I believe that
the broadest and most effective impact on our own wellbeing occurs when
we attend to our lives via multiple, integrated paths - body, mind,
social connections, and spirit. The attitude in which I approach the
work involves not only addressing presenting symptoms and
vulnerabilities but also working with my patients to identify and build
upon their strengths. The overarching goal is emotional resilience and a
healthy, centered life.
The learning process in developing my
approach encompasses the standard medical and psychoanalytic studies but
also includes philosophy, anthropology and spirituality. Cultivating
self-awareness and self-knowledge is a cornerstone of this
approach.
Contacting Me
Non-emergency
Phone, E-mail and Fax contacts, and the Website
Appointment changes,
non- emergent medication questions, and other administrative messages
should be left on my voicemail (916/797- 2248). I check for messages
several times daily on working days and will try to answer calls within
a day. Questions and concerns related to psychotherapy are best
approached in session. Please call all medication refill requests
directly to your pharmacy, even if you have no refills left on your
prescription; your pharmacist will contact me by fax or phone if my
input is necessary.
As of May, 2003, my email address is
drsaz@surewest.net. Please do NOT use email for emergent scheduling or
clinical messages. Faxes can be sent to 916/797-2289. I also have a
website, http://www.sazimamd.yourmd.com, that provides information about
my clinical practice, seminars I offer (through Sierra Lifeworks), and
mental health issues in general.
Emergencies
For emergency
contacts, call my voicemail (916/797-2248) and follow the instructions
on how to reach me emergently. If am I available, my message will
include how to contact me; if not, the message will have other
instructions re: a covering clinician. Such contacts should be confined
to emergencies only. In any event, should your emergency be such that
you cannot wait up to 2 hours for a return call, instead call 911, or go
to your nearest hospital emergency room.
About ResiliencePath
It is clear that
patients who actively participate in their treatment have the most
success. I have developed these ResiliencePath documents, to help you
learn all you can about your illness and master techniques to helping
yourself get and stay well.
This site has ResiliencePath documents
on:
Depression Bipolar Disorder Anxiety
Schizophrenia Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Relaxation Skills
Recommended Reading
Feedback is always welcome... thanks.
Greg
Sazima, MD
Scheduling Appointments
I personally
manage my appointment schedule; leave me a voice mail message (916/797-2248) to
set up an appointment. Please always leave your return phone number,even if
we've spoken before, to make my getting back to you a little easier.
The
bulk of my office schedule occurs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and
Thursdays; Fridays generally are set aside for other work. I'll do the best I
can to set up a mutually agreeable time for our visits.
If you cannot
attend a scheduled appointment, please contact me as soon as possible, so that I
can reschedule your appointment. The clinical time you are contracting for
cannot be easily and quickly rescheduled on my part. Please note, then, that
except for dire emergencies, any missed appointments ("no-shows") and
appointments that are not canceled at least THREE BUSINESS DAYS before your
scheduled time will be billed for the FULL cost of the visit. I appreciate you
respecting these ground rules for our treatment relationship.
Thanks -
looking forward to working with you.
GCS
Payment
Full payment of
your fee for the visit is expected at the time of your visit, unless
otherwise agreed upon. Payment may be by cash or check (I do not accept
credit cards); I suggest that you have your check prepared prior to our
appointment, so that we can spend your entire visit on clinical issues. My
fee schedule is as follows(as of (2/1/08):
Initial Evaluation (up to
90 minutes, plus documentation time) $300
Full psychotherapy visit
(~45-50 minutes plus documentation time) $230
Brief psychotherapy
visit (~20 minutes plus documentation time) $130
Medication
management visit (~20 minutes plus doc, time) $130
Misc.
administrative time* $300/hour
(*In limited circumstances, I will bill
for these services: reports or documentation beyond brief forms; letters
on your behalf; lengthy/ emergent phone contacts. These charges are
billed per 15 minute/$75increment.)
Please note that I am contracted
with these insurance entities only: 1) Blue Shield of CA (but NOT Blue
Cross) and 2) United Healthcare, including United Behavioral Health. If
you should be covered under one of these insurance plans, please advise me
PRIOR to our first visit; I will bill those entities directly, and you
will be responsible for the contacted copayments or deductibles at the
time of each visit. If you are not contracted with either of these plans,
then my services represent an out-of-pocket expense for you payable at
the time of the visit. Upon your request, I will provide a billing
statement with charges and your payments, should you wish to seek
reimbursement on your own from your insurer. I am not a Medicare or
MediCal provider.
Also, note that a $10 fee will be charged for
any checks returned for insufficient funds
Thanks... Greg Sazima,
MD
Sierra LifeWorks Seminars
In response to
requests from many of my patients, I have developed and provide a series
of seminar programs in wellness and stress management skills under the
name Sierra LifeWorks. Let me fill you in on some
details.
Program Foundations
I've learned a bit about stress
management over the last fifteen-plus years of clinical practice and
teaching. I developed wellness programs for Good Samaritan Hospital in
San Jose and for the Family Health Clinic at Stanford's Family Practice
medical residency program in San Jose, where I teach as a member of
their clinical faculty. While I often incorporate these concepts and
skills in my work with individual patients, teaching them in a seminar
format allows for the benefits of a group setting for learning.
A
central focus of the program is the understanding and development of
mindfulness, a practice common to Eastern spiritual traditions and
remarkably effective in preventing and moderating psychological stress.
The seminar will help participants understand the physical and
psychological causes and effects of stress and develop a integrated,
mindful plan for healthy self care "from the inside out": from body to
mind to social supports and beyond.
Program
Structure
ResiliencePath is a series of 4 weekly classes, each 90
minutes long. Each seminar includes both a didactic lesson in
understanding and managing stress and an experience training segment
with specific training in relaxation tools - including relaxation
breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness (sitting)
meditation, and other mindful practices. The style is informal and
socratic. This is a powerful, rich curriculum that I believe can be of
great benefit.
Week 1: Introduction to Stress Awareness:
Understanding the medical basis of stress and relaxation
Week 2:
Mindfulness and Meditation: Learning the basic foundations of a mindful
practice
Week 3: Healthy Lifestyle Practices: The basics of proper
sleep, diet, and exercise ? and sticking to a plan
Week 4: Living
Mindfully: Building a life plan from body to mind to social supports and
beyond
Fees and Scheduling I offer the 4-week course for $325,
pre-paid by cash or check. A reservation for the seminar can be held
(a limit of 12 participants for each seminar period) for a
non-refundable $100 deposit. Please contact me at your convenience to
reserve a spot and/ or to discuss the seminar program.
Thanks!
GCS
Privacy and Confidentiality
The privacy and
confidentiality of our work is something I take very seriously. Please
note that confidential patient information will not be released without
your consent, except in rare circumstances of imminent legal or
medical risk. I do not electronically bill insurance companies; while I
monitor claims issues online, the service used (www.ubhonline.com) is
fully compliant with HIPAA regulations for protection of
online/electronic transmissions of patient information. For reasons of
securing privacy, I refrain from providing direct clinical advice via
email. For more information about governmental HIPAA mandates
(applicable as of 4-14-03), see...
