Office Hours & Availability

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Our practice operates on an unhurried, focused schedule designed to give each patient the attention they deserve while maintaining a sustainable balance for our clinical team. 

•  Monday – Wednesday: 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM
• Thursday: 7:30 AM – 2:00 PM
• Friday: 7:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Our office is closed on major holidays, including Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, and Easter.

Call or Email Early for Morning Triage (7:30 AM)

If you or your child wake up feeling unwell, we strongly encourage reaching out by phone or email right at 7:30 AM or as early as possible. Our experienced morning staff is fully trained in our clinical protocols to immediately provide evidence-based natural solutions and home remedy guidance. They will help you determine whether your situation can be managed comfortably at home, requires a same-day office or phone visit, or necessitates immediate evaluation at urgent care.

Virtual Care & Telehealth Consultations

While annual wellness physicals and complex assessments require an in-person visit, we offer convenient phone and digital telehealth consultations for established patients. For uncomplicated issues—such as routine ear, skin, or urinary tract symptoms—telehealth provides a convenient, time-saving option without a trip to the office. Telehealth and digital consults are billed directly to your insurance or handled via direct pay.

We value open communication while maintaining healthy boundaries to ensure Dr. Punger and our team remain energized and focused during clinical hours.

• Non-Urgent After-Hours Inquiries: You are welcome to send an email to our practice inbox outside of regular hours. Non-urgent messages are reviewed and addressed promptly during the next business morning.
• Overnight Symptom Observation: For non-traumatic, stable symptoms—such as mild overnight fevers or minor discomfort—taking time to observe, hydrate, and comfort your child for a couple of hours will often safely bridge the gap until our office opens at 7:30 AM.
• True Medical Emergencies: If you experience a sudden, severe, or traumatic emergency after hours, please proceed directly to your nearest hospital Emergency Room or call 911. We maintain strong collaborative relationships with local urgent care centers, hospitals, midwives, and specialists to ensure seamless continuity of care when you need immediate support.

Our small-team structure allows us to offer exceptional, highly personalized accessibility—including early morning triage, telehealth, and direct email guidance—that large corporate practices simply cannot match.

To maintain active status, access direct email communication, and utilize priority scheduling, established patients must complete an in-office exam at least once every 12 to 24 months (and no less than once every 3 years). Regular visits ensure Dr. Punger stays current on your health, shares our latest integrative solutions, and can safely provide medical guidance when you need us most.

 To protect your personal health information (HIPAA) and ensure your medical needs are handled professionally, please do not use Dr. Punger's or our team members’ personal or public social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, DMs, LinkedIn, etc.) to request medical advice, clinical care, or appointment scheduling.

Social media platforms are not secure for private health information and are not monitored for medical care. Messages sent through social media channels will not receive a clinical response.

• Standard Contact: Always direct all clinical questions, appointment requests, and prescription needs through our official office phone line or our practice email (pungerfamilymed@gmail dot com).
• Special Circumstances Exception: Social media messaging is only permitted if Dr. Punger or a clinical staff member has specifically and explicitly instructed you to use a direct channel for a unique, time-sensitive, or specific situation.

"Do you plan on retiring anytime soon?"

We get this question occasionally, and the answer is simple: our practice is thriving, and Dr. Punger has no plans to retire.

Entering what she considers her "harvest season" as a physician, Dr. Punger remains deeply fulfilled by her work, her team, and the families she serves. By maintaining reasonable office hours and taking dedicated time off throughout the year to recharge, she remains fully energized to deliver high-quality, compassionate care for many years to come.

 Plan Ahead for Prescription Refills

To ensure uninterrupted care, it is the patient’s responsibility to monitor their medication supply and schedule follow-up appointments well before running out of prescriptions.

• Refill Requests: All prescription refill requests and pharmacy call-ins must be made during standard office hours (Monday – Friday morning).
• Pick-Ups & Processing: Please ensure you request and collect your medications during office hours. We do not process routine, non-emergency prescription refills or pharmacy scrambles over the weekend or via after-hours email.

 We operate under a high-efficiency model to prioritize direct patient care. Please review our coverage guidelines below: 

• Accepted Insurance & Payment: Florida Blue/BCBS (Excludes Blue Select & MyBlue), Aetna (Commercial plans only; excludes Aetna Medicare), UnitedHealthcare (UHC), PHCS, Traditional Medicare (Excludes Medicare Advantage/Replacement HMOs), and Private Pay/Self-Pay/Health Cost-Sharing Plans. 
• Insurances NOT Accepted: Medicaid (including Florida KidCare), Cigna, Humana, Medi-Share, ChampVA, and Tricare (out-of-network/cost-sharing benefits may apply; verify with carrier). 

  While we bill accepted insurance as a courtesy, your insurance policy is a contract directly between you and your carrier. Patients are responsible for verifying plan benefits—including copays, deductibles, telehealth, and out-of-network coverage—prior to receiving care.