How do I make an appointment in one of your clinics?

Call the clinic with which you want an appointment. If you are a new patient, you will be asked to provide information needed to pre-register you in the Texas Tech Physicians system. Once you have made your appointment, when you enter the building, you will report to centralized registration to complete the registration process (at the downtown location only). An appointment to review your financial needs may be scheduled in order to complete your registration at this time.

Once you are registered you may go directly to the clinic for your first appointment. To assist our communication with you, please inform the clinic of any changes in your address, telephone numbers, and insurance information.

Odessa services can be reached at 432.335.5111.

The Midland faculty services (Behavioral Health, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology) may be reached at 432.620.5800.

The Internal Medical Resident Physician clinic is located at 316 Secor. Please call 432.683.3250 to make an appointment.

Do I need a referral to be seen by a Texas Tech Physician?

Some of our physicians only take new patients who are referred by other doctors. To find out if you the physician you are interested in only takes this kind of referral, please call the clinic directly.

If I need to be seen right away for an unexpected problem, will I be able to get in to see a physician?

Our physicians make every effort to accommodate patients with unexpected needs. However, there are limits to how many people may be seen in a day. If the problem is life threatening, you should go to the Emergency Room right away. If not, call the clinic and ask them if you can be worked into that day's schedule.

What should I do to stay informed about changing weather conditions and how they may effect my scheduled appointment?

When the weather conditions are potentially unsafe, before you leave home for a scheduled appointment, please check local radio and television stations for announcements canceling TTUHSC classes and  Texas Tech Physicians clinics. Should you have any questions about your appointment, you may always call the clinic to confirm. Upon reopening after an unforeseen weather closure, clinic personnel will promptly reschedule appointments missed to to the weather closure. We regret any inconvenience that a closure may cause, but we believe that your safety, and the safety of others, is important.

Is  Texas Tech Physicians open 24 hours a day like other hospitals?

No, Texas Tech Physicians is an outpatient clinical practice of physician health care providers, not a hospital. Generally, hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday thru Friday, excluding holidays. For details on a particular clinic, please refer to their Web page.

Aren't Texas Tech Physicians and Medical Center Hospital the same thing?

Texas Tech Physicians is part of a State of Texas university. The Texas Tech Physicians clinics serve patients on an outpatient basis. Medical Center Hospital (MCH) is a hospital owned by Ector County.  Midland Memorial Hospital is owned by Midland County.

When I see my physician, he usually has a resident with him. Are residents medical students?

No, resident physicians have graduated from medical school and hold an M.D. or D.O. degree. They are fully qualified physicians who are training in a particular specialty. Patients at Texas Tech Physicians are usually treated by a team of physicians that will often consist of both faculty and resident physicians.

What does Texas Tech Physicians do to protect my privacy?

We are committed to keeping your health information private. Patients are given a Notice of Privacy Practices that explains your rights regarding your protected health information and how Texas Tech Physicians may use and disclose this information. This notice is available in the clinics, from the privacy officer or online at www.ttuhsc.edu/hipaa.

I want to pick up a copy of my medical records and  a family member's. May I do that?

By state law, the only person who may look at his/her records or get information about a patient is the patient. To see someone else's records, you must have the appropriate release forms signed by the patient. This is true even when the patient is a part of your immediate family such as a spouse, mother, brother, etcetera.  With proper identification, parents of minor children may obtain their children's records. Patients my view their  medical records in the Medical Records department. Copies of medical records can be provided for a reasonable fee if the appropriate release form is signed.

Some clinics maintain their own medical records. For information about records there, please call them directly.

A friend of mine said because Texas Tech Physicians is a state agency, it gives care to people at no charge. Is this true?

No, Texas Tech Physicians  is a fee-for-service medical practice just like all other health care providers.We accept most major commercial insurance coverage, as well as Medicare, Medicaid and Worker's Compensation. Insurance copayments are expected at time of service. Self-pay patients are expected to pay for services a the time services are rendered. There are programs available for people who need medical care, but do not have insurance or require additional financial assistance.

Will you bill my insurance for me or will I need to file my own claims?

As a courtesy to our patients, we bill your insurance carriers for you. To ensure smooth, accurate handling of your account, it is very important that you keep us informed of any changes to your insurance coverage. Failure to do so may sometimes limit your carrier's ability to pay on your claims.  Please notify the Business Office of any changes to your coverage by calling 432-335-5120.

What is your policy on payments? Do I have to pay up front or will you bill me?

Due to the variety of services we provide and the wide range of medical needs of our patients, it is difficult to project exact cost estimates. Clinic personnel in the department where services are rendered will provide a general fee estimate and will answer other fee or payment questions. Co-payments and payment for non-covered services are expected at the time of service.

I recently saw a Texas Tech Physician in the emergency room. Now I have bills from two different places. A friend of mine who saw a Texas Tech Physician doctor while she was in MCH last year said the same thing happened to her. Why is that?

Bills received from Texas Tech Physicians are for physician services provided to you directly by the doctor or resident physician under doctor's supervision. In other words, it is the doctor's bill. These services can be provided during office visits or hospital stays, and they often include other services like reading  your x-rays and interpretation of lab results. Charges for services such as taking the x-ray itself and  inpatient hospital emergency room costs  are billed by Medical Center Hospital.  Medical bills can be hard to understand, and the specialists in the Texas Tech Physicians Business Office will be happy to help you. The number is 432-335-5120.

On my bill, I have a charge for interpretation of my test results by a doctor I never saw. Why wouldn't my regular doctor do this?

To provide the best care possible, it is sometimes necessary to have tests which are ordered by one physician read  by a specialist. This  practice is necessary to ensure a high level of care, and you will find that other accredited institutions follow the same practice.

What happens if I miss an appointment?

If you cannot make your appointment, please call the clinic as soon as possible to cancel. A habit of missed appointments could lead to dismissal from the clinic.