you see a provider, however, we can not guarantee a visit to walk-in patients. You will be asked to wait. If your wait time becomes too long, you are welcome to reschedule your appointment.

Appointment Reminder Calls - Scheduled Appointments: The San Diego American Indian Health Center makes every effort to place courtesy calls to patients the day before their scheduled appointment(s). However, patients are responsible for remembering and keeping scheduled appointments at the Center; courtesy calls are not guaranteed.

Appointment Change Notification: Should there be any changes regarding a scheduled appointment Patient Services will attempt to notify you by phone, using the last number on record. Currently, SDAIHC does not routinely send notification by mail. To ensure that we may reach you we ask that you make sure give any change of address or phone to Patient Services when you visit the Center.

Missed Dental Appointments Policy

The San Diego American Indian Health Center works diligently to improve the dental health of the community we serve. Routine dental check-ups and cleaning are very important in preventing small problems from becoming big problems. Good dental health is the responsibility of the dental patient and the dental team. Accordingly, we have implemented the following policy:

1. Patients are expected to make and keep appointments for services. 24-hour notice is needed for cancelled appointments. Dental cancellations should be made during business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) when possible.
2. Patients who fail to show or cancel three (3) appointments within a twelve (12) month period will be placed on emergency or “walk-in” status.
3. Parents shall be responsible for the broken appointments of their minor children.
4. Multiple appointments within the same household scheduled consecutively will be counted as broken appointments when missed consecutively.

Dental emergencies are defined as those having pain, swelling or bleeding. Patients who come to the Dental Clinic for an emergency visit may have to wait for a period of time before they are seen.

>> Click here to download a PDF version of the Services Requirements. <<