Los Altos Center

Specialties available at this location: click on the name for more information.

Family of patients at Los Altos Clinic

Physicians who see children & adults:

Physicians who see children only:

Physicians who see adults only:

Administrative and Other Phone Numbers

Holiday Schedule

Since opening its doors in 1994, the Los Altos Center of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) has provided timely, high-quality and comprehensive care to patients of all ages.

Our quiet, family-friendly facility is conveniently located and has recently expanded, in square footage and number of physicians, to better serve our patients. Our new building adds about 13,000 square feet to the campus, creating room for more exam rooms, laboratory facilities and a conference room for health education classes. As part of our Advanced Access program, we also offer a primary care appointment to our patients within one to two days of their request.

As we add new physicians, the Los Altos Center will remain focused on primary care, offering family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics and OB/Gyn services. The Center also provides on-site radiology and lab services.

The information below will help you obtain health care promptly and efficiently.

Los Altos Center
370 Distel Circle
Los Altos, CA 94022-1442
Main phone: 650-254-5200
Map | Directions

Office hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

For urgent issues, please call. We can offer telephone advice and usually a same-day appointment. Please do not walk-in to be seen without a scheduled appointment time.

To schedule an appointment: call 650-254-5200, Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Laboratory: 650-254-5255, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. Closed Sunday.

Radiology: 650-254-5259, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Please note* ultrasounds and scoliosis studies are NOT done at this site.

Additional Information

Choosing a Primary Care Physician (PCP)

Our Patient Registration representatives are available to help you choose a new physician. They can be reached at 650-853–4868, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. See the list of physicians on the right side of this page.

New Patients

New patients should arrive 15 minutes prior to their first scheduled appointment in order to allow time for our staff to obtain necessary personal and insurance information. Please bring your health insurance card with you for every visit. It is important to inform the registration staff of changes in name, address, phone number or insurance.

Appointments

We are committed to offering you an appointment with your personal physician on the day of your choice whenever possible. You may also choose to schedule an appointment for a later date if it is more convenient for you.

There are several ways you can help us meet your appointment needs:

  • Call early in the day: If you would like a same-day appointment we will be better able to meet your needs.
  • Request an appointment for early in the day: Our greatest demand for urgent appointments tends to come later in the day. If you can schedule non-urgent appointments for the morning or early afternoon, it will be easier for us to accommodate you.
  • Bring current medications to each visit. Please bring any medication that you are currently taking so that the doctor can have a complete understanding of your medical needs.
  • Schedule non-urgent appointments on a day other than Monday: Mondays are generally our busiest day.
  • Schedule your health maintenance exams in the autumn. We tend to be less busy that time of year.
  • Schedule your visits with your primary care physician (PCP): Whenever possible please schedule your visits with your primary care physician. Receiving your care from a physician who knows you and your health care concerns will provide you with the best health care possible.
  • Arrive on time for your appointment: Please call ahead if you will be late or need to cancel so we can adjust our schedule and better accommodate all of our patients.
After-Hours Care

A licensed medical practitioner is available by phone after hours and on weekends for urgent medical questions. You may be directed to seek care at our Urgent Care Center located at 795 El Camino Real in Palo Alto.

Emergencies

In life-threatening situations, such as a heart attack or traumatic injury, dial 911 for fast paramedic assistance, or go directly to a hospital emergency room. If possible, notify the hospital staff about your insurance coverage and the name of your PCP. Please notify your PCP as soon as possible.

Emergency Situations while Traveling

Call us first for instructions before seeking care elsewhere, unless the catastrophic nature of the illness or injury requires emergency treatment. Please try to ensure that your PCP is notified of the emergency as soon as possible so that the physician can coordinate your care. (Usually notification must be made within 24 hours for insurance purposes. If the patient is unable to do this because of medical incapacity, then a family member or other responsible party should contact the PCP as soon as possible.)

Prescription Medication Refills

Please call the pharmacy where your medication was dispensed to request a refill. The pharmacy will call us and we will respond. If you have a specific question about a refill that you cannot address directly to the pharmacy, please call our reception desk at 650-254-5200.

Referral to Specialists

For most medical problems you should see your PCP first. If the concern requires specialist referral, your primary care provider will make the referral and help to arrange your appointment if necessary. For the following three concerns, you may call the specialty department directly without a referral: podiatry (foot care), obstetrics (pregnancy care) and eye (vision problems or routine eye examinations).

Health Care Education

The PAMF Community Health Resource Center at 650-614-3200, located at 795 El Camino Real in Palo Alto, provides free health information to the general public. It is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and is staffed by trained health educators. You may browse, obtain pamphlets and online health information, borrow books and discuss your questions with the nurse on a drop-in basis or by appointment. The Center is located on Level 2 near the main elevators of the Palo Alto location. Here you can also learn about the many health education classes offered at PAMF -- search our Health Education calendar.

We also encourage you to browse our award-winning Web site at www.pamf.org. It has a large array of information about PAMF, our staff, health education classes, our recommendations for a variety of medical concerns and preventive care, and articles we have written on many health topics. It has links to other Web sites that we review for quality and accuracy. We continuously supplement and review information on this Web site to keep it up to date.

Communicate with Us Electronically through PAMFOnline

We invite you to sign up for PAMFOnline, our secure and private electronic tool, so that you may view key components of your medical record, schedule appointments, quickly check test results and communicate with us through e-mail. Some services are free for all our patients; other services require a modest annual fee. Visit our Web site at pamfonline.org to sign up for this service or discuss with your provider.

Special Information for Our Patients with HMO Insurance

Since you have chosen PAMF as your primary medical group, you are required by your medical insurance to obtain all needed care through us. If we are unable to provide care that you need at PAMF, your physician here can request authorization for care from outside providers. Such care must be authorized in advance and in writing by our PAMF Utilization Management department. Your physician will submit this request, and then you will receive an answer on your approval status.

Thank you for choosing to obtain your health and medical care through the Los Altos Center of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. We look forward to working with you to maintain and improve your health.

Last reviewed: September 2008