Communicating Between Visits:
Email and Phone Consultations

Policy Revised 5/1/09

Dr. Shunney welcomes your questions, comments and concerns in between visits via phone and email. The following parameters have been set to allow Dr. Shunney the time she needs each week to meet all her patients' needs. Fees are not meant to discourage these methods of communication, but rather to ensure that they can continue to be available.

PHONE CONSULTS

  1. Front desk staff is available 9am-6pm, Monday-Friday. If you have a question or concern requiring an immediate response, please call the front desk at 831-465-9088 during office hours, or call 911.

  2. You can also leave a message in Dr. Shunney’s mailbox, X18. Please keep in mind that messages are checked on Tuesdays and Thursdays only.

  3. Phone consultations can be scheduled for established patients in lieu of an office visit.

  4. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

EMAIL COMMUNICATION

  1. Email communication is not for urgent issues. If you have a question or concern requiring an immediate response, please call 831-465-9088 during office hours, or call 911.

  2. Email communication is an excellent option for a brief check-in, a clarification or a quick question.

  3. Emails are checked daily on business days, and you can usually get an answer within 24 hours M-F. If you are sending an email on the weekend and it needs immediate attention,please mark it as such.

  4. All email communication becomes part of your confidential patient records.

FEE SCHEDULE

You will be invoiced for Dr. Shunney's time spent on the phone or responding to email. When assessing time spent responding to an email, time spent reading your email is included.

Fees are as follows:

  • Level I Brief – 0-5 minutes – FREE

  • Level II Focused – 6-10 minutes – $25

  • Level III Detailed – 11-15 minutes – $50

  • Level IV Complex – 16-30 minutes – $95

  • Level V Extended – 31-45 minutes – $145

To avoid confusion, you will be reminded of this invoicing policy at the beginning of each phone call. In addition, before Dr. Shunney responds to an email, she will need you to authorize her to bill you if appropriate. You can either do this in your original email request, or she will send you an automatic response asking for your consent.