Patient Information

Mission: To provide patient-friendly healthcare for the whole person and the whole family.

About The Practice: We are a private independent medical practice committed to providing excellent health care in a personalized setting. We care for all age groups, from newborns to elders, promoting wellness and healthy living as well as managing acute and chronic illness. We admit to the Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, but we do not restrict your choice of hospital. We have on-site a Baystate Reference Laboratory drawing station, counseling, nutrition, massage, acupuncture, and other services.

Anne C. Weaver, MD, ("Dr. Anne") graduated from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where she was elected to the medical honor society Alpha Omega Alpha. She is Board Certified in both Pediatrics and adult Internal Medicine, having completed a double residency at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. She also holds a Master of Music degree and had a prior career as a musician. She lives with her husband; they have two grown children.

Kinga K. Pluta, MD, ("Dr. Kinga") is a graduate of Albany Medical College, where she was recipient of the Kosciuszko Foundation Scholarship. She too is Board Certified in both Pediatrics and adult Internal Medicine; she completed her double residency at the University of Connecticut. She practiced medicine and pediatrics in Hartford before joining Amherst Family Practice. She lives with her husband and two children.

After Hours and Lunch Time Coverage: To reach us, follow the prompts on the telephone message. For non-urgent matters (appointments, refills, referrals, results, questions), you can leave a message on our answering machine; these will be addressed during business hours. Please speak clearly and leave your name, phone number, and a brief message. For urgent problems that need a doctor's immediate attention, our answering service will page the doctor on call. Please remember, if you want the doctor to call you back, you must keep your phone line clear and deactivate any call-identification-blocking (*87 to unblock; *77 to reblock). Should our phone system ever be down, you can reach us by calling the Cooley Dickinson Hospital operator at 413-582-2000. A doctor is available on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For any suspected life-threatening illnesses, call 911 immediately.

E-mail: You can reach us by email for appointments, refills, and quick exchanges with the doctor. To protect your health information and privacy, we use a secure email service, so you must contact us through this website. We reply to the email address you use to contact us. Do not use email for any matters requiring an urgent response. We do not give medical advice by email. Please note that our website has links to many useful sources of information.

Our Computerized Medical Record and Confidentiality: Our office is HIPAA compliant and committed to protecting confidentiality and the privacy of your personal and health information. Medical records are kept in secure computer files, with multiple levels of passwords and encryption. The computer automatically checks interactions with your medications and your allergies, and has many other features that can improve our ability to give you excellent and timely care.

Cancellations and "No Shows": Remember to mark your calendars when you make an appointment; we do not make reminder calls in advance except for certain kinds of appointments. Appointment spaces fill up rapidly. To improve access for all our patients, we have a strict no-show policy. If you miss two appointments for physicals or three other appointments (or cancel with less than 2 hours notice), we may ask you to find another doctor.

Bad Weather: If you have an appointment scheduled and there is bad weather or another circumstance that may cause the office to be closed, call before coming to confirm that we are open.

Refill Policy: Plan ahead for refills. During regular office hours, we make every effort to refill prescriptions within 24 hours of a request. Friday requests may not be available until Monday. Remember that doctors sharing call with us do not have access to your medical records; do not expect them to refill prescriptions after hours or on weekends and holidays.

When you need to see the Doctor: We try to schedule visits the same day if you are sick. Our doctors try to return calls as soon as possible, but it may not be until the end of the day. Please give our staff as much information as possible about your needs or concerns so they can schedule you appropriately. Our nursing staff may be able to answer you questions, or they may be able to help you decide if you need to be seen or to talk with the doctor.

Payment: We expect you to pay for co-pays, deductibles, and uncovered services at the time of your appointment. We accept cash, checks or credit cards. If you have financial concerns, please feel free to discuss them with the office staff or your physician. We are happy to consider payment options, or we may be able to assist you in obtaining low-cost coverage, medication, etc. Patients who do not have insurance may elect to use our prompt payment discount: 40% off for those who pay in full at the time of service. There is a $25 fee above the bank charge for bounced checks. There may also be an extra charge for those who present as emergency walk-ins, i.e. come in without a scheduled appointment. Please note that some insurers do not cover services that we recommend, including physical examinations and vaccinations, and many policies have large deductibles. It is your responsibility to be aware of what your policy covers. You are responsible for payment of uncovered services.

We love caring for you and value your ideas for improving our practice.
If you like the care you receive at Amherst Family Practice please, tell your friends;
if you don't, please tell us by talking with any of us or leaving us a note.

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