Why Evergreen? Helping Doctors with Referrals

A great working relationship between doctors, hospitals, and rehabilitation facilities is essential for ensuring a complete continuum of care for patients who need short or long term rehab. Physician referrals are an important component of patient care. Primary care physicians and surgeons should have solid referral partners in place to avoid patient frustration and make sure that recovery moves forward as smoothly as possible. Evergreen Health & Rehab works closely with referring doctors to keep them informed and to keep their patients’ rehabilitation on track.

The Rehabilitation Referral Process

By referring patients to rehab at just the right time during their recovery process, it guarantees that they will progress and regain motion faster. At Evergreen, we are fortunate to be located near some of the finest medical facilities on the East Coast, and we receive referrals from primary care physicians, surgeons, and doctors in a range of specialties including orthopedics, trauma, and geriatrics.

How to Refer a Patient to Evergreen

Physicians can contact our admissions office directly to refer a patient. During the referral process, our staff reviews the patient’s application and medical records and then determines whether or not the patient can benefit from treatment at our facility. We review insurance information to determine what treatments will be covered by insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid. And last, but certainly not least, we discuss the desired treatment outcome with the referring physician.

To make the process as smooth as possible, here are a few recommendations for referring physicians:

• Contact us before the patient is discharged. We need some time to assess the patient and make sure that we’re a good match for his or her needs.
• Provide as much patient information as possible in the referral. We need the patient’s medical history, medications, and insurance information to make the transition as seamless as possible. Any notes from primary care physicians or surgeons are also helpful.
• Finally, we recommend that the patient or one of their family members tours the facility before admission so that all questions may be answered by facility staff. Then if the patient is interested in Evergreen, an admissions application can be submitted at that time.

Why Choose Evergreen?

Working closely with referring physicians is crucial to providing an effective continuum of care for patients. At Evergreen, we have established a solid reputation with area medical centers thanks to our emphasis on communication and quality of treatment.

Here are some of the best reasons to choose Evergreen Health & Rehab for your patients:

• Staff: Our medical director, a well-known area physician with an internal medicine practice, is on site routinely to see patients. He is affiliated with the local hospital and has an excellent relationship with the medical community in our area. He is regularly available to answer questions from referring physicians. Our staff includes physical therapists, occupational therapists, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and a full-time nurse practitioner who can prescribe medication, diagnose, and treat chronic illnesses. We also contract with other health and medical professionals, including a geriatric psychiatrist, licensed counselors, social workers, speech therapists, a consulting wound care specialist, a registered dietician, and a pharmacist.

• Location: As doctors, patients, and families can attest, proximity to area hospitals is a key when choosing a rehab facility. Our location allows for easy and convenient patient access.

• Communication: We welcome input from referring physicians as our team of doctors, nurses, and therapists put together a personalized treatment plan for each patient. Throughout the patient’s stay at Evergreen, we work closely with physicians to keep them updated on their patients’ progress.

Evergreen: A Valuable Resource for the Medical Community

At Evergreen Health & Rehab, we take our role in the continuum of patient care very seriously, serving as a vital step in the transition between hospital and home. We work closely with the medical community in our area, and we are honored to receive referrals from many local physicians. Our staff works to make the referral and admissions process as smooth as possible for doctors, patients, and their families. It’s our mission to help patients recover function and mobility as quickly and comprehensively as possible.