Your first visit—what to expect

- New Patients -

*Due to recent health related events, all patients are requested to wear a mask when arriving at the facility and will be screened for a fever or symptoms. We also ask that any non-essential friends or family of a patient to not enter and to wait outside of the building until the end of the appointment.
‍
Whether doing something for the first time makes you a bit anxious or not, we want your first visit to CSNC to be memorable, in a good way. So we want to make sure you know exactly what to expect.

- What to bring with you -

Like any first time doctor visit, doing a few things ahead of time can make your initial appointment faster, easier and less stressful.

  • Bring a list of any medications you are currently taking along with the dosage and frequency.
  • Bring your current insurance card

- Checking in and the initial evaluation -

When you arrive at the CSNC or Mission Spine, there will be someone at the reception desk to greet you and check you in. After you have checked in, you will be able to have a seat and a nurse or medical assistant will be out to get you shortly. We try our hardest to stay on time but if we’re not with you promptly, please try to be patient. 

If you are a self-referral, your appointment will be schedule with one of our Doctors of Physiatry. A clinical assistant will meet you in the reception area and take you to a private exam room where your doctor or Physician Assistant can do an initial evaluation.

Functional Capacity Evaluation and Recommended Treatment

In addition to the initial evaluation, your CSNC doctor may want to do a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) to better understand how your pain is affecting your movement. Once that’s done, you’ll head back to the exam room where your CSNC doctor will go over their diagnosis and discuss a potential course of treatment.

Checking Out and Scheduling Your Next Appointment

After your appointment, If a follow-up visit is required, we will be happy schedule that for you . Unless you've made prior arrangements with CSNC's billing department, payment is expected when you check out. We're happy to file your insurance for you.