Patient
resources

Your first visit is a working session: a thorough history, a hands-on examination, review of any imaging you bring or that we obtain, and a plan you understand before you leave. Most first visits run 45–60 minutes.

Bring photo ID, your insurance card, a list of current medications, any prior imaging (discs or portal access) and reports, and shorts or a tank top if your problem area is best examined in them.

Write down your story: when the problem started, what makes it better or worse, what you've already tried, and what activity you're trying to get back to. That last item shapes everything.

Complete your intake forms ahead of time through our secure patient platform — it saves your appointment time for the exam and the conversation, not the clipboard.

We work with major insurance plans; because networks change, please verify coverage with your plan or call our office with your member information and we'll help confirm benefits. [PLACEHOLDER — insert accepted plan list.]

Some services — MRI, surgery, certain injections — require prior authorization. Our team manages authorization paperwork and will tell you exactly where things stand before any scheduled service.

Copays are collected at the time of visit. For procedures, you'll receive an estimate of your expected responsibility before surgery is scheduled — surprises are a billing failure, and we treat them that way.

Secure online payments are handled through our patient platform. Self-pay and payment-plan options are available; ask our team.

Intake, medical history, consent, and release forms are completed digitally through our secure, HIPAA-compliant patient platform — no printing, no clipboards, and your information stays protected rather than traveling as paper.

Once surgery is scheduled you'll receive a personalized preparation packet: medication adjustments, eating and drinking instructions, arrival times, and what to bring. Follow it exactly — each instruction prevents a specific complication or delay.

Set up your home before surgery day: sleeping arrangements that avoid stairs if a leg is involved, a firm chair with arms, clear walking paths, ice ready, and a driver arranged for surgery day and the first follow-up.

You'll go home with written, procedure-specific instructions covering dressing care, ice and elevation, medications, exercises, and activity limits. Your care team is one message away through the patient platform for anything unclear.

Know the urgent list: one-sided calf pain or swelling, chest pain or shortness of breath (call 911), fever above your instructions' threshold, spreading redness or drainage, or pain escalating after it had been improving. Call promptly — never wait for the next appointment.

Do I need a referral? Many plans allow self-referral to orthopedics; some HMO plans require one — check your plan, or call and we'll help you find out.

Should I get an MRI before my visit? Usually no — the exam determines whether imaging is needed and which kind. Arriving without an MRI almost never delays your care.

Can I see Dr. Johnson without committing to surgery? Of course. Most patients never need surgery, and evaluations are about answers, not commitments.

The patient portal — powered by our secure PortoMD platform — is where everything private lives: appointment scheduling and reminders, secure messaging with the care team, intake and consent forms, medical records and imaging reports, and payments.