The Bulletin: August 2005

The Bulletin is a monthly newsletter for Children's and community providers.

Referrals and Insurance

In response to questions we have received, here are clarifications regarding the new appointment referral process and insurance authorizations:

To make a clinical referral for a new appointment, you can either call (206) 987-2080, or fax the new appointment request form to (206) 985-3121.

Families should call us at (206) 987-2000 for their new appointments one full business day after the clinical referral is sent to Children’s. If you know the direct clinic number, you are welcome to give that to families. For many families it is easier to just use the main Children’s number.

Certain health plans still require an insurance referral or authorization prior to the appointment. If you receive a request for a “referral” from Insurance Processing, they are requesting an insurance referral, not a clinical one. Please fax the requested information to Insurance Processing at (206) 985-3297.

For questions related to insurance authorizations, call Children’s Insurance Processing Department at (206) 987-5757.

If you have any questions about the new appointment referral process, please call Sarah Thomas, ambulatory access manager at (206) 987-1399.

Plastic Surgery Clinic Changes

The Plastic Surgery clinic has recently made changes to decrease wait times and improve access for the most clinically appropriate patients.

We have extended our collaboration with the University of Washington and Harborview Medical Center to treat certain types of plastic surgery patients:

Gynecomastia and breast reduction patients are now evaluated and treated at the UW/Bellevue Cosmetic Clinic by Dr. Arshad Muzaffar. For referrals, call (425) 646-7777.
New burn referrals and patients needing revisions of old burn scars are now seen at the Harborview Burn Center. For referrals, call (206) 731-5735.

Patients needing wart or mole removal should be referred to Children’s Dermatology clinic.

Clinic Wait Times Decreasing

Children’s continues to reduce the number of days new patients must wait for a new appointment. Despite record volumes of new patients in June 2005 (27 percent more than in June 2004), the median wait time has been reduced by 7.5 percent year to date.

By holding Saturday clinics, Audiology has dropped the wait time from more than 30 days to less than a week.

The Seattle Orthopedics clinic now has openings for new visits within two weeks, and the wait at the Bellevue clinic is less than a week.

Neurology wait times are 35 days (down from 81 days last year) and Neurodevelopmental wait times are less than 30 days (down from 62 last year).

The following clinics have wait times of two weeks or less for non-urgent, new patients: Adolescent Medicine, Craniofacial, Cardiology, Endocrine, GI, Hem-onc, Pain Management and General Surgery.

The most successful access improvement strategies include having new ARNPs and/or PAs see new or return patients, enabling the MD specialists to see more new patients, and concerted efforts to work down the backlog by adding evening or Saturday clinics.

E-mail Encryption Now in Use

Children’s has introduced e-mail encryption for use when sending and receiving private health information and other confidential information outside the Children’s network.

If you receive an encrypted e-mail message from Children’s, you’ll be prompted to log in to Children’s Secure E-mail Center. Simply follow the screen prompts, and read your encrypted e-mail.

Once registered in the Children’s Secure E-mail Center, you can securely receive and respond to confidential information from Children’s.

This change does not affect computer users who prefer not to send private health information through e-mail.

Children’s among Best in Nation

The July 7 issue of U.S. News & World Report magazine placed Children’s Hospital among the nation’s top children’s hospitals for the 13th consecutive year.

The results were announced as part of U.S. News & World Report’s 16th annual “America’s Best Hospitals” Index. Children’s was ranked 15th in the country (up from 16th in 2004), and the only children’s hospital in the Pacific Northwest to make the list.

Children’s ranks 15th in the country (up from 16th in 2004) and is the only children’s hospital in the Pacific Northwest to make the list.

U.S. News & World Report Index rankings measure 17 specialties, including pediatrics, from 6,007 hospitals across the country. Survey results for pediatric hospitals were based on reputation alone among randomly selected physicians.

Children’s score is based on the percentage of responding doctors who cited Children’s as being one of the top five pediatric hospitals in the nation. The University of Washington Medical Center was ranked ninth in the magazine’s “Honor Roll” listing, recognizing medical centers or hospitals that excel in six or more specialties.

New Heart Center Web Site

Children’s Heart Center now has its own Web site. The comprehensive site provides information on the center’s providers and services including the Fetal Heart Program, surgery and transplantation, cardiac catheterization procedures and more.

An extensive section for patients and families covers what to expect when coming to the Heart Center — from common tests to clinic visits, and from Cath Lab procedures to the OR for surgery.

The site includes sections on conditions treated, where the center’s research efforts are going, and links to helpful Web sites and recommended reading.

New Medical Staff

Zoran Brkanac, MD, Psychiatry
William Bucholz, ARNP, Anesthesia
Farrokh Farrokhi, MD, Neurosurgery
Eli Grunstein, MD, Otolaryngology
Chris Salerno, MD, Cardiac SurgeryAlbert Woo, MD, Plastic Surgery

Grand Rounds

View the schedule of upcoming Grand Rounds.

Grand Rounds Online

View online versions of recent Grand Rounds.

On-Call Schedule

The on-call schedule for inpatient services can be found in the secure area of the Medical Staff Web site. It is updated on a daily basis.