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Frequently Asked Questions

ABOUT PRACTICE
  • How long has Sunshine Pediatrics of Florida been in practice?
  • Sunshine Pediatrics of Florida has been in practice since 2007. Lutz was the initial location and since then, we have expanded into multiple locations.
  • How many locations does Sunshine Pediatrics of Florida have?
    The practice has 4 locations:
  • Sunshine Pediatrics of Lutz
    18934 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Lutz, Fl 33548
  • Sunshine Pediatrics of Tampa
    1213 W. Hillsborough Ave, Tampa, Fl 33603
  • Sunshine Pediatrics of Wesley Chapel
    33921 SR-54, Wesley Chapel, Fl 33543
  • Sunshine Pediatrics of Zephyrhills
    7008 Jason Drive, Zephyrhills, Fl 33541
  • Can I access all locations or am I limited to a particular one?
  • You can visit and have access to all locations.
  • Are you accepting new patients?
  • Yes, we are accepting new patients. Please ensure that we accept your insurance and work with the receptionist to verify that prior to your visit. Of note, we only accept patients who choose to vaccinate per CDC recommendations
  • Up to what age can my child receive care at Sunshine Pediatrics?
  • Your child can receive care from us from the time they are born till they turn 21 yrs old.
  • What languages do your providers and staff speak?
  • As of this publication, in addition to English, our providers and staff speak Spanish, Portuguese, French, Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, and Arabic
What are your office hours?
    Hours

  • Monday: 8:00am – 5:00pm
  • Tuesday: 8:00am – 5:00pm
  • Wednesday: 8:00am – 6:00pm
  • Thursday: 8:00am – 5:00pm
  • Friday: 8:00am – 6:00pm
  • Saturday: –
  • sunday: –
    After Hours/Urgent

  • Monday: 5:00pm – 8:00pm
  • Tuesday: 5:00pm – 8:00pm
  • Wednesday: –
  • Thursday: 5:00pm – 8:00pm
  • Friday: –
  • Saturday: 10:00am – 2:00pm
  • sunday: –
What services are offered at your locations?
  • Well Visits/Sports Physicals
  • Sick Visits
  • Chronic Conditions Visit – Asthma, Birth Control, ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, etc. – monitored every 3 months.
  • Urgent/Same Day Appointments
  • Shot Only
  • Nutrition counseling
  • Selective lab testing – Urinalysis, Rapid Strep, Rapid Flu, Rapid COVID, Rapid Mono, Hemoglobin, Lead testing, urine pregnancy test, Glucose level
  • Minor procedures – Abscess drainage, wax removal, Wart removal, Suture and staple removal
  • Hearing & vision testing
  • Ear piercing after the 4-month vaccines – Out of pocket expense
Do you offer any classes or support groups?
  • We have a variety of classes that we offer throughout the year in many of our locations or online, including CPR. Visit our “Events” section for up-to-date information.
What are the expectations that Sunshine Pediatrics has of its patients and families?
    Our philosophy is that we (Sunshine Pediatrics and the parents/guardians) are a team, and our common goal is your child. We need to communicate and be clear about expectations from each other. Our expectations are as follows:

  • Please be courteous to our staff, we have dedicated and caring individuals who work hard.
  • Please ensure that your insurance is up to date, and we are the assigned provider prior to your visit.
  • Please be compliant with your visits – Well Visits annually after 3 years of age and recommended intervals before that. Chronic visits every 3 months for conditions such as Asthma, ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, Birth Control.
  • Please fill out questionnaires on CHADIS prior to your visit.
  • Please minimize or avoid ER/Urgent care visits – We have on-call providers and a Symptom tracker to help after hours and walk in or urgent care visits during office hours at all locations. It breaks continuity.
  • If you do have an ER/Urgent care visit, please follow up in the office in less than 7 days. If possible, book an appointment immediately after leaving the facility and bring the discharge summary with you, including any labs or imaging
  • Please show up on the scheduled day and time. No show visits lead to us not being able to provide care for a child that may have needed that appointment.
  • Please utilize all our technology: website, chatbot, patient portal, book an appointment, symptom tracker etc. to minimize any hold time, so that our physical staff can focus on the kids and parents in the office.
  • Please give us feedback, if bad – let us know how to improve. If good, leave us a positive review online so we can extend the care to more families.
Do you have separate well and sick waiting areas?
  • Yes, most of our offices have separate sick and well waiting areas.
Will you visit my child if he/she is in the hospital?
  • No, if your child is sick in the hospital, he/she will be provided care by the affiliated hospitalists who will keep your pediatrician informed on his/her condition. A post-hospital visit with Sunshine Pediatrics should always be scheduled after your child is discharged within 7 days.
APPOINTMENTS
  • Do you accept walk-ins?
  • Yes. Being a part of the medical home and being a pediatric practice, we reserve slots for same day appointments as well. We prefer you to call or book for those slots if possible so that we can give you a designated time. However, you are okay to walk-in as well. You can book an appointment online at:  http://www.sunpedfl.com/book-an-appointment/ or call us at (813)948-2679 or request an appointment via your patient portal.
  • What if my child only needs to come in for a shot/vaccine?
  • You can schedule a “shot only” appointment by calling the office at (813) 948-2679 or requesting via the patient portal.
  • How far in advance can I make my appointment?
  • You can schedule well visits up to one year ahead of time.
  • How long can I expect to wait?
  • We strive to get you in and out as quickly as possible within your appointment time. However, we want to address the concerns regarding your visit. Though we create appointment slots based on potential time needed, some visits are quicker, and others are more complicated or require more time. We do appreciate your patience and be assured that we do everything to anticipate and minimize any delays.
  • What do I do if my child is sick during non-office hours?
      If your child is having a life-threatening emergency, please call 9-1-1 immediately. For all other symptoms, we provide you with multiple options:

    • Visit our website and access our Multilingual Symptom Tracker – Teddy Chatbot who can assist you with questions regarding your child’s symptoms. Teddy has access to all AAP recommendations
    • We have a provider on call as well. Simply call our office and leave a message. The on-call provider will call you in an efficient timely manner and discuss your concerns with you.
    • When leaving a message, please provide information about patient first and last name, Age/DOB, Callback number that can receive restricted numbers, and reason for call
    • We ask that you do not utilize on-call services for urgent requests for maintenance or chronic medications. Those should always be anticipated and requested prior to expiration or running out.
  • How do I make an appointment online?
  • You can click on “Book an Appointment” tab. It will take you to our published calendar with all slots open by location, provider, and listed reasons for visits. It is easy to navigate and a very convenient way to not be holding on to the phone and picking the time that works best for you.
  • How often do I need to bring my child in for a checkup?
  • During your children’s first year of life, well visits are scheduled for 2-5 days after birth, at 1-2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months and at 12 months.
  • During your child’s second year, well visits are scheduled for 15 months, 18 months and 24 months.
  • During your child’s third year, well visits are scheduled at 30(2.5yrs) months and 36 months (3 years
  • After 3 years your child will be seen yearly.
  • Will I always see the same provider?
  • To ensure continuity of care, we recommend scheduling your child’s well visits with your primary provider. Please note that if your child is sick, we cannot guarantee that your provider will be available or on the schedule for that day
  • What should I expect from the medical assistant/front desk when calling for advice about a sick child?
  • We train our staff with the ability to triage over the phone to help determine the appropriate route for care. However, there are limitations about how much guidance can be provided. They will do the best to their ability and capacity to help avoid any unnecessary trips outside of your home. You can also consult our Teddy Symptom Tracker in a similar manner.
Patient Portal and Teddy Chatbot
  • What does Teddy Chatbot do?
  • Teddy Chatbot is multilingual, and it can take to you it’s family of Teddies – Teddy Symptom Tracker, Teddy for Vaccine questions, Teddy for Developmental milestones, Teddy for medication dosage. It can also guide you to make an appointment, help with directions to our offices, office hours, access to patient portal, and much more. It is fun to play and interact with it, so please do try it out.
  • How do I access the patient portal?
  • You can click on the link on our website to take you there. If you do not have your credentials, please do log in using the Mobile Phone option which is much more convenient.
  • What is the Patient portal?
  • Patient Portal is where you can access your child’s records and be able to interact with you, you can send us messages, attachments, see your bills, request appointments, request referrals, request medication refills, see vaccine records, patient education, growth charts, review labs and imaging, and much more. It is a very efficient way of interacting with your health and accessing us at the same time. We highly encourage you to log in on a periodic basis. We do send messages and updates about our practice there as well.
  • How do I register for the patient portal?
      After registration and creating your patient chart, you should:

    1. Check your inbox for your confirmation email. (If you don’t see it, please check your spam folder.)
    2. In your confirmation email, click on “Set up Portal Account” and follow the steps.
    3. Your practice code is included on the Welcome E-mail for your Family Account. You’ll find it at the bottom of the e-mail – GEEBBA
  • Who has access to the patient portal?
  • Until 12 years of age, the authorized parent(s) or guardian by law can have access to the patient chart. After that, the patient should sign up for the patient portal and can give proxy access to the parent or guardian where they can choose what information they would like to share. We highly encourage that Teens sign up and be proactive towards their medical care and decision making and it assures them that information they wish to hold confidential will remain confidential.
Vaccines and Antibiotics
  • What is your vaccine policy?
  • We do not accept any new or noncompliant patients who do not choose to vaccinate. We respect your decision in how you want to provide care for your child, however, we do abide by the recommendations published by medical experts from the CDC and AAP based on evidence based objective research and data. We invite you to visit our Teddy Chat Bot who can answer vaccine questions for you in a scientific and easy to understand approach. You can also access the resources page to direct you to websites such as the CDC for more information.
  • Do you carry vaccines that are not on the CDC routine recommendations – Travel Vaccines?
  • No, we do not carry any specialized vaccines aside from what is present on the recommended schedule for the US. However, we do discuss precautions and recommended vaccines based on the region that you are traveling in.
  • What is our policy on antibiotics?
  • Most illnesses in children are due to a virus (not treated with antibiotics). Due to the increasing antibiotic resistance of bacteria, we do not prescribe antibiotics if we believe your child has a virus. However, the age of your child and the seriousness of the illness may influence our decision regarding prescribing an antibiotic. Antibiotics are not prescribed after hours or over the phone. You can consult our Teddy Chat Bot regarding antibiotic questions and guidance on www.sunpefl.com.
Telemedicine
  • Do you offer telemedicine visits?
  • Yes, we do.  You can request a Televisit via our “Book and Appointment” tab, through the patient portal, or calling our office. Please be mindful that certain complaints are best assessed in person and others can be diagnosed or managed through the Televisit format.
  • Is a Televisit covered by my insurance?
  • At the time of this publication, it is covered by most insurances. However, it is regularly assessed by the insurances and legislation and the concept can be updated such that it may not be. We will monitor and keep ourselves updated when any changes happen in this matter.
  • What do I need for a Televisit??
  • We need to ensure that you are seated in a quiet place with good lighting and strong internet connection with the patient present during the visit. You also need to ensure that your phone or computer settings allow access to your camera and microphone. Please do not attempt Televisit while you are driving or on the road. Step by Step directions are listed on our website, by clicking, “Learn about Televisits”.
Insurance & Payment
  • What insurance do you accept?
  • We accept most Private Insurance and Medicaid plans.
  • How can I make Billing a smoother process so that you can focus on my child?
  • Please assure that you have an active, valid insurance that has our practice or one of its providers as the assigned provider prior to the visit
  • Provide any secondary insurance as well if applicable
  • Please acquire any reference number and provide to staff at check in if applicable or needed
  • Enroll and ensure you consent and provide a Credit card on file
  • Be aware of your responsibility of any deductible or copay and make payment prior to the visit
  • Check your Patient portal for any statements posted and review the itemized bill. Do call us if there are questions about any items on the bill. Many times, your insurance may require further information from you in a timely manner to process the rejected claim. If not done timely, it becomes your financial responsibility
  • Be on the lookout for a text from us to make any payments
  • Check the Explanation of Benefit (EOB) from your insurance statement as to what services may be your responsibility.
  • Reach out to us if you have any questions via patient portal or phone. We have designated individuals to resolve these issues.
  • How does billing work with a newborn?
  • A newborn is a Self-Pay and charged accordingly prior to the visit. We bill the insurance once the information is provided to us by the parent. If the insurance accepts the retrospective claim (which almost all do), we refund you back the self-pay collection.
  • Why do we charge Self pay for Newborn and refund after?
  • Based on our experience, some parents forget to give us insurance information in a timely manner, some don’t apply in a timely manner, and some may transfer to a different provider closer to their home. Each of these scenarios lead to claim rejections.
CHADIS and Care Coordination
  • What is CHADIS?
  • CHADIS is a platform where we have access to multiple medical questionnaires that are utilized in helping us make medication decisions, namely: ASQ for development, MCHAT for Autism, Vanderbilt for ADHD, etc. It is a HIPAA compliant 3rd party application that is integrated to our EMR
  • How and when do I access CHADIS?
  • You access CHADIS to do the questionnaires prior to your visit. There is a video on our website about it under “Resources” for troubleshooting and instructions. It can be found on the Patient Portal and if you are ready to do the questionnaire immediately, call us during office hours such that our staff can send you a time limited expiring link via text.
  • Do you have a care coordinator?
  • Yes, we do. We have a designated individual to investigate resources for you for any social or financial difficulties. We understand that your health and access to health are determined partly due to your social conditions and circumstances, and we will always factor that into how you can access us or any services you may need. For more information, you can call us or message us via the patient portal.
Requests for Forms, Records, Refills, Referrals
  • How do I get a referral for a specialist?
  • If your child has not been seen for the condition you would like a referral for, you will need to schedule an appointment at our office. If you need a referral for a follow up visit for a condition your child has been seen for, you may contact our office to make the request. Please note those with chronic conditions or need for re-referrals will need an appointment to document and examine child to necessitate continuation for a referral. When your referral is completed, you will be contacted by our office. This should be completed within 5-7 business days. Please note, we are experienced in providing medical care, and we do refer you to specialist only if there are symptoms or care that we need assistance with
  • How do I get a prescription refill?
  • You can request a prescription refill via the Patient Portal or calling us during office hours. Please ensure you have the correct pharmacy information in the chart, either by updating it on the portal or notifying the staff. Please do not wait until either medication if finished or only 1–2-day supply is left to request the refill
  • How do I request a copy of my child’s records for any reason? How long will it take?
  • You have access to your entire record via the patient portal. If you need further help, please call or email to submit a request for medical records. Patients and authorized requesters can receive records via their preferred format, we prefer a secure way of sending patient sensitive information.
  • What do I need to do to request a school Form (for school, daycare, camp, etc.) for my child?
  • Please contact our office with your request. Your form will be completed within 3-5 business days. Please note there is a $3.00 fee per form requested, when it is not accompanying a well visit/physical exam.

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