Zest Pediatrics Membership Promise
Zest Pediatrics®, being a concierge-style direct pediatric care practice, is rather unique. The Zest Pediatrics® Membership Promise outlines our services and patient experience goals. We created the practice model with the patient and family as a priority, and to allow us to partner with you to create the healthiest, best lives for your children.
Membership Services
The following services are included in your monthly membership:
Home visits for newborns (living within 10 miles of the office)
All well visits (check-ups)
Unlimited sick visits (in-person or virtual)
In-office testing for strep throat and other select lab tests
Zest Additional Professionals Services (ZAPS) such as lactation, nutrition and sleep support and others as listed on the website.
Opportunity to purchase and receive in the office, at additional cost, common medications. This does not include controlled substances.
All routine vaccinations provided through our partner Vaxcare (we administer the vaccines and Vaxcare bills your insurance)
School/camp/sports physical forms
Management of minor trauma, injuries and lacerations (splinting, skin glue, wound management)
Developmental and behavioral screenings
Counseling and guidance (nutrition, development, sleep, toileting, behavior, parenting, and more)
Management of chronic conditions such as eczema, asthma, ADHD, depression, anxiety, and more
Care coordination for diagnostic testing, specialty care, emergency care, and hospital care
At physician’s discretion, additional services may be offered for an additional fee
At member’s discretion, Zest Additional Professional Services PLUS (ZAPS+) may be purchased for an additional fee (such as in-home lactation services, one-on-one sleep and nutrition consults, and others as listed on the website).
Doctor Access, Communication, and Appointment Scheduling Service Level Goals (also see chart below)
Please realize that at Zest Pediatrics® when you communicate with your doctor, you are doing just that. You are communicating directly with your doctor (or occasionally a covering doctor) and not an answering service, nurse, or office staff member. These guidelines outline the best use of each communication modality to reach your doctor.
Email. Email should be utilized for non-urgent and routine issues/questions. Emails will generally be returned within 24-48 hours, but usually within the same day. Email should never be used for urgent issues or a health concern that could become an emergency.
Text. Text communication, with or without pictures, is an excellent form of communication for issues/questions that you want addressed within a few hours. They are wonderful when a photo will assist with your inquiry. Doctors will respond to texts as soon as possible depending on their personal and patient schedule. Unless your doctor is in a visit with another patient, most text messages will be answered within 20 minutes. Texting is the communication of choice for most questions and acute illness concerns. It is possible that your doctor may occasionally miss a text message. If you do not get a response within 2 hours, please resend message. As with email, texts should never be used for emergent issues or a health concern that could become an emergency.
Telephone. Telephone calls are best for emergent issues that require an immediate response. If the doctor does not answer, please call back a second time. Note that if you call your doctor while they are seeing another patient, they will stop what they are doing to answer your call. If you child has a potentially life-threatening emergency, call 911 first, and then call the doctor once EMS is on the way. Your doctor is more than happy to speak with you on the phone about any issue. If you would like to speak on the phone about a non-emergent issue, just send a text message to your doctor requesting a call and he/she will call you back once available.
Video visits. Video visits are wonderful to assist in assessing many patient needs. They can be used for follow-up appointments or acute care needs. Video visits will be arranged when requested by either the patient/parent or the doctor. They can be scheduled at the time of need or in advance. Like the other communication methods, video visits should not be used for potentially life-threatening situations.
Office visits. A traditional in-person office visit is used for well-child visits, when the doctor may need to perform a hands-on examination or initiate a test or procedure. Office visits are usually scheduled the same day or next day as needed.
Home and other location visits. Home visits are yet another unique service of Zest Pediatrics®. We provide them for newborns who live within 10 miles of the office and for other patients as may be deemed appropriate by the doctor. Please remember, that during a home visit the doctor may not have all of the needed equipment, supplies, or medications available in the office. It is entirely at your doctor’s discretion if a home visit is really best mode of care for the situation.
Appointment scheduling. Same day appointment requests received prior to noon on a weekday will be accommodated as best as possible that same day. Appointment requests received after noon on a weekday may, depending on availability, be made for the same day or next weekday. If the matter is more urgent, an appointment will be made on the weekend or holiday as indicated by the doctor.
Parent/Caregiver Expectations
The unique access and service level provided by Zest Pediatrics® and the doctor is best met when parents and any other caregiver understand the most appropriate means of communication for any concerns or appointment needs. Please share all means of contact with any family member or sitter who will be assisting in your child’s care. Also, please make sure we have the names of anyone who may be contacting us or bringing a child to the office. You should also fill out the online form, located on the website) for anyone who you are giving permission to bring your child to a visit. Of course, when an urgent or emergent need arises, we will use our best judgement to treat your child and reach the parent as soon as possible to discuss.
Membership Dismissal
Initial enrollment is for a period of twelve months. After the twelfth month, membership may be cancelled at any time with 30 days’ notice. Zest Pediatrics reserves the right to cancel any membership with 30 days’ notice at any time and without reason. If Zest Pediatrics® cancels a membership, subscription dues will be prorated and refunded, as appropriate.
Member Feedback
Zest Pediatrics® will perform periodic member satisfaction surveys and all members are encouraged to provide feedback. However, the practice model was designed with patients as the priority. Therefore, please do not wait for a formal survey to provide feedback. Please email suggestions or concerns at any time to your doctor, or anonymously to feedback@zestpeds.com.
