Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) Do you serve only Latinos?
While Sea Mar was originally founded to serve the Latino population, we are open to all patient populations and serve a diverse client base.
2) Do you have to be low income to come to the clinic?
No. We are open to all patient populations and base our fees on your income and household size.
3) Do you prescribe controlled substances over the phone?
No and we do not supply or maintain controlled substances in any of our clinics.
4) Do you have real doctors?
Yes. We employ board certified family practice physicians, internists and OB/GYN's. We also have ARNP's and PA's available to see you as well.
5) Are you accepting new patients?
Yes. We are open to new patients who want to establish a permanent medical home with us.
6) How do I get my medical records transferred?
You need to complete a medical records release form that is available at any one of our sites or in the link attached. This is a requirement by law in order to protect your confidentiality and privacy.
7) How are you funded?
8) Who owns SeaMar?
We are a community based non-profit organization (501 c(3). We are governed by a Board of Directors who represent the communities we serve.
9) How do I get an appointment to see a doctor at Sea Mar?
First, it is helpful to both you and the clinic if you identify your personal doctor. When you ask for an appointment, request your doctor. Each doctor has their own schedule which may vary due to hospital call coverage and time out of the clinic. However, for each day a doctor is seeing patients in the clinic, half of that day's appointments are available to be pre-scheduled up to 3 months ahead of time. If you have a routine issue that can be scheduled well ahead of time ( i.e. child's check up or annual physical exam), it helps to request these ahead. Additionally, each day, half of a doctor's appointments are left open until the actual day of the appointments. Therefore, if you call in first thing in the morning, half of the doctor's appointments will be available. These do fill up fast, so call early. Finally, if you need to be seen the same day and your doctor does not have available appointments, each clinic has a system for seeing urgent same day appointments. Planning ahead will make things easier for you and your doctor. If you have diabetes, it is better to schedule an appointment with your doctor before you run out of medicine than to come in as an urgent appointment with a doctor who you have never met before.
10) How do I get my medicines refilled?
Call your pharmacy and have the pharmacy request the refill from the clinic. You can expect an answer from your doctor to the pharmacy with 48 hours. Call back to the pharmacy to make sure they have heard. If your doctor feels you need to be seen before refilling the medicine, he or she will let the pharmacy know that.
11) What type of doctors do you have at Sea Mar?
All of the clinics have Family Practice doctors, who provide comprehensive care for the whole family-- from newborns to grandparents. We encourage people to choose a "family doctor." Several of the clinics also have a few other specialities, notably Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics.