Your First Visit to Moses Medical: What to Bring, What to Expect, and How We're Different

Walking into a new medical practice for the first time can feel like a gamble. You do not know if the provider will actually listen. You do not know if you will be seen on time. You do not know if your insurance will be accepted, if the staff will speak your language, or if you will leave with a plan that makes sense for your life — or just a stack of referrals to other offices across the Bronx.

We hear this from new patients constantly. And we get it. The healthcare system has given plenty of people in the South Bronx plenty of reasons not to trust it. At Moses Medical Center, we are not asking you to trust the system. We are asking you to give us one visit.

Here is exactly what that visit looks like.

Before You Arrive: What to Bring

To make your first visit as smooth as possible, please bring:

• Your insurance card — we accept MetroPlus, Fidelis Care, Healthfirst, Amerigroup, WellCare, Molina, United Healthcare Community Plan, Affinity, Hamaspik Choice, Medicare, and most commercial plans. Not sure what your plan covers? Our Medicaid coverage guide breaks down every plan we accept. If you are unsure whether we take your plan, call (646) 741-2111 and we will check in real time.
• A valid photo ID — driver’s license, state ID, or passport.
• A list of your current medications — including dosages. If you are not sure of the names, bring the prescription bottles.
• Any recent medical records — lab results, imaging reports, hospital discharge summaries. These are helpful but not required. If your previous provider uses an electronic health record, we can often access records digitally.
• A list of questions or concerns — write them down. It is easy to forget what you wanted to ask once you are in the exam room. We want to address everything that matters to you.

If you do not have insurance, come anyway. Our team can help determine whether you qualify for Medicaid or connect you with enrollment resources. We do not turn patients away.

Step by Step: Your First Visit

1. Check-In (5-10 minutes)

You will arrive at our office at 871B Westchester Ave, Bronx, NY 10459 — accessible from the Simpson Street station on the 2 and 5 trains and multiple bus lines. The front desk team will greet you, verify your insurance, and provide new-patient paperwork. This includes medical history, current symptoms, medication list, family history, and consent forms.

Our front desk staff speaks English, Spanish, and Creole. If you need assistance in another language, we arrange interpretation services.

2. Vitals and Intake (5-10 minutes)

A medical assistant will bring you to an exam room and take your vital signs: blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, weight, and oxygen saturation. They will also review your intake forms and clarify anything that needs more detail.

3. Your Provider Visit (20-40 minutes)

This is the part that makes Moses Medical Center different. Your provider will sit down with you and have a real conversation — not a five-minute rush through a checklist.

Your first visit with a primary care or internal medicine provider typically includes:

• Full medical history review — everything from childhood surgeries to current chronic conditions
• Medication review and reconciliation — ensuring your current prescriptions are appropriate, checking for interactions, and addressing anything that may not be working
• Symptom discussion — what brought you in, what has been bothering you, and what you have been putting off
• Physical examination — thorough and appropriate to your concerns
• Screening and prevention — based on your age, gender, and risk factors, your provider will identify what screenings you are due for: blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, cancer screenings, vaccinations, depression screening, and more. If depression screening indicates symptoms, learn about how we address mental health barriers in the South Bronx.
• Care plan development — you will leave with a clear, written plan. Not vague advice. A plan.

If your provider determines that you need specialist care — cardiology, dermatology, behavioral health, wound care — many of those specialists are right here in our practice. If your screening reveals elevated blood pressure, read about when a cardiology evaluation is needed. No driving across the borough. No waiting months for an outside appointment. In many cases, we can schedule your specialist visit before you leave the building.

4. Lab Work (10-15 minutes)

If your provider orders blood work — which is standard for a comprehensive first visit — you walk down the hall to our on-site laboratory. No separate lab appointment. No fasting and coming back another day (though some tests do require fasting; your provider will let you know in advance).

Our lab processes results quickly, and your provider reviews them within days. If something comes back abnormal, we contact you directly to discuss next steps. Results do not get lost. Follow-up does not depend on you calling to chase them.

5. Checkout and Follow-Up (5 minutes)

Before you leave, we schedule your next appointment — whether that is a follow-up in two weeks, a specialist visit, or a routine check-up in three months. You leave knowing when you are coming back and what happens next.

What Makes Moses Medical Different

We know every medical practice claims to be different. Here is what we actually mean:

Everything under one roof. Moses Medical Center offers primary care, internal medicine, cardiology, dermatology, behavioral health, wound care, medical weight loss, PrEP, genetic testing, IV therapy, lab services, and more — all in one location. Our PrEP program, described in detail in our guide on PrEP access in the Bronx, requires no referral. Your providers talk to each other because they work next to each other. That coordination is not a marketing point. It is how medicine should work.

Real multilingual care. Our providers and staff speak English, Spanish, French, Haitian Creole, Arabic, Hindi, and Mandarin. This is not a translation line you wait 10 minutes to connect to. These are your actual providers, speaking your language, understanding your cultural context.

We fight for your coverage. Prior authorizations, referral requirements, insurance denials — we handle these. You should not need to become an expert in your plan’s formulary to get the medication you need. Our team knows MetroPlus, Fidelis, Healthfirst, and every other plan we accept inside and out.

Same-day and walk-in availability. We understand that life in the South Bronx does not always accommodate scheduled appointments. We offer walk-in availability and same-day appointments whenever possible. If you are sick today, you should be seen today.

We actually call you back. Test results, referral updates, appointment reminders — we follow up. Proactively. Because the number one complaint patients have about healthcare is being forgotten between visits.

What Our Patients Say

We could tell you how great we are, but our patients say it better. Moses Medical Center holds a 5.0-star rating on Google — not because we asked for reviews, but because patients felt strongly enough about their experience to leave one.

The consistent themes: providers who listen, short wait times, a clean and welcoming office, and the relief of finding a practice that treats them like a person, not a number.

Book Your First Visit

Whether you are establishing care for the first time, switching from a provider who was not meeting your needs, or finally making that appointment you have been putting off for a year — we are ready for you.

Moses Medical Center 871B Westchester Ave, Bronx, NY 10459 Phone: (646) 741-2111 Email: care@mosesmedicalny.com

Book online or walk in. We are open Monday-Friday 8 AM - 6 PM and Saturday 9 AM - 2 PM.

Come see what care is supposed to feel like.