Questions frequently asked by new patients

What health services are available?

• Pediatric and adult primary care services including physician office visits, routine check-ups, immunizations for children, limited immunizations for adults, reproductive health, chronic care management, urgent care, post-natal care, and dentistry.
• Specialty care referrals for all patients are available in our Greenbrae clinic for podiatry, orthopedics, neurology, urology, physical therapy, gastroenterology, chiropractic, endocrinology, and mental health counseling. Our staff will also arrange for off-site referrals.
• Health education for patients with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and asthma.

How do I make an appointment?

For medical appointments call 415-448-1500 from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. Same-day medical appointments are available.

For dental services (available in the San Rafael Clinic) call 415-526-8555 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday - Friday.

When are the Clinics open?

Day and evening appointments are available. Saturday appointments are available for pediatric dental visits.

Where are the Clinics?

Marin Community Clinics has 3 locations for your convenience.
Directions are available by calling 415-448-1500 or click here.

— Greenbrae at 250 Bon Air Road (On the grounds of Marin General Hospital). Pediatric After-hours appointments are available evenings and weekends.

— Novato at 6100 Redwood Boulevard (near the intersection of Redwood Blvd. and Rowland Blvd.)

— San Rafael at 3110 Kerner Boulevard.

Marin Community Clinics facilities are wheelchair accessible.

For public transit information, call 511 or visit
http://goldengate.org/schedules.php

What is the cost? Is financial assistance available?

We strive to make our quality health care affordable for everyone and have financial counselors to assist you. Before your first doctor visit at Marin Community Clinics, you will meet with a financial counselor to determine whether you are eligible for government-funded insurance such as Medi-Cal, Medicare, CMSP, Healthy Families, and CaliforniaKids. The counselor will assist you in completing applications for these programs. If you are not eligible, there is a sliding fee scale based on family size and income. Prices range from $30 - $150 per visit. We do not process Workers’ Compensation claims.

What if I don’t speak English?

Our telephone operators and many other staff speak English and Spanish. At the San Rafael and Greenbrae Clinics, Vietnamese interpretation is also available. For other languages, we use a telephone interpretation service. You may also bring a friend or relative to help.

Will I always have the same doctor?

Marin Community Clinics has an excellent staff of Board Certified physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants to ensure high quality health care. For consistency, we encourage patients to select a Primary Care Provider (PCP) from our staff of clinicians to oversee your care. If your need is urgent, your provider may not be available but you will be seen by another qualified clinician. For chronic disease management and some other types of visits, you may be seen by clinical staff other than your PCP and your PCP will be informed of your progress.

Will one doctor care for the whole family?

Most of Marin Community Clinics’ clinicians specialize in pediatrics or adult medicine. It is common for all children (under the age of 18) in a family to have the same pediatrician.

Where do I go for laboratory tests?

For your convenience, Marin Community Clinics has arranged for in-house laboratory services in the Novato and San Rafael Clinics. Many of the tests your clinician orders can be done there. Patients visiting the Greenbrae Clinic will be sent to a nearby lab. At the end of your visit, a Medical Assistant will provide you with instructions about any lab work needed and where to go. Please follow the instructions carefully. If you do not have insurance, you may be responsible for the additional cost of the laboratory tests. Marin Community Clinics has negotiated a low price for your tests.

How do I get prescribed medications?

You may be eligible for a program to help you pay for your medications; ask a Financial Counselor. For initial prescriptions our staff will call in the order to the pharmacy of your choice or you will take the scrip with you to be filled. Please keep track of your medication and allow a week to arrange for refills. Seven days before you need a refill, contact your pharmacy and ask them to fax a refill request to Marin Community Clinics, or if necessary, schedule an appointment with your Primary Care Provider and ask for a refill.

What if I’m late or miss an appointment?

Plan to be at the Clinic 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment to allow time to register. If you are late, your appointment may be given to another patient and you may have to wait. If that happens, please be assured that you will be seen by one of our clinicians.

To change or cancel an appointment 24 hours or more in advance of your appointment time, please call 415-448-1500 and leave a message. You will be called back for rescheduling. Less than 24 hours in advance, please call 415-448-1500. We greatly appreciate as much advance notice as possible so that another patient can receive care.

A patient who arrived after I did was seen before me. Why?

Marin Community Clinics wants to ensure that all our patients receive care in a manner that their conditions dictate. Patients may arrive very sick and a nurse will arrange for them to see a physician ahead of others’ scheduled appointments. Or, a patient may need more time with the physician in the examination room which may impact the appointment schedule.

Please be assured that we recognize your time is valuable and we are committed to keep your waiting time to a minimum.

To make a medical appointment, call 415-448-1500.

To make a dental appointment,
call 415-526-8555.

• Directions to Greenbrae Clinic
• Directions to Novato Clinic
• Directions to San Rafael Clinic