NEW PATIENT EVALUATION
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are happy to see you with or without referrals from other physicians.
The practice is limited to cardiology and related fields, so your illness should fall into this broad category. This includes the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the heart and blood vessels, including high blood pressure, stroke, syncope (fainting), and irregular heartbeat. The evaluation of these diseases may require noninvasive testing (such as exercise testing or ultrasound) or invasive testing (such as angiography). Treatments we recommend include, but are not limited to, life style modification, medications, cardiac interventional techniques such as the insertion of pacemakers and angioplasty (balloon surgery), or cardiac surgery. Dr. Drake inserts pacemakers and is an experienced interventional cardiologist. Cardiac surgery is not done by cardiologists, but rather is done by cardiac surgeons to whom referrals are made when appropriate. Patients are seen by appointment. We can always accommodate true emergencies, but it is best to call ahead. We try our best to adhere to the appointment schedule. However, situations arise which may cause delays in our scheduling. Emergency cases, both in the hospital and in the office, may cause regrettable delays in our appointment schedule. Patients who are seen in hospital and asked to return after a specific interval following discharge should call the office to schedule a definite time to be seen. New patients will be asked to complete an Information and History Form which will assist the doctor in evaluating each person's case. New patient appointments are scheduled at least 15 minutes prior to the time one can expect to see the doctor to allow for completion of necessary paper work. Initial visits are like "complete checkups" and require more time. Thus they are best scheduled in advance. Evaluating medications and balancing them is an important part of what we do, so we ask you to bring all medications to each office visit. We also need to know which herbal preparations and vitamins you are taking. If you have any private medical records or X-rays from your referring physician, please bring these, as well. To schedule an appointment, call 912-355-5333. To view the new patient Information and History Form, click here. Please bring the following with you to your office visit: 1. All medications. Please bring the actual bottles and not just a list. 2. A completed Information and History form. 3. Any copies of medical information or tests you think would be helpful. 4. Your personal insurance information or enrollment cards.
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