At present we are unable to do "get acquainted" visits for prospective new patients. This page, however, contains most of the answers to the questions often asked at these visits. Some information is already presented on other pages in this web site (such as hours, location, physician background, insurance, etc). Please call if you have other questions. If you live in the southeast Tucson/Vail area, there's a good chance you will find families who see us on your block!
1. How many physicians are in your practice? A: Two. Dr. Hickie, and in 2009, Dr. Danahey joined Cottonwood Pediatrics. We are currently looking for a third pediatrician to join our practice. 2. Do you have any midlevel practitioners such as physician assistants or nurse practitioners? A: No. We do not foresee using any in the near future.
3. When did Cottonwood Pediatrics first open? A: We began seeing patients in Spring of 2004, six months after Dr. Hickie completed his three-year residency training at the University of Arizona Pediatric Residency Training Program.
4. At which hospitals do you round? A: Currently none (both Dr. Hickie and Dr. Danahey live too far outside Tucson to round in a timely manner on patients at TMC or UMC). If you are having a baby and chose us as your PCP, the hospitalist pediatricians at that hospital will see your baby while s/he is in the nursery. We typically see new babies here 2-4 days after discharge from the nursery, and you should call for that appointment on the day you go home from the nursery (or the next day we are open). If your child requires admission to either TMC or UMC, we admit directly to the pediatric hospitalist physicians at each hospital.
5. Do you believe in vaccination? A: Most definitely we do, and we are happy to explain why it is imperative your children are vaccinated. We do have some families who still refuse vaccination for their children, but they are a very small minority.
6. How do we reach you after hours? A: Call our main number, 690-5437. Through that, you can reach the nurse triage service. They can handle most calls, but they will page the on-call pediatrician if the phone advice needed is beyond their expertise.
7. How do we reach you during clinic hours? A: Again, call our main number 690-5437. We do our best to schedule same day appointments for sick patients.
8. Do you do circumcisions? A: Yes! Dr. Danahey can circumcise your baby boy in our office using the plastibell technique. If you'd like to schedule a circumcision for your baby, we ask that it be done within the first few weeks of life.
9. Do you do walk-in visits? A: No. We will do our best to get your sick child a same-day appt, but, to best stay on schedule, we cannot take walk-in visits like an urgent care.
10. Do you have separate "well" and "sick" waiting room areas? A: No. We do have a large waiting area, but separate "well" and "sick" waiting areas have not been shown to help keep the well kids "well".
11. What lab facilities are nearby? A: There is an x-ray facility in the same building. The nearest lab for blood draws are near St. Joseph's Hospital. We do quite a few labs in office including strep tests, flu testing, urine checks, hemoglobin levels, blood sugar determination, peak flow testing, vision screening, hearing screening and tympanometry.
12. Do you do house calls? A: No.
13. Do you have any other office locations? A: No. Our only location is in Rita Ranch.
14. Do you do weekend or late evening hours? A: No. We are hoping this can change as our practice grows--but you can call us 24/7 for advice.
