Maria Parham Pain & Physical Medicine Clinic

The Physicians and Staff of Maria Parham Pain & Physical Medicine Clinic would like to welcome you to their practice. We offer the very finest in medical care designed uniquely to help you regain that quality of life that you may have lost. With board-certified physiatrists (medical doctors) and a specially trained medical staff, our team has your well-being as our prime concern. Call us directly for an appointment or talk to your family physician about obtaining a referral.

WHAT IS PHYSIATRY, PHYSICAL & REHABILITATIVE MEDICINE?

Physiatrists, or Rehabilitation Physicians, are specialists who treat injuries or illnesses of the nerves, muscles and bones. Physiatrists take into account the body as a whole and develop care plans that can enhance movement and overall quality of life, often without surgery. These treatment plans can include specialized exercise regiments, pain control and alternative forms of therapy.
Reasons to see a physiatrist include:

• Chronic Pain from Injury or Accident
• Neck or Lower Back Pain
• Stroke, Spinal Cord or Nerve Injury
• Sports, Muscular or Skeletal Injuries
• Limited physical function or chronic pain due to arthritis
• Diminished energy due to illness or injury

A COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT PLAN

During your initial visit, a Physiatrist will thoroughly assess your condition, needs, and expectations. During this evaluation, they will attempt to understand your condition by pinpointing a cause while ruling out any serious medical illnesses. They may order various tests including x-rays, CT Scans, MRI, EMG and/or lab work. The physician studies the results and then discusses the findings with you. With your input, the physician will develop a care plan that will address your specific needs – both short term and long term in nature. If surgery is needed, they will work with your surgeon to develop a plan that addresses both pre and post surgery goals. Your physiatrist will help you to find relief from pain, achieve successes in rehabilitation or exercise programs, overcome your setbacks, and reassess your goals if necessary.

Insurance Policies - We participate with most insurance plans, but it is your responsibility to call your insurance carrier to determine whether or not we are included in your particular plan. Also, if your plan requires a referral from your Primary Care Physician for Specialist office visits, you are responsible for obtaining this referral. As a courtesy to our patients, we submit claims to all insurance companies provided we have complete and accurate information. Any co-payments are due at the time of service.

Appointments - Either you or your referring physician may make appointments by calling our office between 8:00 am & 4:30 pm weekdays. Appointments are made in advance but urgent cases can be seen quickly in most instances. If you are unable to keep your appointment, please call our office at least 24 hours in advance so that we may use that time for another patient.

Telephone Calls - Except in emergencies, our doctors do not accept calls while they are seeing patients. Our staff is experienced and able to answer most questions or they will relay your message to your doctor. When necessary, they will obtain appropriate answers from your doctor immediately or give you an approximate time to expect a return call. If you need to reach us in an emergency after hours, call the office phone number. Our answering service will locatethe physician on-call.

Prescription Refills - Prescriptions cannot be refilled after normal working hours or on weekends. Please allow at least three business days for refills to be processed.

CARL L. SMITH, SR., MD, FAAPM&R

Dr. Carl L. Smith, a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, has been with Maria Parham Physiatry since 2002. He serves as Maria Parham Medical Center’s Medical Director for both Outpatient Rehab Services and Center for Rehabilitation. He received his undergraduate degree from Holy Cross and his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He completed his internship at the Preliminary Medicine State University of New York at Buffalo, Medical-Dental Consortium. He completed his first Residency at the State University of New York at Buffalo and his second at Medical Acupuncture for Physicians, University of California at Los Angeles.

ANURADHA RAO-PATEL, MD,FAAPM&R

Dr. Anuradha Rao-Patel, a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, joined forces with Dr. Carl Smith in March of 2008 as part of the newly renamed Maria Parham Pain & Physical Medicine Clinic. She received her undergraduate degree in Microbiology/Pre-medicine from Louisiana State University. She also received a B.S. in Medical Technology & Clinical Laboratory Science from the LSU School of Allied Health Professionals. She is a graduate of Louisiana State University School of Medicine inNew Orleans. She did her internship at LSU and she completed her residency at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.