One of the most difficult challenges in moving to a new area is finding good physicians and dentists. Needless to say, it would be desirable to go to someone with good credentials and no serious disciplinary actions issued by the Arizona Medical Board. Here are a few places to get you started with your selection.
Physicians
Since most everyone has insurance coverage for heath care, you can contact your insurance company for a list of providers that would be covered by your insurance program. If that doesn’t work, you can contact the Maricopa County Medical Society (MCMS) referral line at 602-252-2844 or view it’s website at www.mcmsonline.com. This site provides a list of the doctors who are members of the society.
Another way you can get physician names is the Top Doc listing in the Phoenix Magazine. It is important for you to review the section listing the doctors selected by their peers and not the advertisements. A copy of the issue of the 2008 Phoenix Magazine is currently available through the Kare Bears house.
Once you have obtained names of physicians and determined if they accept your insurance, it is worthwhile to verify the doctor’s credentials. The Arizona Medical Board (AMB) at 480-551-2700 also provides physician data on it’s website at www.azmd.gov. This site is a wonderful source of information pertaining to physician profiles. It tells where the doctor went to medical school and when he/she graduated. It includes information on where he/she did their internship and/or residency with the dates of attendance and specialty of study. It includes the area of interest and if the doctor is certified with the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Most importantly, the site allows you see if any board actions have been taken against the doctor and the reasons for the actions. For your information, Physician Assistant profiles and disciplinary actions are also available on this site.
Dentists
The Arizona Dental Association is the place to contact for dental referrals. To obtain information, call 480-344-5777 or view it’s website at www.azda.org. Only dentists belonging to the American Dental Association are referred and they must be members in good standing. You can limit your search if you have specific requirements such as: evening and week-end availability, IV sedation, implant procedures, etc.
The Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners (602-242-1492) is the place to contact for profiles on dentists. Just as the Arizona Medical Board provides data on education and training for medical doctors, the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners provides the same information pertaining to dentists. Upon request, the person you speak to can also inform you of any complaints or board actions that have been made against the dentist.
