Frequently Asked Questions

Please arrive 15 to 20 minutes before your appointment time in order to register and provide or update any information that may be required by your insurance carrier. Please bring any pertinent medical records with you as well as a list of your current medications.

Yes, I actually set aside some time every day for same day or urgent care visits. If there is an urgent need to see me the same day, please try to call at the start of my office hours (8:30 am) and my staff will assist you in setting up a same day appointment if it is available.

24 hours notice of a cancellation is appreciated.

Abnormal results or those of an urgent nature will be phoned directly to you by Dr. Mathew as soon as the results are available. Office staff will mail out the results of all normal labs and tests at patient's request.

I do not renew routine prescriptions or narcotic prescriptions after hours as your records are not available for me to review. You may leave a voice mail message with your pharmacy or my office so that your prescription can be refilled during usual business hours. Please do not email me with prescription refill requests.

Our office is open from 8:30am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. Dr. Mathew works every other Wednesday morning. Her staff will be in the office to take appointments.

McLaren Regional Medical Center

Doctors of internal medicine, often called "internists," focus on adult medicine. They care for their patients for life from the teen years through old age. Internists have had special study and training that focuses on the prevention and treatment of adult diseases. My patient population primarily consists of teens, middle-aged, and senior adults.

Doctors for Adults

To put it simply, doctors of internal medicine are "Doctors for Adults" but may be referred to by several terms, including "internists," "general internists," and "doctors of internal medicine." But don't confuse us for "interns" who are doctors in their first year of residency training!

Although internists may act as primary care physicians, we are not "family physicians," "general practitioners," or "family practitioners," whose training is not solely concentrated on adults and may include surgery, obstetrics and pediatrics.

Simple or Complex Issues - Caring for the Whole Patient

Internists are equipped to deal with a multitude of medical problems — no matter how common or rare, or how simple or complex. Internists are specially trained to solve diagnostic problems, handle chronic illnesses and situations where several different illnesses may strike at the same time.

An essential part of an internist's job is to bring patients to an understanding of "wellness." This includes disease prevention and the promotion of health. Whether the issue is women's health or the effective treatment of common problems, an internist is where you turn to first.

Because Internists are involved with many aspects of medicine, we are acutely aware of the ways that different parts and systems of the body interact. With this broad clinical knowledge we try to encourage our patients to become involved and take personal responsibility for their own good health practices while we deliver effective patient-centered medical care with compassion and concern.

It Started in Germany

The term "Internal Medicine" comes from the German term "Innere Medizin", a discipline popularized in Germany in the late 1800s to describe physicians who combined the science of the laboratory and the care of patients. Many early 20th century American doctors studied medicine in Germany and brought this medical field to the United States where the name "internal medicine" was adopted.