WE ARE A STATE of FLORIDA:

• AHCA LICENSED HEATH CARE CLINIC
• DOH REGISTERED PAIN MANAGEMENT CLINIC
• MQA LICENSED HEALTH CARE CLINIC ESTABLISHMENT

First Choice Pain Care Clinic is licensed as a Health Care Clinic by the State of Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) (http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/ ). In doing so all owners and physicians have passed Level II criminal background checks by both the FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). We were last inspected by AHCA in August 2009 and had no deficiencies. First Choice is one of a handful of Pain Clinics in Florida that are licensed and accept self pay patients.

Unlicensed clinics abound in Florida, we urge you to be careful as they are unregulated.  

FIRST CHOICE PAIN CARE CONTRACTS WITH A STATE of FLORIDA AHCA LICENSED HEALTH CARE RISK MANAGER WHO HAS REVIEWED ALL POLICIES AND PROCEDURE OF THE PRACTICE

MISSION STATEMENT & PLEDGE TO THE COMMUNITY

THE GOAL OF FIRST CHOICE PAIN CARE CLINIC IS TO PROVIDE QUALITY MEDICAL CARE AT AFFORDABLE PRICES TO THOSE SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC PAIN.

•OUR PHYSICIANS’ ARE MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PAIN MANAGEMENT AND BOARD CERTIFIED IN THE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SPECIALTIES: NEUROLOGY, FAMILY PRACTICE, INTERNAL MEDICINE or SPECIALTY TRAINED in ANESTHESIOLOGY.

•THE TREATMENT OF PAIN IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH INCLUDING THE MONTHLY MANAGEMENT OF MEDICATIONS + REFERRALS TO OTHER TREATMENT MODALITIES SUCH AS PHYSICAL THERAPY, SURGICAL, MASSAGE THERAPY and/or OTHER SPECIALTY AREAS AS MEDICALLY INDICATED.

PLEASE REFER TO THE PATIENT CONTRACT AVAILABLE ON THIS WEB SITE UNDER THE “DOWNLOADS” TAB TO BETTER UNDERSTAND MEDICATION MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES

First Choice Pain Care is intensely aware of the prescription drug abuse epidemic facing our community and has taken great efforts to control the diversion of the medications prescribed to our patients. First Choice is proud that is has voluntarily turned over more individuals to law enforcement for felony doctor shopping prosecution then any other clinic in this state (www.firstchoicepaincare.com/Law.html). First Choice offers its support to all agencies and associations that are allied in eliminating this plague from our community.

Please view our “Law Enforcement” section on this web site and review our “Patient Contract” to better comprehend our efforts.
                                           


KEY FACTS ABOUT FIRST CHOICE PAIN CARE CLINIC 

• First Choice is a supporting sponsor of the SARASOTA COALITION ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE and in Lee County The COALITION FOR A DRUG FREE SW FLORIDA.

• All owners, physicians & staff have undergone Level II criminal background checks with FBI & FDLE

• First Choice has zero tolerance. .Over the past three and a half years First Choice working in association with local law enforcement has turned over more individuals for investigation and prosecution of felony drug diversion then any other physician or clinic in the state. Seventeen of those were investigated in such a manner that they were taken out in handcuffs.

• First Choice does not take same day appointments and does not take walk in patients. (never did)

• First Choice does not accept out of state patient (never did) / First Choice is a DOH register pain clinic.

• First Choice patients must live within 45 miles of the clinic. (35 miles or less in most cases)

• No physicians at First Choice practices on the east coast.

• First Choice is the only Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) licensed and inspected Health Care Clinic with State licensed healthcare risk manager oversight in Southwest Florida exclusively practicing pain medicine. All FL hospital are licensed and inspected by AHCA.

• First Choice is a FL Dept. of Health (DOH) Medical Quality Assurance (MQA) licensed Health Care Clinic.

• First Choice’s administrator was the only person from the field of pain management at the PDMP rules workshop this past April, not a single physician or association involved in pain management was there.

• First Choice’s administrator attended every Board of Medicine pain rules workshop and hearings since they began in August 2009 with last hearing to date in August 2010.

• First Choice contracts with a national online criminal background verification system and checks all potential patients for drug related crimes.

• In its first year of operation First Choice held an open house for law enforcement Rx diversion detectives from Collier and Pasco County.

• First Choice utilizes an electronic script writing system that is tied into the insurance data base and alerts staff to similar medications written elsewhere.

• In the recent arrests of 41 patients in Lee County using fake MRIs to obtain pain medications not one was a First Choice patient.