FAQs

In order to use our Patient Portal, you must have an account created by our Arbor ObGyn staff.  Both new and established patients need an account.  You will need a valid unique email address and password to use the Patient Portal.  Once you have an account, clicking on the Patient Login access link on the top of this Arbor webpage takes you to a secure website.  The Patient Portal information is securely created, maintained, and stored by AthenaHealth, who is the vendor for our electronic medical record system.  AthenaHealth and the Patient Portal is not related to this Arbor ObGyn website.  You can be sure that you are at the correct site when you see our distinctive green background color, and a banner with the Arbor ObGyn logo and provider names.  Although it may seem unusual, the website address is 7773-26.portal.athenahealth.com.

Please safeguard your password.  You will need this password every time you need to update your Health History Form, pay your bill, request an appointment, communicate with your provider, and receive lab and other results.

On the top right of your Patient Portal is your Profile menu labeled with your preferred first name and photo. On the left side of the Patient Portal Home page are tabs for Appointments, My Health (history and results), and Billing.

At the bottom of the Patient Login screen is an FAQ link, designed by AthenaHealth to help you navigate through all of the sections and capabilities of your Patient Portal.  You will find information about Security, Signing Up, Editing your Profile, Appointments, Messages, your personal Health Information, and Billing.

Yes.  Access the Patient Portal through our webpage and open it in your mobile device browser.  You can bookmark the 7773-26.portal.athenahealth.com address as well.  You will need your email address and password to fully enter your Patient Portal.  With the mobile site you can access almost all of the information on your full site – including appointments, messages, billing, and laboratory results.

If you need the full website experience and options, scroll to the bottom of the gray mobile enabled Patient Portal, and click on the Full Site link.  This will convert your Patient Portal to appear just as it would if you were working on a laptop or desktop computer.

You will need access to your email account.  Depending on how your profile is set up, you may not be reset your password from a cell phone, unless you use the Full Site link at the bottom of the mobile Patient Portal page.

On the sign-in page web browser, click Forgot your Password? and then enter your email address to request a password reset email.  Retrieve your email and click Reset Password.

Click on the phone number where you would like to automatically receive a temporary pass code and write that pass code down.

Enter that temporary pass code in the open box that appears and it will direct you to set up your permanent password.  Secure your new permanent password and keep in a safe place.

On the top right of your Patient Portal is your Profile menu labeled with your preferred first name and ddefault photo. Your Notification settings are also located here: be sure to have our automated messages sent to you by phone and text, in addition to email. Verify the Insurance information; changes can not be made online.

Please add a photo of yourself (face only) to your profile … otherwise we use your driver’s license photo! Simply upload from your computer. If you want to update from your cell phone, you must do it from the Full Site page (scroll to the bottom of the gray mobile enabled Patient Portal, and click on the Full Site link). On the My Profile tab, click the Choose File button under your Current Photo box. This will allow you to upload a photo or take a selfie.

Yes.  However, after you log in, you will need to exit the mobile-enabled page and access the full website (see above). To do this, scroll to the bottom of the gray mobile enabled Patient Portal, and click on the Full Site link.  This will convert your Patient Portal to appear just as it would if you were working on a laptop or desktop computer.  Please make sure that you click the Save button at the end of each Health History section.

It is important for you to update your Health History if this is an appointment for your annual wellness exam, your first prenatal appointment, a visit for a new medical problem, or if this is your first visit to Arbor ObGyn.  If you are being seen for ongoing prenatal appointments, you do not need to readdress this form.

The Health History update is an important way for you to let us know about new medications, allergies, and procedures you may have had since your last appointment.  Once you check in to the Arbor ObGyn office, we will reconcile your changes with the permanent record.

Two computer kiosks are located in our office lobby for convenience if you do not have access to the internet or a computer.  If you plan to update the Health History Forms in our office you must plan on arriving 30 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment.

Your completion of the Health History Form is an indicator that you are planning to keep your appointment.  If you do not complete this form and we are otherwise unable to confirm your appointment with you, the appointment may be canceled and given to another client.

Health History Forms can be completed up to seven days ahead of your scheduled appointment.

To complete the Health History Form, first login to your Patient Portal account. Then click the CHECK-IN button for your appointment. You will be prompted to update your demographics and pharmacy first.   Next, either Update or Change each of the Health History items.

If this is your very first visit, please take your time to complete as much information as possible.  If you have had appointments at Arbor before, just take a few minutes to review and update.  Once you complete the forms, you cannot edit again before your appointment.  However, we can help edit/clarify once you arrive at the office.

Medications

This may include medications prescribed at another office, tuberculosis testing (Tubersol), influenza vaccinations, or Rhogam for pregnant women.  Confirm that your list is already complete and accurate.  Otherwise, review each medication use the pull down arrow on the right to make changes or delete.  In order to be able to select the No Current Medications box, you must first address each individual medication.  If you need to add a medication to your list, select the Add A Medication link.  Follow the prompts to describe the route, version, dose, start date, and amount you take.  Click the Save button!

Allergies

This lets us know about any reactions to medications or materials you may have.  It is important that we have an accurate listing of your allergies and sensitivities.  Confirm if your section is already complete and accurate.  Click the Save button!

Immunizations

This lets us know about your vaccination history.  Gardasil is the HPV vaccine.  Tdap is the Whooping Cough vaccine.  Confirm if your section is already complete and accurate. Do your best to list an approximate date for each vaccination; we know you may not have this information for some childhood vaccines.  Click the Save button!

Past Medical History

This lets us know about any chronic or historical medical conditions you have. Confirm if your section is already complete and accurate.  Click the Save button!

Surgical History

This lets us know about any surgeries you have had. List an approximate date for each surgery.  We can clarify the details of your surgeries at your appointment. Confirm if your section is already complete and accurate.  Click the Save button!

Social History

This lets us know about the non-clinical aspects of your life. Please add as much information as is applicable and that you are comfortable with. Confirm if your section is already complete and accurate.  Click the Save button!

Family History

This lets us know about any diseases or conditions that your relatives have had, that could impact your healthcare.  Do your best to list approximate ages. Confirm if your section is already complete and accurate.  Click the Save button!

Obstetrics & Gynecology

This lets us know about your Gynecologic background.  Some questions are very personal in nature; complete to your level of comfort. Confirm if your section is already complete and accurate.  Click the Save button!

Click the COMPETE button to finish.  Again, once you complete the forms, you cannot edit again before your appointment.  However, we can help edit/clarify when you arrive at the office.

Please arrive 15 minutes in advance of your appointment time to allow us to reconcile your complete Health History Form internally.  We will also verify your insurance status and update your demographics.  Our triage staff will obtain your vital signs, and enter some information about your medical concern into the appointment record.

Please arrive 30 minutes in advance of your appointment time if you are a new patient, and/or you need to use our office computer kiosks to complete the Health History Form.

If you are late, we may need to reschedule your appointment.

Please bring your insurance card, photo ID and applicable copay and payment for any outstanding balance.  If you don’t have your insurance card, you will be required to pay for your exam that day according to our cash-pay fee schedule.  Also, if your insurance card is on your cell phone, please print it out prior to your arrival.

We required you to keep a Credit Card on File (CCOF), which is a way to collect payments in a timely manner.  You may use a credit, debit, HSA, or FSA card.  We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.  Having a CCOF is a requirement to be a patient at Arbor ObGyn, unless you agree to pay the full self-pay fee charge for your appointment at the time you are seen.  See our CCOF information and policy on our Forms & Policy page.  If you do not wish to comply with our CCOF policy, please call to cancel your appointment.

If you are a new patient, please be sure you know where we’re located.  If using a GPS, please note that we are near the intersection of Lake Boone Trail and Blue Ridge Road.  It’s best to use the map located on our website.  If you fail to arrive 15-30 minutes in advance of your appointment, you may be rescheduled.

Please note that there is a charge if you don’t keep your appointment, cancel without proper notice or arrive too late to be seen, and this charge will need to be paid prior to rescheduling your appointment.  It’s very important that you arrive 15-30 minutes in advance as instructed in #2 and 3 above.

Yes, we encourage patients to utilize their HSA or FSA card.  For pregnant women, however, there can be some complexity to using an FSA card.  Please refer to the Financial Aspects of Pregnancy Care chapter in your Arbor Pregnancy Handbook.

If you have received a bill or payment due notification, you may make payments online by going to the Patient Login page of the Patient Portal.  You can enter your QuickPay Code directly on this screen.  Follow the prompts to make the payment.

We generally only refill prescriptions that were originated from an Arbor ObGyn provider.  Prior to refilling mediations, we need to ensure that you are current with your annual wellness or other exams – typically within the past twelve months.  We are glad to provide limited refills while we assist you in arranging appointments.

We do not refill medications that were not originally prescribed by Arbor ObGyn, unless you are pregnant, and we have temporarily assumed some of your medication management.

Please use the Patient Portal to request your medication refill, or ask your pharmacy to send the request.

At our discretion, some patients may benefit from a clinical appointment for medical evaluation instead of simply renewing prescription medications.

Once received in our office, the request will need authorization by your medical provider and then electronically sent to your pharmacy (make sure we have your current pharmacy on file).  Please allow two business days for us to process your request.  If you have an urgent refill need, call the office directly.  Except in extenuating circumstances, we do not take calls for prescription refill requests after normal business hours.  The on-call physician is occupied attending to emergencies and deliveries.

We use LabCorp as our primary laboratory vendor.  We have Pap Tests and genital cultures processed by UWH North Carolina Laboratory.  We have a lab station in our office where you can have blood drawn when ordered by your Arbor provider.  LabCorp also processes our cervix pap tests, biopsies, and urine cultures.  The phlebotomists are LabCorp employees, and provide services in our Arbor office as a convenience to you.  Laboratory tests are billed separately and directly from LabCorp to you or your insurance.  Arbor does not process any claims for laboratory tests administered by LabCorp.

You do not need an appointment for most lab testing.  You may simply check-in at the Arbor lab station by registering your name on the hanging clipboard.  Some tests will require an appointment due to the materials needed and length of time required – such as glucose challenge tests.

You may also have most blood/urine testing done at a regional LabCorp office.  This may be much more convenient for you, especially if need to return fasting and you live some distance from our office.  Your provider’s lab orders are stored electronically in the LabCorp system, so that you may have them drawn at any LabCorp office.  Although not required, LabCorp offers online appointment scheduling for their local offices.  To find a lab location and make an appointment, go to www.LabCorp.com or call 855-277-8669.

We do use some other specialty laboratory companies for genetic testing, which can be collected in our office with their processing kits.

Arbor ObGyn and several other local ObGyn practices share the Women’s Health Alliance Mammography office (WHA Mammography).  The office is located at 4414 Lake Boone Trail, Raleigh, Suite 309.  This is the medical office building adjacent to the Rex Women’s Center, and you can park in same parking deck. We prefer to use WHA Mammography since we can schedule your appointments and follow-up directly.

A breast radiologist is at the WHA Mammography every day.  They can do screening mammograms, diagnostic mammograms, and breast ultrasound.  With your permission, WHA Mammography can digitally receive your previous mammograms for comparison.  If you would simply like to continue with your regular radiologist at Wake Radiology or Raleigh Radiology, we are glad to provide you the appropriate referral order.

Your WHA Mammography screening mammogram can now be done on the same day as your annual exam.  When you make your Arbor ObGyn appointment, we will offer to schedule the mammogram as well.

We utilize 3D mammogram technology exclusively.  We do not require additional co-pay fees for this upgrade.

For the Women’s Health Alliance Mammography office your mammogram will be interpreted by a certified radiologist and the report will be forwarded to your provider in the Arbor ObGyn office.  Your provider will review your report and then forward the results to you.  You will also receive a summary letter in the mail to your home address.  Your report will also give you information about the density of your breasts.  The radiologist is required to alert you to the density of your breasts.  Density is categorized as: almost entirely fatty, scattered fibroglandular tissue, homogenously dense, and extremely dense. Dense breasts are associated with a slight increased risk of breast cancer and can decrease the detection of breast lesions.  Approximately 50% of women have dense breasts.  Therefore, we strongly recommend women with dense breasts continue to utilize our 3D mammogram technology.

Occasionally, you will be recalled for further imaging after your screening mammogram.  Your mammogram is frequently just considered ‘incomplete’.  While that can be quite frightening, more than 90% of those are normal.  The radiologist also may suggest take additional views of the breast with another mammogram and/or incorporating breast ultrasound

Please review our Mammograms section on the Gynecology webpage for more information about the importance of breast health.

Most obstetric and gynecologic ultrasound evaluations can be done in the Arbor ObGyn office.  We have a Registered Sonographer in the office full-time.  They physicians are also ultrasound proficient.  We have four ultrasound machines in our office to better accommodate unanticipated needs.

Pelvic ultrasounds in our office are mostly internal ultrasounds, which requires placing a slender ultrasound wand into the vagina.  This allows us to see the uterine cavity and ovaries most clearly.  It is mildly uncomfortable, similar to a gynecologic exams.  Most internal ultrasound exams only take a few minute to complete.  The pelvic organs can also be viewed through the surface of the lower abdomen.  At the time of your appointment, we will determine the best approach for you.  External ultrasounds are best completed with a full bladder – so please do not use the Arbor ObGyn restroom until the sonographer asks you to.

If you are pregnant, please review the Ultrasounds in Pregnancy chapter of your Arbor Pregnancy Handbook.

A sonohysterogram (or saline infusion sonogram, SIS) is an ultrasound test in which the interior cavity of the uterus is examined, aided by filling the cavity with liquid.  This can be done in the Arbor ObGyn office by a physician with assistance from our sonographer.  After visualizing the uterus with ultrasound, a slender catheter is placed into the uterus through the cervix, and a small amount of saline solution is gently injected. This opens up the cavity to ultrasound examination, and abnormalities such as uterine fibroid tumors and polyps can more clearly be seen.  A sonohysterogram may be done at any time except when you are menstruating.  Although the degree of discomfort is quite variable, most patients have at least some low abdominal cramping with insertion of the catheter and instillation of the saline. Two to four ibuprofen taken just prior to the test should help with any discomfort during the test.  Since a physician performs the test, he or she will analyze the images and provide a report to you immediately.

A hysterosalpingogram (HSG) is a procedure in which a dye is injected through the cervix into the uterine cavity and a fluoroscopic x-ray taken.  This imaging will illustrate the inner shape of the uterus and degree of openness (patency) of your fallopian tubes.  This imaging is most commonly done to evaluate women struggling with infertility.

This procedure is done while you are awake, and only takes a few minutes to complete.  The procedure should cause minimal discomfort.  There may be slight discomfort when the catheter is placed and the contrast material is injected, but it should not last long. There may also be generalized lower abdominal pain, but this should also be minimal and not long lasting.

We do not have HSG capabilities in our office.  Most of our patients will be referred to Carolina Conceptions for their HSG.  Carolina Conceptions is a well-respected infertility practice and conveniently located across the parking lot in the 2601 building.  They have convenient hours including some Saturdays, and are in-network with most insurances.  If your insurance requires a radiology office to do your HSG, then most patients will go to Wake Radiology or Raleigh Radiology.

Before you can schedule an HSG, your Arbor ObGyn provider must send a medical order to the other office.  Carolina Conceptions or the radiology office will contact you.  If you need to call, it is best for you to call the day you start your next period in order to schedule your appointment.  Typically they will want you to have an HSG on Day 7-12 of your cycle (Day 1 is the first day of your period).  This allows the best viewing of the uterus, and ensures that you are not yet pregnant.

The Affordable Care Act expanded coverage for women’s health to include “breastfeeding support, supplies and counseling in conjunction with each birth.”  Most insurance plans will provide you with a breast pump benefit during your pregnancy, similar to a prescription drug benefit.  It is at the discretion of your insurance plan as to whether you can receive your pump before or after delivery.  Arbor ObGyn does not order you a specific breast pump.  Instead, at your 28-week visit Arbor ObGyn will electronically submit an authorization for a breast pump to AdaptHealth Patient Care Solutions (AHPCS), a supplier of major-brand pumps.  AHPCS will contact you to review your insurance benefits and help select a specific pump.  You should hear from AHPCS within three days. They may send you a text correspondence. You can review their program here: pcs.adapthealth.com/products/breast-pumps.  Do not start an order online, because we have already submitted your authorization. Once you have reviewed the program and pump options, you may  call AHPCS to expedite your pump choice, (844) 727-6667.  If your insurer requires that you use a vendor other than AHPCS, you will be notified and a new request can be placed by Arbor ObGyn.