Nothing is more frustrating to patients and their referring primary care physicians than having difficulty accessing care and information when it is needed.  OPA has established the following systems and services to help alleviate this problem.

Extended Hours Phone Access
The OPA main phone is active from 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday – Friday and does not close during the noon hour.  Call volume is monitored closely and multiple agents are standing by to take calls and schedule appointments.

Direct Phone Access To Medical Assistants
Patients are given the direct extension phone number to their OPA provider’s dedicated medical assistant.  While medical assistants are frequently assisting other patients, voice messages are returned promptly when left before 4:30pm.  Medical assistants can reach the patient’s surgeon or surgeon on call at any time and respond to special needs.  Patients are counseled to call 911 in case of medical emergencies.

Prompt Access – Walk In Clinic
OPA operates the first and only walk-in, extended hours musculoskeletal clinic in Alaska.  Orthopedic Prompt Access makes it possible for anyone who suffers from a non-life threatening injury or other muscle, bone or joint condition to simply walk in without an appointment or doctor’s referral.  This is a tremendous convenience and cost saving for those who find it difficult to wait for an appointment with an orthopedic specialist during regular hours or too costly and time consuming to wait in a hospital emergency room only to follow up later with an orthopedic physician.  Orthopedic Prompt Access is open between noon and 8:00pm, Monday through Friday, and Noon and 6:00pm on Saturday (closed holidays).

OPA Surgeon On Call
An OPA surgeon is on call at all times. Calls made to the OPA main line after 5:00pm M-F and on weekends and holidays will go directly to the OPA answering service.  Callers may leave a message with the service requesting the OPA surgeon on call contact them.

Referring Provider Hotline
Physicians and other health care professionals may call the OPA Referring Provider Hotline at any time and speak directly with an OPA surgeon.  Whether the call is to refer a patient or simply consult with a surgeon about a condition they wish to treat in their own office, provider calls are always welcome.