ANNOUNCEMENTS

SEASONAL INFLUENZA VACCINE
**UPDATED 12/11/2009**
QFP received our second and final shipment of seasonal flu vaccines. If you would like to make an appointment for your seasonal flu vaccine, you may do so by calling our office at (302) 235-2351 and pressing option 3 for appointments.

SEASONAL INFLUENZA VACCINE FOR
PREGNANT WOMEN/CHILDREN UNDER 8
Our office rceived a shipment of the seasonal flu for pregnant women and children under the age of eight on 10/27/2009. We received 40 doses, and we had 40 patients on our waiting list. If we have any additional vaccines remaining, we will call additional patients that are on our list.

For more information about Seasonal Flu and H1N1 (Swine) Flu, you can go to www.flu.gov. For more information on the year's flu vaccine, click here to view the Vaccine Information Statement from the CDC.

*Please verify coverage of the influenza vaccine with your insurance company prior to your appointment. If it is not a covered benefit, the cost for the vaccine is $25.00 and payment will be expected at the time of your visit.

H1N1 INFLUENZA VACCINE
Our office received and distributed a small amount of the H1N1
vaccine. Due to reduced quanities, the Division of Public Health (DPH) had narrowed the target population for H1N1 vaccine to those most at risk (pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, children 6 months to 4 years of age and persons age 5 to 64 who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for flu complications), and our office called and scheduled patients from our waiting list that fell into these high risk categories. Since we only received a very small quantity, we were not able to schedule everyone in the narrowed group. If you fall into one of the above categories and you would like to receive the H1N1 vaccination,
you can visit http://www.flu.delaware.gov/ to get information on clinics being held throughout the state.

DPH anticipates the quantity of vaccines will increase in coming weeks, and H1N1 vaccines should be more widely available at health care providers, in clinics that will be conducted in schools and in pharmacies. We will continue to post updates to our website as we get them.

If you are interested in receiving the H1N1 Vaccine from our office, you may add your name to our waiting list by clicking here.

RED FLAG RULE
(POSTPONED BY FTC TO 11/1/09)
On account of the Red Flag Rule (a law established by the Federal Trade Commission to address identity theft, including medical identity fraud), beginning May 1, 2009 our office will begin verifying all patients’ identification when they arrive for their appointments. All patients are asked to bring photo identification as well as their insurance card. In an effort to streamline this process and to avoid having to check photo identification at every visit, our office will begin taking patients’ photographs to be stored in their Electronic Medical Record only. For more information on medical identity theft and the Red Flag Rule, please visit http://www.worldprivacyforum.org/medicalidentitytheft.html

NEW PATIENTS
Beginning July 1, 2009, Quality Family Physicians will no longer be accepting new patients under the age of five years old. Due to an ongoing low census in our practice in this age group and the ever-changing vaccine recommendations in the pediatric immunization schedule, the decision was made to restrict our practice this way. Existing patients under the age of five years of age are welcome to stay with our practice, and we will continue to provide the required vaccinations. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and hope you understand we strive to provide high quality, personal care to all of our patients.