Appointments

The clinic of the William T. and Gay F. Solomon Division of General Internal Medicine is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  We are located on the eighth floor of the James W. Aston Ambulatory Care Center on the campus of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, Texas, 75390-9124.  Consultation is by appointment only. See Campus Map

To schedule an appointment, call your physician's receptionist at the number listed on the attached directory. If you have an Aston Clinic Card, please bring it, along with your insurance card, to your appointment.

When speaking with the clinic, please make sure we have your correct daytime and evening telephone numbers, and mailing address, in our records. This is very important, and will allow the clinic staff and your doctors to contact you with test results and appointment information.

Appointment Cancellations

If it is necessary to cancel an appointment, please call and let the clinic know at least 24 hours in advance, if possible. This is important for the courtesy of other patients who may be in need of urgent care.

Immunizations and Injections

Visits only for injections or immunizations do not require a regular appointment with the physician. However, please call us at least one day in advance so we can make sure we have adequate supplies and staff to assist you.

Telephone Calls

All messages are given to the appropriate personnel as soon as possible, and every attempt is made to return telephone calls during regular working hours. There are times, however, when we cannot answer all calls within the same day they are received. Please tell the receptionist if your call is urgent, or must be returned the same day, or by a particular time.

Again, so that we can accurately reach you, please confirm your contact telephone numbers with the clinic.

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Prescription Refills

The most efficient way to have your prescriptions refilled is to have your pharmacist fax a refill request to our office at (214) 648-9050. Allow at least 24 hours to complete the process. If you call in for a refill, please have the name, dose and frequency of the medicine you take available.

It is our policy not to refill prescriptions for controlled substances when the clinic is closed. It is your responsibility to request controlled substance refills from your primary care physician during working hours.

Test Results

So we can reach you by phone or mail, please make sure the clinic has correct day and evening phone contacts for you, as well as your correct mailing address. Ask your primary care physician how and when you will be notified of test results. Usually, it takes 14 days to receive PAP smear results or results of special tests sent out to a reference lab. If you have not heard from your doctor within 7-14 days, please call the clinic.

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Urgent Care

If you have an urgent problem or feel you need to see your physician on the same day, please call the clinic as early as possible. A nurse will speak with you and make the necessary arrangements. Your physician will make every attempt to see you. However, if this is not possible, an appointment with the doctor-on-call is available Monday through Friday from 1:00 p.m.- 4:30 p.m.

If you have an urgent problem after hours, on weekends, or on holidays, telephone the clinic. The answering service will contact the doctor-on-call and give her/him your telephone number. The physician will call you back and help you with your medical problem.

Emergency Care

If you have a problem that you feel is emergent or life threatening, call 911 immediately.

Zale Lipshy University Hospital does not have an emergency room. We have made arrangements that emergencies for patients of the Aston Clinic and Zale Lipshy University Hospital are received at Parkland Memorial Hospital and St. Paul University Hospital. You may request that the paramedics transport you there.

Regardless of the emergency room you go to, tell the staff physician you are a patient of UT Southwestern and would like to be transferred to Zale Lipshy University Hospital when stable. The physician treating you will notify the Aston General Internal Medicine doctor on call, who will arrange your transfer to Zale Lipshy University Hospital if you need to be admitted for further care.

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Hospital Admissions

Patients needing hospitalization are customarily admitted to Zale Lipshy University Hospital, located at the south end of the UT Southwestern Campus at 5151 Harry Hines Boulevard.

However, emergency room patients may have to be admitted to St. Paul University Hospital if beds are unavailable at Zale Lipshy.

Non-emergent admissions may require prior approval of your insurance carrier.

Insurance Information

The Aston General Internal Medicine Group accepts Medicare, private insurance, and several managed health care plans.

If it is your insurance company's policy, please make sure that you have requested one of our physicians as your primary care doctor. When calling for a clinic appointment, have your insurance card readily available and remember to bring your card to all appointments.

With the exception of Medicare, co-payments and deductibles are due on the day of the visit.

If you have questions about your account, telephone our billing office customer service representative at (214) 648-8660.

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Additional Information for HMO/PPO Members

Managed Care Referrals
If you need a referral to another physician, please notify our office a minimum of 48 hours in advance.

Referrals are made at the discretion of the primary care physician and cannot be issued without prior consultation with your primary care provider.

Keep in mind that most referrals, no matter how many visits are specified, are valid for only 60 days.

Prescription Formularies
In order to contain costs, most large insurance companies and health maintenance organizations have established preferred prescription formularies. The drugs placed on these lists are chosen because of known efficacy and cost effectiveness. Occasionally, we receive requests from insurance providers' prescription plans to substitute a less expensive drug for one that has already been prescribed. In the vast majority of cases, this is perfectly appropriate. We ask the pharmacy to notify you of any changes prior to mailing the prescription.

If there is any concern or question about a change, please call us so that we can address that issue. Your health always comes first, and we will ensure that any prescription you receive is appropriate and effective.

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Provider Lists
HMOs and PPOs consist of networks of physicians and ancillary providers who have contracted with the insurance company to provide services at a reduced cost.

We participate in a number of HMOs and PPOs. The actual plans we participate in and the providers in any given plan may change from time to time.

Managed care organizations are not obligated to let us know when these provider lists change. Consequently, it is impossible for us to always be aware of whether or not a given provider is contracted with your insurance company.

When you receive a referral to another physician or ancillary provider, it is your responsibility to confirm with the insurance company that this individual is in your managed care organization’s provider network. Failure to do so may result in your insurance company refusing to pay for the visit.

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