New Patients

Welcome to Northwest Asthma & Allergy Center!

Below you’ll find everything you need to get started with us.

Book Your Appointment

We offer 7 offices throughout Washington. Please call the office of your choice to arrange an appointment at your convenience.

If the patient is under the age of 18, please schedule this first visit for a time when they can be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian for the entirety of the visit (no drop-offs!).

Share Your Insurance Information

The Patient Service Representative will ask for contact and insurance information, so please have it handy when you call in!

NOTE: Some insurance plans may require you to have a referral from your Primary Care Physician (PCP) and/or your insurance company. We offer some relevant information on our Billing & Insurance page. While we will always try to be helpful, it is your responsibility to know the details of your insurance policy and whether your insurance requires you to be pre-approved for care.

Fill Out Your Forms

Please fill out the appropriate forms before your appointment. After you schedule an appointment, you will be electronically sent forms to complete for ease of completion and submission. We prefer this method as our email is unencrypted. By choosing to email your forms to us, you understand and accept any risk associated with sending your information via email. Please do not email us forms containing private or financial information.

PDF versions of the forms are also provided here.

You may bring the completed forms to the first appointment, email them to forms@nwasthma.com, or fax them to the office (after clicking the link, select the location on the left) where you’re being seen virtually or in person.

In the Days Before Your First Appointment

Please:

  • Stop taking any antihistamines at least 3 days prior to your appointment. If you have chronic hives or severe itching, you should continue your antihistamines.
  • Stop taking certain acid reflux medications 24 hours prior to your appointment, such as ranitidine or famotidine. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) e.g. omeprazole, esomeprozole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole DO NOT need to be discontinued.
  • Do NOT stop taking asthma medications (including inhalers, oral steroids, such as prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone/Medrol) or any other important medications.

For a more detailed list of medications to stop, please go to the Patient Testing & Challenges page.  If you still have questions about which medications to stop, please just call us!

Cancellations

Your time is important to us. Likewise, if you are unable to keep your appointment with us for any reason, please call us at least 24 hours prior to your appointment time. If you miss an appointment or cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice, a fee of $75 may be charged to you (not covered by insurance). You can read more about our cancellation and other important office policies on our FAQs page.

The Day of Your First Appointment

Please bring:

  • Your insurance card and photo ID with you (to every appointment!)
  • A form of payment for your co-pay
  • Your COMPLETED New Patient Forms, so you’re ready to go!

NEW! We now offer the option to keep a credit card on file, which can greatly simplify payment. Please consider bringing your credit card of choice to your appointment.

What Will Happen at My First Appointment

First, we will welcome you to the office! Our Patient Services Representative will:

  • Confirm the information we need to keep on file – including contact and insurance information (Please don’t forget your card!)
  • Collect your completed new patient forms
  • Process your co-pay
  • Take your/your child’s photo for your chart. We use electronic medical records (EMR), allowing us to easily access your information and allowing you to move between our offices at your convenience!

Then a member of our medical team will walk you back to an exam room. They will take your vital signs, confirm any drug allergies, get a list of medications you are taking, and ask about how you’re feeling and more about the reason for your visit. Depending on your condition, a baseline lung function test may take place.

The medical provider will then join you to discuss your medical, surgical, and environmental history as it relates to your visit for seeing us. She or he will ask questions to gather a better understanding of what you are experiencing. Then you will undergo a brief physical examination focused on the areas that appear to be affected.

If you are seeing us for allergy concerns, your provider may recommend appropriate testing. Some tests, such as skin testing, are conducted in our office. In some rare cases, you may be referred to an outside facility for testing (for example, a CT scan or additional blood work). Testing is often a first step in determining the best treatment plan for you, but is not always necessary. Please understand that in some instances, we may not be able to test on the first visit. For example, often we need to closely review your history, collect prior records, and may need to obtain reagents for testing. Patch testing is another instance in which the procedure is completed over several days and requires advanced planning.

Developing Your Care Plan

Our medical staff will take the time to review your results, educate you on steps you can take to decrease or avoid exposure to your allergic triggers, and treat your symptoms. We will discuss recommendations with you and, where possible, provide written information for you to take home.

Your visit will be the first step in establishing a relationship where you can rely on us as an ongoing resource for questions and information about your health. The frequency of your return visits to us will be determined by your doctor and based upon what you’re experiencing at any given time. We recommend that you see us at least yearly to evaluate any changes in your health or treatment and to renew medications. Washington state law provides that medication prescriptions are only valid for 1 year.

Your Patient Portal

Following your first appointment with us, you will be given access to a Patient Portal that will allow you to access some medical information, request refills or school forms, send  non-urgent questions, and much more, from wherever you are.

Please check out our FAQs for more information on office policies, billing, and how we can serve you!

We look forward to meeting you!