Practice Information

Family Care Associates of Effingham, S.C.

1106 North Merchant, P.O. Box 665
Effingham, IL 62401
217-342-7000

Welcome to our Practice. We would like to introduce ourselves and our office policies.

Staff

Michael Brummer, M.D. has been a family physician since 1988. He graduated from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1985 and from Southern Illinois University Family Practice Residency in 1988. He is a board certified Family Practitioner; certified by the American Academy of Family Physicians. His wife is also an Emergency Room Physician at St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham. They have two children.

Colleen Bingham, M.D. is a partner in our practice. She is board certified in Pediatrics and Internal Medicine. She graduated from St. Louis University in 1990 with her M.D. She completed her residency at Indiana University Hospital.

Jeffrey Crowell, M.D. joined our practice in August 2003. Dr. Crowell is a Family Practitioner. He graduated from West Virginia University School of Medicine in 1996. He was in Georgia from 1996-1999 doing his Family Practice Residency at Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center. He is a board certified Family Practitioner. He has special interest in O.B. care and sports medicine.

Jeffrey Brummer, D.O. joined our practice in August 2005. Dr. Brummer is a Family Practitioner. He graduated from Des Moines University in 2002. He completed the Residency program at Iowa Lutheran Family Medicine Residency at Des Moines. He has special interests in Pediatrics. He was born in Effingham and raised in Neoga and Illiopolis. He is married and has two children.

Thomas Heischmidt, M.D. is also a partner of the practice. Dr. Heischmidt is board certified in Pediatrics and Internal Medicine. He was raised in Altamont. He attended Eastern Illinois University and the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria at Saint Francis Medical Center where he graduated in 1995. He completed the Residency program at the U of I College of Medicine at Peoria.

Lenora Drees, A.P.N, F.N.P-B.C is a member of our practice. She is a Family Practice Nurse Practitioner. She received her master’s of Science in Nursing in August of 1992 at the University of Illinois.

Dot Behrns, A.P.N, F.N.P-B.C is also a member of our practice. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois Nurse Practitioner Program and received her nursing degree from St. Johns School of Nursing in Springfield.

Michelle Hartke, A.P.N, F.N.P-B.C is also a member of our practice. She is a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Family Nurse Practitioner Program.

We Practice together to provide a wide range of health care services to all generations.

Services

Preventive health care for all ages
Physical examinations
Patient education
Periodic checkups
Allergy injections
Immunizations
Illness care for all ages
Acute illness management
Chronic illness follow-up
Obstetric care – Jeffrey Crowell, M.D.
Antepartum and postpartum care
Non-Stress tests
Geriatric care
Emergency care
Minor surgery, including vasectomies
Sports Medicine
EKG's
Spirometer

During your first visit to our office, registration information will be collected. This information and any other information given to our office will be kept in the strictest confidence in compliance with the private policy practice.

Payment

Co-payments, co-insurance or payment in full at the time of service is expected. You can pay by check, credit card, debit card, money order or cash. Charges for laboratory tests done by our reference laboratory will be included in our office charge. There also is a charge for blood pressure checks. Laboratory work and x-rays obtained at St. Anthony Hospital or any other facility will be billed to you separately.

We are preferred providers for Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO, Consociate Care PPO, First Health PPO, Health Alliance PPO, Healthlink PPO & HMO, Personal Care PPO, Multiplan PPO and Tricare Standard. Any other insurance regardless of listed co-pays is to be paid in full at time of service.

If you have insurance that covers office charges, you will be given a receipt upon payment to file for reimbursement to yourself. Any overpayment can be credited to your account or refunded to you, in either case you will receive a monthly statement.

If you are on Medicare or Medicaid, please notify our office staff when you arrive for each appointment. We need a copy of your Medicare/Medicaid card and a signed authorization (for Medicare) at each visit for our files. We accept Medicare assignment. Ask our staff for more information if needed.

Should you be unable to make payment at the time of service, a statement will be mailed at the end of the month. We expect prompt payment. Patients whose accounts are 30 days past due will be contacted so that payment arrangements can be made. We realize that special situations arise that require alternative payment plans. Please discuss these with our staff before your account is overdue.

Appointments

Our office is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Our switchboard is turned off at 4:30 p.m. Dr. Heischmidt is out of the office on Tuesdays, Dr. Michael Brummer is out of the office on Mondays and Fridays, Dr. Crowell and Dr. Bingham are out of the office on Thursdays and Dr. Jeffrey Brummer is out of the office on Wednesdays. Appointments are required for all care. Well child exams are rotated between the doctor and a nurse practitioner. You can arrange an appointment by calling 217-342-7000 during regular office hours.

All allergy injections, laboratory tests, blood pressure checks and non-stress tests must be scheduled. They are done between 8 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m..

For your convenience, we recommend that you call 8-12 weeks in advance to schedule physical examinations and routine checkups. Other appointments are scheduled as necessary and available. Some appointments are set aside each day for sudden illnesses, these fill quickly each morning. Please call early. If you are unable to keep a scheduled appointment, we ask that you notify our office as much in advance as possible. Early notification allows someone else to use that appointment time and you to reschedule as soon as possible. Failure to notify our office at least 24 hours in advance more than once a year may result in an office charge.

If you arrive more than 10 minutes late for an appointment, you will be asked if you prefer to reschedule or to wait until other scheduled patients waiting have been seen. This avoids long waits for you and other patients and provides adequate time for a thorough visit.

If you or your family need urgent care outside of office hours, contact St. Anthony Memorial Hospital at 217-342-2121 and leave a message with the operator. Dr. Brummer, Dr. Bingham, Dr. Heischmidt, Dr. Crowell or the physician covering for them in their absence will return your call. If this is an emergency, call 911.

Telephone Calls

When you call our office, automated voice mail answers and plays the following greeting.

You have reached Family Care Associates. We have revised our telephone system to better serve our patients. Please listen to the options before making your selection. If this is a medical emergency, please hang up and dial 911. If you know your parties extension, you may enter it now.
To schedule or change an appointment press(1).

If you are calling from a medical facility, press(3). This option is not intended for patient use. Medical professionals only please.

For prescription refill or to check the status of a referral, press(4).

To speak with our Billing and Insurance department, press(5).

To speak with a nurse, press(2). You may be placed on hold momentarily.

For all other inquiries press 0.

Thank you for calling Family Care Associates.

Callers requesting information, rather than an appointment, need to leave their name, phone number and a short message. This information and your chart will be given to the appropriate nurse and your call will be returned when possible during the same working day. There is no charge for these calls, but long distance calls may be returned with collect charges.

Calls regarding laboratory tests or x-rays results, when done at another facility will not be returned until results are available. Any abnormal results will be reported to you as soon as the physician reviews them and indicates appropriate treatment. A letter will be sent to you if all test results are normal. These results can be reviewed at your next appointment.

If you call outside regular office hours, you will reach a recorded message. This is not an answering machine; you cannot leave a message for us. Please call back during office hours or contact the hospital at (217) 342-2121 or 911 in case of emergency.

These policies are guidelines are how we can work with you to achieve the best health care possible. Cooperation and mutual understanding is necessary. If you have questions, please feel free to ask.

Thank you,

Family Care Associates of Effingham, S.C.