FAQs

What is a secure Patient Portal ?

A patient portal is a secure way to communicate electronically with our patients. The portal is also a great way for patients to send non-urgent appointments requests, questions for your nurse, billing inquiries, referral requests or questions, and general inquiries.
In order to utilize the portal, you must set up an account through which you will receive secure communication. Portal accounts will only be set up for existing patients. To set up an account, ask the front desk at your next appointment or call (478)-237-2527 and ask that you receive an invitation to set up an account.

The direct address to the Patient Portal is https://myupdox.com/portal/southgeorgiainternalmedicine/html/index.html

How do I make an Appointment?

Please contact our office at (478)-237-2527 for all urgent appointment needs. Appointment requests for non-urgent or routine needs can also be made through our secure portal once you have set up your secure account. We encourage patients who need follow up appointments with a SGIM provider to schedule these when checking out at your current appointment to ensure availability of preferred dates and times.

What do I do if I need a refill on a medication?

Please contact your pharmacy directly for all routine refill requests and allow 24-48 business hours for processing. Your pharmacy will forward an electronic refill request to us. This will ensure the accuracy and efficiency of response to your prescription needs. Once you establish a portal account, you can also request refills securely through the portal. Please keep in mind that if you are running low on routine medications it is likely time to follow up with your provider and an appointment needs to be scheduled. If you are past due for a follow up, your provider will generally only approve a 30 day supply of your routine medication to allow time for you to schedule and complete the appropriate visit in our office.

How do I get in contact with someone in an emergency?

In an emergency you should always dial 911.

What is the policy for calling the "On-Call" provider after the office is closed?

The On-Call provider is for urgent problems only that cannot wait until the next business day. In an emergency you should always call 911. For urgent problems after the office is closed, the number to call is the same as our office number (478) 237-2527 or you may reach the ER at (478) 289-1342. After hours this number connects to the provider on duty. No narcotic pain medications or other controlled substances will be called in by the provider. Routine refills will not be called in. Please respect the "On-Call" provider and make sure that your call is appropriate.

What is the medication "call-in" policy? What about narcotics and other controlled substances?

No narcotics will be called in. This includes Oxycodone (Percocet) and Hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab, Norco). No other controlled substances will be called in. This includes Xanax, Ativan, Valium, Klonopin, Ambien, and Lunesta. Please refer to our prescription refill policy for more information.

What hospital affiliations do you have if I need to be admitted to the hospital?

Dr. Vijitha Prasad is a board certified internist, she has hospital privileges at Emanuel Medical Center. She admits and takes care of her own patients . On weekends there will be an on call physician.  She also has priveleges at Emanuel County Nursing Home and Pruitt Health - Swainsboro.
She is the medical director for Pruitt  Health Hospice (Swainsboro). 

How do I get a referral to a specialist?

If this is a problem you and your provider have already discussed, contact the office to request a referral. Otherwise, we may request that you make an appointment to discuss your work up and treatment options.

Who do I call if I have a question about my bill?

If you have billing questions, please call our main number at 478-237-2527 and select Billing Option from the Automated System or Press extension 13 for the billing department.  Also, once you have established a web account, you can forward secure electronic billing inquiries through the portal.

What's an Internist?

An Internist is another name for a Doctor of Internal Medicine. Internists may also be called "General Internists" are Board Certified in Internal Medicine. Doctors of Internal Medicine have completed three years of Residency training (after four years Medical School). The Residency training is solely dedicated to learning how to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases that affect adults. 

What is a Physician Assistant or "PA"? What is a Nurse Practitioner or "NP"?

South Georgia Internal Medicine utilizes Certified Nurse Practitioners (NP's") as part of the healthcare team. PA's and NP's are sometimes called "Mid-Level" providers. Like our physicians, our Mid-Level providers are licensed by the state to see patients and prescribe medications. Our Mid-Level providers are supervised by Dr Vijitha Prasad. Our Nurse Practitioners are Board Certified and must complete Continuing Medical Education courses every year just like physicians.