Making an Appointment
For your convenience, we recommend appointments be made prior to each visit to a MeritCare clinic. Appointments can be made in person, by phone or by mail. MeritCare ASK-A-NURSE, (701) 234-5000 or toll-free (800) 821-5167, may be able to assist you in selecting a primary care physician in the Fargo-Moorhead area or can direct your call to the appropriate clinic. We are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week so you can call anytime. If you choose to write for an appointment, send your request to your select MeritCare clinic
location, and you will receive confirmation by return mail or by a phone call. You may also call your local clinic directly to schedule an appointment.
Canceling Appointments
If you are unable to keep your scheduled clinic appointment, please call in advance to the clinic and department where your appointment is scheduled. Staff from that area will assist you in rescheduling.
Your First Appointment
After you have scheduled your first appointment with a MeritCare doctor, and before your first visit to a MeritCare clinic, a Patient Services representative will call to provide you with information and directions to get to the clinic. When you arrive at the clinic for your appointment, a Patient Services representative will help you complete the paperwork for your medical record and billing and will also provide you with a registration card to use each time you come to the clinic. He/she will help you become acquainted with the facility and provide information on billing and how your insurance will be filed. For more helpful first-time patient information, read our
online patient guide.
Continuing Appointments
If you are not a new patient, you can report to the clinic for your scheduled appointment. Some MeritCare clinics—including the
main clinic on Broadway in Fargo, the Broadway Health Center,
Southpointe,
Southwest Clinic,
Roger Maris Cancer Center,
Neuroscience Clinic,
MeritCare Clinic Bemidji and
MeritCare Clinic Detroit Lakes—have "centralized" registration. This means you will need to register at one centralized location, usually in the main lobby of the clinic, before reporting to your doctor's department main desk. For the other MeritCare clinics, you may report directly to your doctor's department to register. Have your insurance card handy, so staff can verify information about your insurance as well as your current address. If you are unsure where to go to register, just ask any of the MeritCare clinic staff for assistance.
A Brief Wait
Although appointments are carefully planned, sometimes delays do occur. If you feel you have been waiting too long, please let the receptionist know. Occasionally doctors are called away on emergencies. If this should happen, we will let you know as soon as possible and will offer an alternative appointment.