Policies and Procedures
Office Hours and Appointments
Office hours are from 8 am-7 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Appointments: Initial/consultation appointments for patients are generally 60 minutes.
Once your initial appointment is scheduled, we will send you a link to set up your portal. All your initial paperwork will be in your portal. We strongly encourage you to fill out your initial paperwork online before your first appointment. This will help cut down on the amount of time it takes you to check-in.
Appointments are expected to start on time & end on time. Please be aware if your appointment
extends beyond the allotted time for any reason, you will be charged for the additional time at
the prorated hourly rate.
No Shows/Late Cancellations/Late Arrivals
We understand that you may need to cancel an appointment occasionally. In such circumstances, please contact us no later than 24 business hours before your scheduled appointment time.
Cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice & No-Show appointments may be subject to a $25 fee.
No-show/cancellation fees are the patient’s sole responsibility & must be paid before your next appointment.
We know that unexpected situations sometimes arise. In the case of emergencies or extenuating circumstances, we may waive the no-show fee. Waivers are determined on a case-by-case basis at the practice management's sole discretion. 402.205.8550 ext. 150 or email lisaw@hmtnebraska.com
Our late policy is designed to ensure that sessions start promptly and allow for meaningful therapeutic
work. Please arrive a few minutes early to settle in and prepare for your session. If you arrive late, your
session will still end at the scheduled time to avoid affecting other clients’ appointments. If you arrive
more than 10 minutes late your session will be rescheduled, and you will be charged a $25 fee. We understand that unforeseen circumstances can occur, so please communicate with us if you anticipate being late.
We appreciate your cooperation in maintaining a respectful and efficient schedule.
For our part, we will make every effort to provide you with adequate notice if the therapist will be unavailable for a scheduled appointment and will work to reschedule your appointment in a timely fashion.
Inclement Weather
In some cases of inclement weather your appointment may need to be canceled or rescheduled. We follow the Local School System schedule for delays and closures. However, there may be some instances when we are open or operating on a normal schedule despite school closings/delays. We may call you to request that you come earlier or later than your scheduled time due to the weather. If your appointment is cancelled, every effort will be made to reschedule your appointment. If you need to cancel your appointment due to inclement weather, you may cancel without a fee.
Electronic Communication
The preferred method of communication is through the secure patient portal. You will get the fastest and most complete response if you state your concern by sending a message through the portal. Please note that all communications will be added to your medical records. Messages received through the portal are checked daily during business hours Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 8 am-7 pm. Messages received after hours, on weekends, or holidays are reviewed the next business day. Please allow at least 1-2 business days for a response for portal messages.
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Portal communication is not for emergencies or urgent issues. Please do not send us a message through the portal that is of an urgent or emergent nature. Please note if you need immediate assistance, are having suicidal or homicidal thoughts, or any other emergency, please call 911 or go to the emergency room.
A fee may be charged for clinical phone calls/portal messages between appointments. This fee is not covered by insurance. This fee does not apply to phone calls or messages strictly related to scheduling, billing, or other non-clinical questions.
Phone Calls
Office/Phone hours are Monday to Thursday 8 am – 7 pm.
These hours are for scheduling, billing, and other non-clinical questions.
Telephone counseling during off hours, NOT of an emergency nature are discouraged. However, should you feel a crisis or dangerous situation is probable, feel free to call your therapist without hesitation.
Call 402.205.8550 Ext. 301 for Brian or Ext. 302 for Lori.
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Brief phone calls of 5 minutes or less are not charged. However, if we spend more than 5 minutes in a week on the phone or if we spend more than 5 minutes reading and responding to emails, you will be billed on a prorated basis for that time. Please note that all communications will be added to your medical records.
Portal messages are not checked after hours, on holidays, or on the weekends. We do not schedule/cancel appointments after hours, on holidays, or over the weekend.
Patient Portal
Through the patient portal we may send you questionnaires or other information prior to your appointment. Please complete any forms/questionnaires at least 24 hours prior to being seen for an appointment. Again, the patient portal is not for urgent/emergency messages.
Unattended Children
Please do not leave children unattended, HMT is NOT responsible for watching your children. Please do not let your children go exploring through our cabinets, offices or the super, cool, old bank building (in Oakland). We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.