HOW TO GET YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS
Part of your application and screening process includes acquiring and sending paperwork to us, though much of this process is now done via Email. As part of this process, you will need to acquire your previous pregnancy related medical records. Obtained from your OBGYN, these records help our doctors get a full look at how your previous pregnancies have gone. They’ll let our doctors know if you experienced any complications or had any reason for your doctor to express concern over your health moving forward.
Obtaining these records is often an exercise in patience, but not difficult. It generally requires that you call your OBGYN and ask for the records to be released. This will often mean that you need to sign a release form at the doctor’s office. Thanks to advances in technology, this is often done from the comfort of your own home via email.
Once that form has been signed the documents are legally able to be released to either you directly or to Growing Generations. Most doctors will happily fax your records from their office to ours, saving you the need to pick up the forms and mail or fax them yourself. Growing Generations prefers to have the documents faxed directly to our offices, as opposed to having them mailed through standard post.
Some doctors will be able to meet this request right away, while others will require a bit of time to complete the task. Most offices will give you a window of time which they give themselves to fill administrative requests like this one. It is important that you ask for this time window and follow up with the office in the event that your records are not able to be sent right away. You may need to follow up with the office in the event that the deadline is missed. Doctors are busy people and can, from time to time, miss self-imposed deadlines. The pace of your journey depends, in part, on how quickly these records are received by our office. Surrogate applicants who are able to navigate the paperwork phase efficiently will often complete their application and screening process much more quickly than those who are more passive about the process.
In some cases you may also need to call the hospital where you previously delivered in order to secure those documents. Most OBGYNs will keep complete records at their private practice, but it is also not uncommon for you to need to seek out the delivery hospital for additional records from time to time.
Do note that if you incur any costs for obtaining your records, Growing Generations will reimburse you of this fee. If you have additional questions about paperwork or experience difficulty obtaining your medical records, feel free to reach out to your admissions specialist. This person will be able to help guide you through the process no matter what obstacles you encounter.
Revised on 4/17/18