Care Between Appointments

The Mary Bridge Children’s neurology team includes board-certified physicians specializing in pediatric neurology, registered nurses, a social worker, a registered dietitian and other support staff. Our goal is to work hand in hand with you and your child’s primary care physician to help your child achieve their fullest potential through personalized, compassionate and integrated care.

Labs

Blood tests are ordered to monitor your child’s health and response to prescribed medications. Your doctor will typically request blood tests every six months, or more often, as necessary. These test results help your doctor prescribe the appropriate type and amount of medication that your child needs. It is very important to follow your doctor’s instructions and complete these tests when they are requested.

Labs drawn at a MultiCare lab (Laboratories Northwest) are generally available to your doctor within one to seven business days. A clinic nurse will contact you if your physician has a concern or makes changes to the treatment plan. Labs drawn at an outside, non-MultiCare lab require additional time to process. Please allow one to two weeks for these results to become available.

Prescription refills

Medications are refilled up to the next clinic appointment. It is very important to complete follow-up appointments as requested by your doctor so that your child’s refills can continue without interruption.

Please call your pharmacy to request medication refills. If you have recently seen a neurologist, refills were sent to your pharmacy electronically. Please inform your pharmacist that new orders are on file. If you need further assistance with your refill, please call us at 253-792-6630.

Refilling controlled medications

Controlled medications refer to medications that are subject to government control due to their potential for misuse or addiction. Controlled medications such as Adderall, Concerta, Dexadrine, Dextrostat, Focalin, Metadate or Ritalin (or any of their generic forms) are refilled month-by-month, and a one-month supply of medication is provided with each refill. Please note these prescriptions cannot be called in or faxed to a pharmacy. The pharmacy must be presented with an original written paper prescription from your child’s physician. To refill controlled medications, please contact your pharmacy.

Social work services

The social worker is an important part of the Neurology Clinic team and helps patients and families in many areas. Social workers provide support and guidance for families seeking help adjusting to a child’s neurological condition.
Services may include assistance with:

• Locating community or government resources
• Finding primary care or mental health care providers
• Understanding the school system
• Overcoming barriers that prevent access to health care
• Assisting with transition to young adulthood

Please call 253-403-7813 for further information or social worker assistance.

Forms and documentation

Many outside agencies, such as your child’s school or your employer, may request a doctor’s statement or formal documentation of your child’s condition. Our clinic will accommodate these requests.

In most cases, privacy laws require the written permission of the parent or legal guardian before the forms can be completed or health information is shared. Please visit the Mary Bridge Children’s Medical Records page to access a Release of Information form.

Please allow at least five to seven business days for these forms to be completed. From July to September, this processing time is extended to seven to 14 business days due to increased volume with the start of the school year.