Welcome to the Neurosurgery Clinic

We offer comprehensive, coordinated specialty health care for you and your family. Please read the following information carefully for important information about your visit.

Neurosurgery patients are seen in one of four clinics, specific to the condition or physician they will be seeing.  When scheduling an appointment, please verify the clinic in which you will be visiting.

If you need assistance locating the Neurosurgery Clinics, please visit Patient Information Services located on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Phillips-Wangensteen Building.

Prior to Your First Appointment
Please mail the following medical information to our Appointment Scheduler at the mailing address below or fax to 612-624-0644 at least five days before the scheduled appointment.  Without this information, we may not be able to complete your evaluation and the provider may ask you to reschedule your appointment.

1) The attached Patient Health History (PDF) questionnaire.

2) Records relevant to the problem for which you are being seen.  Please include reports from previous surgeries and hospital discharge summaries.

3) Image studies completed within the last six months, including interpretations. If the scan is older than six months, please have your referring physician repeat the image study.

Mailing Address
Department of Neurosurgery
Attn: Appointment Scheduler
Mayo Mail Code 96
420 Delaware Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0392

Phone: 612-624-6666
Fax: 612-624-0644

If you have been a patient at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, or its clinics, those records are in our system and you do not need to obtain copies.  Please contact your referring provider's office for instructions on how to release your medical information to us.

Insurance Filing Information and Patiet Referral
Please bring your insurance card to every appointment.  Co-pays, according to your insurance plan, are due at the time service is provided.

If your health coverage requires a referral for coverage of medical services, please obtain a referral from the appropriate provide in advance.

Initial Visit
When you arrive at the Clinic, please register at the front desk, where the completion of all appropriate forms will be verified and necessary personal and insurance information is requested. The receptionist will be available to assist you or answer any questions you might have. Your appointment time is approximately 30 minutes before you are scheduled to see the physician in order to allow for this information to be collected.

Once registration is complete, you will be escorted to the first available exam room by the nursing staff.  During your clinic visit you may meet with a member of the clinic team prior to the neurosurgeon. (Team members may include a nurse practitioner, nurse,  resident and medical students.) The neurosurgeon, who is responsible for your care, will meet with you for examination and consultation, and to discuss the treatment options for your diagnosis.

A nurse practitioner is an advanced practice registered nurse with a master's degree combined with additional specialty training.  At out clinic, the nurse practitioner can see patients independently or with the neurosurgeon.  Specialist nurses gather important information, provide patient education, and respond to patient phone inquiries.  A resident is a physician who is in a neurosurgery specialty training program.  A medical student is an individual studying to become a physician.

Your first visit is usually an exam and consultation, which will last about 30-60 minutes. You may also need to see additional specialists or have additional tests, therefore reserve additional time for your first appointment.

Questions to Ask
When you arrive at your appointment, you may want to have a list of questions you would like your physician to answer. You may also want to ask:

• How to reach your physician or nurse
• What number to call in case of an emergency
• How to get your test results

If you are coming to the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, for an inpatient stay or outpatient testing or procedures, please follow the instructions that you were given at the time the appointment was made.

To help us make your visit go as smoothly as possible, please bring the following items with you to your visit:

• Important medical information such as medical records, or test results (X-rays, or laboratory tests) should be mailed to the Appointment Shcheduler prior to your visit unless you were instructed to bring them to your appointment
• Complete and bring the Patient Health History (PDF) questionnaire
• Bring your insurance card and co-pay
• Bring your parking ticket to the clinic for validation

If You Have Questions Regarding Your Care
If you have a life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately.
During the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, please call 612-624-6666. 
After hours or in case of an emergency, please call the hospital operator at 612-273-3000 and ask for the neurosurgical resident on call.

Prescriptions and Refills
New prescriptions usually require an office visit and will be written by your providers in the form of a paper prescription.  For your convenience there is an outpatient pharmacy located in the Phillips-Wangensteen Building on the University campus.  If you are in need of a refill, please have your pharmacy fax the request to 612-624-0644 before 3:30 p.m.  Please allow 48 hours for prescription refills. 

We Welcome Your Comments
Thank you for choosing the Neurosurgery Clinics for your health care needs.  Our physicians and staff want your experience in our clinics to be positive and we welcome your suggestions.  If you have comments or questions, please discuss them with your physician, a member of our clinic staff or complete one of our comment cards, which are located in each exam room.  You can also call the Patient Relations Department at 612-884-0798.  Your input is important to us.