What is a nurse managed center?
A nurse-managed center is a primary care health center that is managed and staffed by nurses. Primary care is provided by nurse practitioners and nurse midwives. These nurses work in collaboration with other health professionals, such as physicians, to provide high quality care to patients.
What is a nurse practitioner?
The nurse practitioners on our staff are, at a minimum, masters-prepared registered nurses who have received additional education and training to enable them to serve as primary care providers (PCPs) for patients. More on our staff. More on why to choose a nurse practitioner.
Is there a doctor on staff at the clinic?
The clinic has a physician consultant who is available at all times by telephone to provide guidance to the nurse practitioners. However, the physician is not regularly present at the clinic. To find out more about our consulting MDs, please visit these links: Lourdes Velez, M.D. and David C. Serlin, M.D.
Will my insurance pay for care at the clinic?
In many cases, yes. The nurse practitioners are approved as primary care providers by many insurance plans. If your plan is not currently listed on the web site, staff at the clinic can give you specific information about whether your plan will cover care. List of insurance we accept.
I am an international graduate student, and I am not familiar with how health insurance works in your country. Can you help?
Many of the University of Michigan's international graduate students have Chickering Insurance, which is administered by AETNA. For students with this insurance there are three options for obtaining health care:
• If you go to an AETNA Gatekeeper for care when you are sick, there is no additional payment (referred to as a co-payment) required. Within the Chickering system, our nurse practitioners have the status of Gatekeepers, so visits to our clinic for care of your illness are at no additional cost to you.
• If you go to an approved AETNA provider who is not a Gatekeeper, you will be charged a $50 copayment for your visit. Any followup visits for the same diagnosis are free of charge, but any visits for a different problem will cost $50 for the visit.
• If you go to a non-AETNA provider, AETNA will pay a reduced amount to the provider, and you will be responsible for the balance. This could amount to several hundred dollars.
What if I don't have health insurance?
We have staff available to help you find and apply for health care insurance. A sliding fee scale is also available for patients without insurance. If you wish to use the sliding fee option, you need to bring proof of income (tax forms, pay check stubs etc.) for your entire household with you to your first appointment.
Can you help my with the WIC (Women, Infant and Children) food coupon program?
Yes, We can help qualified applicants with this federal food coupon program. For more on WIC, visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic
Can my children be seen at the clinic?
Yes, the clinic is staffed by Family Nurse Practitioners, who can see both children and adults.
Do I need an appointment to be seen?
We recommend that you make an appointment to be seen. The clinic does have limited walk-in times, and we will always make time to see a sick patient, but if you call for an appointment we can reduce waiting time for everyone.
Do you do school physicals or sports physicals?
Yes, the nurse practitioners perform school, sports, pre-employment and camp physicals.
What if I need to be admitted to a hospital?
The nurse practitioners will work closely with the consulting physician, who admits patients to the University of Michigan Hospital. While you are in the hospital, your care will be coordinated by the physician, who will communicate regularly with your nurse practitioner.
Who will watch my kids if I make an appointment with you?
If you must bring your child with you, please let us know when you call to schedule your appointment. We will take this into consideration when scheduling your visit.
Can I volunteer at the clinic?
Yes! There are many different opportunities for volunteering at the clinic. Call Carol Zastrow, Clinic Administrator, at (734) 647-1636 to discuss your interest in volunteering.
