Gila Valley Clinic Patient Resources

A rural health clinic (RHC), or rural health center, is a clinic that provides rural health services, such as primary care and routine laboratory services, to rural and often underserved communities. To qualify as a federally certified RHC, the clinic must be in a “non-urbanized” area categorized as a federally designated health professional shortage area. Our clinic is certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Our practice model provides a great opportunity for these future physicians to get hands-on experience in rural medicine. Our Family Medicine physicians train Resident Physicians through a collaboration with the University of Arizona Graduate Medical Education Consortium and are also Assistant Professors at the University of Arizona, College of Medicine, where they help train Medical Students. Whenever our schedule allows, we also welcome Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant students to complete family practice or pediatric rotations.

When you use your insurance to pay for medical services, it’s important to understand how the process works and what your responsibilities are.

We will bill your insurance carrier and do everything we can to successfully get your insurance to pay for the medical care you received. It is CRITICAL that we have the correct insurance information in order to bill your claim correctly and timely.

If you do not provide us with the correct insurance information and your claim is denied for untimely filing, you will be responsible for the balance. We will not become involved in disputes between you and your insurance company regarding deductibles, co-payments, covered charges, secondary insurance, “usual and customary” charges, delays in payment, etc., other than to supply factual information as necessary.

If you’re unable to pay, let us know in advance so we can help you figure out a payment plan that works for you.

We will collect full payment if we can’t verify your insurance benefits or if you have no coverage at all. For individuals with no insurance and limited income, we offer a sliding scale fee schedule. We accept VISA, MasterCard, and debit cards.

For example, if you have a change in plans or schedule, please call us as soon as possible so we can make other arrangements. We prefer 24 hours notice, but will accept a cancellation up to two hours before your scheduled appointment time.

If you don’t show up for your appointment without canceling first, it will be recorded in your chart as a “no-show.” Three no-shows will result in our office asking you to find a new provider.

It is our intention to keep all patients informed regarding test results. Typically, we will contact you as soon as the results are reviewed by our clinician. If you have not heard about test results within 7 days, please contact us. The Patient Portal section of this website is a great way to review your labs and receive messages from our office. If you do not have a Healow account, we encourage you to set one up so that you may view results at your leisure. Often your clinician will send a personal message explaining the results you see.

We believe medical advice is best given face to face and encourage you to discuss your needs during scheduled appointments. For questions that may not warrant an appointment, you can use the secure personal patient portal section of this website to contact us. Your message will be reviewed by a nurse on the next business day and submitted to the appropriate clinician. Phone calls to the office during business hours are also reviewed by a nurse who can discuss your concerns with the clinician as necessary. If you feel you have a medical emergency, please call 911 or proceed directly to the emergency room.