Patients are asked to schedule their next appointment prior to leaving the clinic at each visit. A scheduled appointment benefits the patient as well as the medical providers. However, no person in need of services will be turned away without an appropriate medical response or a referral.
We like to see clients at least every 3 months, more than that if needed. If we have not seen you in several months, we will remind you by letter, phone, or home visits. If a scheduled appointment is missed, we will call you or send a letter to your home the following business day to serve as a reminder to reschedule the appointment.

We find it very helpful if you make an appointment (see schedule next page) for all clinic visits including lab draws or medication pick-ups. Please inform us if you cannot keep the appointment. Patients with scheduled appointments will be seen before those who walk in to be seen without an appointment. Blood samples must be drawn before 3:00 PM so that they are ready for the courier.

Who is my doctor?

Dr. Teresa Castro-Rojas is the medical director of the MCHD Early Intervention Services (EIS) program.

Dr. Michael Allison sees patients in Marathon and in Tavernier. If your condition warrants, referrals are made to specialty physicians.

Dr. Whiteside and Dr. Covington are AIDS specialty physicians who see AIDS patients in the EIS program. They follow patients in the hospital if hospitalization is necessary. Between doctor visits, needs such as medicine refills and labs are taken care of by the clinic nurses. A physician is available to clinic staff at all times.

To talk to a doctor or nurse, call the clinic and request to speak to the medical professional. If you receive a voice mail, leave a detailed message with your name and client number, the time, date and day of your message, details of what you need, and your phone number. If your call is medically urgent, hang up, call back and tell the receptionist that you have a medical emergency.

What do I do when the clinic is closed?

When the health department is closed (weekends/holidays/after 5 PM), the answering service receives all calls at 305-292-6885. If you should have an urgent medical need when clinic staff is not available, you may let the operator know that you need to speak to the physician on call. The answering service is instructed to contact the physician on-call when a patient needs urgent care. If you have an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room (Stock Island, Marathon, Tavernier). For non-urgent calls, leave a message and you will be contacted the next working day.

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