Are You Accepting New Patients?
Yes, we are accepting new patients with most third party payors.

What Hospitals Do You Go To?
Baton Rouge General- Blubonnet

I am delivering at Woman's Hospital, how do I notify the hospital that I have chosen Fertile Crescent PediatricslDr. Despinasse as my pediatrician?
Your OB will give you paperwork to fill out for the hospital delivery. This paperwork will ask you to designate your pediatrician. You can enter Brian Despinasse II, MD or Tracey Lamelle, MD (an associate who will see you while hospitalized at Woman's Hospital). The hospital will then notify our practice when your baby is delivered.

What if I am delivering at a hospital other than Woman's or Baton Rouge General - Bluebonnet?
Our pediatricians only see newborns at the Baton Rouge General and Woman's. If you deliver at another hospital, the on call pediatrician for that hospital will see your baby.

When does a Fertile Crescent Pediatrics provider see my new baby?
Your newborn baby should be seen in our office 2-4 days after being discharged from the hospital.

What are your doctor's philosophies?
We adhere to recommendations made by the American Board of Pediatrics as well as the American Academy of Pediatrics and other conservative sources. We do not endorse holistic medicine, herbal remedies or alternative-medicine, or deviate from established medical practices. We prefer undermedicating to over-medicating and do not give out antibiotics "to keep your child from getting sick next weekend."

How do I get an appointment if my child is sick?
Call our appointment line at 225.924.7343 • Do I have to/can I have one particular doctor? At this time you will see either Dr. Despinasse or his highly qualified Physician Asssistant ,Daisy Castaneda.

So, what if my child gets sick after your hours?
If there is a genuine, life-threatening medical emergency, call 911. When our office is closed, a medical answering service will take your call. If necessary, you will be forwarded to the on call Triage team.They will dispense medical advice according to rigid medical protocols. Should your child need the attention of one of our they will immediately contact us and one of our doctors will call you back shortly. In case of a very serious illness or injury, we will refer you to the ER. Please see our Physician On-Call Policy.

Where should I take my child if he/she is ill after hours?
If you experience a medical emergency, call 911. Otherwise, we recommend that your child be seen at Baton Rouge General - Bluebonnet - ER and OLOL - ER.

What if I have a medical question after hours?
If you experience a medical emergency, call 911.

For routine questions, please call our office during business hours.

If you feel your question cannot wait until morning, call our office number. You will be connected with our answering service. The answering service will arrange for you to speak with a pediatric phone advice nurse from OLOL - Triage. To do this, you will need to give the answering service a phone number where you can be reached. It may take up to one hour for the Triage nurse to call you. If you feel unable to wait, then you should take your child to the closest pediatric emergency room. The Triage nurses are very well trained to handle after hour emergency calls. If the Triage nurse has any concerns about your child, he/she will arrange thru our answering service to have the call pediatrician paged. It may take up to one hour for the pediatrician to call you back. If you feel unable wait, then you should take your child to the closest pediatric emergency room.

If you have caller ID block on your phone, it MUST be disabled in order to get a return call from the on call pediatrician. If you do not disable the caller 10 block on your phone, you will not be able to speak with the pediatrician. At times, the on call pediatrician may call you from a number that is not blocked. It is NOT acceptable to call the pediatrician back at that number. If you need to speak with the pediatrician again, call the office number and notify the answering service.

The on call pediatrician will NOT call in medications. There are NO exceptions. If you feel your child needs a prescription medication after hours, then your child must be seen. We do NOT call in refills of anymedications after hours. There are NO exceptions. You must call the office during normal business hours for medication refills

What are your office hours on holidays?
We are closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day. We work a limited schedule on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. If Christmas Eve or New Years Eve falls on a Sunday, we will be closed. We have normal business hours on Martin Luther King Day.

Do you use Physician Assistants/Nurse Practitioner?
Yes, we do. We believe that PA and NP playa vital role in pediatric medicine. Our Nurse Practitioners have extensive training both in medicine as well as nursing care. If your child is seeing one of our Nurse Practitioners you will find that they are being seen by a very competent specialist who is in constant communication with our physicians.

How Do I take a rectal temperature?
Position your baby on his/her back on a changing table. Spread apart your baby's buttocks with one hand. Use the other hand to grasp the thermometer between you middle and index finger. Gently insert the bulb of the thermometer about 1 inch (2.5cm) into the rectum or until the tip of the thermometer disappears. Keep a firm grasp on the buttocks by cupping them with the palm and fingers of the hand that is holding the thermometer.

What over the counter cold medicines can I give my child?
The FDA (www.fda.gov) has completed a review of information about the safety of over-the-counter cough and cold medications in infants and children under 2 years of age. The FDA is recommending that these drugs NOT be used to treat infants and children under 2 years of age because serious and potentially lifethreatening side effects can occur. The FDA has not completed its review of information about the safety of OTC cough and cold medications in children ages 2 to 11 years. We recommend that you call our office during business hours to speak with one of our phone advice nurses if you have any questions about using over-the-counter cough and cold medications in children over 2 yrs of age.

Immunization Related Questions

What is your immunization policy?
We strongly believe in the importance of immunizations. We believe it is important to adhere to an immunization schedule. If you feel differently and do not wish to immunize your child according to our schedule, we will discuss alternative routes of immunization or an alternate schedule ..

When do you give the flu vaccine?
The flu vaccine is routinely given prior to the start of the winter flu season. We usually give flu vaccine sometime in the fall. The specific date depends on when we receive it from the vaccine manufacturer. In the fall, look for specific information posted on our website.

How do I get a copy of my child's immunization record?
You can request a copy of your child's immunization record at any office visit. Simply request a copy to be printed at the checkout desk.

Common Questions About our Rules/Procedures

What does it mean "Urgent Care Only" ?
We are only open from 5 pm to 8 pm on Monday through Thursday for medical needs which must be met and cannot be postponed until the next day. Examples of an "urgent sick visit" would be one where your child significantly worsened on Tuesday night or woke up with a high fever, severe diarrhea or vomiting on Wednesday.

Why can't I get a prescription phoned in when my child is sick?
To ensure the most appropriate medical care, we feel that your child should be examined before prescribing any medication.

Why can't I get my Ritalin/Adderall phoned in and why do I have to keep coming in for a recheck?
Medicines such as these are strictly controlled substances and the procedures for dispensing them are strictly regulated by the FDA.Why can't I get a prescription refilled after hours? The on call pediatrician does not have access to your child's medical record. Thus, he/she cannot refill any medications after hours. Please call during business hours for prescription refills.

Do I need an appointment?
It is highly recommended that you schedule your well child visit as far in advance as possible. However, we do offer same day sick appointments to those children who are sick and need to be seen on that day. We do not allow "walk-ins."

I have a hard time getting in on your phone system. Why can't there be a live operator who will answer my call?
When placing a call to our central phone number, our system gives you essential information and many options to choose from. By allowing you to choose at that point is much better than having you wait 15 minutes on the phone only to have someone tell you that you will have to be transferred. If you prefer not to hold, we have an excellent phone mail system which allows you leave a message and we will call you back.

What labs are done in your office?
We can only run a few selected labs in our office. We are able to perform the following labs in our office: rapid strep test, flu test, urinalysis, lead test, hemoglobin/hematocrit, hemoglobin A 1 C, lipid panel including glucose, AST and AL T, EKG and Pulmonary Function Testing.

What if my child needs labs that are not performed in your office?
If your child requires additional labs, we will send him/her to an outside lab. Your insurance will dictate where your child can have labs done.

What if my child needs an x-ray?
If your child requires an imaging study, we will send you to an outside facility for it to be performed.

Insurance Related Questions

Do you bill for "Secondary" insurance coverage?
Yes, for certain payors we do. Should you wish to file with another secondary carrier, we will supply you with the necessary statements to do so.

Why does it take you six months to bill me for something the insurance company did not pay for?
We do bill as soon as we can after the insurance company has issued its final determination (EOB). Therefore, it could be nearly six months before we send you an updated statement.

Why do I have to call your office for a referral?
Insurance companies use the referral system as a way of controlling costs and they impose strict guidelines on referrals. In most cases, the referral is made by a computer when we type in the information we know about you. After we do so, their referral computer will generally respond with a referral number.

I properly submitted my request for a referral to your office but when I arrived at my specialist's office, they told me that they did not have a referral from you and I would have to wait until you sent it.
We keep rigorous records of requests for referrals (including telephone logs of those requests) and copies of confirmations of those requests being sent to specialists. With such record-keeping, we are able to locate the status of a referral request within a few minutes.

 What insurance plans are accepted?