Practice Brochure

Welcome!

I appreciate the opportunity to provide your general surgical care. Every patient is important me. In order to serve you best, I want you to know as much as possible about my practice. This brochure attempts to answer questions you may have about general surgery and my practice. My office staff and I work as a team to render the best quality care. Please feel free to ask questions and offer opinions and suggestions

Office Hours

9 a.m. to 12 noon and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday
Phone: (925) 830-0852

In the office I see patients by appointment. If you need to speak with me or to be seen ugently, please call us. I will adjust my schedule so that you can get the care that you need. If you need to cancel an appointment, please give us as much notice as possible. We will re-schedule your visit to a more convenient time.

Occasionally an emergency will prevent me from seeing you at your scheduled time. We will make every effort to advise you of any delay or change in schedule. Please make sure we have your current work and home telephone numbers.

For your convenience I have medical staff priveleges at San Ramon Regional Medical Center and The John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.

Most commonly people will be referred to our office by another physician. Any patient is welcome to call us for an appointment. We are happy to accept new patients.

After Hour Telephone Calls

If you need help after office hours or on weekends, call us at (925) 830-0852. Most of the time I will be available. Please be respectful of after hour time. This is for emergency services. Give your name and phone number to the receptionist or answering service and they will locate the doctor for you.

Preparing for your Visit

To ensure that you get the best medical care, we try to have all of your pertinent medical records and X-rays available for the doctor to review. Please bring a list of all of your current medications or bring the actual bottles. If you have any letters, reports or X-rays, please bring these as well. It is often helpful for you to write down a list of questions that you will wish to ask. You should feel free to call in advance so that we can help make sure that records and test sent from other doctors have arrived. If this is your first visit, please arrive 15 minutes early to fill out an information sheet.

Insurance and Payment

As a courtesy to our patients, we will bill medical insurance plans for you whenever possible. We will accept most insurance plans. Our receptionist or billing person will be able to answer your billing questions. If we do not have a contract with your type of insurance we will attempt to make special arrangements to accommodate you. If you are not insured, please notify us so that we may help you arrange a payment plan.

Please bring in your insurance card, name of your referring doctor, and any forms which we may need to complete.

If you need surgery, special procedures or second opinions, we will assist you in arranging the scheduling and pre-authorization.

What is General Surgery?

General Surgery encompasses surgery on many parts of the body. A General Surgeon is trained to diagnose and treat disease in all parts of the body. Over time some sub-specialties have branched off from general surgery (examples: Orthopedic Surgery, Neurosurgery). The most common problems I treat include:

Laparoscopic Surgery

Many procedures can be performed using state of the art Laparoscopic (minimally invasive) techniques. I have extensive training and experience in laparoscopic techniques.

Specialist

As your specialist I am your consultant. You should seek advice and help from me. You should actively share in the decision process. I will explain what is wrong with you, what options are available and what I feel is the best course of treatment. I will give you appropriate written information regarding your problem. Please ask questions. You as the patient, should make well informed dcisions regarding your care. It is my job, as your specialist, to give you all the information that you require to make the best decisions possible. I will then give you the best care humanly possible.

Finally, everyone needs a primary care doctor. Good routine medical care and periodic check-ups can be lifesaving. Your Family Practitioner or Internist is also your advocate and advisor. They can assist with difficult medical decisions involving specialists. If you already have a primary care physician, I want to work with him or her. If you do not have a primary care doctor, I strongly encourage you to choose one. We will be glad to recommend a quality doctor who matches your personal needs.

About Your Doctor

Ron Cooper was born in Houston, Texas and raised in Southern California. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of California at Santa Barbara. After obtaining his Bachelor's degree he proceeded to Chicago where he studied medicine at Northwestern University Medical School. Dr Cooper's early interest in General Surgery took him to the San Francisco Bay Area where he performed over 1200 operations in a five year General Surgical Residency Training Program. He became Board Certified, then became a fellow of the American College of Surgeons (F.A.C.S.). Dr. Cooper developed a devotion to providing personal care to his patients. He is committed to genuine and individualized patient care.

He has been in his current private practice since 1991. Many of his personal attributes come from strong commitment to family. Dr. Cooper and his wife make their home in Danville. They have three daughters. In his free time Dr. Cooper enjoys golf, bicycling, boating and snow skiing.