My Practice

Office Information and Policies

We are located in Manhattan at 523 East 72nd Street, [between York Avenue and FDR Drive] on the campus of the Hospital for Special Surgery [HSS]. The Hospital for Special Surgery ranks number one in the nation and is world renowned as a teaching and research hospital. Our affiliation enables us access to state of the art equipment, as well as the most up-to-date technology, both of which help us to offer you state of the art treatment. We pride ourselves on the level of treatment we offer.

Our primary emphasis is on conditions affecting the lower extremity [knee, ankle and foot]. Our sub-specialty is sports-related injury and conditions. Our practice has an International scope with patients coming from all over the world.

This packet is intended to apprise you of our policies and services as well as help you navigate through the logistical and administrative steps you'll take during the course of your treatment. The information within will help you plan for your visit and care.

Services

Our Primary Service is all orthopedic surgery for the lower extremities with a specialty of Sports related injury to the lower extremity. A comprehensive list of our extensive surgical services can be found on this website under the ‘Services’ tab. Dr. Kennedy is your primary surgeon and will oversee your care from start to finish. Depending on the procedure, the average post-op period ranges from 2 - 3 months with periodic visits decreasing as your healing progresses. A more extensive procedure will render a longer period of convalescence.

Business Hours

Office Hours: 9am - 5pm Monday - Friday
Phone Hours: 9:00am - 4pm Monday - Friday

Phones

We have 6 phone lines. If they are all in use, your call rolls over to our voicemail or service which we check hourly during our regular hours of operation. Typically we are able to respond to your message within the same work day.

Our direct phone number is 646-797-8880

Scheduling an Appointment

We understand your time to be a precious commodity and we value it. And we are thoroughly aware of all the arrangements you need to put in place for a visit or surgery. Our aim is to see you at the appointed time. Given the nature of our surgical practice we often work with emergencies. We factor in for these emergencies, yet there will be times when our schedule is subject to change. Additionally, we are subject to the overall surgical schedule at the Hospital for Special Surgery (which is also responsive to emergencies and subject to change). We receive the hospital O.R. schedule in our office, during the late afternoon, on the day prior. For example, we'll receive Tuesday's schedule sometime Wednesday afternoon. Consequently, there will be times when we need to re-schedule office visits.

Please understand that we will go to all lengths to honor your schedule and we thank you in advance for your consideration pertaining to this dynamic of the practice. Bearing this in mind, on the day of your appointment we encourage you to keep your schedule fairly open. In this way you will not feel any additional time related pressure.

New Patients - Your First Visit

You will check in with the registrar on the Fifth floor of the East River Professional Building. The registrar will give you a questionnaire which is used by the Hospital for Special Surgery. The information you supply with that questionnaire will be entered into a research database and accessed for research purposes. Dr. Kennedy and his associate Medical Fellows will interview you about the specifics of your condition and any relevant history. You may be asked to fill out a second questionnaire by our administrative office.

It is quite usual for new patients to undergo one or on occasion, more radiographic studies as outlined below. You will need to factor this into your schedule as some additional time is needed for these studies. We have our own X-ray department on the fifth floor. Any other studies would be conducted across the street at HSS or down stairs with East River Imaging.

Consequently, the length of your first visit will be largely dependent on the number of tests you need. Please plan accordingly.

Radiography [ X-rays, CAT Scans and MRI's]

The Hospital for Special Surgery is highly reputed for its imaging, radiographic studies and world famous radiologists (www.imaginghss.org/physician-profiles/dr_potter.htm). Our proximity to the hospital affords us the convenience of relatively quick access to any of these studies or labs. These tests are essential diagnostic tools. It is most likely that you will go for one of these tests on the day of your first visit. If, on the day of your visit you need to have any of the above mentioned tests, we will inquire about the availability of a same day appointment at either the Hospital for Special Surgery, (HSS) or East River Imaging. There are 2 benefits from using these facilities. One, the results are most often available to us on the same day or within 24 hours. Secondly, the images are consistently excellent in quality. If you prefer to have the images taken at our facility on another day, you will need to schedule that on your own.

Arranging for Your MRI, Ultrasound, or CT scan

If you have various scheduling considerations and other obligations to consider, it is best for you to make the arrangements for your test.

*We need 3-4 days to pre-certify your procedure with your insurance company

The Hospital for Special Surgery radiography department is located at 535 East 79th street. (Between York Ave and the East River)

MRI is in the basement.
Tel: 212.606.1882

East River Imaging
523-535 East 72nd street. (Between York Ave and the East River)
Tel: 212.288.1575

Using a Facility Closer to Your Home

Should you prefer to have your images taken at another location, you will need to make that appointment and arrange for the films to come to our office.

*We need 3-4 days to pre-certify your procedure with your insurance company

Labs [Blood tests, EKG's etc.]

Various lab studies help the doctor to make a determination about your condition. If Dr. Kennedy feels you need any lab work, once again, the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) conveniently located across the street provides these services. If you are having Surgery with Dr. Kennedy, it is recommended that you use the facility at HSS as the results are easily accessed and there is less likely to be any delay in receiving the results of your tests.

Follow Up Visits

If you need a follow up appointment, please make it when you are checking out. If you need to cancel the appointment we ask for a 24 hour cancellation notice so that someone else can have the opportunity to see the Doctor.

Surgery

If it is determined that the best course of action for you is a surgical procedure that we perform, please speak with our surgical coordinator. To help you prepare for that conversation, please read the Surgical Prep Pamphlet which covers the various steps and dimensions for your pre and post-op considerations and arrangements.

Billing

Payment is due in full at the time of each visit. We accept cash, checks Visa. Mastercard & Discover. Furthermore, as a courtesy to the patient, we will submit to your insurance company.

Forms, Letters & Requests for Documentation

There are several steps involved in providing written documentation for the various institutions, agencies and schools that request the data. If you need any form of written documentation as mentioned above, please note our timelines as outlined below.
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FILLING IN ALL FIELDS, except for the section that the MD will fill in.

PLEASE PHOTOCOPY ANY LETTER OR DOCUMENTATION WE GIVE YOU.

Letters - 7 Days for processing

If you need a letter for your school or employer, please mention it twice. First, mention it to the Doctor. Secondly, mention it to the administrator checking you out. If you do it in this way, quite often you will be able to leave the office with the letter, as the chart is already present, and the physicians are able to give the administrator the points - in the moment. If you call from home, there is a 7 day turn-around time. If you need a letter for your insurance provider, please submit your request in writing, and include any relevant points your carrier needs to know. We will give you the letter and you can submit it to the relevant carrier. There is usually a 7 day turn-around time for this request.

Disability Forms - 14 Days for processing

When submitting forms to us for Disability, it is essential that you fill in all the fields of any forms with the relevant information such as Name, address, date of birth, telephone, etc. Also, fill in any relevant information you have about the condition being treated such as - Did this occur at work? Have you been treated for this condition before? When did this happen? Etc. The only part of the form that the Physician will fill in is Diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and length of time you'll need to be absent from work. After the physician has filled out his portion of the document we will mail it to you. We recommend that you make a photocopy for your records prior to submitting it to your disability provider.

Request for Documentation - 30 Days for processing

In the event that you need a copy of your chart or any aspect of that chart, the request must be made in writing. Include the address you would like us to send the document to. Also, please specify precisely what document(s) you need from your chart. Once we receive your request there is a 30 day turn-around time for our admin team to process the request. Photocopying charges apply. Please check with the office admin team.