OrthoGeorgia Orthopaedic Care in Central GA – Frequently Asked Questions

At OrthoGeorgia, we strive to provide the best possible orthopaedic care combined with a commitment to keeping our patients informed about all steps taken for their orthopaedic health. We would be happy to answer any questions you have throughout your experience with us. Below, you will find answers to frequently asked questions about our orthopaedic services and care.

General FAQs

When an orthopaedic surgeon is board-certified, it means that they have taken a written and oral exam to demonstrate their excellence in their field following their licensing by the state in which they work. While the surgeon is preparing for the exam, they are known as “board-eligible.” To maintain their board certification, the surgeon must actively keep up with advancements in their specialty and continuously demonstrate best practices when working with patients. A board certification tells you that your surgeon is dedicated to their specialty, committed to ongoing learning, and held to the highest standards of performance. All Orthopaedic surgeons at OrthoGeorgia are board certified or board eligible.

Orthopaedic surgeons are required to complete a five-year surgery residency program after medical school. They can then choose to spend an additional year focusing on a specific specialty in orthopaedics. This allows them to become an expert in this area, earning them the distinction of “fellowship-trained.” Surgeons who complete fellowship training gain surgical, clinical, and research experience. They are also considered to have shown the highest level of dedication to their field and achieved the highest level of training. At OrthoGeorgia, we offer Orthopaedic surgeons Fellowship Trained in Spine, Hand and Upper Extremity, Total Joints, Sports Medicine, and Foot and Ankle.

Our orthopaedic surgeons at OrthoGeorgia see patients at our seven locations in Central GA. These include our Macon, Macon Spine and Orthopaedic Center, Warner Robins, Kathleen, Milledgeville, Dublin, and Hawkinsville offices. Our physician search feature provides more information about which locations each doctor is available. You can also give us a call if you are looking for an appointment with a specific surgeon.

Diagnostic imaging is a crucial tool for an accurate diagnosis of orthopaedic conditions, and we are proud to offer state-of-the-art digital imaging on-site at all of our locations. MRI scans are available at our Macon and Warner Robins offices. We have installed the Signa Voyager Wide Bore MRI from GE Healthcare, which is more spacious, more comfortable, faster, and provides cleaner, crisper images than standard MRI scanners. CT scans are available at our Macon Spine and Orthopaedic Center and DEXA (Dual-Energy Xray Absorptiometry) scans are available at our Macon office. We offer digital x-ray services at all locations.

Our full-retail pharmacy in Macon, GA provides convenient services for patients, with free pick-up and delivery in Macon city limits. We will fill your prescriptions, file your insurance for you, and match any competitors’ pricing in our area. We accept all major credit cards and provide immunizations for flu, pneumonia, and shingrix by our pharmacists.

To schedule an appointment at OrthoGeorgia, please call the office nearest you today.

  • Macon/Dublin: (478) 745-4206
  • Warner Robins/Kathleen/Hawkinsville: (478) 971-1153
  • Milledgeville: (478) 414-5820

Please check with your insurance carrier as some insurances require a referral and some do not.

Please bring your ID, health insurance card, list of current medications, and any previous MRI, CT, or bone scans with you to your appointment. We encourage you to ask any questions you have during your appointment as well.

To access your health history, appointments, billing/payments and to send a message to your provider’s team, please use OrthoGeorgia’s patient portal – log in or sign up here.
For a full copy of your medical records, please complete a medical records request form and email it to medicalrecords@orthoga.org or call (478) 745-4206 option 6.

Prescriptions are renewed during normal office hours.  In some instances, we may require that patients be seen in our office prior to medication renewal.  Medication requests called in after 12 noon on Friday will NOT be refilled until after 3:00pm on Monday.

The fastest and most efficient way for you to help us take care of your medication refill requests is to have your pharmacy call us or fax your medication requests to (478) 254-5468.

Once the medication request is processed, your medication will be called or faxed to your pharmacy.  Please check with your pharmacy late afternoon regarding your medication request.

Insurance and Billing FAQs

Our physicians are participating providers with the majority of insurance plans. For your convenience, our website includes a full list of insurance plans we accept. If you do not see your insurance carrier listed, please call us at (478) 745-4206 and ask to speak with an appointment scheduler regarding our acceptance of your insurance. As a courtesy, claims may be filed directly to your insurance plan.

Payment at OrthoGeorgia is due at the time of service. For self pay patients, a deposit of $500 is due at the time of their new patient appointment and a $200 deposit is due at the time of their subsequent visits. For additional services performed during the visit, the balance of these services will be due upon receipt.

Payment at Macon Outpatient Surgery is due prior to the scheduled surgery date.  A minimum of 70% of the expected patient responsibility is due at that time. Payment may be made in full or the remainder of the balance can be set up on a payment plan.

Our billing department is available to assist you with billing, payment, or insurance issues. In the event of non-payment from an insurance company, the patient is responsible for their bill. 

For questions, please call (478) 745-4206 option 5.

These forms are usually provided by your employer or insurance company.  It may take up to 7-10 business days to process your form(s).  There are several ways you can get your form(s) to OrthoGeorgia:

For Macon, Milledgeville and Dublin:

  • Fax the form(s) to (478) 741-9657 or (478) 254-5465.
  • Email the form(s) to mmatkinson@orthoga.org.
  • Mail the form(s) to OrthoGeorgia  3708 Northside Drive Macon, GA 31210 attn: Business Office.
  • Bring the form(s) to OrthoGeorgia 3708 Northside Drive Macon, GA 31210 Bldg A or Bldg B.

For Warner Robins and Kathleen:

  • Fax the form(s) to (478)971-1171.
  • Mail or bring the forms to OrthoGeorgia 301 Margie Drive Warner Robins, GA 31088.

We do complete long term and short term disability forms.

$10 processing fee for FMLA form(s).

$20 processing fee for short and long term disability forms(s).

We do not complete permanent disability forms or any forms associated with the Social Security Administration. 

Surgery Center FAQs

OrthoGeorgia’s first-class surgery centers in Central GA are designed to provide the highest quality care to our patients and are equipped with the latest technological advances in surgical equipment. Our Ambulatory Surgery Centers are Licensed by the State of Georgia, Certified by Medicare, and Accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). Key highlights of our surgery centers include:

  • Minimally invasive, same-day surgery
  • 23 Hour Stay
  • Less than a 1% infection rate
  • Perform approximately 7,000 procedures annually
  • A staff of highly qualified healthcare professionals to provide care throughout your surgical experience
  • Specialize in Orthopaedics, Hand and Microvascular Hand Surgery, Spine Surgery, Total Joint Replacement, Sports Medicine, and Foot and Ankle Surgeries. 
  • Commitment to providing a warm, caring, and safe environment
  • Convenience of comprehensive care with a pharmacy, imaging, durable medical equipment, physician appointments, physical and occupational therapy, and surgery in one location
  • Mako Robot – OrthoGeorgia was the first Ambulatory Surgery Center in the state of Georgia to perform a partial knee replacement with the Stryker Mako robot.

We perform a wide range of orthopaedic surgical procedures at our surgery centers in Central GA, including:

  • Spine Surgery – Back and Neck
  • Joint replacement – Knee, Hip, Shoulder, and Ankle
  • Arthroscopy – Knee, Shoulder, Ankle and Wrist
  • Hand and Microvascular
  • Foot Procedures
  • Soft Tissue Repair
  • Bone fracture repair
  • Debridement
  • Fusion of bones
  • Osteotomies
  • Pain Management

We are proud to offer a new service to our patients – a 23-hour stay for total joint (hip and knee) and spine procedures. After surgery, a qualifying patient will stay until 6:30am the next morning. We will provide dinner for the patient and one family member. A loved one may spend the night and a comfortable recliner will be provided for them.

Same-day joint replacement patients will be assigned a Nurse Navigator as part of their care team. A Nurse Navigator is a Registered Nurse who will assist you from preoperative evaluation to post-surgery follow-up. Your Nurse Navigator will discuss with you everything you can expect from your upcoming surgery and remain a resource for you after your procedure.

We proudly provide the latest in Robotic technology using Stryker’s Mako Robot. The Stryker/Mako Robotic System is used for total knee, partial knee, and total hip replacement and allows the surgeon to create each qualifying patient’s surgical plan pre-operatively. During surgery, the surgeon can validate their plan and make any necessary adjustments while guiding the robotic arm.

Before your procedure, we will provide detailed instructions regarding how to prepare. One of our office nurses will provide instructions for medications and any other steps to take. The day before your surgery, you will be contacted again with final instructions and the arrival time for your surgery. Preparation instructions may vary depending on the procedure and the individual, but no matter your procedure, you will need to arrange for an adult to stay with you and drive you home following your surgery.

A member of our team will let you know what time you should arrive at OrthoGeorgia for your surgical procedure.

Please bring any equipment (sling, walker, neck/back brace, or crutches) to your appointment for surgery. You must also be accompanied by an adult who will drive you home from your appointment. Wear comfortable and loose-fitting clothes that are easy to take off and put on, and leave all jewelry and valuables at home.

A member of your care team will provide specific post-operative instructions to you and your family following your procedure. A written copy of the instructions will also be provided. You should not drink alcohol, drive, sign important papers, or operate heavy machinery for 24 hours after your procedure. Be sure to take it easy, rest, and elevate your surgical limb. One of our nurses will call you to check in the day after your surgery.

Awards and Affiliations

Viewers Choice 2020
The Telegraph Best of 2021
Greater Macon Business of Year
Go Beyond Proffit Member
Top 100
AAAHC Accreditation
ACR Radiology Computed
ACR Radiology Magnetic
ACR Radiology Magnetic
TheOrthoForum Member
Greater Macon Business of Year