{"id":2313,"date":"2021-02-17T11:01:12","date_gmt":"2021-02-17T16:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/shac\/?page_id=2313"},"modified":"2026-03-31T21:09:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T01:09:37","slug":"patient-faqs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/shac\/patients\/patient-faqs\/","title":{"rendered":"Patient FAQs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Medical Clinic<\/span><\/h2>\n

When should I arrive for my appointment?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Please arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment.<\/p>\n

How long should I expect to be at SHAC for my appointment?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have a large team that works with our patients to provide medical, social and financial support. Please expect to be here for about 1 to 2 hours.<\/p>\n

What other resources do you offer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition to the many teams listed on our website, we also offer a food pantry that we receive weekly specifically for our patients.<\/p>\n

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HIV & STI<\/span><\/h2>\n

What will happen at my appointment?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you come in, you will likely be given some paperwork to complete while you wait for your provider \u2013 please make sure your contact information is accurate in case we need to get in touch after your visit. One of our counselors will then spend 10-15 minutes getting to know you and your needs, as well as discussing your recommended tests and answering any questions you may have. For urine tests, we will guide you on how to self-collect the specimen, which you will do privately in a restroom and leave the sample in a designated spot. For other tests, we will collect a few drops of blood from one of your fingers to run in a test device. We are currently delivering results via phone, after your visit is concluded.<\/p>\n

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Physical Therapy<\/span><\/h2>\n

What problems should I go to Physical Therapy for?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Physical therapists can help with a wide array of health concerns, including proper healing after surgery, muscle sprains and strains, joint and back pain, balance and vestibular problems, injury prevention, and so much more! If you are not sure if physical therapy would be appropriate for your injury or concern, contact us and we can schedule you for an appointment or refer you to someone who can help.<\/p>\n

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What should I bring to my appointment?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bring whatever equipment you have been using (walker, cane, brace, etc.) and wear loose-fitting clothing and shoes that you can move or exercise in.<\/p>\n

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What will the Physical Therapist do?<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the first visit, the physical therapist will ask you some background questions to learn more about you and your condition. Then, they will conduct a series of tests which may include measuring your range of motion and muscle strength, as well as palpating the area. After they determine a diagnosis, they will create your treatment plan, including a home exercise and stretching plan, and conduct any necessary treatment in the clinic with whatever time is left.<\/p>\n

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Bridge to Care<\/span><\/h2>\n

What is the best way for patients to contact SHAC Bridge To Care (BTC)?<\/strong><\/p>\n

You can contact us at 919-904-4302<\/a> and leave a voicemail with your name, date of birth, and reason why you\u2019re calling. We will get back to you within 48 hours. If it is an emergency, please hang up and call 911.<\/p>\n

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I am a Bridge To Care (BTC) patient and I need a medication refill, what should I do?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Call us at 919-904-4302<\/a> and leave your name, date of birth, medication(s) you need refilled, and preferred pharmacy name and location.<\/p>\n

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What if I do not know if I am a Bridge To Care (BTC) patient?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Call us at 919-904-4302<\/a> and leave your name, date of birth, and reason for calling. We will connect you with the correct program.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dental Clinic<\/span><\/h2>\n

Will I receive treatment the first time I visit?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No, our clinic flow process includes at least 3 appointments, with treatment only occurring after a new patient screening.<\/p>\n

-Appointment 1) X-rays<\/p>\n

-Appointment 2) Screening (Exam with Dental Student)<\/p>\n

-Appointment 3) Treatment (Cleanings, Fillings, Extractions)<\/p>\n

If you are experiencing a dental emergency, please call UNC Dental School Urgent Care Department at (919) 537-3737<\/a> between 8AM and 5PM.<\/p>\n

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Can I receive more than one dental treatment in a clinic night?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since there are more patients than we have time to treat, we can only provide one treatment per patient at each clinic night.<\/p>\n

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Can you extract my wisdom teeth?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This depends entirely on each individual. We have to take x-rays and do a clinical exam to determine if we can extract a wisdom tooth.<\/p>\n

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Get Covered Carolina<\/span><\/h2>\n

When can I enroll in health insurance?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Normally, during an Open Enrollment Period, which runs from November 1st – December 15th every year. However, this year, there is a Special Enrollment Period from December 15th – January 15th due to the pandemic. We are also available year round to talk about Medicaid and even to assist people going through life hardship with standard marketplace insurance.<\/p>\n

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How do I get in touch with you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Feel free to reach out to us using our email or phone number, or check out the NC Get Covered Widget (https:\/\/widget.getcoveredamerica.org\/) to schedule an appointment with us or a number of other Navigator organizations to talk about health insurance.<\/p>\n

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GYN Wellness<\/span><\/h2>\n

Does GYN Wellness Clinic provide contraception<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

Yes, we can help patients acquire contraception. However, we do not offer free contraception at the clinic. We will help patients in the process of getting IUD’s free-of-cost, oral contraceptives, or menopause treatment.<\/p>\n

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How can I access contraception and\/or medications, if I do not have insurance<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

Please bring proof of income (e.g, a paystub, W2, 1099 etc.) to your appointment. We can complete paperwork at your first appointment for a no-cost prescription. If you do not have proof of income, don’t worry! You can complete a form at SHAC, which will qualify you to apply.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When should I arrive for my appointment? Please arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment. How long should I expect to be at SHAC for my appointment? We have a large team that works with our patients to provide medical, social and financial support. Please expect to be here for about 1 to 2 hours. … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":110629,"featured_media":0,"parent":2255,"menu_order":19,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-2313","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","odd"],"acf":[],"_links_to":[],"_links_to_target":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/shac\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/shac\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/shac\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/shac\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/110629"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/shac\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2313"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/shac\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2313\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4498,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/shac\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2313\/revisions\/4498"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/shac\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/shac\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}