Helpful Tips


Here are some general tips to help expedite the process of getting you as healthy as possible as quickly as possible.



  1. Fastest Way to Get a Prescription
  2. Best Day to Have Our Staff Take Care of Non-Urgent Matters
  3. If You Are Having Problems Shortly After Being Seen for an Appointment
  4. Best Time to Come In for an Office Visit (Non-Urgent)
  5. Getting Urgent Appointments
  6. In Regards to Blood Tests
  7. Lowering Glucose, Cholesterol, and/or Triglycerides
  8. Keeping Your Information Updated
  9. "Cures" for the Common Cold
  10. Obtaining Authorizations
  11. Avoiding Fees



  1. Fastest Way to Get a Prescription

    The best way to get a prescription is to contact your local pharmacy and have them fax a prescription order to us. This way, your medication, dosage, and directions are all there and ready to be approved. All it needs is a doctor's signature and to be faxed back! Please do not wait until the last minute to get your prescription. It is always better to plan ahead and give yourself about a week's lead. Never wait until you run out of medication!


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  2. Best Day to Have Our Staff Take Care of Non-Urgent Matters

    Wednesday is usually the quietest day of the week at Grace Pacific Medical Associates. This day is by far the best day to contact our staff for things like prescriptions, referral letters, acquiring authorizations for medications, specialists, procedures, or equipment, copying records, or other non-urgent matters.

    Mondays and Fridays are often very busy as they are near the weekend. Trying during the middle of the week is best. If you believe you have a situation that warrants immediate attention, please don't wait and contact us at any time!


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  3. If You Are Having Problems Shortly After Being Seen for an Appointment

    If in the unusual circumstance that your symptoms do not improve or you develop different symptoms within a few weeks of seeing the doctor, you often don't have to worry about trying to schedule another appointment. If you have been seen recently and the doctor knows of your symptoms, he may be willing to prescribe medication or refer you to a specialist.

    If, however, your symptoms worsen or the doctor had given prior directions in regards to your situation, please let us know immediately.


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  4. Best Time to Come In for an Office Visit (Non-Urgent)

    Mondays and Fridays are often very busy because of weekend back-up. If you prefer shorter waits, Tuesdays through Thursdays are usually a bit slower.

    First and last appointments are often the first to go as most patients like to have their appointments either before or after work. If you wish to expedite appointment scheduling, we strongly advise you to be flexible with your time. Appointments with the shortest wait would be our first appointments after lunch.

    We are open on some Saturdays. These time slots are ideal as our phone lines are not open (though our messaging system will be available) and our staff is less likely to be busy. These time slots are great for patients who work weekdays and who have difficulties getting time off from work. Please note that not all our practitioners are available on Saturdays.


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  5. Getting Urgent Appointments

    Due to his popularity, it may often be difficult to get immediate appointments with Dr. Yu. Dr. Yu does have certain time slots set aside for urgent care, but these time slots are set and are not flexible. The slots most likely to be available are usually between 10 to 11am or 2 to 3pm. Appointments with short waits would be our first appointments of the day or our first appointments after lunch. Again, note that the former slots are very often in high demand.

    If you have an urgent matter, do NOT ask for a check-up or H&P appointment! These appointments are considered non-urgent. If you have a specific problem, inform the staff of your symptoms as precisely as you can and they will triage you for an appropriate appointment time. Symptoms that warrant immediate attention include but are not exclusive to fevers, severe pain, high blood pressure, vomiting, open wounds with or without bleeding, and falls for elderly patients (even if they do not show any outward harm). If any of these symptoms are especially severe, do not wait for a doctor's appointment and call 911. Please do not lie about any of your symptoms. If your case is not urgent and you deliberately mislead us, you may take away a time slot that could be given to someone who does need to be seen immediately. This is dangerous.


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  6. In Regards to Blood Tests

    Your physician will tell you whether fasting is required. If it is, you must fast for about 10 hours before you have your blood drawn. Since it can be quite difficult not to eat for 10 hours, we advise that you begin your fast the night before you take your test. After dinner, stop eating (water is okay) and do the labwork in the morning before breakfast. After your blood is drawn, reward yourself with a well-deserved, hearty meal!


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  7. Lowering Glucose, Cholesterol, and/or Triglycerides

    Though your physician is the only one qualified to decide how your health problems should be treated, there are some general practices that are often beneficial and never harmful. The first would be getting regular exercise. Daily walks are good for almost everyone. Second, monitor your ingestion of sugar and starches--i.e. carbohydrates--and minimizing intake of fatty foods and red meats such as beef and pork (chicken and fish are okay). Lastly, make sure you drink enough water every day. Water prevents dehydration (even mild dehydration can cause problems like headaches) and can help flush out excess sodium. Doing all these things regularly can often (but not always, as again only your physician is qualified to make such decisions) improve your glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides results. If you have severely elevated or low results, be sure to speak with your physician!


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  8. Keeping Your Information Updated

    Always remember to keep your file with us updated! If you change your insurance be sure to let us know so that you do not end up responsible for payment of services. Also inform us if and when your contact information, such as your address or phone number, changes. It is very important that your physician be able to get in contact with you regarding your health!


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  9. "Cures" for the Common Cold

    Unfortunately there is no true cure for the common cold. There is no medication that makes you well or that prevents you from becoming sick. You can take preventative measures such as keeping your hands clean and using antibacterial gel, but there is actually no "medication" that protects you from being sick. You may also try vitamins and herbs such as vitamin C, zinc, and echinasea to help boost your immune system, but these are not guarantees against you getting sick. Zinc, a common ingredient in over the counter medications such as Airborne, Zicam, and Cold-Eeze, may however help you shorten your symptoms. You can also relieve your symptoms with typical over the counter medications such as Nyquil, Comtrex, Tylenol Cold, etc. Ultimately, your body must heal itself, so give it lots of liquid and rest. If you are not sure that you have a cold, or your symptoms last over a week, please contact us and we will assist you in any way that we can.


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  10. Obtaining Authorizations

    Sometimes you may need an authorization to get a specific medication, specialist, procedure, or piece of equipment not usually covered by your insurance. We will help you find out what is covered as a courtesy, but please remember that it is the patient's responsiblity to confirm coverage. In such cases that authorizations are needed, the process can take anywhere from a few hours to three weeks to acquire depending on what your insurance company deems urgent. To help expedite the process, make sure you have exhausted all other options first as most insurance companies want you to try covered meds, doctors, etc. before going out of plan. This will spare you and us from having to submit an authorization request more than once!


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  11. Avoiding Fees

    GPMA charges fees for certain administrative services. See a list here. To avoid these fees, try the following:

    • If you have an appointment anyway, that is the best time to ask for copies of reports. We will often waive the fee.
    • If you are able to pick up documents in person, you will not have to pay for us to mail it.
    • Always be ready to pay your copay when you come in for an office visit, so that you do not incur the $5 billing fee.
    • Because of the inconvenience it causes our doctors, staff, and most importantly our other patients, we charge fees for missed appointments or last-minute changes for which we didn't receive notice. If you call us a day ahead to let us know you need to reschedule or cancel, you can save yourself between $25 and $50. (The $50 fee is for missing H&P appointments. These appointments often require up to an hour's worth of time. All other missed appointments are $25.)

      • If you have any questions or think you have been charged mistakenly, call our office and ask for our Billing Department.

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