A: No, patients pay us and we provide a receipt that you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.
Q: How much can I expect to reimbursed by my insurance?
A: 100% if you have foreign travel insurance. About two-thirds if you have American insurance.
Q: Do you take Medicare or Medicaid?
A: No.
Treatment
Medication and Procedures
Q: Does the doctor provide medication?
A: Yes, we carry many types of injectable medications as well as some oral medications.
Q: Can you get an X-ray, ultrasound, or EKG done in the hotel?
A: Yes we can!
Q: Do you write prescriptions?
A: Of course!
Q: Do you write controlled substances?
A: Rarely... only in emergencies.
Q: Can you refill the medications that I lost?
A: Generally, yes.
Appointments
Travel Times and Visits
Q: Will a doctor answer my call?
A: Yes, a doctor answers all calls — we do not use an answering service.
Q: How soon can I be seen by a doctor?
A: Generally, in 1 hour or less.
Q: Is the visit strictly confidential?
A: Yes, no information will be put into a database when the patient pays cash or credit.
Q: Which hotels do you service?
A: All of them.
Q: What if I have to go to the hospital?
A: We have excellent doctors on staff at Sunrise Hospital to take care of you.
Q: What if I have a problem after the visit?
A: You can call the doctor directly on his cell phone.
Q: Do you make house calls to private homes?
A: Yes, but local residents may not get fully reimbursed by their insurance — since their insurance requires locals to go to preferred providers.
Foreigners
Language Língua Idioma
Q: Do you see international patients?
A: Yes, we can use a phone translator for any language.
P: Você fala português?
R: Muito pouco, mas podemos compreender. Também dizemos espanhol.
P: ¿Se habla Español?
R: Sí, pero es necesario que habla muy despacio por teléfono, por favor. Es más fácil hablar en persona.
General
Our Practice
Q: Who is your principal doctor?
A: Dr. Steve Lissau, MD
Q: Are you insured?
A: Yes, we carry full malpractice insurance.
Q: Are you able to see high-profile celebrities?
A: Yes, we have seen many and maintain strict confidentiality.
Q: Are you a walk-in clinic?
A: No, we only do hotel and house calls.
About
Who We Are
Dr. Steve Lissau is our principal doctor. He specializes in urgent care on the Las Vegas strip. Under his leadership, we are on call 24 hours, 7 days a week and holidays to treat you. We handle all urgent care and emergency medical services, with hospital doctors on staff for cases requiring hospitalization.
Hotel Doctors™ is not a walk-in clinic. We provide urgent care direct to your hotel room anytime, day or night. Our medical staff consists of concierge doctors, house doctors, hotel doctors, tourist doctors, and emergency physicians.
Patient Privacy
Your privacy and medical records are protected under doctor-patient privilege and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). When you are treated by one of our emergency physicians, hotel and visit information is kept strictly confidential.
Certain foreign insurance companies require a copy of the doctor's report to be submitted — most American insurance companies do not. Complete confidentiality can be maintained as long as no insurance claim is made.
We have seen many high-profile patients over the years, and have developed discreet visitation techniques that protect the patient's privacy rights. Call our concierge doctor directly and receive the VIP medical treatment you deserve.
You need a hotel doctor who can come to you. Our emergency physicians can be at your hotel generally in less than one hour. The urgent care we provide is among the very best in Las Vegas, in part because we give the right diagnosis the first time.
Because we are not a walk-in clinic, we are able to give you VIP medical attention, at any Las Vegas hotel 24 hours, 7 days a week, even on holidays. We handle all types of urgent care and minor emergencies for both adults and children.
Dr. Lissau - you are absolutely the best GP. Your recommendation to have the CT scan was spot on and we are also very appreciative that you came rushing over, both times - to see me initially at the hotel, and after the CT scan results were out. ... This was a real scare as we had been thinking the worst, so we are so very relieved with this outcome. It has also been a very big wake up call - time to stop and smell the roses much much more every day. I wanted to let you know that I am now recovering and fine, and to say a very big Thank You to you for your skills as a great doctor and especially for taking such good care of me.
— Veronica A., Singapore
After getting a terrible ear ache from the flight, I was in no state to enjoy my holiday. I ws very very thankful for Dr Steve Lissau for coming right to the hotel room in Vegas to treat me. When he got to the room, I was crying in pain, by the time he left, I was smiling and enjoying his sense of humour. The best doctor I have ever met. I highly recommend him.
— Claudia M., Canada
What a wonderful service. I am from Canada and I developed the flu on the day I was to fly back home. Dr. Lissau came to my hotel room and fixed me up so I could get some rest and travel home the next day. The doctor also brought me some food that I could keep down and products to regain my electrolites. Dr. Lissau goes above and beyond. What a sweetheart!
— Deborah S., Canada
I called Hotel Doctors because I thought the rash all over my body was from an allergic reaction. He recognized that I had a much more serious problem called Vasculitis & started me on prednisone & referred me to a specialist; thus preventing me from going into kidney failure. Their slogan "The correct diagnosis the first time" is really true.
— A.L., Montréal, Québec, Canada
Dr. Lissau discovered that I had a rare illness called Marfan's Syndrome which my regular doctor missed!! He probably saved my life by recommending further tests. These doctors spent way more time with me in one visit than my regular doctor ever did.
— Samantha C., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I had been coughing for weeks and had taken antibiotics with no improvement before I called Dr. Lissau. He gave me an inhaler and other medication that totally eliminated the coughing in 48 hours... This guy knows what he's doing.
— Teresa, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Very very good doctor. Came to my room late at night and make me better.
— S.N., Tokyo, Japan
When I called Hotel Doctors I could hardly talk because I was so weak from vomiting and couldn't hold down anything. I was tired and it was late at night. I felt too weak to leave my hotel. Dr. Lissau came to see me and his medicine quickly stopped the nausea and vomiting so that I could drink and avoid dehydration.
— J.H., Victoria, Australia
A GREAT doctor who correctly diagnosed and treated me for Lyme disease after I developed a strange rash on my leg--that saved me from getting more serious Lyme symptoms later on. Thanks Doc!
— I.B., Stockholm, Sweden
He treated my lierticulitis as an out patient and saved my insurance company at least $30,000 dollars by keeping me out of the hospital.
— M.M., United Kingdom
I was ashamed and scared when I acquired an STD in Las Vegas. Dr. Lissau treated me confidentially so that no one could ever find out about it.
— T., Dallas, TX
Very grateful for the visit on such short notice. Dr. Steve Lissau arrived at my hotel within minutes of my call and was able to diagnose me shortly thereafter. After treatment, I was able to return to the convention and enjoy my stay in Las Vegas. Thank you Dr. Lissau!
— Mr. T. G., London, England
He's more than a doctor, he's a magician who made my back pain go away quickly!
— A.P., Tel Aviv, Israel
I usually fear doctors but Dr. Steve Lissau's easy going bedside manner made me comfortable immediately. Plus, he wasn't wearing one of those lab coats.
— Peter W., United Kingdom
He came, he saw me, he made me better. Merci beaucoup.
— D.O., Paris, France
I couldn't breathe and was scared out of my wits. Dr. Steve quickly diagnosed that I was having an anxiety attack and reassured me that I was not in any physical danger. Afterward, I was able to calm down and feel better.
— F.C., Brooklyn, NY
Thank you for your excellent service and humor. Not only did you treat my sickness but you also brightened my day with your great sense of humor doctor. I highly recommend Dr. Steve Lissau's practice.
— J.B., Sydney, Australia
Finally a doctor with a good sense of humor as well as professional skill!
— S.L., Lima, Peru
Dr. Lissau treated me for Asthma, and for the first time in my life I have been symptom-free. I cannot recommend him highly enough.
— R.S., Las Vegas, Nevada
I have known Dr. Lissau for about 10 years and he has treated me for a variety of ailments always with good results. In several cases, he provided the correct diagnosis and treatment after several other doctors failed to do so.
— F.M., Las Vegas, Nevada
When you're sick in a strange city and don't know where to go for help, it's a God-send to have a doctor come to see you in your hotel room. It wasn't cheap but the service was well worth it and my travel insurance covered it all.
— A.G., Oslo, Norway
Contact Us
We would love to hear about your experience with our doctors. Please feel free to tell us about your visit. We are continually striving to give patients the very best medical treatment during their stay in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Staying Healthy in Las Vegas
Basic Tips and Precautions That Will Keep You Feeling (and Playing) Your Best
By Dr. Steve Lissau, MD
If you're like most people, a lot of planning goes into your Las Vegas vacations. But there's one thing very few visitors plan on: getting sick. When it happens, it's going to put a damper on your vacation and perhaps spoil it altogether.
Fortunately, some simple precautions and common sense can increase your odds of staying healthy and enjoying your trip to the fullest! The surest way to find yourself sick in Las Vegas is to go there when you're already feeling under the weather. Upon arrival, the exertion of travel and fluctuating cabin pressures and oxygen levels on the flight can often make you feel even sicker.
Seniors with chronic medical problems are the most sensitive to the stresses of travel. Over the years, I've taken care of lots of them in the hospital. In some cases they already knew they weren't doing too well before leaving home, but figured that due to their, age and health problems, this could be their last opportunity to enjoy Las Vegas and they were determined not to miss it.
Usually this just leads to bigger problems. Some patients I've seen had been suffering with breathing problems and coughing for weeks preceding their trip; by the time they stepped off the plane, they were barely able to breathe. Others had been experiencing what they thought was indigestion, but failed to have it checked out. Once in Vegas, they wound up taking a 911 ride from the casino to a coronary care unit.
Millions of people suffer from allergies without realizing it. They are chronically congested and are the ones most likely to develop vertigo and sinus problems after flying. (Regular nasal congestion in the morning and a history of sinus problems are a clue that you have allergies.) Vertigo can be helped by Dramamine, a nonprescription medication. It's also important to make slow head movements until the vertigo attack subsides, since fast movements will make it worse.
Sore throats are another very common problem in Las Vegas; all it takes is a bit of nasal congestion to develop one. The nose is our normal air intake, and it humidifies dry air so that it won't irritate the delicate tissues of the throat and respiratory tract. However, when your nose is congested, you are forced to breathe the dry, unhumidified desert air directly through your mouth, which irritates your throat as it passes into your lungs. Throat lozenges will help, but the real fix involves decongesting the nose so you can breathe through it. Over-the-counter decongestants and nasal sprays will usually do the trick. Fever and swollen glands in the neck, without accompanying cold symptoms, suggest strep throat—which would require antibiotics. A cough that won't go away is a related problem.
Typically, a closet allergy sufferer first gets a cold, which then triggers a cough that may persist for weeks. It may start at home and become worse in Las Vegas. Some doctors will probably prescribe an antibiotic and cough syrup. When this doesn't help, a different antibiotic will be offered. In some cases, the cough grows so severe that it prevents sleep and may induce vomiting in children. Sometimes antibiotics alone won't work because the underlying problem is not infection, but spasm and inflammation of the airways brought on by bronchial asthma. Since eight out of 10 doctors will not diagnose or treat this problem correctly, it may help to bring up the subject of asthma with your doctor. Asthma is treated with meteredose inhalers as well as inhaled and oral steroids, like prednisone. (Don't worry, these forms of steroids are different from the dangerous anabolic steroids used by athletes that have received so much bad press; these types are safe when used for short periods.)
Asthma can also cause a sensation of chest tightness that can be mistaken for cardiac chest pain. This diagnosis will get admitted to the hospital to rule out a heart attack—not the way anyone wants to spend their precious vacation time!
Clues that you may have asthma include the following:
Coughs that persist for weeks
A personal or family history of hay fever or asthma
A history of pneumonia (pneumonia may result from uncontrolled asthma)
A history of colds going into your chest
The flu is another illness that can ruin your vacation. A flu shot can prevent it, but most people neglect to ever get one. The hallmarks of flu are fever and muscle pain, though there will probably be upper respiratory congestion as well. The good news about the flu is that medicines like Tamiflu can now help to resolve it quickly. These medicines can be taken up to 72 hours after the onset of illness, but the sooner you take them the better. They all require a prescription.
Stomach and gastrointestinal problems causing nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are another common ailment of travelers. If food poisoning is the problems should abate within 24 hours but may persist for days when caused by a virus or certain types of more virulent bacteria. In recent years, epidemics of viral gastroenteritis lasting several days have occurred in Las Vegas. Treatment involves replacing the fluids and electrolytes that are lost via diarrhea and vomiting. Antibiotics are only required when a virulent bacterial diarrhea is suspected; clues to this are fever and bloody stools. When lower abdominal pain accompanies diarrhea, more serious problems like appendicitis and diverticulitis (an infection in small pouches within the colon) must be considered. These conditions may require surgery.
Severe vomiting needs to be stopped with medication so that the patient can hold fluids; otherwise IV fluids may be required. I'll usually give an injection of promethazine to stop vomiting, coupled with an opiate pain reliever, which slows down the bowels, diminishes discomfort and allows sleep. For 24 hours you should stick with clear liquids and soda crackers. After that, the diet can be gradually advanced to light foods like bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.
Gallbladder attacks are another malady I see regularly. Typically they come after the patient has been eating fatty foods and are most common in middle-aged, overweight women. This condition is dangerous because it can trigger pancreatitis—a potentially life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas caused by backed-up digestive juices. Pancreatitis results in severe mid-upper abdominal pain. Heavy binge drinking can also cause pancreatitis.
Anxiety or panic attacks are another common and frightening problem of travelers. Symptoms include chest discomfort and a feeling of breathlessness that results in hyperventilation. The hyperventilation, in turn, leads to numbness and spasms of the hands. Usually the victim doesn't know what triggered the attack. ("Panic attacks come from out of the blue" was an ad slogan of a popular antianxiety drug.) Since panic attacks can mimic both asthma and heart attacks, a doctor's evaluation is frequently required. Those who are aware they are having a panic attack can treat themselves effectively by breathing into a lunch-sized paper bag; the elevated carbon dioxide levels produced within the bag will slow down their breathing and help abort the attack. Prescription medication also helps.
Just remember that chest pain should always be taken seriously because it may be cardiac-related, which is potentially fatal. Pain in the jaw or left arm can also be of cardiac origin, as can a feeling of heartburn or indigestion. When cardiac risk factors such as family history, obesity, smoking and age are also present, a 911 call and a trip to the hospital is always the safest bet. Hotel security can help arrange this.
As for standard aches and pains—travelers hauling around heavy pieces of luggage and walking more than usual will develop their fair share—low back pain usually gets better with bed rest, heat and acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen. Sprains and strains can also be supported with an Ace wrap.
The wise traveler comes prepared. Here's a list of items you should take along on your next trip:
Acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fever or pain
Dramamine for dizziness
Sudafed for air travel. Alternatively, oxymetalazone nasal spray like Afrin can be used
Cold medicines, including those for kids
A three-inch Ace bandage
Step-up medication for asthmatics suffering exacerbations
Your regular prescription medications (it's surprising how many people forget them!), including a urinary tract antibiotic, as well as a urinary pain reliever like Pyridium
Remember that your skin will dry out in the dry desert, so bring along your favorite moisturizing lotion and apply it within two minutes of stepping out of the shower. Severe dry skin, especially on the feet, can be softened with Vaseline.
If possible, get a flu shot. Otherwise, ask your doctor for a prescription for Tamiflu, just in case.
If you need a doctor, there are numerous clinics and emergency rooms available, though waiting times may run three to six hours. Doctors like me also make house calls at hotels. It's more expensive than a clinic visit, but much more convenient—and still far cheaper than visiting an emergency room.
When planning your next trip to Las Vegas, take your health into account. When you're feeling your best, you'll have the best possible vacation—and the best odds of coming out a winner.
Steve Lissau, MD, is a board-certified physician who makes house calls 24/7 at Las Vegas hotels. He can be reached at 702-480-4006.
